The $165 utensil you need in your kitchen, according to this top chef

When it comes to must-have kitchen items, a weighted press mightn’t be high on your list. But Oscar Solomon is here to change your mind.

“It’s the versatility,” Solomon says. “That’s why I think it’s so important. It’s just incredible. I even use it on toast. Once you start to think about how much cooking benefits from even pressure – like, even, additional pressure – the outcomes can be really impressive.”

Solomon is group development chef for The Apollo Group, which operates restaurants in Brisbane (Greca, Yoko), Sydney (The Apollo, Cho Cho San) and Tokyo (a second instalment of The Apollo). He says each has at least two weighted presses in the kitchen.

“I organised three per restaurant and then, miraculously, one has gone missing in every venue every six months or so, because people want them. If people want to steal your s**t, that’s actually a good sign.”

A weighted press more or less does exactly what it says on the box. Typically made from stainless steel and round in shape (although there are plenty of rectangular shaped versions on the market), the press has a flat bottom and a handle on top for ease of use. It’s basically a formalised version of an old chef technique of stacking cast iron pans atop a frying protein to achieve a flat, even, crispy-skinned piece of meat.

Solomon had his custom made, but says his favourite is the 1.6-kilogram Saint Peter Fish Weight − produced for Sydney chef Josh Niland’s game-changing seafood restaurant − which retails for $165.

“Josh’s is obviously designed with fish in mind, but you can use it for chicken or steak or pork or even vegetables,” he says.

“If I have dinner at home by myself, I buy a whole chicken, butterfly it, salt it and leave it in the fridge to dry out for a little bit. And then all I do is put a cast-iron pan on the stove, put the chicken skin-side down and leave it on medium heat for 15 minutes. Then I turn off the heat, flip the chicken and let it rest in the hot pan for another 15 minutes.

“There is literally no better way to eat chicken. And it’s one pan; you don’t need to put it in the oven. It’s so disgracefully easy and that’s because you’re getting this even downward pressure.”

But, as mentioned, Solomon will bust it out even for something as simple as a piece of toast.

“Granted, it takes a bit longer, but I’m not putting my toast in a toaster so I have to go to something stupid one centimetre [thick],” he says. “I don’t want dry crispy bread; I want crispy on the outside and doughy in the middle.

“So, I cut it two fingers in width, and then you can butter it or just oil the pan, and you put the weight on the toast, and you just get absolutely even, perfectly crunchy toast.”

Not keen on the Niland press? Solomon is also a fan of The Chef’s Press weighted press, which can be purchased from Meatsmith here in Australia (although it’s currently showing as out of stock), starting at $68. Produced in the United States, it’s stackable and therefore weight adjustable, and vented to help release moisture. But there are also cheaper alternatives scattered across the internet, if you’re happy to browse around.

“Whether you’re cooking proteins or toast or vegetables, you’re just mitigating the variables, like if your pan has a bend or a nick in it, it just gives you that added layer of consistency and precision.

“You’re pressing everything towards the heat evenly. You’re not speeding up the process of cooking, but you’re absolutely evening out those natural blemishes and making it better.”

The Saint Peter Fish Weight mrniland.com