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4.2: Plating Tools of the Trade

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    Having the proper food presentation and plating tools is essential to high-quality plating. Here are a few items you should be sure to purchase if you do not already own them:

    Decorating Brushes

    As one of the most important products in any chef's toolkit, decorating brushes have a variety of applications. You can use them for both detailed line work and broad strokes as you apply sauces, or when plating purees and coulis beneath meat or vegetables.

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    Garnishing Kits

    Garnishing kits come with everything you need to garnish all of your signature dishes, including plating wedges, tongs, squeeze bottles, and brushes.

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    Molds

    Molds are also very important when plating food. By cutting ingredients to a specific shape and size, you'll provide visual appeal and keep your plate tidy. Ring molds also help you develop height and structure when stacking ingredients.

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    Plating and Precision Tongs

    Last but not least, you'll want to have precision tongs on hand for placing garnishes or small, delicate foods. Many tongs also feature micro-serrations for improved grip and stability

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    Plating Wedges

    Plating wedges come pre-cut with flat, round, or pointed edges and are perfect for smearing sauces and other soft ingredients into designs on your plate.

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    Shavers

    Shavers work well when shaving or grating chocolate, hard cheeses, or soft vegetables on top of your finished creations.

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    Spoons

    You will also want to have a variety of spoons on hand. Saucier spoons help you drag smears of sauce across your plate, and you can choose a utensil with a tapered bowl that is perfect for drizzling and pouring. Additionally, slotted spoons quickly separate solids from liquids as you complete your presentation.

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    Squeeze Bottles

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    Squeeze bottles are ideal when applying sauces or aioli to your finished plate. Many of these items come with adjustable, precision control tips that allow you to apply the perfect amount of product.

    Saying all that, the single, most important thing a chef can do to make sure his food looks and tastes good is to simply cook it right!

    This page titled 4.2: Plating Tools of the Trade is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by William R. Thibodeaux & Randy Cheramie via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.