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So what good is a hobby if you can't spend any money on it? With kitchenware, you can have the best of everything without breaking the bank. And you get to use and enjoy it daily. Further, most of these items will last your lifetime and that of your heirs. So splurge and enjoy!
Item |
Comments |
| Sauce Pans & Frying Pans | All-Clad - No other brand even
comes close. Three-layered construction - stainless or non-stick cooking surface; a
middle layer of aluminum for even heat distribution; and an outer layer of stainless,
aluminum, copper, or black anodized aluminum. Heavy riveted handles. Calaphon, Circulon - black anodized aluminum. This coating will come off. You can even see it on new items that have been nicked. Not to mention that it feels awful. And can you imagine getting food out of those little grooves? Cuisinart - They should stick to food processors. Handles are welded on. Stainless steel just doesn't weld very easily and it's not hard to picture them coming off over the years. Wearever, Toroware - heavy commercial aluminum. Not the stuff you find in department stores. You'll only find it in restaurant supply stores but it offers very good value for the money. Not too attractive, and the lids are sold separately. Aluminum reacts with certain foods but you can get the pots with DuPont's Silverstone finish which eliminates this concern. |
| Stock Pots | All-Clad - see above, but is
probably overkill for pasta, etc. The large pots are very
expensive. On the other hand, if you really do make your own stock... Vollrath - stainless steel. Available from restaurant supply stores in a wide variety of sizes. Not the best for heat conductivity but they don't react with tomatoes and other acidic foods like aluminum does. Wearever, Toroware - heavy, good heat transfer, good value, but turn black if you use them for tomato sauce. |
| Dutch Ovens/Casseroles | Le Cruset - Another line that has nothing else in its class. Baked on enamel over cast iron. Perfect for anything that requires long, slow cooking, especially soups and spaghetti sauce. Very even cooking with no hot spots. They can be used either on the stovetop or in the oven and clean-up is a snap. The only downside is that they're heavy, particularly in the larger sizes. Some women will have trouble lifting them, particularly when full. |
| Knives | Wusthof, Henckels
- There are a lot of comparable brands out there, more than in any other area of
cookware. These are forged and use no-stain, high-carbon steel so they won't turn
black on you but still have enough carbon in the metal to take an edge. Other brands
that are less commonly available but probably worth considering are F. Dick,
Messermeister, and LamsonSharp. Settle on one brand so you can add to your set over
time. Chicago Cutlery - These are a notch down from the above and will stain but they'll take a good edge. Dexter - Widely used in food service industry, these are stainless (can't get them as sharp as the high-carbon blades) and are available with rubberized handles. Available at your local restaurant supply store. Very reasonably priced. |
| Mixers | Kitchen Aid - In a class of its own. Mini-versions of the parent company's Hobart mixers which are used by food service operations world-wide. I prefer the K45 over the higher-priced K5 model because the head lifts up (like the old Mixmaster), making it easier to scrape down the bowl. Lots of attachments available including a meat grinder and a pasta maker. |
| Food Processors | Cuisinart - Their only real competition is Kitchen Aid's food processor, which is to say, not much. The only real decision is which model to get. The Pro 11 Custom seems to offer the most bang for the buck. |
| Shelving | InterMetro - Another commercial product available through your local restaurant supply store. Used by restaurants, hospitals, and many other industries, this is chrome, modular shelving that also looks right at home in the kitchen. It comes in a wide variety of shelf sizes and various pole heights. Assembly requires no tools and you can adjust the height of a shelf in minutes. Ingenious. |
| Miscellaneous | Chef'sChoice Knife Sharpener -
Unless you want to take the time to become skilled with a sharpening stone and a steel,
buy a good knife sharpener. This one is the best. Owen Instruments Meat Thermometer - The best; about $60. Second best, and one fourth the price is the Taylor digital. MasterCook - Recipe cataloging software from Sierra. |
Source |
Comments/Contact Information |
| Cookware & More | Really nice people with fantastic savings on All-Clad cookware with cosmetic imperfections. Also good savings on a limited number of other lines including Wusthof. Prices are on line but you need to order by telephone: (800) 272-2170 |
| A Cook's Wares | Beaver Falls, PA - Phone: (800) 915-9788 - Web site is coming along but call and ask for a catalog. Lots of cookware and bakeware, plus spices and other stuff. |
| Professional Cutlery Direct | (800) 859-6994 - Limited web presence but very nice catalog. |
| Chef's Catalog | (800) 338-3232 - Limited web presence but very nice catalog. Be wary, though. They sell some look-alike items without mentioning the brand name at roughly the same price as the originals. |
| Chef's Store | Absolutely the ugliest and most confusing web site you're ever likely to see. But if you can wade through it, they have a large variety of items on line and their prices are decent. |
Some of my toys:
Johnathon Smith & I. Johnathon is the host of the Keep Cookin'
TV show.
Click on the pictures to see larger images.
| Paul Ferrara 1525 Norma Road Columbus, Ohio 43229 |
Phone: 614-885-7789 |