Food We need to talk about cooking and food prep tools and utensils.

OK, now I want the Breville food processor.

Here are my essentials:

Forchner Knife set:

Amazon.com: Forschner Fibrox 7-pc. Cutlery Roll Knife Set: Home & Kitchen

Pampered Chef Stoneware Bakeware:

Large Bar Pan | Buy Quality Kitchenware at PamperedChef.com
I broil vegetables on these and love them. To get them started, I always cook a pound of bacon on them first to season them.

Cast Iron Skillet:
Amazon.com: Lodge Logic L10SK3 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet: Home & Kitchen

Finally, I have my Calaphalon Stainless Steel Cookware set which we got for a wedding present 12 years ago and still love it today.

Amazon.com: Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 13-Piece Cookware Set: Home & Kitchen

 

Next time I've got four bills burning a hole in my pocket, that little beauty will be replacing my Cuisineart toot sweet.

 

All that I have is:

1 wok
4 saucepans
1 rice cooker/slow cooker
1 moderately sharp bread knife
1 spatula/stirrer
1 tin opener
measuring jug
A set of scoops with one the size of each type of spoon
A cheese grater (which of course you can grate other things with if you like)
a potato masher (to be honest this is a bit of a waste of time. You can mash potato's just as easily with the butt end of a tin of baked beans)
plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons, glasses, cups

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the one thing I think about getting sometimes is a really sharp knife, but mostly I havent bothered cos it would be too much hassle having to sharpen it all the time and havent found anything I cant cut with my bread knife yet (although if your carving up a chicken or something it isnt the best tool, and its also a hassle opening packets with it)

 

While the one-pass knife sharpeners work ok (I have one with the ceramic wheels that I use to maintain the blade), I picked up one of these from Harbor Freight the other day - a 4 sided diamond hone block. It works fucking awesome. Within about 3 minutes, I had taken a knife that looked like someone had been chopping concrete with it to out-of-the-box new, and restored my Henckel which was still sharp, but not sharp, to its former glory as well.

 

I have a stone (like the one below) and a steel for the knives:


It really isn't that hard to use and keeps the knives nice and sharp.

Tomato knife? A sharp knife will do tomatoes (imo) a lot better than something with a serrated edge.

The last year or so, we've borrowed a bread maker and have been using it a lot - not just for bread (I think the loaf it creates is a little too big), but making dough (pizza, bread rolls, hot cross buns etc.).

We also have two of the enamelled pots like Snowy's one. The smaller one is about 10 inches across, the other is freaking enormous - both get used quite a bit. The large one is actually a cheap (nfi of the brand), but still does the job!

Still, the best thing in the kitchen? the 90cm wide, six burner ILVE oven/stovetop (something like this - Products- ILVE- Kitchen Appliances, ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, freestanding and built-in, tepanyaki cooking). It is an electric oven and gas stovetop. well worth the lots of money spent to but it

 

Our ilve doesn't have that - we bought a cast icon griddle/hot plate (you can turn it over for griddle or flat plate). Still, this kind of range does allow us to veritably cook up a storm

 

I would say that the most-used tools in my kitchen are:

chef's knife
mixing bowls (various sizes)
two cutting boards (one for veg the other for meat)
cast iron pan
silicone spatula/scraper

In just about everything I make, I use these items. Cooking without them would be less convenient.

 

My sine qua non in the kitchen is a set of global knives. They are phonomenal. I swear I could filet *air*.

I used to hone my knives with a diamond steel (rod style) but recently switched over to a three wheel unit from MinoSharp, recommended by the global stockist.



This thing is stunning. As you mention, I took a knife that would have trouble cutting meringue and sharpened it for about 5 minutes in total (probably less) and then when my daughter asked "how sharp is it now then?", demonstrated by slicing the picture off the front of her box of cereal but leaving the box intact.

 

I need one of these... getting tired of taking my knives out to be sharpened.

 

This is what gets me about you people

Is it a bit easier to cut a tomato with a very sharp chefs knife than a serrated bread knife? Sure

Does the tomato taste any different? No

It is pure indulgence to spend 50 sheets or whatever on some fancy knife when a 5 note bread knife will do the same basic job and never need sharpening

 

Sure it's indulgence. But if you have the money to splurge (or it's a gift), why not? Especially if you are someone who would use a tomato knife.

Me? I am happy with my very sharp chef's knife and my bread knife. They served me well for years. I eventually also bought a knife for slicing roasts as I was making a mess with the other knives and wanted my presentation to look better (I entertain people and want things to look nice).

I think anyone here would agree that all that is needed are the basics but, again I ask, why not indulge if that is your thing?

A football player can play a match with a $10 pair of sneakers, but if he or she can afford it, why wouldn't they indulge on expensive boots?

 

Actually Adam, there's things you can't do with a breadknife. I accept totally that my expensive knives are an indulgence, but in my defense a couple were presents, and the rest were purchased at less than half price from a discounter as they were half a set that had been damaged.

But to go back to my thesis, if you want to thinly slice soft foods, a very sharp knife is a pleasure. If you want to cut strips of smoked salmon from a side of fish, you can't use a breadknife. I actually use a global carving knife to cut bread - it takes slices that have a very smooth profile, so they toast better.

You are quite right that this does nothing to improve the nutritional value, or the flavour, but food preparation can be art too.

 

I'm lost without my roasting pan, dutch oven, Pampered Chef (I can admit it) chef's knife, and Henkel santoku. A couple of bamboo spatulas and olive-wood spoons, and I just may not need anything else.

 

I have never found a food that my bread knife couldnt cut.

Maybe not as neatly as a sharp knife, but into the rights size pieces.

I have to admit that Ive never eaten much salmon, but I sometimes buy a trout and when I do I just cook him whole.