Gestura Utensils
Crafted with precision in Japan with old American presses imported after the war, Gabe, a young Chef working in the US, conceived this new generation of chef tools.
Gestura embodies the Japanese concept of refining a small, simple item to its utmost capacity, delivering a finished product that is the best in it's class.
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01 Silver is built with a single tablespoon volume (half ounce) to scale recipes and ratios with consistency. The well is deeply formed to cradle liquid, the tip is tapered to a fine point for precise pouring or basting. The handle is long enough to stir a braise or a pot of beans, and nimble enough to sauce a plate. The lip is thin and flared to help scrape the corners of a pan or storage container.
Form-
Inspired by the worn and tarnished steel often found at flea markets, and modeled after old American and European silhouettes the spoon is tumbled and unpolished. This creates a matte and imperfect material finish. Each piece is stamped and etched, then finished by hand on a lathe in Mr. Okada’s workshop.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/10 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
9 inches
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard
The 01s slotted companion.
The 00 is a nimble creature comfortable reaching into poaching liquid or blanching water, able to fetch tempura from the fryer, or even retrieve fish from a pan of hot butter, maybe to grab some braised greens, check if the beans are done, or to pluck an olive from the 12 quart container in the back of the walk-in.
Form-
Inspired by the worn and tarnished steel often found at flea markets, and modeled after old American and European silhouettes the spoon is tumbled and unpolished. This creates a matte and imperfect material finish. Each piece is stamped and etched, then finished by hand on a lathe in Mr. Okada’s workshop.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/10 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
9 inches
Volume-
1 Tablespoon
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard
Stando's smaller sibling - Petite Stando. Light and quick, Petite Stando is our answer to the offset plating tweezer. At 8 inches it's comfortable nestled on the front of your apron, and ready to help plate on the pass. You'll find sharpened tips and a balanced tension between the tongs, allowing for precise placement and a strong grip.
Form-
We ditched the bland and clinical look of tongs, and replaced it with a soft streamlined shape. The namesake feature, a curved stand in the middle of the tool provides a wide surface area for finger placement and grip. The stand also keeps the tips elevated off the ground while not in use. Each piece is stamped, etched, and finished by hand at Mr. Ando’s workshop.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/8 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
8 inches
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Handling-
Petite Stando's tips is sharp out of the box. If you would like them less sharp, a few passes on medium-grit sandpaper or something similar will do the trick.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard
FAQs
What is the difference between Stando and Petite Stando?
Stando is a 10" all-purpose tool designed to act like a more nimble tong. Stando has rounded tips and is comfortable anywhere you would use tongs like stirring noodles, grilling, sautéing veg, or flipping chicken. Petite Stando is 8" and has pointed tips and is a more dedicated plating tweezer, designed for delicate tasks like garnishing or handling small things.
I don't work in a restaurant, why should I buy Stando?
Tweezers have long been a secret weapon in pro kitchens. Where clunky collapsible tongs can rip or tear food and feel like cooking with two giant thumbs, tweezers are delicate and nimble allowing an opportunity to interact with your food with more control and intimacy. In addition to being a great cooking companion, Stando also works well as a serving utensil - from tinned fish to charcuterie boards and salads.
This glimmering scepter is a secret weapon in pro kitchens the world over. If you’ve ever wondered how restaurants consistently nail temps on meat, fish, and baked goods the humble cake tester is your answer. A meat thermometer provides an accurate but detached numerical answer, the cake tester offers an opportunity to cook intuitively. To use your senses and be more connected to your food. To understand what medium-rare feels like, not what a digital probe tells you. If you treat this battle sword well, you may not need to buy another cake tester again.
Form-
A cake tester that doesn’t melt, snap, or separate. Noyau is built with tough Japanese steel, a more fitting material than the polyurethane often used by manufacturers. Taking inspiration from cocktail pins found at bars and antique shops in Kyoto, Noyau's head is stamped flat to feel like a weighted guitar pick, and pinched at the base to keep the rod firmly in place. The tip is pointed, to mimic a toothpick and slide through meat, fish, cake, and veg without damaging flesh, fiber, or crumb.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/8 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
5.5 inches
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Handling-
Noyau's tip is sharp out of the box, please use with caution. If you would like it less sharp, a few passes on medium-grit sandpaper or something similar will do the trick.
Packaging-
Little pink box constructed with recycled chipboard
Doneness Guide:
Insert skewer in center from side, should feel like sliding through butter. If there is any resistance, cook longer - you are poking through uncooked fibers.
Insert skewer in thickest area, hold for a few moments, remove and test on lower lip or inner wrist. Just below skin temp = Rare. Slightly warm = Med Rare. Almost hot = Medium. Hot to the touch = Well-Done.
Insert skewer in thickest area of thigh/breast. Hold for a few moments, remove and test. Should feel hot to the touch.
Use in place of toothpick.
If there is any resistance, cook longer. Should feel soft siding through.
Insert skewer in center from top. Hold for a moment. Remove and test.
The Stando project is a result of my interest in updating the ubiquitous kitchen tongs — which often tears or breaks food and feels like cooking with two clumsy thumbs. We calibrated Stando to feel like a delicate extension of one’s fingers.
We ditched the bland and clinical look of tongs, and replaced it with a soft streamlined shape.
The namesake feature, a curved stand in the middle of the tool provides a wide surface area for finger placement and grip. The stand also keeps the tips elevated off the ground while not in use.
The curve has been strategically placed to lean on vessels like 1/9 pans, pint containers, bowls, pan handles - anything with a lip or corner, really.
If you think of tweezers as solely reserved for micro greens and delicate plating, I encourage you to give Stando a try as an every day tool.
Each piece is stamped, etched, and finished by hand at Mr. Ando’s workshop.
Form-
Stando combines the long tapered profile of Japanese cooking chopsticks with the tension and precision of plating tweezers. It is comfortable everywhere from turning small veg in a small pan, to handling noodles and grilling.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/8 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
10 inches
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard
Your new plancha pal. Esa is fabricated in collaboration with a woodworker and steel manufacturer in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. We wanted to design a tool with mini offset characteristics and a fish spatula feel. You'll find rounded corners with a good amount of surface area and a slightly larger handle than normal for a comfier grip. Perfect for fine pastry work like frosting a cake or smoothing batter in a tray, more heavy duty cooking like flipping a pancake or a piece of fish in a pan, or plating purees and small veg. Hand-wash only. If you'd like to preserve the patina/grain of the wood, please treat with walnut oil or cutting board oil
Form-
Inspired by Japanese knives, the octagonal oak handle is lightweight yet offers a full secure grip. The corners are rounded with a good amount of surface area and a slightly larger handle than normal for a comfier grip.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
Beautiful Japanese oak and a heat treated flex steel that can bend and snap back in place. It was important to us that no resins, glues, or plastics were used to fix the blade to the handle, so all you will find is two rivets and a piece of wood lightly treated with some walnut oil
Length-
4.25" blade, 10" total
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only. If you'd like to preserve the patina/grain of the wood, please treat with walnut oil or cutting board oil frequently.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard
Stando's smaller sibling - Petite Stando. Light and quick, Petite Stando is our answer to the offset plating tweezer. At 8 inches it's comfortable nestled on the front of your apron, and ready to help plate on the pass. You'll find sharpened tips and a balanced tension between the tongs, allowing for precise placement and a strong grip.
Form-
We ditched the bland and clinical look of tongs, and replaced it with a soft streamlined shape. The namesake feature, a curved stand in the middle of the tool provides a wide surface area for finger placement and grip. The stand also keeps the tips elevated off the ground while not in use. Each piece is stamped, etched, and finished by hand at Mr. Ando’s workshop.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/8 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
8 inches
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Handling-
Petite Stando's tips is sharp out of the box. If you would like them less sharp, a few passes on medium-grit sandpaper or something similar will do the trick.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard
FAQs
What is the difference between Stando and Petite Stando?
Stando is a 10" all-purpose tool designed to act like a more nimble tong. Stando has rounded tips and is comfortable anywhere you would use tongs like stirring noodles, grilling, sautéing veg, or flipping chicken. Petite Stando is 8" and has pointed tips and is a more dedicated plating tweezer, designed for delicate tasks like garnishing or handling small things.
I don't work in a restaurant, why should I buy Stando?
Tweezers have long been a secret weapon in pro kitchens. Where clunky collapsible tongs can rip or tear food and feel like cooking with two giant thumbs, tweezers are delicate and nimble allowing an opportunity to interact with your food with more control and intimacy. In addition to being a great cooking companion, Stando also works well as a serving utensil - from tinned fish to charcuterie boards and salads.
The Stando project is a result of my interest in updating the ubiquitous kitchen tongs — which often tears or breaks food and feels like cooking with two clumsy thumbs. We calibrated Stando to feel like a delicate extension of one’s fingers.
We ditched the bland and clinical look of tongs, and replaced it with a soft streamlined shape.
The namesake feature, a curved stand in the middle of the tool provides a wide surface area for finger placement and grip. The stand also keeps the tips elevated off the ground while not in use.
The curve has been strategically placed to lean on vessels like 1/9 pans, pint containers, bowls, pan handles - anything with a lip or corner, really.
If you think of tweezers as solely reserved for micro greens and delicate plating, I encourage you to give Stando a try as an every day tool.
Each piece is stamped, etched, and finished by hand at Mr. Ando’s workshop.
Form-
Stando combines the long tapered profile of Japanese cooking chopsticks with the tension and precision of plating tweezers. It is comfortable everywhere from turning small veg in a small pan, to handling noodles and grilling.
Origin-
Niigata, Japan
Material-
18/8 Japanese stainless steel
Length-
10 inches
Cleaning-
Hand-wash only, please.
Packaging-
Packaging is constructed with recycled chipboard