Kitchen Tools

Since my husband is a hands-on experimentalist, he's a firm beliver in using the proper equipment, and being willing to pay top dollar for that equipment when it really makes a difference. So it didn't take me long to figure out that if I referred to some expensive kitchen appliance as a "tool" that it would make my case in his being willing to fund the purchase. And, I have to agree, the proper equipment will make all the difference.

Not that I'm an expert, so I'm hoping to start a discussion here about what things you feel are must-haves for a well-equiped kitchen.

Here are a few of mine:

Quality Knives:
I've found that I can do pretty much 99% of my kitchen tasks with basically just three really good knives and a pair of kitchen shears (and I was happy to tell that to the last college student that came trying to sell knives at my door). My triumvirate of knives is:

Chef's Knife: I feel like you have to start with a good chef's knife, preferably from forged steel and that is really sharp (and that you keep really sharp). It is, by far, the hardest working tool in the kitchen. I took my birthday money one year and got an 8" Wusthof classic chef's knife. I've never regretted the high price tag, and I've even started traveling with it when I know I have to cook in other people's kitchens--I love it that much.

Paring Knife: Here's the second hardest working tool in the kitchen. Again, though, I'd recommend finding a good one. In fact, since they're relatively cheap, I recommend buying two. I've usually got one in the sink from cutting fruit during the day and it's nice to always have a clean one in the drawer for prepping dinner. I was happily surprised to find that last year Target carried a Wusthof 3" knife that I think is fabulous, but I couldn't find any in the store's website when looking tonight. Still, whatever you buy, make sure it's sharp and not flimsy.

Serrated Knife: I use this pretty much for slicing bread only, but it would be hard to live without it.

Microplane Zester: Here's where I feel like the brand makes a difference. Microplane makes a fabulous zester that I use regularly for grating hard cheeses, citrus rinds, whole nutmeg, and fresh ginger. They usually run in the $13-16 range (but you can find one for $10 on sale right now at Sur la Table).

Cast-Iron Dutch Oven: I can't believe I functioned before I had a good dutch oven. I use it for soups, stews, meats, curries, etc...you name it, it seems like everything except pasta and scrambled eggs. I use it both stove top and in the oven. I didn't get good one until just a couple of years ago, since the top-of-the-line Le Creuset dutch oven (at usually around $250) was a bit out of my justifiable range. Then Cook's Illustrated did an issue where they rated dutch ovens and named the Tramontina (carried by Target at less than $60) as a perfectly suitable substitute, and at a fraction of the cost.

I found one at my local Target back then, but when I did an online search tonight I couldn't see that Target carried the Tramontina anymore, but an identical looking one by Chefmate. More online research didn't confirm if this was just a rebranding, but if you are interested, here is an article about finding one of these dutch ovens that may help.

Oxo Vegetable Peeler: You may think that all vegetable peelers are alike, but I've been through a bunch now, from the cheapies to ones that looked promising, and the Oxo peeler is my very favorite. My MIL even asked me to get her one for Christmas this year after she helped me peel potatoes for Thanksgiving. It is the best. You can buy it at places like Williams-Sonoma or Amazon, and is usually around $10.

Cuisinart Food Processor: Again, the brand rules (at least this time it's according to a review of food processor machines in Cook's Illustrated) So I trusted them and got the Cuisinart Custom Pro 11-cup. I haven't been disappointed yet. I love having a food processor for pie crusts especially, but I can't live without it for plenty of other stuff like making pesto, chopping nuts, making bread crumbs, shredding meat, and pureeing sauces. According to Cook's Illustrated, this machine is also fantastic for bread dough.

Subscription to Cook's Illustrated: No surprise as I've referred to this magazine at least a half-dozen times so far. It's made by the people behind America's Test Kitchen on PBS. It is a bit pricey as far as magazine subscriptions go, especially since it's only six issues per year. But this is because there is no advertising within the magazine and so it's solid information on recipes, kitchen equipment, and food products from cover-to-cover. I think that it's such a great investment that it's to the point that I renew my subscription in 3-year installments without even thinking about it anymore.

My secondary list would include: good whisks in multiple sizes, a large saute pan, a basic but hard-working garlic press, and my favorite handmixer is the Braun M880 Multimix--comes with attachements for a stick blender and small chopper that are very nice. As for a blender, since I don't use it for much more than pureeing soups or the occasional milkshake, I've been happy with a super basic cheapie model, so someone else can pipe in here. (Also, I've never owned a mandolin and I've been debating about one, so if anyone has an opinion on this--and which brand they like--I'd love to hear it.)

And I will admit...after many years I have a Kitchen Aid now, and though it's very pretty and very useful, and it seems that recipes are often written with this appliance in mind, I'm not sure I like it better than the Bosch machine that I grew up with in my mother's kitchen. There are pros and cons for me on this issue. Thoughts?