Mine is my sauterne pan - I must cook at least half my meals in it.
What's your most vital piece of kitchen equipment?
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Originally Posted by droogiefret:
“Mine is my sauterne pan - I must cook at least half my meals in it.”
“Mine is my sauterne pan - I must cook at least half my meals in it.”
Wow! A special pan for cooking with Sauterne! I prefer to just sip it.
My live- in maid 
Failing that I'd say first thing in the morning is the coffee machine, on a more sensible note it would be my knives.
Failing that I'd say first thing in the morning is the coffee machine, on a more sensible note it would be my knives.
Most used:
My (good) knife set.
My sauté pan - like droogie I either make, or start off, a great number of meals in it.
My (good) knife set.
My sauté pan - like droogie I either make, or start off, a great number of meals in it.
I have a New West Knifeworks 8" Santoku knife that I would be lost without. I use it every day and it has the perfect balance for my hand.
My hand-blender or mini-chopper. They're a great time-saver for chopping onions and garlic and handy for making smoothies, hummus or guacamole.
I've a Gaggia coffee maker which cost me several hundred pounds but if I'm honest, most days I use a cafetiere 
Good knives are a must and worth spending extra on. You may think your £5 knife from Wilkinsons is great but when you try something like a Gustav Emil you will see a big big difference.
Pots and pans, have a good range of sizes available. Mine range from a full set of Le Creuset (still great after 35 years) to cheap stainless steel stock pots. Pressure cookers, really big for pressure canning, down to family size and a dinky little one I used in my camper van. All the above are 'vital' to me and really should be looked at as very basic tools for anyone wanting to develop their cooking skills IMHO.
I do buy gizmo's for the kitchen but most are to be found at the back of a cupboard after little use. I don't need a rice cooker as I have a saucepan, I don't need a soup maker as I have a saucepan or pressure cooker; they are two gizmo's I'd never bother buying. I do have a bread maker but generally only use it to mix and knead my bread then proof out of the machine before oven baking.
The best thing to do is make sure you use what you buy and don't be like me with a cupboard full of pasta makers, salad spinners et al lol.
Good knives are a must and worth spending extra on. You may think your £5 knife from Wilkinsons is great but when you try something like a Gustav Emil you will see a big big difference.
Pots and pans, have a good range of sizes available. Mine range from a full set of Le Creuset (still great after 35 years) to cheap stainless steel stock pots. Pressure cookers, really big for pressure canning, down to family size and a dinky little one I used in my camper van. All the above are 'vital' to me and really should be looked at as very basic tools for anyone wanting to develop their cooking skills IMHO.
I do buy gizmo's for the kitchen but most are to be found at the back of a cupboard after little use. I don't need a rice cooker as I have a saucepan, I don't need a soup maker as I have a saucepan or pressure cooker; they are two gizmo's I'd never bother buying. I do have a bread maker but generally only use it to mix and knead my bread then proof out of the machine before oven baking.
The best thing to do is make sure you use what you buy and don't be like me with a cupboard full of pasta makers, salad spinners et al lol.
Beyond the obvious, I'd say my small kenwood food processor.
Use it for slicing, dicing, blending, puréeing etc.
Use it for slicing, dicing, blending, puréeing etc.
A chefs knife and a cutting board. I do more with those than any food processor. In fact, every time I talk myself into buying a new one, I use it once or twice and then it starts gathering dust on a shelf. Eventually I'll donate it to charity. Every five or six years, lather, rinse, repeat.
Originally Posted by maggie thecat:
“A chefs knife and a cutting board. I do more with those than any food processor. In fact, every time I talk myself into buying a new one, I use it once or twice and then it starts gathering dust on a shelf. Eventually I'll donate it to charity. Every five or six years, lather, rinse, repeat.”
“A chefs knife and a cutting board. I do more with those than any food processor. In fact, every time I talk myself into buying a new one, I use it once or twice and then it starts gathering dust on a shelf. Eventually I'll donate it to charity. Every five or six years, lather, rinse, repeat.”
That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.
Originally Posted by Welsh-lad:
“That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.”
“That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.”
I suspect it's from years of cooking in undersized kitchens. I've learned to do all sorts with minimal equipment, so now it's more a hindrance than a help.
Originally Posted by SeasideLady:
“My washing machine. Once had to hand wash and use a launderette for a week and it was hell.”
“My washing machine. Once had to hand wash and use a launderette for a week and it was hell.”
Kitchen equipment?
Do you use it as a dishwasher?
Must be deafening!!
Originally Posted by SeasideLady:
“My washing machine. Once had to hand wash and use a launderette for a week and it was hell.”
“My washing machine. Once had to hand wash and use a launderette for a week and it was hell.”
Same here, except it was all by hand as we don't have a launderette that I know of within 20 miles. God bless washing machines!
After that, it would be the combi microwave/grill/oven.
Originally Posted by Welsh-lad:
“That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.”
“That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.”
I'm weird.
I love using my knives and I love chopping and prepping.
I made mini pasties yesterday for a party.
Dice, dice, dice, dice, dice!
Lovely.
Originally Posted by Welsh-lad:
“That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.”
“That surprises me I must say. If I'm making (lets say) a stirfry.
I slice all the ingredients in the kenwood - takes seconds.
It's such a faff with a knife, bits of veg everywhere, uneven slices etc.”
That's my favourite part. I find dicing, chopping, slicing etc very relaxing.
Originally Posted by indianwells:
“That's my favourite part. I find dicing, chopping, slicing etc very relaxing.”
“That's my favourite part. I find dicing, chopping, slicing etc very relaxing.”
Come Dice With Me
Originally Posted by SeasideLady:
“My washing machine. Once had to hand wash and use a launderette for a week and it was hell.”
“My washing machine. Once had to hand wash and use a launderette for a week and it was hell.”
We have a box room in the house and thats where our washing machine/dryer is (plus ironing board and racks). It makes more sense to have the machine upstairs (if you have room) than downstairs. Get up in the morning, put your clothes in the washing machine and when done just hang/iron as needed. No going up and down stairs with clothes.
Originally Posted by indianwells:
“That's my favourite part. I find dicing, chopping, slicing etc very relaxing.”
“That's my favourite part. I find dicing, chopping, slicing etc very relaxing.”
I like it too. I chop veg very coarsely for things like stew or stir-fry and use my mini-chopper for a fine dice when making butter chicken.
Originally Posted by Welsh-lad:
“Beyond the obvious, I'd say my small kenwood food processor.
Use it for slicing, dicing, blending, puréeing etc.”
“Beyond the obvious, I'd say my small kenwood food processor.
Use it for slicing, dicing, blending, puréeing etc.”
Is that the TriBlade? That's what I have, and I adore it. I do my salsa in it, and it's invaluable for slicing potatoes for my dauphinoise. Beautiful piece of kit.
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