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My family always likes me to give them a list of ideas for holiday gift giving. I think cooking and upgrading cooking stuff will be my theme this year.
So what is the kitchen utensil/gadget that you can't live without? Looking for brand specifics.
One of my favorite items is my Zyliss garlic crusher. After many broken ones - this one is the best I've found.
Thanks in advance!
I waited 20 years for a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and now that I have one, I want a bigger one! So that's what I wouldn't do without.
Karen
A high quality:
*peeling knife for veggies (wide blade, not narrow)
*1-2 high grade paring knives.
*sharp medium sized chef grade knife strong enough for slicing meat and veggies, -- haven't bought Japanese sushi knife grade which I understand even better than German Henkel's quality. I have used Henkel for last few decades.
*Collapsible collander for draining pasta, veggies, etc. ...and for easy storage if not used.
*a medium sized saucepan with 3" high sides and lid ..for sauteeing, stir-frying dishes with sauces. Ok, you don't need a wok for stir frying or frying pan for pan frying if one is desperate to do cooking.
Have you ever cooked with long handled plain wood chopsticks? They are incredibly useful for quick whipping of eggs, sauces, stirring, or plucking out veggie/pieces of meat from a pot, etc. I would argue that untreated (unvarnished) wood chopsticks are safer than sticking in plastic utensils in hot liquids/mixtures.
Hmmm, I have a couple of bamboo spatula type things that I bought over 20 years ago that still look brand new even after years of cooking with them...I love them! (No idea on brand anymore...)
I also love my food mill, but most people probably don't have need for one of those. Mine is a hand crank one that really does an amazing job. Cuts canning and making preserves into half the time.
And I love my little mortar and pestle (sp?). It's marble, cleans up with the wipe of a cloth and makes dried spices sing.
Lastly, I have a silly little plastic food chopper thing that works like a charm. I got it from an infomercial because I cannot be within a yard of onions without tearing up, but I find I use it all the time. I'm not going to recommend it though because I think they've changed the manufacturer since I got mine and the new ones are apparently pieces of junk. Mine is still chopping strong after 6+ years of almost daily use though.
It's this thing:
http://www.amazon.com/Genius-USA-ND0.../dp/B000HEBCEM
I would die without my crock pot, plain and simple...
One good 6" or 8" chef's knife.
Anything else I could live without if I had to.
Oh, and a cutting board that won't dull the blade.
A honing steel, and a sharpening jig is gravy.
I love cooking in my cast-iron skillet. Cornbread, desserts, burgers...it's a great all purpose item to have. :)
this:
I like those apple slicers ^
And really I can't do without a can opener.
But my gift-worthy appliance that I really like is my rice cooker and I got it for free with a points card :D
I bought a kitchen timer at a Pampered Chef party a while back ... use it every morning to time my french press coffee.
http://s7d3.scene7.com/is/image/TheP...1900?$product$
My boyfriend doesn't count, does he? (He slices, he dices, he even does the washing up!)
Really good sharp knives and a nicely sized cutting board.
I don't know where to start, really. :o I just like my...kitchen... It was designed by me and it really is the center of our house. I love my induction stove (easy to keep clean and just as fun to cook as a gas stove). I love my oven, especially the speedheat button :o My oven is pre heated in 1 minute. :D
It really is a foodies dream. :p
Papaver, I feel the same way about my kitchen. Everything is where I like and need it to be, because I put it there! Really the best thing about my kitchen are my bamboo cabinets. They are beautiful and amazingly well-built.
But if I had to move, I'd definitely take my apple slicer!
+1 on the kitchen aid standing mixer. It is not something that gets everyday or even everyweek use but it makes so many jobs so much easier.
Also a good set of knifes is essential!
Since we're talking about gifts, and so many of us have suggested knives, corers and peelers...
my mom has a superstition - that both my sisters have adopted, but somehow not myself - that sharp objects cannot be given as gifts, or they will "cut the relationship." The remedy is for the recipient to pay the giver a token amount, like a penny, after receiving the gift, so it's actually a "sale."
Just so you're aware. I put ceramic peelers in my family's stockings one Christmas (love love love mine, and I thought they were a nice gift item since they're more money than most people want to spend on a peeler, but really worth it) - having forgotten about the superstition - and I was surprised how much the gift upset my family. :o
So if you give something sharp - particularly if you won't be present when the gift is opened, for them to "pay" you for it - make sure your recipients don't subscribe to this superstition!
I use this a lot in the kitchen...
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...ert/893032.jpg
The one thing in the kitchen I can't live without is my partner! :D Because I can't cook to save my life! That being said she's been dreaming of a KitchenAid mixer for years. Everyone (who is into cooking that is) seems to be nuts about those things.
So am I! I could live without my Kenwood, but I don't really want to. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by krisl6
My instant-read meat thermometer. I would have woefully underdone or overdone meat without it.
Papaver and Krisl6...feel free to speak Dutch here. I'm learning (kinda, thanks to Papaver) and could use the practice. :D
Krisl isn't Dutch... but her dutch writing is more than okay. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by tulip
If I didn't have DH in the kitchen I would either starve to death or go broke from eating out! He's done all the cooking and grocery shopping for the past 20+ years. I can make toast and I do good with stuff that you can put in the microwave. I think he would say that he wants a great food processor of some sort.
That is so interesting. I gave someone a knife as a wedding present, and have hardly seen them since the wedding, and not at all for a few years. We used to see each other all the time. Funny.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
My Green Apple non-stick glass bakeware -- eliminates the need to grease the pan, and nothing sticks -- not cakes, not cheesy potatoes, not gooey pies. Anything that reduces clean-up time is a plus in my book, but then I still don't own a dish washer... :(
Oxo salad spinner.Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffsquared
This, and our 3.5 qt. Analon Straining Saucepan, gets used daily.
Sharp knife and a cutting board.
brands in my kitchen:
Le creuset (you guys call it a Dutch oven >>> dunno why :D )
De Meyere cookware http://www.demeyere.be/default.asp?SLID=1
Peugeot peppermills http://www.psp-peugeot-usa.com/products/mills.htm
Solingen knives: http://www.knives-from-solingen.com/
Laguiole knives: http://www.laguiole-french-knife.com/
Wüsthof chef knives: http://www.wusthof.com/desktopdefault.aspx
I don't have a Le Creuset (too rich for my blood), but I do have a Dutch Oven that I love! It's very versatile.Quote:
Originally Posted by papaver
I only recently started cooking in earnest and had no idea where to start in terms of buying the things I might need in the kitchen. I finallyl subscribed to America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated online content. Their online equipment reviews have proven very helpful, especially since you can often find recommendations at various price points. I use their ingredient reviews a lot, too. My BF gave me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated magazine for my birthday. I learn a lot about food prep and technique from just reading their recipes, even if I don't ultimately follow them to the letter.
I know that quality kitchen stuff is really expensive... I save money for the stuff I want, sometimes I ask something for my birthday like a Peugeot Peppermill, or I look out for special sales (like stores that have to close down...). And i participate in contests... that's how I won my creuset. :D
I just take my time. :)
This superstition sounds vaguely familiar though for our family, I have parents who are extra safety conscious. This would be topmost in their mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
It does pay to be patient. My BF and I recently combined a sale with a rebate to finally get a KitchenAid stand mixer for over $100 less than what it typically sells for. Same with my roasting pan. I've signed up for a couple of sites like Cooking.com that have good sales here and there. I got a good deal there on my stainless 12-inch skillet. I do think quality pays off with certain items.Quote:
Originally Posted by papaver
Mine is an "out of the kitchen" utensil.
We discovered Dutch Oven cooking this Spring.
Not the same type of DO that has been listed by others on this thread.
Here is a link to some DO's in service on the Cabelas site:
http://www.cabelas.com/p-0013227514234a.shtml
This DO is for cooking outdoors with coal or over an open fire. We do the coal version.
The DO is cast iron and has three legs and a recessed lid to hold the upper coals. You put a specified number of coals under the DO and on the lid as per the recipe.
My husband is the main DO handler in our house. He loves it because he gets to wear a big pair of bright red suede gloves and use a special lid lifting tool. (He has a pic on his computer, I'll try to post it later)
Our favorite recipes are the fruit cobblers and crisps.
We have made pot roasts as well. We love making cobbler so much that we have been a bit lax on our recipe experimentation.
Plus, we need to expand our collection so that we can make chili, cornbread and dessert at the same time!
Next Fall we plan to attend "Dutchstream" in TN.
This is a combined Airstream and Dutch Oven rally.
Yes, the bikes will come too. Hubby cannot miss a chance to ride in the mountains and I should be ready for them by next Fall.
This is an ultimate dream...
http://www.traditionaloven.com/
Amazingly, that's the gadget maillotpois can't do without in my kitchen.:pQuote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Several years ago I bought a set of Le Creuset on Ebay - 2 small saucepans w/ lids, am 8" skillet, and 6qt Dutch oven. It was around $275 or so but honestly I don't remember. I've since added a 2 and a 5 qt dutch oven and I use the small one a couple times each week for sure. It's the perfect size for one person. I love this stuff and it will last forever. Definitely an investment.
This was a present too...
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...8e2c4cde-1.jpg
An Alessi whisk... quite handy....
When my partner's mother died last year, we inherited alot of her top-notch cooking ware. She was an excellent cook, baker and did use quality kitchen tools --ie. her special cooking pot for steaming and cooking dumpfenudel.Quote:
Originally Posted by papaver
Yes, serious German cooks have a particular type of pot so dumpfnudels don't stick much and steam doesn't escape when cooking. Yup, it's been used since dearie and his brother have made dumpfnudel several times since her death. Dumpfnudel is like a Chinese bao, steamed white bun --but no filling for dumpfnudel. But each bun type uses a totally different way of making the dough and slightly different steaming technique and apparatus.
That's how we also ended up having some wonderful kitchen shears, etc.
This thread is interesting..really show such varied cooking style preferences. For instance, I can't get overly excited about certain Cruset pots nor Dutch ovens. I've never used a Dutch oven...yet.
I cook outside with cast iron Dutch Ovens, too! Love its ease, and I especially like making a big breakfast in mine, but I don't see me going to any shows or cook-offs. :)
Karen
I didn't get it either... till I got one for free... seriously... you never burn things, it's perfect for slow cooking...Quote:
Originally Posted by shootingstar