# Which of these spoons would you be most likely to see in use in a professional kitchen?



## Guest (Oct 23, 2010)

I'm assembling my kit for school, and trying to figure out which one to bring. The silver one is made by Winco, and is stainless steel. The one on the right is made by Calphalon, which I guess is nylon?



Thank you!


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Stainless Steel.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Stainless.

Nylon will melt, and the s/s skin will peel off.

When buying ladles NEVER get ones with a welded on handle, crud will lodge in the cracks, get one made from a single piece of s/s.


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2010)

Thank you both. I really appreciate your detailed answer foodpump. As a student, you have two guidelines when it comes to equipment it seems: use whatever you want to get the job done, but don't use the wrong thing or you'll look stupid.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Christian Holmes said:


> Thank you both. I really appreciate your detailed answer foodpump. As a student, you have two guidelines when it comes to equipment it seems: use whatever you want to get the job done, but don't use the wrong thing or you'll look stupid.


Ah but sometimes the "wrong" thing might be just the thing that will make you look pro. Like using a skillet as a lid, or placing a skillet upside down across two burners to re-ignite a pilot that went off... /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

The stainless is superior for several reasons.  Not only is there risk for the nylon melting,  but the nylon does not have the stability needed for some functions.  If you are lifting something from a boiling caldron, for instance, you want to be sure that the tool you are using will not bend or wobble under the weight of what you are lifting.  This can happen with the nylon.  Even if it seems fairly stable at room temp,  heat from the cook pot can soften it.  How might I know this?  My daughter's kitchen is poorly equipped with the most awful spoons and ladles in the world.  I suspect they were part of some "everything in one box" kitchen outfit,  from her newlywed days.  Anyway,  these are flimsy and useless for anything but the simplest of tasks. 

So, yes, stainless is better, and get the heaviest you can afford.  Since these will be used at school, you will want to brand all your tools with some sort of ID.  You name, birthdate or your car license plate number, so no one else can say it's his. 

I hope you do well in your school.  G.


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2010)

amazingrace said:


> The stainless is superior for several reasons. Not only is there risk for the nylon melting, but the nylon does not have the stability needed for some functions. If you are lifting something from a boiling caldron, for instance, you want to be sure that the tool you are using will not bend or wobble under the weight of what you are lifting. This can happen with the nylon. Even if it seems fairly stable at room temp, heat from the cook pot can soften it. How might I know this? My daughter's kitchen is poorly equipped with the most awful spoons and ladles in the world. I suspect they were part of some "everything in one box" kitchen outfit, from her newlywed days. Anyway, these are flimsy and useless for anything but the simplest of tasks.
> 
> So, yes, stainless is better, and get the heaviest you can afford. Since these will be used at school, you will want to brand all your tools with some sort of ID. You name, birthdate or your car license plate number, so no one else can say it's his.
> 
> I hope you do well in your school. G.


Thank you for your further elaboration! Do you have any suggestions for labeling things like the spoon, etc? I mean, it seems like a sharpie would make it unsanitary. I guess engraving would be okay, but I would guess it would be expensive.

Are there any other good ways?


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Laser engraving is pretty cheap. Something like a couple of dollars.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

On cheap stuff like spoons and ladles a "Dremel" type electric engraver will work, so will a carbide tipped marking awl, number or letter punches work too.  All of these tools can be borrowed, no need to buy them.

Another way is to use "Plasti-dip"  This is a thick, colourfull rubber coating, like you see on pliar and wrench handles and other tools.  Colourfull, smooth, and waterproof.  You buy a can in hardware stores and dip part of your tool, maybe the first 1 inch,  into it.  Good for knives, you can spot it from quite a distance.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

BTW, if you should go with nonmetallic tools, choose silicon rather than nylon.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The coated, teflon, nylon, and other plastics spoons, spats, tongs and other small tools are made for non-stick cookware. That is, they don't scratch the coating. They melt easily, aren't very strong or sure, and don't really belong in a professional kitchen. Women, bless them, find slightly melted plastic tools endearing. But that's a different kettle of _cioppino_ altogether.

Try and buy from a restaurant supply store. Pros tend to use the same sorts of tools, it's a lot harder to go wrong in a restaurant supply than at "gourmet" or hardware stores.

Don't worry about looking as though you don't know what you're doing. You will because you don't. That's why you're going to school in the first place. Don't put too much anxiety into what's best, now. We'll be more than happy to go through whichever tools you're required to have when you show you up. Otherwise, wait til you get there.

BDL


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## bellybones (Oct 4, 2010)

Stay away from Teflon and plastic around heat.


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## bhtoad (Jul 14, 2010)

You can get an electronic engraver for about $25.  At least that's what I paid for one a few years ago, and I bought it off of a Snap-On truck.  (Not the cheapest source of tools.)  Try Sears, Harbor Freight, Lee Valley, or your local hardware store.  You'll probably have better luck at a regular hardware store than the big box stores.


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

I've seen "etching pens" very cheap in craft stores,  and yes,  hardware stores.  Typically under $15.  Considering the number of uses you might find for such a tool once you have it,  that's not a bad investment.  In addition to your kitchen tools,  you can use it to identify lots of other stuff.  Camera, cell phone, household appliances,  etc.  Actually anything that you may need to be able to identify if it becomes lost or stolen.


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

I personally see no reason to spend money on marking a $3 spoon. Take a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, and etch your initials into the back of the handle.


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

tylerm713 said:


> I personally see no reason to spend money on marking a $3 spoon. Take a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, and etch your initials into the back of the handle.


That'll work. The point is be able to distinguish your tools from anyone else's similar or identical ones. This is especially useful if another party's tool becomes damaged, and s/he tryies to switch out for your better one. Trust me, this does happen, not only in school settings but in professional venues as well. No matter where you are in life, you will find people are people. Some have great integrity and ethics, others have none. Even as a team player, you'll have to look out for yourself first.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I have to agree that an etching tool, whether one of the cheapee pens or a high end engraver, is a great investment. It's one of those things you never knew you needed, until you start playing with one.


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## Guest (Oct 25, 2010)

How to etching pens work? Are they just pens that can scrape into metal? Or is it an electronic thing?



amazingrace said:


> I've seen "etching pens" very cheap in craft stores, and yes, hardware stores. Typically under $15. Considering the number of uses you might find for such a tool once you have it, that's not a bad investment. In addition to your kitchen tools, you can use it to identify lots of other stuff. Camera, cell phone, household appliances, etc. Actually anything that you may need to be able to identify if it becomes lost or stolen.


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

Christian Holmes said:


> How to etching pens work? Are they just pens that can scrape into metal? Or is it an electronic thing?


They are essentially a pen that has a very hard tip (usually tungsten carbide I think), instead of an ink insert. Hold it just like a pen and write like you're using a pen, but etch the writing into metal. You can probably find one at a craft store for cheap.


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## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

I agree. I love silicone. I wonder if it will eventually replace nylon tools completely. 


KYHeirloomer said:


> BTW, if you should go with nonmetallic tools, choose silicon rather than nylon.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Hiya Missy,

You wrote,


> I love silicone. I wonder if it will eventually replace nylon tools completely.


Maybe, could be, but either and both are home cook's tools. You're unlikely to see either in a professional kitchen of any quality. They can't take the stress because they're flexible and melt; also the spats are thick and blunt. The exception is a kitchen using a lot of non-stick -- but unless they're egg specialty places, they tend not to be quality kitchens, and even then...

BDL


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## missyjean (Nov 5, 2009)

Hi BDL!

That makes perfect sense. As a health-conscious home cook, I tend to prefer silicone because it is inert. I avoid plastic where ever possible. But, in a professional kitchen, I totally understand how silicone's use can be limited. When I do buy silicone tools, I prefer Le Creuset because it can withstand temps up to 800 degrees F. I've replaced a lot of my old wooden spoons with the Le Creuset spatulas. They work well for cooking oatmeal and batters.

Thanks, as always...

~missy


boar_d_laze said:


> Hiya Missy,
> 
> You wrote,
> 
> ...


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