Ok, my birthday is going to be here in 2-3 weeks, and im going to ask for some cooking untensil's as a gift. Are there any cheap/very good knifes, for dicing, peeling, meat, veggies, potatoes, etc. Very good ones, but affordable. And can someone point me in the direction of a nice cheap broiler/wok.
Help Me Pick Some Equipment
- Thread starter Sicilian
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cheap and good don't usually go together, but you can get a calphalon chef knife/santuko knife set ... 8" and 5" respectively, decent steel, balance, etc, for under $50 from Cooking.com
carbon steel woks are not expensive
what do you mean by broiler? roasting pan?
carbon steel woks are not expensive
what do you mean by broiler? roasting pan?
Part of the problem in trying to recommend knives is what you mean by "affordable". If your family can afford to buy you a $500 set of knives I would certainly change what I would suggest over if they could only afford $60 max. Please define what you mean by "affordable" .... then we can make some suggestions about the best you can find within that budget.
As Robo said - the best woks are carbon-steel, they are not expensive - an Asian store will have the best price. You might want to check out the discussions about woks in the Cookware and Accessories Forum. Sometimes there is just no reason to reinvent the wheel ... Kasma Loha-unchit says everything I could in Wok: Use and Care and Wok: Flat or Round Bottom and Wok: Seasoning and Care.
A Broiler and Wok are two totally different things. Broiling means the food is heated from the top - a wok heats the food from the bottom.
As Robo said - the best woks are carbon-steel, they are not expensive - an Asian store will have the best price. You might want to check out the discussions about woks in the Cookware and Accessories Forum. Sometimes there is just no reason to reinvent the wheel ... Kasma Loha-unchit says everything I could in Wok: Use and Care and Wok: Flat or Round Bottom and Wok: Seasoning and Care.
A Broiler and Wok are two totally different things. Broiling means the food is heated from the top - a wok heats the food from the bottom.
auntdot
Head Chef
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Hi CS, just a home cook here, but I concur, very good and cheap do not usually go hand in hand.
Sometimes it is cheaper in the long run to get something a bit more pricey than to keep buying replacements.
But you can get some decent knives fairly inexpensively. We have sort of a collection we put together over the years. Never purchased a very good/expensive one. (Wait a minute, I have a birthday coming up pretty soon, hmmm, I have always wanted a good one).
I find the one(s) I use the most, OK, read that almost always, is a chef knife.
The one I use the most has a blade of about 6".
As important as the knife, you have to know how to keep it sharp.
You can Google for instructions. A sharp inexpensive knife works a heck of a lot better than a very expensive, but very dull one.
(Generally the more expensive ones hold their edges longer).
If I could have only one knife it would be a chef knife.
Then a paring knife. And then, you mention peeling, I just use a relatively inexpensive peeler (know that may not be the professional way to do it, but I find it easiest).
Glad you like cooking and have a very happy birthday.
Sometimes it is cheaper in the long run to get something a bit more pricey than to keep buying replacements.
But you can get some decent knives fairly inexpensively. We have sort of a collection we put together over the years. Never purchased a very good/expensive one. (Wait a minute, I have a birthday coming up pretty soon, hmmm, I have always wanted a good one).
I find the one(s) I use the most, OK, read that almost always, is a chef knife.
The one I use the most has a blade of about 6".
As important as the knife, you have to know how to keep it sharp.
You can Google for instructions. A sharp inexpensive knife works a heck of a lot better than a very expensive, but very dull one.
(Generally the more expensive ones hold their edges longer).
If I could have only one knife it would be a chef knife.
Then a paring knife. And then, you mention peeling, I just use a relatively inexpensive peeler (know that may not be the professional way to do it, but I find it easiest).
Glad you like cooking and have a very happy birthday.
you're gonna probably have to drop some cash if you want a great knife or 2. my 5" wusthof santoku was $100, $80 since it was on sale. it is an excellent knife. i'd invest in a quality one. something for a few $$ is nary worth your cash. i have some cheapies that are ucky. if you want one, i'd get a santoku. it's a great multi-task knife for basic cooking.
Chef_Jimmy
Senior Cook
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Forschner-Victronox (sp?) vere my first set of knives and they are fantastic for a starter set, i have worked with many cook's who started with them, very reasonale and feel great in the hand
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Good equipment does not need to mean spending a lot of money. Generally i will aggree that you get what you pay for, but not always. Like Chef Jimmy pointed out, Forschner-Victronox makes a very good product and they are not all that expensive. Whatever price range you are working within, I am sure we can suggest some quality products.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
Restaraunt supply stores care Dexter*Russel brand knives. I love soft gripp. They are very inexpensive and very good quality knives. The most expensive knife of that bran I bought was like $25 bucks, and that is 12" blade. Well, I haven't got it yet, it is on order.
Chef_Jimmy
Senior Cook
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For other equipment, i strongly suggest finding a restaurant supply store. The products are very inexpensive because they don't have a "name" on them, yet made strong enough to stand up to everyday commercial "beatings" You can get twice as much for your money (or more) than going to BB&B or Macy's
GB
Chief Eating Officer
The trade off sometimes with restaurant supply stores (and it is a trade off I am more than willing to make) is what the stuff looks like. Generally (not always) the stuff you get at restaurant supply stores does not look all pretty like stuff you would get at a kitchen store. As long as you don't care about that then restaurant supply stores can be a treasure trove.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
We're talking abot a knives here GB, it's not some fancy Le Creuset versus an alluminum pot, it's just a knife. As the matter of fact my soft gripp white handle knives I think look better than Wustoff black handle knives and they are seating on the same magnet rack. When money is an issue looks are not that important, if you are getting good quality of course.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
The posted was asking about more than just knives Charlie, but I was just giving information in general anyway.
I agree with you though. I would rather spend my money on something that functions better than something that looks nice and shiny.
I agree with you though. I would rather spend my money on something that functions better than something that looks nice and shiny.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
Hm, as always i have no patience to read the whole post. That is why none of my VCR's and DVD players are functioning to the capacity, I have not read ther instruction. 
GB
Chief Eating Officer
LOL you crack me up CharlieCharlieD said:Hm, as always i have no patience to read the whole post. That is why none of my VCR's and DVD players are functioning to the capacity, I have not read ther instruction.
Resaurant supply stores Hardware stores and Office supply stores are all dangerous places to let me loose, especially if I have a credit card with me.
Getting back to your original question about a set of knives CS - here is an "affordable" starter option, and available at your local Target store. J.A. Henckles makes some of the better high-end knives - forged steel made in Germany. Now, they have a lower-end line that is stamped and made in China. They will not be the same quality as the top-of-the-line knives - but they don't cost nearly as much, either. They should get you started and last you for a while (10 years or so - or until you can get enough experience to know what you want and can afford to upgrade).
I read the reviews (and almost fell off my chair laughing at a couple of them) and I wouldn't be scared away from buying them. You just have to learn to treat your knives correctly. Don't ever toss them in the dishwasher and don't just toss them in the sink - wash them by hand and then dry them by hand - like you would any good knife.
I read the reviews (and almost fell off my chair laughing at a couple of them) and I wouldn't be scared away from buying them. You just have to learn to treat your knives correctly. Don't ever toss them in the dishwasher and don't just toss them in the sink - wash them by hand and then dry them by hand - like you would any good knife.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Just remember that there is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.pughjr said:
Cheap knives are no good.
Inexpensive knifes can be excellent.
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
GB said:
Exatly, I just bought a knife with 12 inch blade for $25 bucks. It is absolutely awesome.
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