What Do You Cook With?

We have a lot of cooking gear ...BUt ....I love our bamboo cooking utensils ....I've moved away from the plastic utensils a few years back....AND the best gadget I bought was a Pineapple corer! If you like fresh pineapples, it is the best tool ever !!

a reply to: schuyler

Since we do cook so much, we have talked about investing in some more expensive gear.

I think our next purchase will be a more heavy-duty blender. We had the $30 Walmart special, and we've used it so much that the cap is broken and the buttons are cracking. The seal at the bottom is also starting to go.

We're looking at a much more quality replacement since we've started giving it so much use between our kid being hooked on smoothies, our tendency to make our own vinaigrettes, and the several soups we puree bits of for the recipe, etc.

I think my husband could be persuaded to pick up a good quality santoku knife for the chopping duties too.

And we also need a wok. My parents gave us a cheap little one years ago for a Christmas gift, and we've cooked it to death since.

... but we also want a cast iron Dutch oven too.

a reply to: ketsuko

a reply to: ketsuko

If you're short on funds I'd look at a Lodge Dutch oven. They work really, really, well. They're now doing enameled ones. Be sure to look each pot over though if you buy one. Their QC on the enamel work leaves a bit to be desired. I just use the straight cast iron ones, and I always season mine myself (they sell pre-seasoned ones, but I'll pass).

Regarding a wok, see if you have an Asian market around you somewhere. They usually have some excellent woks for dirt cheap!

Concerning blenders; the wife bought a Vita-mix (BIG $$$ for a blender) and while good, it's not worth that much in my opinion. I have a Ninja blender which will do everything the Vita-mix does and then some...for considerably less money. It's really well built too.

And lastly, about the Santoku knife...I'd strongly recommend looking at the Henkels 7" Pro "S" hollow ground Santoku. Yes, they're a little more expensive, but they won't break the bank (at least not that one). The steel quality is excellent and we rarely ever have to actually "sharpen" it, a couple times across the steel and it's good to go. I highly recommend this knife.

One last thought about cast iron. Lodge really does make some quality stuff, and they have a number of different sizes and types in their line up. It's really well made stuff (lids fit tightly, etc) and it's affordably priced. There's another brand you'll usually find wherever you find Lodge, and this is Camp Chef. I strongly recommend AVOIDING these; they're cheap knock-offs on the Lodge line and suffer severely in the quality department. Spend the couple extra bucks for Lodge!

My mam and dads old stuff, just odds of everything, lots need throwing out to be honest, practically just junk!

I really only ever use a few things in the kitchen, skillet, pan, slow cooker, blender and microwave, few utensils.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I have a full set of All Clad stainless pots and pans
A few well seasoned cast iron skillets I took with me when we sold our last restaurant
A full set of Wusthof knives
A couple of Kitchen Aid mixers with all the attachments, two of their food processors and a blender
Two immersion blenders
A mandolin
A spice grinder
And your standard assortment of kitchen tools (peeler, can openers, stuff like that)

I am not a fan of gadgets, they rarely work and take up too much space.

Wok and grill are must-have on my kitchen)))
good qualuty stainless-steel knives as well. NO stick pans-bad, bad, bad, only ceramic ones.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Pretty much the same here.

The bulk of it, sheet pans, bowls, Kitchen Aid, baking stuff is in a shed.

I have a small kitchen, 3 burners and no oven. I have a toaster oven on top of the microwave. lol.

Knives, I pick up what I need. Lots of beater chef knives.

Picked up a 6" chef knife in the philippines, the dude was banging on a railroad tie with it. I think it is made of that stuff.

And I do use non stick pans. Boo hoo lol.

I use my mandolin, the stainless steel one, won't touch the plastic one my wife bought. I've run into the blades a few times, it's no joke.

The trick is to push past the blades, don't try to just cut the diameter of the carrot or whatever.

We have a commercial blender, HD which is nice, juicer, Magic Bullet, drawers full of stuff. Hand mixer, elec chopper.

I like the chinese veg chopper, heavy chopper, sushi knife, serrated Sabatier, cheap flexi boner, too many.

Rice maker/slow cooker, nespresso machine, breadmaker. 4 burner Beefeater BBQ grill on the roof plus 2 charcoal grills.

The winter months are when we do a lot of cooking and entertaining up there. Too crazy hot otherwise.

I need to clean house of all that stuff someday. Start over.

If my dad were still around, he'd kick my ass because I suck at sharpening knives. lol. He was a butcher.

Only thing I want is a couple bamboo steamers. I never replaced the ones I had at the resto.


Oh, I have a dehydrator too. Mostly for fruits. I buy flank steaks and make doggie jerky treats and ostrich jerky for me and friends.

originally posted by: burgerbuddy
And I do use non stick pans. Boo hoo lol.

Same. I have a couple that I use for certain dishes because they will always come out perfect that way.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

The immersion blender: i always forget about it until I need to use it for something. Sometimes its awesome, sometims I ask to much from it and end up throwing it in the ninja anyway.

I use my mandolin when I work up the courage to wash it afterwards. Its the sharpest blade in the kitchen, by far.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

That is why I kept an oversize one from my restaurant. The smaller one tends to get overworked if I try to use it in a large stock pot.

I always wash the mandolin last since I want everything out of the way for that finger-eater.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Boy ain't THAT the truth!!!!!!

I ain't skeered of much in the kitchen, but that tool does skeered me! Great tool and ultra usefull though!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Great tool and ultra usefull though

Pommes gratine, dauphinoise and anna would be a pain to make without it.

I have a walk in butlers pantry and I also have 3 hanging pot racks... the pantry is choc full of different pots and pand and doo dads... but 9 times out of 10 I use my trust old cast iron. I just cook better in it and somehow I think the food tastes better in cast iron.

This stuff Ive picked up over the years and through inheriting a lot of my grandmothers stuff... including a HUGE cast iron cauldron. It got a crack in it so Ive planted it rather than cook in it. I take my cast iron camping as well as babying it in my kitchen. Its so good my kids will inherit it.. and I had 3 girls so they can fight over them! 4 of the larger pans I have were from my grandmother and never were on anything but wood fire. Im quite proud of the cast iron... even if others prefer my coppers or etc.

I LOVE gadgets.. in every area of life except cooking. The older and ancient stuff I not only like better, I like to preserve a little of our heritage in our modern life for the kids.

originally posted by: Advantage
...including a HUGE cast iron cauldron. It got a crack in it so Ive planted it rather than cook in it.

You can get that repaired.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

they probably sliced it open with a mandolin

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Advantage
...including a HUGE cast iron cauldron. It got a crack in it so Ive planted it rather than cook in it.

You can get that repaired.

Yes, Id looked into it but it cracked in the 70's.. and its so big I have NO idea what Id cook in it.. unless I was boiling natives in borneo or something.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
they probably sliced it open with a mandolin

I would not rule that out. I'm pretty sure Wolverine's claws are made of mandolin.

originally posted by: Advantage
.. unless I was boiling natives in borneo or something.

I have some recipes I can share.