*UPDATE* Kitchen Newbie, Need Direction! *Long*

[The Review Mommy]

ETA: Just wanted to give you a quick update. :)

So far we got the microplane (very cool), Alton Brown books (must read), and a few fun Le Creuset items. :P He He He....A 5.5 round dutch oven *AND* an oval. Cleaner and a few silicone utensils. Oh, and the "Larissa" Kettle! That's what I've been calling it anyways. Thanks! ;) I just got my W Sonoma catalogue in the mail and will be going this weekend to do some testing of some of the products and to get some advice from the employees there. We will be going to our local restaurant supply stores for at least the half sheets and will be looking into some everyday classic white dishware. I’m still undecided about the toaster. Right now I'm looking into a saucier and a new stockpot.

Thanks again! :)
Rebekah

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I've got Christmas money I'd like to spend in the kitchen and a B-Day coming up! :) I have just started researching in the archives and will be picking up a couple books by Alton Browns soon. Any others I should consider? I have got some great advice all ready from these boards and look forward to expanding my knowledge and skills in this area. So far I will be putting All-Clad SS, silpat, microplane grater, W Sonoma kitchen towels, Kitchen Aid mixer, parchment paper, SS mixing bowls, bar keepers friend, Vita Mix, baking stones, a John Boos cutting board, and a Dyson :) to my lists of gradual things to get.

Most everything I have needs to be replaced because I didn't register for quality items when I got married. I've got a ton of deformed plastic cooking utensils, hanging by a thread Hamilton Beach appliances, and flaky T-fall pots. Help! :( Why didn't my mom help me make better long term choices? Argh! I'm glad to hear some of you like your Henkles (?) cutlery but have found them a bit boring and have been drooling over the look of the new "all stainless" cutlery sets by Calphlon and Kitchen Aid but I'm sure there are better brands out there then these.

My pans and bake ware were the first to go and I replaced them with a Calphalon one infused anodized technique set and the baking sheets with a Costco Kitchen Aid classic set. This was of course before I heard all the talk on these boards about Teflon, and plastics which I’m still not sure if my new pans are entirely safe to use, and now I hear all the talk about All-Clad! Lol :( So, should I just get rid of them (eventually) and start up an “all� All-Clad SS collection or have a mix? Is the SS really great for everything? I find my Calphalon to be pretty high maintenance and wouldn’t mind parting with it at all. In fact it’s a PITA but very pretty.

I guess I need a toaster of some sort the most, whether it’s a combination oven or not I’m not quite sure. It would be good to have that option….but if there aren’t that many long lasting ones I guess I’d rather get just a great toaster. I don’t know what brands to be looking at but MIL has a Kitchen Aid pro line one that I like using and that is the sort of look that I like. What about a Viking or Dualit?

I also am looking at kitchen utensils, and a kettle. I would like to get SS ones (I think) and some really thin spatulas like the Calphalon ones. Anyone have All-Clad? What about those? For Kettles I really liked the look of the Copco Cambridge at BB&B, but not sure on its quality. What about an All-Clad or Calphalon, which brand here?

I will be price hunting at BB&B, LIT, Tuesday Morning, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Home Goods. Am I missing any other “bargain� places to shop? Hmm…I’ll have to check for some restaurant supply stores in my area.

What kind of “fun� kitchen stores do you like to check out? We have a Sur La Table, and a W Sonoma. I think I like their recipe keeper. Anyone have it or a similar one they like?

I value your input and will be keeping an open mind so please advise! :)

Thank You!
Rebekah

[cmdunn1972]

Okay, Rebekah, I'll bite. :) (No pun intended. ;) ) I love to cook, but don't have near the energy aymore since DS to do it as much as I like. That said, I have fun in the kitchen and love to try new things. :)

As far as cookbooks go, I find "The Joy of Cooking" to be a marvelous resource. If I want to know if it's better to broil or bake a particular type of fish, it's in there. If I need to know a basic recipe for tzatziki, it's in there. Needless to say, I pull it out often, especially when I want to try to cook something I haven't worked with before. I also have the "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook. It was the first one I owned. I like that it shows photographs of actual techniques being done, though it's not nearly as comprehensive as "Joy of Cooking". I also have several specialty cookbooks that are of interest to me, such as the South Beach Diet cookbooks and a few ethnic ones (American Southwest and Vietnamese).

As far as appliances, I have a Kitchen Aid mixer, which I love. Also, I have a mini-chopper and a Cuisinart 7-cup food processor, both of which I use extensively. A garlic press is nice to have if you cook with garlic. As far as toasters go, we have both kinds, but we use the standard toaster the most. I picked ours based on what was the best buy in "Consumer Reports" magazine at the time.

With utensils, I'm not what you would call a "crunchy" Mom, so I'm not overly concerned about limiting the use of teflon or plastics. We're happy with our non-stick set. I'm told that food cooks better in regular steel or copper appliances, but I think the difference is negligible. (That's just my own opinion as I've not used much other than non-stick since I started cooking for myself.) One thing I do enjoy are those silicon utensils. You've probably seen the spatulas, but I have an Orka oven mitt too. The oven mitt is great since it's dishwasher safe (YAY! :)).

A note on cutlery sets. I'm not sure which brand is best, but keep in mind that there are different grades of stainles steel. If you want stainless that truly won't stain, get the highest grade. It won't necessarily be labeled with the grade on it, so you'll have to ask. Nothing's more frustrating to me than buying a set of stainless steel knives only to find months later that rust stains are creeping onto your set.

HTH!

[bostonsmama]

Oh my goodness! What a bunch of questions! I guess I'm in the mood for a long response, so here goes. The following info is only my opinion and experience, so take it for what it's worth.

First of all, your list sounds great, but you've got to consider how you use your kitchen and what you like to cook. If you didn't have a microplane before, what do you forsee using it for in the future? Same with the stand mixer (Kitchen Aid), which I do have, but it's not for every cook. I just read an article in Consumer Reports about stand mixers and food processors, and the consensus was to pay only for the features you need-so if you make a lot of heavy bread dough, the KA is perfect for you, but if you just like mixing cake batter, a Sunbeam might be a less expensive alternative...or even a KA hand blender instead of stand mixer, as space could be a concern. I have a Hamilton Beach food processor ($35), and while the feed tunnel is a little smaller than the $300 Cuisinart, I am perfectly happy with it and it's easy to clean & lift in & out of storage.

I have Calphalon nonstick pans and YES, they are fussy! I'd replace them if I had the money w/ some All-Clad or the Costco or Wolfgang Puck/Emeril versions which Consumer Reports so highly rates, so that might be a first nice purchase.

I was NOT impressed with the Calphalon or Kitchen Aid knives at all price points. They feel light, unbalanced and cheap in my hands (I know b/c I got a santoku for Christmas and I hate the feel and performance...it's going back). I have a Chicago Cutlery set, the 5 Star version not made in China, but Ohio, and they are my favorite by far...cheaper than Henckles with similar performance (full tang, riveted, sharpenable).

I just bought a toaster for my mom (Black & Decker, from Target for $30) and it is awesome! You don't need a pricey Delonghi to get good performance. It has 2 position broil and toast, timed bake, thick aluminum broiler tray, bright display/controls, great warranty and attractive/modern. If you want convection, there's a great thread about a Cuisinart (now about $120) toaster oven/broiler. I'd get that if you want high end.

As to the kitchen utensils, I highly recommend OXO/Good Grips or Calphalon nylon heat-safe utensils. We have a mix of both, which are heat-safe to 450-600 degrees, the biggest key! My favorite cooking tools are my nylon coated whisk, heat-safe rubber scraper (scoopula from Williams Sonoma, although I hate the wooden handle and like my plastic handle ones better so they're d/w safe), Kitchen Aid rubber mini-mit, OXO collection 2-way micro grater, OXO pounder, WS s/s measuring cups, WSonoma wire whisk and Cuispro nylon headed tongs-all pictured below. A note about OXO...I am seriously in love w/ that company. If anything rusts, breaks (even if it's your fault) or doesn't perform, they will immediately FedEx you a new tool/untensil w/out question!
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31579.jpg

I got a Copco tea kettle for Christmas and I returned it. Junk! You can't leave any water in it after use (or it will rust!) and it's fussy to clean (no dishwasher) and I burned myself through a poorly designed steam-escape spout. I got the glass whistling tea kettle from BB&B for $8.00 and I'm *in LOVE* with it. It's d/w safe, you can leave water in it for weeks and it won't rust, chip or discolor, and it's nice to know exactly how much water is in there since we drink tea multiple times a day.

I also love my flexible chopping mats...they have really weathered my very-sharp knives, and are D/w safe for sanitizing. My Black & Decker glass blender is fantastic, and the customer service is wonderful (got new parts shipped overnight just for calling). I use it all the time, from mixed drinks to pureeing delicate soups or making homemade salsa.

I guess my point is that while I've acquired a lot of nice things over the past 5-1/2 years, there are still plenty of things that aren't top of the line that work just fine. I spent the big bucks on the stuff that counts (for me): cookware, cutlery, and select kitchen gadgets. I still wish I had nicer bakeware, but all in good time. My crappy Ecko and Airbake will have to do until then. But it's a good idea to check out a restaurant supply store (that what my FIL did and I drool over his baking pans). Oh, and if you get the silpat, you prob won't need the parchment and vice a versa (we use the latter). I also recommend against nonstick bakeware. It just doesn't last as long as the stuff you can scrub w/ steel wool! Also, I'm not feeling the love on the Williams Sonoma towels. I like their apron and oven mitts, but not the towels. Costco have some GREAT microfiber towels that I use for everything from dusting furniture to cleaning fruit or countertops. I also have their fancy patterned dish towels and LOVE them, too (8-pack for $12). They've held up to hand-drying our Calphalon pots and special crystal, cleaning windows, wiping dirty hands, and sopping up spilt milk.

I hope I wasn't too didactic. I just know that every time I replace a kitchen gadget this late in the game (I've been cooking for a long time), it has a steep learning curve as I get used to new appliances and tools. Frankly, it seems I cooked a lot better when I had my old, ghetto range than w/ my flashy 5-burner new range....and when I got the silicone bakeware to replace my old muffin cups and loaf pan, everything seemed to cook way too fast. Life's lessons, I guess.

HTH.

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[cmdunn1972]

Larissa, would you happen to have either a pic or a link for the BB&B tea kettle you have? I can't stand my Copco and am looking for a suitable replacement.

TIA!

[The Review Mommy]

I'm *LOVING* these responses! :) The pic of your gadgets is too funny, lol! You should see mine! He He He.

I will be checking the thread this weekend when I can, weekends are crazy around here, so the next time I post will probably be on Monday.

I appreciate everyone’s opinions! :)

Great Stuff!
Rebekah

[barbarhow]

Brief and to the point....
Cookbooks
The Joy of Cooking-use it as a reference as although many of their recipe "styles" are outdated their basics are invaluable.

The Joy of Sex-in my opinion that should go next to every JoC in every modern kitchen. (Kidding or not-you decide ;-) )

The Magnolia Bakery-a bible for cakes and frostings

The New Basics Cookbook-Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins-These are the two women who started the Silver Palate-their 2 Silver Palate cookbooks are great, too but I prefer this one.

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking-Marcella Hazan-the bible of italian cooking. All my sauces come from here.

Keep Epicurious.com on your favorite list and you should be all set.

Wusthof Knives-the classic line. Worth the money. Never, ever put them in the dishwasher and they will last a lifetime.

That's it for now. Have fun. I wish I could shop with you. I have acquired a very well equipped kitchen over the years as DH and I are passionate about cooking but oh how fun it would be to do it all in one fell swoop.
FWIW-Williams Sonoma will have the highest prices of anywhere-shop around.

Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
and Anna 5/12/05, my little Yankee fan!

[Saartje]

>I appreciate everyone’s opinions regarding this so don't be
>afraid to express your views, let’s just remember to be
>civil to one another. :)

Where'd this comment come from? It doesn't seem like a topic likely to attract controversy, and I haven't seen anyone bordering on not being civil so far.

Sorry, thought this thread might be worth checking out, but I'm *really* wondering why this comment was needed.

[The Review Mommy]

Maybe I should have added a J/K after it? That was what I meant. :) I know we are all civil here.

Sorry, you’re right; I can see how that came across to you. I'll change it. :)
Rebekah

[barbarhow]

What's a J/K?
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03, a Red Sox fan
and Anna 5/12/05, my little Yankee fan!

[kijip]

>Where'd this comment come from? It doesn't seem like a topic
>likely to attract controversy, and I haven't seen anyone
>bordering on not being civil so far.
>
>Sorry, thought this thread might be worth checking out, but
>I'm *really* wondering why this comment was needed.

Oh I am sure there are some people somewhere who can go to blows over KitchenAid vs OKO kitchen scissors, just not anyone I have met yet!:P Imagine the debates "The handle of this can opener is SAFER than that one!".