What one tool in your kitchen do you treasure the most?

[Claire]

Gave up on heels when I quit working, and never wore them in the kitchen (wore them 3 1/2 inch, all the time at work, so you know at the end of an 8 hour + day, they came off). Sunken kitchen sounds good in concept, ha-ha. Except I like my wine when cooking, and can somehow see myself breaking my neck stepping down to get into the kitchen! Funny, my husband is almost as tall as me, and never had a problem with counter height. He's lost an inch or so in recent years. But I never remember him saying he thought counters/stove tops/sinks caused him to hunch over them. Yeah, those 6' plus people? If i were them and rich enough, I'd have them custom-made to be higher!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Gave up on heels when I quit working, and never wore them in the kitchen (wore them 3 1/2 inch, all the time at work, so you know at the end of an 8 hour + day, they came off). Sunken kitchen sounds good in concept, ha-ha. Except I like my wine when cooking, and can somehow see myself breaking my neck stepping down to get into the kitchen! Funny, my husband is almost as tall as me, and never had a problem with counter height. He's lost an inch or so in recent years. But I never remember him saying he thought counters/stove tops/sinks caused him to hunch over them. Yeah, those 6' plus people? If i were them and rich enough, I'd have them custom-made to be higher!

Beats having a step stool hanging around your neck!

 

[chayati]

Hi taxlady, here is a picture of skimmer(s) which I use at all times.

 

[Caslon]

Favorite tool? That hard to find long shaft sharp pointed (curled end) flipping tool for turning everything from broiling/bar-b-q steaks to turning over thinly sliced zucchini sauteing in olive oil. I got that simple kitchen tool as part of some kitchen cooking product I bought.

I don't even know what it's called, but it's handy at times. Flip flip flip with a twist of the wrist.

 

[PattY1]

The tool I most appreciate, besides a sharp knife. is my microplanes. I have several sizes and use them. I keep them Sheathed in my gadget drawer between two pieces of cardboard, the kind you get when you buy a new Shirt, duct taped the edges together and with a majic marker wrote the sizes on both sides of each. Looks doofy but keeps them protected.

You are the second one that I counted that said that. Mine came with plastic fitting covers.

 

[buckytom]

miy most treasured thing would be the 8 qt. ss stock pot my mom gave me when i got my first apartment.

it was from the first set of cookware that she ever owned when my parents got married in 1948, and i fondly remember her cooking so many of our childhood meals in it.

lol, and we soaked our feet in it, and scrubbed toys in it, and so on. i guess my parents didn't have a lot of money, so it was a multitasker. come to think of it, that was kinda gross, but mom always got it perfectly clean again. and the thing is indestructable.

it's a little worn now, but after i went to town on it with a ss cleaner it looks pretty good. since it's fully clad it still cooks great. i learned to cook many things in that pot, just like my mom.

 

[Addie]

my skimmers are the most important thing in my bag of tricks. I bought them in San Francisco and use them to skim the scum off my stocks and sauces.

Welcome to DC. I see by your pic that you are a chef in Las Vegas. YEA!!! My first husband was a chef. He was from England/Scotland and had a skimmer also. He had his own set of tools that I wasn't allowed to touch unless he was home to keep an eye on them. I just use a slotted spoon. I live alone and am trying hard to keep my tools to a minimum.

 

[vitauta]

Butchering an entire pig with nothing more than one knife is a task I would run from. That's hard work! And then some!

Wow! (Unless it was a very small pig)

or, it was for a very dear daughter....

 

[taxlady]

Hi taxlady, here is a picture of skimmer(s) which I use at all times.

Thanks. Those look like they would do the trick. I'll keep my eyes open for that. It would be handy now that I make stock regularly.

 

[vitauta]

Butchering an entire pig with nothing more than one knife is a task I would run from. That's hard work! And then some!

Wow! (Unless it was a very small pig)

or, it was for a very dear daughter....

 

[Addie]

or, it was for a very dear daughter....

Have you ever been to a BBQ where they do a whole pig? The butcher removes all the innards and they roast the pig just like it is. Most of the time it is a piglet. Not a full grown animal. But to get the most out of it, you still have to cut it up right.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

This one's easy. My Chroma ten inch chef's knife, and my griswold, 10 inch cast iron skillet. What more does a man need? Oh, a collection of wire whisks, such as the ones I have, are very handy too.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Timothy]

Have you ever been to a BBQ where they do a whole pig? The butcher removes all the innards and they roast the pig just like it is. Most of the time it is a piglet. Not a full grown animal. But to get the most out of it, you still have to cut it up right.

I've butchered a pig, Addie. That's why I commented on it. It's hard work and would be much harder trying to do so with only a knife. One of my friends owns a BBQ business that hauls a huge cart BBQ to parties for pig roasts. I've been to many of his. There is nothing quite like a whole pig BBQ. The meat takes on a totally different flavor when cooked whole like that.

 

[DebforNow]

I'm not sure whether or not you'd consider it a tool but my Breville compact toaster oven is my favorite tool, because it does everything perfectly. The entire family loves it!

 

[CWS4322]

The garbage disposal. In my temporary quarters I don't have one. It is severely limiting my cooking because any interesting cook job sometimes takes me 1-2 days to finish clean up.

You need chickens! They eat a lot of kitchen scraps. The other thing is a compost pile--which then means you need a garden . But, I have to add, the dishwasher. It would take 3-5 "loads" of dishes in the sink before I'd have the dishes from the weekend cooking spree cleaned up. Now, 2 loads in the dw, one in the sink, and the kitchen's cleaned up.

 

[Addie]

I've butchered a pig, Addie. That's why I commented on it. It's hard work and would be much harder trying to do so with only a knife. One of my friends owns a BBQ business that hauls a huge cart BBQ to parties for pig roasts. I've been to many of his. There is nothing quite like a whole pig BBQ. The meat takes on a totally different flavor when cooked whole like that.

I tasted one while I lived in Texas. You are right. I love pork when it still holds it juices. And a BBQ's pig is a special treat. I think part of it is because it is such a young animal.

 

[gadzooks]

Just one? OK...a knife, and not my "best" or most expensive one. Seven inch Masahiro gyotu, but not the high-end one. I picked up a Masahiro 7" gyotu in a thrift store, new and unused, for $5. It's the cheaper one, thin, flexible blade, semi-tang, rosewood handle, riveted. Stamped, not forged, but very good stainless steel. Holds a beautiful edge and cuts anything under it. Weighs nothing, like a cloud. If I had two of 'em, there'd be one on each counter.

 

[Addie]

Just one? OK...a knife, and not my "best" or most expensive one. Seven inch Masahiro gyotu, but not the high-end one. I picked up a Masahiro 7" gyotu in a thrift store, new and unused, for $5. It's the cheaper one, thin, flexible blade, semi-tang, rosewood handle, riveted. Stamped, not forged, but very good stainless steel. Holds a beautiful edge and cuts anything under it. Weighs nothing, like a cloud. If I had two of 'em, there'd be one on each counter.

My girlfriend in California gave me as a gift a Shun 12" chef's knife. I looked it up and it cost $150.00. I almost passed out. She just mailed it to me as a surprise. Well, the surprise worked. But it was too large for my hand and I was afraid of it. Son #1 now has it.

 

[Katie H]

Favorite tool? That hard to find long shaft sharp pointed (curled end) flipping tool for turning everything from broiling/bar-b-q steaks to turning over thinly sliced zucchini sauteing in olive oil. I got that simple kitchen tool as part of some kitchen cooking product I bought.

I don't even know what it's called, but it's handy at times. Flip flip flip with a twist of the wrist.

I know exactly what you mean, Caslon. We have a pair (large one, small one) and I'd have to push this tool to near the top of my "treasured tool" list. It's called a pig tail food flipper and our small one gets used, on the average, once a day. I wouldn't be without it when it comes to breading any type of food.

Glenn's son saw me use it one day when he was in the kitchen as I was breading zucchini and was amazed at how beautifully, effectively and easily it worked. We gifted him with a set for Christmas and he was excited to get home to begin using them.

We use the small one mostly in the kitchen. The larger one is great for using outside when we're grilling.

 

[ChefJune]

I have a few. For sentimental reasons, a little china cheese grater that says "Blessed are the Good Cooks," that my mom gave me. )The best compliment I ever got on my cooking was when I overheard Mom tell someone I was a much better cook than she was.)

Then, my poultry shears. I wouldn't like to cut up a chicken without it. And besides, it first belonged to my Grandma.

Then my 5 1/2 quart Cuisinart deep saute pan (the original Cuisinart cookware made in France with the copper sandwich -- same for my Cuisinart griddle. My Cuisinart food processor (which I would NEVER "put away." My two 10-inch Wusthof chef's knives. Like an extension of my left arm!

oops! I almost forgot my balloon whisk. It has a bejillion wires and is THE BEST for whipping egg whites.