Saturday brunch rush taught me to ditch my old plating tweezers

I was working the line at The Dutch in NYC last Saturday and we had 180 covers by 2pm. My plating tweezers kept slipping on microgreens and I had to redo like 4 plates. The head chef saw me struggling and handed me a pair of those straight needle-nose ones from the hardware store. For real, $8 at Home Depot and they grip better than any $40 kitchen tweezers I have ever used. Has anyone else switched to cheap hardware store tools for fine plating work?

3 comments

3 Comments

hart.ryan1mo ago

Hardware store forceps are the real secret. I watched a pastry chef use surgical clamps from CVS for chocolate work. Nobody talks about it because it looks unprofessional on camera. But in a real rush when your hands are sweaty and the micro basil is wilting, that cheap rubber grip is a lifesaver. The kitchen supply companies are just selling us fancy versions of stuff you can get at Ace for a tenth of the price.

bell.taylor1mo agoMost Upvoted

Isn't that how it always goes with "specialty" gear though?

jadeg811mo ago

Right there with you, it's funny how the expensive stuff always comes with some hidden catch or limitation. Those off the shelf tools from hardware stores do the job just as well (if not better in some cases) and nobody has to know. Sometimes the best solutions are the ones that feel a little embarrassing at first, but they save your bacon when it counts.