Barbecue season is nigh! We want to help you tech-lovers prepare for your most impressive, champion-league, “winningest” (thanks, Charlie Sheen) cookout ever. You’ve already got your stainless steel natural gas outdoor grill with dual burners, as well as far too many useless kitschy tools—corn holders, shrimp deveiners, avocado slicers—probably received as gifts, through gritted teeth, from some over-priced mod kitchen store. Forget this stuff. It’s all old hat. You need to break out something wild!

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The list kicks off with a group of tools that you can find in most hardware stores, some of which seem like they belong in the garage rather than the kitchen. From there, we’ll move onto chemicals—not exactly “tech,” but they fit right in with a scientifically equipped kitchen. We’ll also explore some affordable plug-in appliances, some of which have unusual culinary applications. Finally, a few drool-inducing pro tools are too expensive for most people to own, but may inspire your culinary experimentation nonetheless.

In putting together this article, I spoke with several professional chefs and food experts who are on the bleeding edge of molecular gastronomy. Many thanks go out to James Beard Award-nominee Chef Francisco Migoya of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Michael Cirino, Alex Talbot of Ideas in Food, and Volcano Vaporizer distributor Adam Schoenfeld. They all contributed a significant amount of time and insight in putting together this list of 20 extraordinary tools that will not only wow your guests but also help you make one hell of a meal.

So cooks, get ready. Most of these tools are not for the faint of heart. But if you’re prepared to order your first tank of liquid nitrogen, steel yourself for these 15 incredible and high-tech kitchen gadgets and tools, with tips on how to use them and what to make.