29, October 2014: Bibi Kasrai thinks of herself as a cook that has no need for gadgets. For Bibi, a heavy skillet can effectively tenderize meat and a ceramic bowl on top of a pot can be used as a double boiler. She thinks she does not need electric food processors.

A look at her cooking school located in La Jolla will tell you that she is very simple when it comes to what she uses in her kitchen. Very traditional, you would see she treasures her favorite knife, a wooden juicer, silicone spatulas and bamboo salt box. Her most cherished, though, are mortars and pestles for mixing and grinding that all come with specific purpose and a story, to boot.

She is like many cooks that have a favorite kitchen tool. These tools can be very simple and cheap or of the expensive variety.

There are other cooks like Bibi Kasrai from San Diego County who favors particular tools in their kitchens.

Chef Jeff Rossman is from Terra American Bistro and Terra Catering. He encountered a ceramic knife while conducting a class several years ago that is a Santoku Model from Kyocera. It is excellent for chopping and has become a favorite knife even when he gets teased a lot for using a pink knife.

Another chef and culinary arts teacher, Tonya Whitfield, favors a silver colored steel mallet that is really heavy. Made by her great grandfather, this mallet is made of materials that are used for military plane engines. It has been in her family for generations and is very useful for tough meats and poultry. While she says it is heavy, she finds it very useful for chopping and tenderizing almost anything from nuts to meat.

Food blogger Averie Sunshine is an author of 2 cook books and believes that a great knife and durable stand mixer are important. Her personal favorite is a Vitamix high speed blender she has had for many years.

Averie finds this blender useful for making ice cream to muffins and believes it is worth it since it will last her for many more years.

On the other hand, cook and part owner of a mobile gourmet grilled cheese cart Matt Goodhart loves his cast iron grill weights that each weighs about 4-5 pounds.

He believes every cook must have them as they cut cooking time by half, whether you are grilling a burger or chicken.

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