The encyclopaedia of gravy
A short, opinionated guide to the equipment that improves gravy — a heavy roasting tin, a balloon whisk, a fine sieve, a fat separator and a warmed jug.
The essentials¶
A heavy roasting tin¶
The most important item on this list. A thin tin develops hot spots, burns the fond in patches and buckles on a hob ring. A heavy-gauge tin browns evenly and can be set directly over two burners to make pan gravy.
Look for: thick base, sturdy handles, a size that fits your usual joint with a couple of centimetres to spare.
A balloon whisk¶
Not a spoon. A whisk breaks up lumps as they form, incorporates stock evenly and emulsifies butter at the end. A small one for jugs, a larger one for large-batch gravy.
A fine sieve¶
Turns a rustic gravy into a smooth one in fifteen seconds, and rescues a lumpy one entirely. See straining and skimming gravy.
A flat-edged wooden spoon¶
For scraping the tin. The flat edge gets under the fond in a way a rounded spoon does not.
Very useful¶
A fat separator¶
Solves skimming mechanically. See fat separators.
A vacuum flask¶
The best solution to lukewarm gravy, and invaluable at Christmas. See keeping gravy warm.
A warmed gravy boat¶
See gravy boats.
Digital scales¶
The flour-to-liquid ratio is the difference between pouring gravy and paste, and 30 g is easier to measure than to guess.
Nice to have¶
A chinois (conical fine sieve) for a restaurant-smooth finish. A gravy mixer bottle — a lidded jar with a built-in agitator for making lump-free slurries, genuinely handy for cornflour. A ladle with a pouring lip.
Not worth it¶
Electric "gravy makers", heated gravy boats with dubious thermostats, and single-purpose gadgets generally. A pan, a whisk and a sieve have made every good gravy in history.