Questions on selecting, maintaining, and using cooking tools and equipment.
Any piece of equipment typically found in a kitchen and/or used in the preparation of food should be given this tag. Both utensils and appliances are considered equipment.
Not all equipment questions are on topic for this site. Please refer to the categories and examples below:
On Topic
Operation
- How important is it to preheat my oven?
- How can I safely use a blender with hot liquids?
- Is it safe to make tomato- or wine-based sauce in a cast iron pan?
Evaluation and Selection
- What should I look for when purchasing a blender?
- What are the practical differences between a gas vs. induction range?
- Is there a tool/appliance available that can help me grate onions faster?
Care and Maintenance
- How do I clean a wooden cutting board?
- How do I season a cast-iron pan?
- Why shouldn't I put knives in the dishwasher?
Off Topic
Installation and Repair
- Where can I find a replacement gasket for my blender?
- How do I fix my broken ice maker?
- Can I install a 40 amp oven/range in a 50 amp receptacle?
General Recommendations/Reviews
- Any experiences with the Acme X-Slice 4000?
- Which microwave should I buy?
Note that exceptions may occasionally be made for product searches fitting a very narrow criteria. Ask these only if you have already attempted to locate a specific type of product via normal channels (Google, Amazon, etc.)
Additional Guidelines
Questions about equipment should not be considered off-topic based solely on the specific type of equipment being discussed. If it is typically found in the kitchen and used to prepare food, it is eligible.
Questions about specific models may be too localized, if very few people own that model or it's sold only in a very small geographic area. But questions about specific manufacturers or models which are widely sold and known are fine. For example, asking about a detail of KitchenAid mixers, which are extremely common in the US, is not much more localized than asking about stand mixers. But asking about your custom-commissioned RoboJetWhizzer 9X47J food processor/spray applicator is too localized.
See here for a more detailed explanation of these points.
