Essential Kitchen Equipment

it certainly isn't those dopey, inefficient, bulky, risky-looking shelves in the op's picture

a kettle, either a whistling tea kettle for stovetop or an electric kettle

a good sauté pan, a skillet just doesn't cut it

Risky? You need to purchase a Life Alert if those are risky to you.

[quote] a skillet just doesn't cut it

I use knives to cut it

The Keurig and Vitamix are used every day.

Microwave is the most essential.

I say that the Microwave revolutionised cooking across the planet.

I use my microwave primarily for storage like a bread box.

The immersion blender has become indispensable to me.

I once met this ancient lady who said her Essential Kitchen Equipment was a little metal jug in which she kept her dripping.

Keurigs are white trash!

OP what's your go to knife brand?

A colander to drain the pasta.

I almost never use my microwave.

I don’t know my knife brand, found a nice one at a garage sale. I had it professionally sharpened, and it’s the best knife I’ve ever had.

Forgot to sign the knife response.

a small food processor (or two), my Japanese paring knife, a bread knife, my Chicago cutlery chef's knife, ramekins and my crockpot

“rescue-chick” 🙄

A food processor makes things easier in the kitchen. I like to bake, so the Kitchen Aid stand mixer is invaluable. As mentioned, a good set of knives is a must.

What I don’t have is a Dutch oven. It’s on the list.

Love here for the humble potato ricer. Perfect mash every time and no electricity needed.

Large knife (santoku), paring knife, 8-qt. pot, Microplane (fine grater), veg peeler.

I eat pretty much everything out of pasta bowls.

Yes, I do use a microwave oven on a regular basis.

This is my Essential Kitchen Equipment.

Because every time I cook or bake using butter, oil or any kind of meat all my utensils and cooking equipment have a sheeny film of tiny fat particles which I must remove.

Ajax is not equipment R20. It is a cleaner.

Frying pan with lid

my garlic press from pampered chef

my chef knife

a good cutting board

kitchenaid mixer

cuisinart coffee maker

Does "the help" count as essential kitchen equipment?

Since I eat out every single day the only thing I need is a plate a fork and a cup.

I want to buy new frying pans -- probably 3 of them, a large, a medium, and a small. The medium and small should be non-stick, the large need not be.

What are the best kind? I don't mean brand (though suggestions about that are welcome) -- what's the best kind of metal? Price isn't the most important factor -- I don't have a dishwasher, so I need to be able to clean them properly in the sink.

My three Erie cast iron skillets. I use at least one of them every day. They date back to the late 1800s and I love them. Splendid tools.

A sharp chef's knife. Find the knife you like ,and then buy an electric knife sharpener. Chef's Choice makes a variety of them. I got mine on eBay for $25. I picked up a few others for $5 at stores like Goodwill and passed them on to friends. They love them. America's Test Kitchen selected the top of the line sharpener from Chef's Choice for its recommendation, but I don't think that one is necessary. They all seem to work well. A sharp knife is a wonderful tool. Really do this.

A large stainless steel dutch oven. I have Le Creuset and think it is great, but I am not finding it better than my 8 quart tri-ply stainless steel dutch oven / stock pot. That is a real work horse. And it cost much less than Le Creuset.

Good luck!

R26, try this.

I have not yet found an OXO Good Grips product that is not well designed.

Vintage Revere Ware.

I can find barely-worn examples from the 50s-60s at thrift stores and I shine up the copper with Bar Keepers friend.

Great quality and I'm finding all kinds of interesting sizes and accessories like egg poachers, sieves and colanders/steamers.

Pampered chef? How pedestrian!

A cast iron pan, a vegetable peeler, a good non stick pan for eggs, wooden spoons.

A very sharp knife i paid 125 bucks (with little indentations on the handle, can't recall the name but it's sharp as fuck), kitchenaid mixer (same one i've had for 33 years), citrus reamer, cups and teaspoons in all the sizes!, wooden spoon, a great non-stick, non-toxic pan, cast iron dutch oven, electric kettle. Also requisite baking pans (don't care about brand). And a spatula and soup ladle as well, obviously. i also have a crockpot and Instapot but don't use them very regularly.

There's a difference between a grieving woman and a foolish woman.

A crêpe pan, bien sûr

R28, that's really helpful -- thanks very much.

What about plain aluminum? I know that Alton Brown has commented on that but can't remember whether he was pro or con (much less any details) -- somehow, I feel sure that his website will be too verbose for the amount of time I'm able to devote ...

Plenty of lube.

Alton Brown is CANCELED

A waiter's friend.

IMO, Alton Brown is gay. He got divorced from a woman and married to another woman, who claims she didn't know who he was when she met him.

Alton and new wife are posting YouTube videos.

R39, I was shocked when I read that Alton was straight.

I wasn't shocked, R40. Just as lots of men aren't gay they're just British, Alton Brown isn't gay he's just pedantic.

I love my wok and my rice cooker.

Zojirushi rice cooker, large chef's knife, enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I love my hot water pot (also Zojirushi). I was slow to jump on the air fryer bandwagon, but it is fast becoming my favorite small appliance.

Cast iron. I have two frying pans, a stewing pot (dutch oven) and a griddle.

All- Clad cooking set. It's the best and will last a lifetime. You can pass down to your nephew when your goose is cooked.

I assume those two doors with handles are a built-in fridge and freezer. All the other doors have those press-to-open function.

But what are those two cupboards on the right hand of the picture; are they for utilities or something?

If a cast iron pan isn't your first thought, then you're not a real cook.

I also need multiple spatulas, knives, Kitchen-Aid stand and hand mixers, sheet pans, measuring spoons and cups, and lots of bowls.

What is the purpose of a WOODEN SPOON?

They don't transfer heat R48 and you can use them on all surfaces.

Wooden spoons retain salmonella and e-coli and they can't be placed in the dishwasher, so no thanks.

Hydrogen peroxide sanitizes them R50.

Instead of a wooden spoon, I now use a silicone spurtle (seven colors) from Mad Hungry. Check out the website and watch Lucinda Scala Quinn cook on instagram @madhungry, my favorite cooking show of the last three or four years.

I'll see your Spurtle, R52.

And raise you one Spoonula.

[quote]a good sauté pan, a skillet just doesn't cut it

My favorite pan is my 4-quart sauté pan from All Clad. Like r2, I prefer it to a skillet. I like to make things like chili, Bolognese and other sauces for pasta, and to braise meats, so I like the straight sides.

I wish I'd bought it without the long handle. The pic shows the one I'd buy if I were shopping today.

I have the 6-quart version, without the long handle, which All-Clad calls a stockpot. You can make stock in it, of course, but it has a dutch oven profile. Since I'm single, I make sufficient quantities in the 4-quart pan, and use the 6-quart mainly for cooking pasta.

Mandoline slicer

Microwave

Hot air fryer

Indoor grill

Fully stocked refrigerator & freezer

i have that Orange Le Creuset Dutch oven in OP's pic, but my 95 yr old mother turned on the electric range it was sitting on inadvertently and it sat there for about a half hour on high. It's still usable but has lost some of its properties and there is orange enamel on the element!