How to stock your kitchen

[Howard]

What I'd suggest is one good wood board and perhaps a few different-size poly board for raw/"dirty" foods which you replace regularly. Why not just one? Well, sometimes you gotta cut up big pieces of meat, but when you aren't, why wash a big board when you can wash a small one?

Electric kettles can be faster than ones you heat on the stove - and they WILL be faster if you can't put the stove kettles on the big elements - and you can boil water separately if all your elements are being used.

 

[Howard]

bumpdate

 

[Howard]

the list keeps growing

 

[Howard]

updated

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Howard
updated

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Howard
updated

once more

 

[ElFenix]

rice cooker, pffft.

rice:

1 part rice
2 parts water
simmer covered

 

[Howard]

They're for lazy people like me.

 

[Howard]

updated

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
rice cooker, pffft.

rice:

1 part rice
2 parts water
simmer covered

yeah unless you cook rice everyday
or if you make different types of rice (for desserts, sushi, etc)

i flipped out when my wife bought a 150 rice cooker...but it makes perfect rice EVERY time, no matter what type
it keeps it warm, its easy to do, easy to clean up, and easy to store

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: Howard
You know, I don't think I'm gonna put the silicone board set under cutlery anymore. They're great as funnels, but once you cut into them (and you will), the silicone sticks to the edge.

I have a four pack of flexible cutting mats from Bed Bath, and Beyond. They're cheap and you actually get 6 cutting boards (four large and two small). They're labeled with seafood/chicken/meat/vegetables and I stick to that (chicken is only cut on the chicken board/etc). When they get too cut up, I just throw them away.

Both of Alton Brown's books are good (I'm just here for the food" and "I'm just here for more food") and go over basic techniques pretty well. Reading them is faster than watching all of the Good Eats episodes.

 

[fitzov]

a surface planer and a high pressure washer

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: MrBond

Originally posted by: Howard
You know, I don't think I'm gonna put the silicone board set under cutlery anymore. They're great as funnels, but once you cut into them (and you will), the silicone sticks to the edge.

I have a four pack of flexible cutting mats from Bed Bath, and Beyond.

What I don't understand is why there should be a separate board for each type of meat. I can think of a use for at most 2 boards; uncooked food (like veggies), and food that needs to be cooked.

 

[troytime]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: MrBond

Originally posted by: Howard
You know, I don't think I'm gonna put the silicone board set under cutlery anymore. They're great as funnels, but once you cut into them (and you will), the silicone sticks to the edge.

I have a four pack of flexible cutting mats from Bed Bath, and Beyond.

What I don't understand is why there should be a separate board for each type of meat. I can think of a use for at most 2 boards; uncooked food (like veggies), and food that needs to be cooked.

good theory, but i think chicken is the big offender
the 'nasties' found on chicken need to cooked to a considerably higher temp than what your raw seafood or beef (what you're preparing on the 'need to be cooked' board) will be cooked at

i have 3 cutting boards, a tiny one for random veggie cuts (typically onions)
a medium/large one that gets used for most dinner prep (one side chicken, one side everything else)
and one HUGE cutting board that i use when i prep large cuts of meat for bbq

 

[Howard]

updated

Salmonella is killed at 160F and e.coli at about the same temperature. What other illness-causing bacteria survives past this temperature? I think the botulinum toxin is rendered harmless at/before 160F, too, but I'm not sure about that.

 

[troytime]

160 is higher than the internal temps of my beef and salmon when they're done to my liking

granted the surface temp will hit 160

 

[Howard]

Yeah, the outside of beef is likely to pass the boiling point.

Oh, forgot about trichinella. That dies at about 140, 150 to be safe.

EDIT: 3 boards it is. ref

 

[Firebert05]

This is a great thread! This is really going to help me re-vamp my kitchen.

 

[Pastore]

This thread makes me think about all the money I've spent on useless kitchen stuff. It makes me sad.

 

[mrzed]

I like the thread, my only comments would be:

- Too many electric things. Never liked electric griddles, frypans, etc. Rice cookers are good for daily rice eaters, questionable for the rest of us. I prefer pans for multi-purpose goodness. Hot plates are just more burners. Hot water pot plus electric kettle is a bit OTT.

- Cast iron wok - If your stove has high power, I'm more a fan of hand hammered carbon steel. But that's just another option.

- Pizza wheels don't do anything a long knife can't do. I've never seen a real pizzeria use one, they usually have big double-handle knives. I just use my longest knife and rotate.

- Egg slicer??

Missing:

- mortar and pestle for those who make from scratch.
- silicon basting brush - best grilling tool of all
- turkey baster - more than just for turkey - good for any roast meat
- Oven mitts
- Grater
- Bowls. Stainless and glass bowls of all sizes. Lots of little bowls for holding prepped foods. Ramekins can do double-duty as bowls for prepped food and cooking/serving vessels.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: mrzed
I like the thread, my only comments would be:

- Too many electric things. Never liked electric griddles, frypans, etc. Rice cookers are good for daily rice eaters, questionable for the rest of us. I prefer pans for multi-purpose goodness. Hot plates are just more burners. Hot water pot plus electric kettle is a bit OTT.

Thanks for your comments.

Electric skillets are great for dishes that require somewhat precise temperature control, like poaching. The electric griddle has a high surface area and can do pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. at a high rate if you've got a number of guests over.

You can rig up your own smoker with a hot plate, but if you won't do smoked foods then obviously you won't be needing one.

- Cast iron wok - If your stove has high power, I'm more a fan of hand hammered carbon steel. But that's just another option.

From what I hear, the seasoning on carbon steel is not as durable as it is on traditional cast iron.

- Pizza wheels don't do anything a long knife can't do. I've never seen a real pizzeria use one, they usually have big double-handle knives. I just use my longest knife and rotate.

Fudge, brownies, and other dense foods are much easier to cut with a straight-down pizza wheel like the Zyliss.

- Egg slicer??

Mushrooms, baby.

 

[thehstrybean]

Originally posted by: mrzed
I like the thread, my only comments would be:

- Too many electric things. Never liked electric griddles, frypans, etc. Rice cookers are good for daily rice eaters, questionable for the rest of us. I prefer pans for multi-purpose goodness. Hot plates are just more burners. Hot water pot plus electric kettle is a bit OTT.

- Cast iron wok - If your stove has high power, I'm more a fan of hand hammered carbon steel. But that's just another option.

- Pizza wheels don't do anything a long knife can't do. I've never seen a real pizzeria use one, they usually have big double-handle knives. I just use my longest knife and rotate.

- Egg slicer??

Missing:

- mortar and pestle for those who make from scratch.
- silicon basting brush - best grilling tool of all
- turkey baster - more than just for turkey - good for any roast meat
- Oven mitts
- Grater
- Bowls. Stainless and glass bowls of all sizes. Lots of little bowls for holding prepped foods. Ramekins can do double-duty as bowls for prepped food and cooking/serving vessels.

And if you're MacGyver...

I vote this for sticky...Nice post OP

 

[Howard]

updated

 

[everman]

I don't see anything here about waffles. Does anyone have a favorite waffle iron? More power the better

 

[Quasmo]

Originally posted by: everman
I don't see anything here about waffles. Does anyone have a favorite waffle iron? More power the better

Waring. It's an AWESOME waffle make normally around $80 but its at Sams right now for ~$50
HERE