Baking stone / pizza stone

These are usually unglazed tiles or stones on which food is baked. It gives an effect of a brick oven.Food that is to be baked is placed directly on the stone following the manufacturers instructions. A classic example of stone baking is pizza.

Baking trays / tins

Tins or pans used in baking. The sizes and shapes varies. Metal tins are better than using ceramic or glass for baking. Springform tins are the best option for baking.

Blow torch / creme brulee torch

This is a torch used for culinary purposes.It is used to cramelise sugar on top of desserts like creme brulee, meringue etc. This torch can be used to direct a precise ray of flame to the object.

Butcher steel/ blade

Is also known as honing steel, chef's steel, sharpening rod etc. It is used to sharpen knives.

Clay oven,Tandoor

Hindi : Tandoor

Tandoor is a type of cylindrical clay oven, in which tandoori chicken and Naan ( leavened Indian bread) is traditionally prepared. Marinated chicken, meat, fish or vegetables are skewered on to the skewer and cooked in a tandoor. Tandoor is heated by charcoal or wood which adds to the smoky flavour.

Cocktail shaker

A cocktail shaker is a device used to mix beverages (usually alcoholic) by shaking. Adding ice quickly cools the drink.
Ingredients like fruit juices, syrups, liqueurs and ice cubes are added in the cocktail shaker. Then it is shaken vigorously for around 5 to 10 seconds, depending upon the mixability of the ingredients and desired temperature.

There are at least three varieties of cocktail shakers:

The Boston Shaker: A two-piece shaker consisting of a metal bottom and glass or plastic mixing glass. The mixing container and bottom are inserted into each other for shaking or used separately for stirring or muddling. A separate strainer, such as a Hawthorne or Julep strainer, are required for this type shaker if crushed ice is used. Without such a strainer, some bartenders may instead strain by narrowly separating the two pieces after shaking and pouring the drink through the resulting gap.
The Cobbler Shaker: A three-piece cocktail shaker that has tapers at the top and ends with a built-in strainer and includes a cap. The cap can often be used as a measure for spirits or other liquids.
The French Shaker: A two-piece shaker consisting of a metal bottom and a metal cap. A strainer is always required for this type of shaker, barring the separation method mentioned above.

Colander

A perforated bowl used to strain off liquid from food after washing or cooking.

Corer

A corer is used for removing the core and pips from an apple. It may also be used for a pear or similar fruits. It can also be used to core the middle part of the pineapple ring when using for pineapple upside down cake etc.

Egg moulds

These are small egg shaped moulds used for making easter eggs. Available online or in shops selling, baking pans etc.

Electric hand mixer

Electric hand mixer is good for whisking, whipping of egg whites and cream. It comes in different speeds ranging from 1 to 5 in most cases.

Fondue set, forks

Fondue pot is a dish in which either cheeses (cheese fondue) or chocolate (chocolate fondue) is melted with other ingredients to form a thick creamy sauce. Food like vegetables or bread are dipped into cheese fondue and fruits and cake or cookies are dipped and eaten for chocolate fondue. A long stemmed fork is usually used to dip food. A fondue pot with a small lighted tea light is used for the purpose.

Hand whisk / baloon whisk

It is a baloon shaped wire whisk. Good to whisk cream and egg whites etc.

Jelly roll or jam roll pan

A jelly roll, also known as swiss roll or jam roll pan is similar to a baking sheet or cookie sheet, but with sides that are usually 1 inch height.
A jelly or jam roll is a thin sponge cake that is rolled up with a filling of jelly or jam. When sliced, a circular pattern is revealed in each piece of cake. Whipped cream and fruit or fruit preserves often top each slice.

Kitchen press

Kitchen press is somewhat like a potato ricer with a lot of different small plates with perforations of different sizes and shapes. Usually made of steel or brass.

Measuring jug

A measuring jug with liquid mesurements written on it. Preferable to use a glass one. A well know brand is Pyrex.

Meat mallet, meat tenderizer, meat hammer

A meat tenderizer is a hand held tool used to tenderize large pieces of meat in preparation for cooking.
The most common, is a tool that resembles a hammer or mallet made of metal or wood with a short handle and double heads. One face of the tool is usually flat while the other has rows of pyramid-shaped tenderizers. Another resembles a potato masher with a short handle and a large metal face that is either smooth or adorned with the same pyramid-shaped tenderizers as found in the first form. The third form is a blade tenderizer that has a series of blades that are designed to puncture the meat and cut into the fibers of the muscle.
The picture displayed here is of the most common form.

Melon baller

This is a small tool used to cut out out small rounds or balls from soft fruits like water melons etc.

Mezzaluna

Mezzaluna is a knife consisting curved blade with a handle on each end. It is often used for chopping herbs. It is an Italian word meaning half moon due to it's shape. In France it is known as herb chopper.

Muddler

A muddler is thick stick, made of either wood, stainless steel, or plastic, that is used to mash ingredients at the bottom of a glass. muddler is used to mix all the ingredients together. Muddling is an essential step in making certain cocktails like Mojitos.

Non-stick pans

Non-stick cooking pans have a surface that food will not stick to. Its generally teflon coated.

Oven

An ovenl is ideal for baking. Though the convection mode in the microwave is good for baking, an oven gives baking perfection.

Pastry blender

A pastry blender or pastry cutter is used to mix a fat / butter into flour in order to make cakes and pastries. Pastry blender has narrow metal strips or wires attached to a handle. It is pressed down on the items to be mixed. In the absence of pastry blender 2 forks can be used or use finger tips to blend in fat.

Pastry brush

Pastry brushes are available in differnt materials like silicon, wood etc and also in different sizes. A paint brush cannot be substituted for pastry brush.

Peeler

A peeler is used to peel the skin of vegetables or fruits. It consists of a slotted metal blade attached to a handle that is used to peel .

Potato masher, bean masher

A potato masher or bean masher is a utensil used to mash soft food like cooked potatoes, beans or apples for making mashed potatoes, apple sauce, or refried beans.

Puttu maker

Malayalam : Puttu kutty, puttu kumbham     

Puttu (pronounced 'pu tu' ) is a South Indian, specially Kerala breakfast dish of steamed roasted rice flour layered with grated coconut and cooked in either cylindrical shaped steamer or in coconut shells or cylindrical bamboo steamers kept over a pot of boiling water. You get to buy individual serving small puttu moulds either made of steel or coconut shell. If using this, keep on a pressure cooker (where you put the weight on) and cook till steam comes through the lid. To unmould, remove lid, keep a plate upside down on the mould and quickly invert the mould.

Ramekin

A ramekin is a small glazed ceramic or glass bowl used for cooking and serving various dishes. Pronounced , 'rami kin', it is a French word. In individual small ramekins one serving of food is served.

Salad spinner

A salad spinner, also known as a "salad tosser", is a manual kitchen equipment used to wash and remove excess water from salad leaves. The drying prevents leaves from rotting and also dry leaves helps salad dressing to stick better.

Sandwich maker

Sandwich maker is a cooking appliance that consists of two hinged , round or square metal plates that can be closed. The plates clamp together to form an enclosed compartment meant for cooking stuffed sandwiches. The outside edges of the bread are sealed together, to enclose the filling. They are made of cast iron, aluminium etc.and sometimes coated with a non-stick surface. Waffle plates and grill plates also come with the sanwich maker. In that case the plates can be removed and also interchanged to make various dishes. In case of only a single type of plate, then it is usually fixed.

Skewers

A long piece of wood or metal used for piercing of food, to hold it together during cooking in a grill or oven or even in a pan.

Springform tin/ pan, loose bottom tin

A springform pan/ tin is a bakeware that has sides that can be removed from the base. The base and the sides are separate pieces that are held together when the base is aligned with a groove at the bottom of the walls. The pan is then secured by a latch on the exterior of the wall. This belt' tightens the walls of the pan and secures the base into the groove at the base of the walls.

Tube pan

A tube pan has a removable bottom and a tube in the center. This is used for baking chiffon cakes and angel food cakes. A non-stick tube pan is not used as chiffon cakes are inverted and cooled and the cake needs to stick to the pan as it cools.

Unniappam pan/ paniyaram pan

Malayalam : Unniappam pan/ paniyaram pan     

A special vessel with around 7/ 5/ 9 depressions/ holes are used to make unniappam/ karolappam. This vessel is filled with oil to about 3/4th and then batter is poured into these depressions.These vessels come in different types-non stick, iron, brass or aluminium. Traditionally iron ones are used.
The same vessel is used to make paniyaram. Paniyarams are not deep fried, rather cooked on steam by keeping a lid.

Waffle maker, waffle iron

A waffle is a leavened batter or dough cooked between two metal plates of a waffle iron until it is golden-brown. The metal plates are patterned to give the waffle its characteristic size, shape and surface impression. A waffle iron is a cooking appliance used to make waffles. It usually consists of two hinged metal plates, molded to create the honeycomb pattern found on waffles. It can be square or round shaped. Round ones are the traditional ones.The iron is heated and either batter is poured or dough is placed between the plates, which are then closed to bake the waffle. Belgian waffles are very famous.

Weighing scale

Baking is a precision art, so it is worth investing in a weighing scale. Ideally an electronic weighing scale is preffered to a mechanical one. Tare button on a kitchen scale resets the weight to zero on the scale after something is placed on the scale. One can add any no. Of items and hit tare button to reset to zero. For eg. place a bowl on the scale, tare add flour , add sugar, tare. Everytime its tared the weight of the previous ingredient is not added to the weight of the present ingredient. Also for baking purpose, use a weighing scale with a minimum weight of half grams.

Zester

A zester is used to remove the zest (peel without pith) of citrus fruits.