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What laboratory tools have been adapted for molecular cooking?

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Plate of sushi rolls with salmon, vegetables, and rice wrapped in seaweed, served with chopsticks and a small bowl of soy sauce on a wooden table. — gastronomy A common rice dish of Japanese cooking is sushi. To make a type known as *maki-zushi*, a sheet of seaweed is spread with rice flavored with vinegar. Seafood or vegetables and garnishes are then placed on top. Finally, the whole sheet is rolled into a cylinder and sliced.

Molecular cooking involves the adaptation of various tools originally designed for chemistry and research laboratories to modernize culinary techniques and improve efficiency. These tools allow chefs to manipulate food at a molecular level, enabling precise transformations that were previously difficult to achieve.12

Commonly adapted laboratory tools include:

Laboratory filters: Used for the clarification of liquids.1
Decanting bulbs: Employed for skimming stocks.1
Vacuum evaporators: Utilized to create concentrated extracts.1
Siphons: Adapted for the production of culinary foams.1
Ultrasonic probes: Used to create stable emulsions.1
Immersion circulators: Originally laboratory equipment, these are now essential for sous vide cooking, allowing chefs to heat water to a precise, consistent temperature for extended periods.34
Centrifuges: While used industrially for tasks like cream separation, various centrifuge designs are used in food science for the purification and separation of extracts, oils, and juices.56

Additionally, while not strictly laboratory "tools," agents such as agar, sodium alginate, and liquid nitrogen have been integrated into kitchens to facilitate techniques like spherification and flash-freezing.1