Blender

Although this might seem like a basic piece of kit, I’ve listed it in this section because a blender that I perceive to be good enough is going to cost you between £600 (US$770) and £1000 (US$1285). I like to use a Thermomix – which heats the contents of the jug as you blend and allows you to warm things to a very specific temperature, under control and on a timer. I use it for making syrups – it’s great for dissolving sugar as you can be really precise with it: you set the temperature, leave it for 7 minutes, say, and you’ve made a sugar syrup. We also use ours for grinding spices as it’s really powerful. Some bartenders recommend a Vitamix as it is even more powerful but they impart heat and you can’t control this so I wouldn’t use one. An everyday heavy duty blender will do if you can’t stretch to a more professional blender.