Miscellaneous Tools and Utensils

Brushes You should have two types of brushes: one with soft bristles to clean mushrooms and one with firm bristles for scrubbing vegetables, such as zucchini and potatoes.

Cake tester This inexpensive little tool is one of my favorite and most used tools, even though I rarely use it to test cakes. I find this thin metal skewer indispensable for checking the doneness and tenderness of meats and vegetables by piercing them with it.