The other day we had our friend Bridget over for dinner. She was very impressed with what she referred to as our "battery d'cuisine". I hadn't really thought about it before but we do have a lot of cooking stuff in our tiny kitchen. It's a result of combining both our kitchen sets (when I became a homeless nomad) and our passion for cooking (Plus all the exotic food stuffs, that I get to experiment with). I tried to come up with a list- to see what we really do use and what maybe could go...
My top kitchen items that I use EVERY day:
DISHWASHER! We have a mini portable and we used it 1-3x every day (it was old and leaky when we got it and after 5 years has just started a worrisome catastrophic seal failure mode). You wonder at the volume of dishes, but remember it's a mini washer and we cook, a lot. I'm very sad :{ Goodbye Dishwasher! you've been our stalwart helper, and we appreciate your service. Our aunt just upgraded to a Fisher-Paykel drawer style dishwasher, so we've inherited her old full size portable. Yay!
Japanese carbon steel Usuba hocho- smaller and lighter than the cleaver it snickersnaps thru everything veggie. A good knife goes a long way in cooking. I picked it up in Japan, just near the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. I have fond memories of that trip!
Toaster oven- When Gwynie lived in Idaho, she burnt toast every day (much to the detriment of Becky's sleep cycle- nothing like having your roommate heave a burning toaster out the window to wake you up...) This puppy makes perfect toast. I also have tested it for baking during my Taiwan interlude. We're starting to use it less as we move away from yeasted breads, but still a primary goto item.
Cuisinart- 7 cup food processor & discs- It's a snap to clean, our friend Karen puts hers in the dishwasher, and now we do too. I met a food appliance engineer who knows all about the plastic resin bowls, and he says they "craze" or get opaque after 200 cycles. I use it for shredding and slicing, and some mixing/blending depending on volume (can be leaky). While we're on a salad-y kick, we use it even more.
Braun immersion blender- 2 cup chopper bowl & blade, 7-1/2-inch blender shaft (it has other attachments but I don't use them) I use it to grind spices, make pesto, marinades and soups. I think this is easily one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can own. For the size, it's just a winner all round. ps I got mine for $40 but a bargain at any price.
Carbon steel crepe pan (but not for crepes!) It's low sides and flat surface are the best for heating tortillas and making quesadillas. I accidentally melted a plastic spatula on it, so it's not as beautiful as before. I threw away the spatula.
non-stick frying pan with metal handles- I have a hard time with non-stick but I guess the other option is heavy metal poisoning? So we use this one on the stove top and in the oven. Super versatile and the handles make it very easy to maneuver. If I had to choose only one between the cast iron pan, this is easier to move around.
silicone spatulas- see above reference to cheap plastic spatulas! We always get the novelty holiday ones when they go on sale after the hols, so much cheaper then.
Seriously these devices make such a difference to my cooking! I definitely missed them in Taiwan. I'd like to point out, that if I were choosing only 5 things to cook with, then I wouldn't need a dishwasher to wash them.
Items that I use frequently and miss when I don't have access to them:
Trusty crock pot- My aunt gave me this about 15 years ago and I've put it thru it's paces. Still going strong. Thanks auntie Miriam! I'll do a separate post on it soon.
Heavy Chinese carbon steel cleaver- inherited from our Grandmother. When my Aunt Alex was ruthlessly getting rid of all of my Grandma's things, Grandma quick like a ninja smuggled it out of the house and passed it into Gwynie's safe keeping. I think it was important to her that it be used by someone who loved cooking and appreciated it for what it was. I think of her laughing in her kitchen every time I use it.
Cast iron pan- inherited from Auntie Cathy, who swears by cast iron and makes a mean pizza dough from scratch without measuring anything. (and just as I was typing this she called. Hi auntie!)
Microwave- I have moments when I think that we're frying our brains with these things. I had a little African violet that lived on top of it, and altho I cared for it very well, it shriveled up and died a sad and miserable death. But mostly I love the utility, I just wear a foil hat when I use it <|;^)
Items in storage that I really wish I had out
Hamilton Beach blender- Gwynie got this for my 21st birthday present (at Costco). I won't tell you how long I've had it... but it's still going strong. The original jug broke a while ago (after maybe 10 years of use) and I've replaced the blades once, and really have nothing but good things to say about it. I use it to make smoothies and margaritas. Need I say more? Actually I should add that once I got the immersion blender, I didn't use this as much, just because the cleaning overhead is higher. More parts and bigger footprint. Also I kind of O.D'd on smoothies (but they've recently made a come back in my life).
kitchen aid stand mixer - I know so many people for whom this is a top performer. For the volume of cooking I do it's kind of too much. I love it, but it has such a large footprint, it's tough for me to justify the space it requires. That said if I could, I would have it out.
carbon steel enamel pots and pans- I got these in Japan as an alternative to both the non-stick and the heavy cast iron. I packed them all the way home in my suitcase. My only gripe is the base is a little thin and develops hot spots. They're a happy cheery red. I miss them!
Le Cruset Doufeu - My mom had an orange one that she cooked everything in. I got this one as soon as I could afford the $250+ (it was on sale). Combines the stable heat of the cast iron pan and the easy clean of non-stick without being plastic... I love it! But really there's no room.
Items I wish I had but am holding off because of cash flow or space requirements.
Pizza stone (thick) I've shattered so many of these over the years, I'm reluctant to get another one. But nothing beats the crusts you produce with one...
kitchen aid stand mixer (in storage right now)
-Pasta Roller Attachment I would love to make my own pasta and wonton skins from scratch. Gwynie also has dreams of using it to make tortillas (I remain unconvinced). I also fantasize about using it as a mini-sheeter to make my own puff pastry
Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer- we've got several other kinds, but I realized the other day, that they're all fiddly and limited in the range of temps they measure. I just want an ordinary digital one that doesn't take up a lot of space, is super accurate and has a wide range -4oC to 300oC. I know, what else could I demand as a feature?
Taiwanese vegetable peeler- so versatile and interesting in the technique required to use it and the shredded vs sliced options. I once stood next a group ladies who were peeling and shredding a pile of Daikon with these tools. They looked so efficient and wicked sharp!
ice cream maker- borrowed from Adam and J9, so really it doesn't count as mine but is essential for getting that creamy mouthfeel, and so much easier. Hugely expensive, that's why we borrowed it.
items that I use not SO often but make a HUGE difference to the product when I do use them:
rice cooker
zester/micro-plane grater
Extra-large sized potato masher
cherry pitter
roasting pan & rack
citrus juicer/reamer
Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother
instant whipped cream maker
items I never use, should get rid of but am inspired by, so keep anyway
coffee maker & grinder -I converted the grinder into a spice grinder- but it's difficult to clean, so the coffee tastes funny now... (don't tell Dad) but since I got the immersion blender + attachments, I haven't needed the grinder
waffle iron/panini press
mandolin
pasta insert
ravioli maker
chocolate forms
fondue pot
Vietnamese cast iron donut/ableskivver pan
electric wok
poaching rings
pastry cutter
yogurt maker- after last week's proof of principle batch of yogurt, I'm getting rid of this for sure.
