Unconventional Tools


 
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Jeff R L

New member
I thought I'd share with everyone the tools I use when tending my kettle. They're definitely not the conventional stuff that everyone uses but they do the job for me and they were easy to find. So to start off, in Toronto we have a store called Tap-Phong in Chinatown that sells all the kitchenware, cookware and more that any chef could dream of and at very reasonable prices. The store specializes in Asian cookware but carries a lot of standard Western cookware as well. Being an adventurous window shopper and just strolling about on a Sunday afternoon, I've come across Thai charcoal rocket stoves, Hibachi and Yakatori stoves, and even a small portable Tandoori oven! But the ingenuity really kicked off when I ventured into the aisle for wok cooking:


Cane bristle brush $7.50




Bamboo Wok Brush $4.69

Both brushes would work perfectly for cleaning out ash and caked on grease-ash. I settled for the bamboo wok brush knowing that I like a really clean kettle before any session and needed something with more vigor to remove the burned on bits while not damaging the porcelain.

In the end I decided to get a wok ladle as well to go with my wok spatula. The stainless steel was too shiny to put back down. :cool:



You're probably wondering at this point why a wok spatula and ladle for charcoal grilling. Well, a light bulb went off in my head while aimlessly browsing the aisles of cookware. Instead of paying $20 CAD for a Weber charcoal rake why not just pay $8 for a wok spatula that can function as a coal rake. The wok ladle, well that is for spooning/retrieving lump charcoal from the bag without getting your hands and arm covered in dust. For $8 as well it works really well for the smaller stuff. Both are about 30" in length which would also give some heat protection.





So there's my unconventional tools :p
 
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I picked up an old fashioned fireplace shovel ( black stamped steel) for under five bucks for adding coal to the WSM, great tool!
 
Great post Jeff. I'd "like" it if we had the capability ;)

Found a story in the Star from several years ago about them https://www.thestar.com/life/food_w..._top_chefs_rub_shoulders_with_home_cooks.html

It seems that stores that sell to "white" (I can't find another word to describe this and I don't want to be well, you know what I'm trying to say. It seems you can't say anything ethnic-related without upsetting someone these days so I apologize in advance if someone takes offence) people charge rediculous prices and people will buy it but stores that sell primarily to non-whites have to charge a reasonable price otherwise those customers will patronize other stores that do charge a reasonable price.

Thanks for the tip. There is also a store in MIssissauga that caters to the same crowd in the Mississauga Chinese Centre Mississauga Chinese Centre Store Listing

Picked up my carbon wok, wok spatula and spider there. Fantastic quality and great ( = reasonable ) prices.

spider
chinese-wire-skimmer-chinese-spider-803-p.jpg
 
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Thanks for posting Jeff!
I found a ladle in Amazon's warehouse for $10.
It will come in handy for dipping out small lump, rearranging charcoal, and dipping ashes out of my Kamado and WSM.

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Interesting ideas Jeff, I really like the ladle one for adding charcoal without wearing it all over my hands and arms.
 
J Hasselberger said:
Digging the wok tools. Effective tools for fiddling with charcoal through the door are worthwhile additions.
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Looks nice & heavy duty too.

One unusual tool I use looks like a hay hook. It has other uses (removing drain grates in my back yard) but it spends most of the time on my grill tables. I use it in the gasser to lift/slide the grate so I can get to the smoker box or pouch, and on the charcoal grill, I use it to turn the grate sometimes.

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I like it Clint!
I agree with Len’s comment about store margins being askew, you go into a “trendy” kitchen store and the spider (from Len’s post) is ten bucks, in the “ethnic” market, it’s three! There used to be a Latino store next to a fabulous restaurant where they some all kinds of Mexican products at what was fair to the market, the same items were three or four times as much in other markets.
I now have three Latino markets within a five minute drive, one is about a three minute walk, which I need to really fully scout out!
 
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When I bought this house 25 years ago, previous owner left a tool like this behind. I call it a brake tool, not sure what it is. But I use it about every time I grill/smoke. I use it to adjust hot vents, I can put it between bars on grates and get leverage to pick them up and move them around, as a poker, and other things.


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Went on vacation and forgot to put the wine cork tool back in camper,remembered I had a screw in bow holder in door pocket of truck,yep worked fine lol ,got a picture but need to find a host now that FB is out the door
 
Len Dennis said:
Great post Jeff. I'd "like" it if we had the capability ;)

Found a story in the Star from several years ago about them https://www.thestar.com/life/food_w..._top_chefs_rub_shoulders_with_home_cooks.html

It seems that stores that sell to "white" (I can't find another word to describe this and I don't want to be well, you know what I'm trying to say. It seems you can't say anything ethnic-related without upsetting someone these days so I apologize in advance if someone takes offence) people charge rediculous prices and people will buy it but stores that sell primarily to non-whites have to charge a reasonable price otherwise those customers will patronize other stores that do charge a reasonable price.

Thanks for the tip. There is also a store in MIssissauga that caters to the same crowd in the Mississauga Chinese Centre Mississauga Chinese Centre Store Listing

Picked up my carbon wok, wok spatula and spider there. Fantastic quality and great ( = reasonable ) prices.

spider
chinese-wire-skimmer-chinese-spider-803-p.jpg
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Hmm I never knew of any other stores that were like Tap Phong in the GTA...might have to make an excuse to head out to Mississagua sometime.
 
Glad you guys are enjoying the topic and the ideas. Definitely love reading everyone's unconventional tools. I'm still working on figuring out what to use to scrub down/remove all the burnt on bits on the grate after a cook out. Currently I'm using a the Weber wire brush but after reading about the potential of wire left on the grate it has me thinking otherwise.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
When I bought this house 25 years ago, previous owner left a tool like this behind. I call it a brake tool, not sure what it is. But I use it about every time I grill/smoke. I use it to adjust hot vents, I can put it between bars on grates and get leverage to pick them up and move them around, as a poker, and other things.


s-l640.jpg
Click to expand...

That's a good use of the tool! Looks like it was purposely made for grilling but re-marketed for a more mainstream use. I need one of these as well for lifting up a hot grate!
 
Rich Dahl said:
Interesting ideas Jeff, I really like the ladle one for adding charcoal without wearing it all over my hands and arms.
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You're very welcomed Rich. I've had too many occasions of having my elbow expectantly covered in charcoal and only to find out about it after it gets smeared on some light coloured surface :p
 
So far, I have not heard the shovel complain when using it for its intended purpose but, I’m happy to have it for the secondary duty, and of source for its “McLintock” use when necessary.
Go watch the movie! Happy birthday Duke!
I think I might need to look for one of those brake tools.
 
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