Use a cast-iron pan to grind pepper.

"Fresh ground pepper makes a big difference in flavor, but with pepper grinders it's hard to get the perfect grind. You can use coffee grinders, but you'll get pepper that is ground too fine or too many peppers that don't get ground. With a cast-iron pan, place peppercorns on a cutting board, whack them a few times and then rub the pan over them for a consistent grind. The more you rub, the finer it gets. Try this with any type of peppercorn, coriander and many other seeds." —Chef Johnny Prep

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Use a kitchen towel for a bain marie.

“For all recipes that need a bain marie (water bath): Use a towel in the bottom of the pan, then add water. This works for flan, rice pudding, foie gras terrine and crème caramel"—Ariane Daguin, Co-Founder & CEO of D’Artagnan