How to stock your kitchen

[troytime]

never made high protein bread dough, done lots of other doughs though (heh, that rhymed)

not sure how old mine is, bought it about 3 years ago or so
its the 4.5 quart one

 

[sandorski]

Sorry Howard, but your list sucks! . Thus I introduce:


Sandorski's Ultimate Cooking Essential

1) Heat Source!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Sorry Howard, but your list sucks! . Thus I introduce:


Sandorski's Ultimate Cooking Essential

1) Heat Source!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmm...

http://www.divainduction.com/products.php?product=2

except I'd have to redo the list of cookware. =\

 

[Zugzwang152]

Excellent post. :beer: from me!

 

[Howard]

bumpdate

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Howard
All-Clad is indeed high quality, but bang/buck is looow.

I must disagree. Properly maintained, a set of All-Clad will last a lifetime and are well worth the investment.
Also, I don't agree with your all-in-one food processor device. Your mixer should be KitchenAid, your food processor Cuisinart, and the blender Oster... that's just my opinion (and what I own). I'd critique your knife choice but that might lead to flaming and bickering (don't want that).

Otherwise, this is a good list. Thanks for providing. That Lodge cast iron skillet should be the first thing people should buy. They're indispensable.

 

[sdifox]

I would add a Cast Iron Charcoal Hibachi. Nothing grills like charcoal.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Howard
All-Clad is indeed high quality, but bang/buck is looow.

I must disagree. Properly maintained, a set of All-Clad will last a lifetime and are well worth the investment.

So will the other ones I picked out, but they don't cost nearly as much. Plus, it's not easy to design handles that are less comfortable than All-Clad's.

Also, I don't agree with your all-in-one food processor device. Your mixer should be KitchenAid, your food processor Cuisinart, and the blender Oster... that's just my opinion (and what I own).

I've heard of too many failures to recommend Kitchenaid with a clear conscience. Of course Bosch doesn't sell nearly as many UKMs as Kitchenaid does their mixers, but I haven't heard of a single UKM failing, and Bosch makes ridiculously rugged non-kitchen tools, so I figure they've got something going for the UKMs as well. Kitchenaid is perfectly fine if you get an Electrolux DLX kneader as well. Of course, if you don't make bread, this is all irrelevant and Kitchenaid is perfect.

You can use the blender at the same time as the main bowl in the UKM. I guess if you need to chop food and mix at the same time, getting discrete appliances is worth it.

I'd critique your knife choice but that might lead to flaming and bickering (don't want that).

What's wrong with the Tojiro DP chef's knives? Too fragile?

 

[stratking]

I'm wondering about the knives too. As someone who is just getting into cooking I am looking for a good, economical chef's knife. Those seem to be really good prices. Anyone have any experience with them?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: stratking
I'm wondering about the knives too. As someone who is just getting into cooking I am looking for a good, economical chef's knife. Those seem to be really good prices. Anyone have any experience with them?

The Tojiro DP line are probably the best bang-for-the-buck high performance stainless knives you can get right now. The fit & finish doesn't compare to the better Western knives like Henckels and Wusthof, but the blade takes a very keen edge and holds it much longer than most of the Western knives (barring the lines like Twin Cermax).

You have to be really really careful with Japanese knives, though. At no time should the edges be touching anything besides air, thawed meat and produce, wood, plastic, or sponges.

 

[stratking]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: stratking
I'm wondering about the knives too. As someone who is just getting into cooking I am looking for a good, economical chef's knife. Those seem to be really good prices. Anyone have any experience with them?

The Tojiro DP line are probably the best bang-for-the-buck high performance stainless knives you can get right now. The fit & finish doesn't compare to the better Western knives like Henckels and Wusthof, but the blade takes a very keen edge and holds it much longer than most of the Western knives (barring the lines like Twin Cermax).

You have to be really really careful with Japanese knives, though. At no time should the edges be touching anything besides air, thawed meat and produce, wood, plastic, or sponges.

So would picking up the F-503 Santoku 170mm and the F-803 Boning knife be a good start for the knife department for a culinary n00b?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: stratking

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: stratking
I'm wondering about the knives too. As someone who is just getting into cooking I am looking for a good, economical chef's knife. Those seem to be really good prices. Anyone have any experience with them?

The Tojiro DP line are probably the best bang-for-the-buck high performance stainless knives you can get right now. The fit & finish doesn't compare to the better Western knives like Henckels and Wusthof, but the blade takes a very keen edge and holds it much longer than most of the Western knives (barring the lines like Twin Cermax).

You have to be really really careful with Japanese knives, though. At no time should the edges be touching anything besides air, thawed meat and produce, wood, plastic, or sponges.

So would picking up the F-503 Santoku 170mm and the F-803 Boning knife be a good start for the knife department for a culinary n00b?

Do you have experience with longer chef's knives (8" and above)? Knifework is easier with larger knives because you get more leverage, with the downside being that (besides more knife to clean when you're done) you have to get accustomed to the size.

The F-803 is a honesuki (hon-eh-soo-kee) which is more akin to a thick meat cleaver than to a typical boning knife, with the radiused "heel". Western knifemakers are probably a better choice for filleting tasks.

 

[Vegitto]

Man, Howard, are you a professional chef?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Vegitto
Man, Howard, are you a professional chef?

no

 

[CellarDoor]

Originally posted by: stratking

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: stratking
I'm wondering about the knives too. As someone who is just getting into cooking I am looking for a good, economical chef's knife. Those seem to be really good prices. Anyone have any experience with them?

The Tojiro DP line are probably the best bang-for-the-buck high performance stainless knives you can get right now. The fit & finish doesn't compare to the better Western knives like Henckels and Wusthof, but the blade takes a very keen edge and holds it much longer than most of the Western knives (barring the lines like Twin Cermax).

You have to be really really careful with Japanese knives, though. At no time should the edges be touching anything besides air, thawed meat and produce, wood, plastic, or sponges.

So would picking up the F-503 Santoku 170mm and the F-803 Boning knife be a good start for the knife department for a culinary n00b?

I'm telling you, the only knife I really use is a Chinese Cleaver. I can do anything I want with it, and it can also be used to smash garlic, for transporting food to the pan, tenderizing meat, etc. I love it.

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/ChineseCleaver.html

Those are expensive and overkill for most people (even me, and I love to cook). A solid choice would be a Dexter chinese cleaver for around $25. Mine was very sharp out of the box, and still is after several months. Pretty sweet considering it's the only knife I use.

Edit: Normal cleavers have a nice thick blade which can go right through bones, but these don't. They have very thin blades and are great for making thin cuts on vegetables, or used for anything really.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: CellarDoor

Originally posted by: stratking

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: stratking
I'm wondering about the knives too. As someone who is just getting into cooking I am looking for a good, economical chef's knife. Those seem to be really good prices. Anyone have any experience with them?

The Tojiro DP line are probably the best bang-for-the-buck high performance stainless knives you can get right now. The fit & finish doesn't compare to the better Western knives like Henckels and Wusthof, but the blade takes a very keen edge and holds it much longer than most of the Western knives (barring the lines like Twin Cermax).

You have to be really really careful with Japanese knives, though. At no time should the edges be touching anything besides air, thawed meat and produce, wood, plastic, or sponges.

So would picking up the F-503 Santoku 170mm and the F-803 Boning knife be a good start for the knife department for a culinary n00b?

I'm telling you, the only knife I really use is a Chinese Cleaver.

Same here.

 

[Howard]

umpaloompa

 

[Howard]

 

[troytime]

as far as knives, i REALLY like the two Shun knives that i have

i wish i could afford more

 

[ttown]

how bout a Misto olive-oil sprayer

I thought it was silly when it was recommended to me... till one day I found them on clearance at department store for ~$2.
Bought it. Now I use it almost every time I cook.
(I put walnut oil in it, though)

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: ttown
how bout a Misto olive-oil sprayer

I thought it was silly when it was recommended to me... till one day I found them on clearance at department store for ~$2.
Bought it. Now I use it almost every time I cook.
(I put walnut oil in it, though)

How's the build quality on it? Does it leak and/or deliver inconsistent sprays?

 

[ttown]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: ttown
how bout a Misto olive-oil sprayer

I thought it was silly when it was recommended to me... till one day I found them on clearance at department store for ~$2.
Bought it. Now I use it almost every time I cook.
(I put walnut oil in it, though)

How's the build quality on it? Does it leak and/or deliver inconsistent sprays?

Build quality is good. The spray spout is quit small -- to make a mist (vs. 'spray') -- so it will clog eventually and need to be cleaned.
When it starts to clog, the mist begins to sputter -- giving inconsistent mist. That's the time for a cleaning.
After I recc'd here, I went to amazon and I was suprised to see only a 2.5 star rating.
The people that rated it poorly indicated leaks and gumming as their complaints.
I've used mine for a few years and no leaking. I also use walnut oil, which may not gum-up as fast as something like corn oil... i dunno. I imagine over-filling the the bottle inside would lead to leaking pretty easily -- maybe they didn't think of that. I fill the bottle about 1/3 to 1/2 full -- and it lasts a long time.
Also, It may not be clear to some that the can needs to be pumped ~10 times after oil is initially put in. After that, the 'pumping' is done by the pretty cleverly designed top. Every time you take the top off and put it back on, it get's pumped. I rarely pump more than 2 times after the initial 10.

Also... it looks like the going rate is $9.99. When I bought mine, it was going for $15, before I found it on clearance.

 

[Howard]

Thanks, updated

 

[Howard]

updated

 

[stratking]

While I was out today I saw that 4 pack of silicone cutting board set. I didn't buy them but they did look interesting. Do they hold up well or do they need to be replaced often? I think they were around $12 or so at BB&B, might have to grab them the next time I'm there.

Also, what's so great about the electric kettles. I've seen them used on Good Eats before and I guess that they take less time to warm up compared to a regular kettle. Is it just the speed factor or is there something else I'm missing.

By the way, great, informative post Howard. Already learned a lot.