What is the kitchen utensil/gadget you can't live without?

[shootingstar]

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.

I just take my time.

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.

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.

[SadieKate]

Oxo salad spinner.

Amazingly, that's the gadget maillotpois can't do without in my kitchen.

[Number 9]

Hi all, I am bit of lurker here but I am also a great cook, which pays off when my riding buddies all drop me... they wait 'cause I have the food and the knowledge....

a good 8 or 10 inch chefs knife (heinkels/trident or other top brand)
a sharpening steel to keep it right
Jonathan's spoons hardwood spatulas (never scrape or damage a pan again)

ps always give a gift of a knife with a penny taped to the blade ( a good luck charm to prevent any cuts)

sheila