What is your favorite kitchen implement?

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I personally prefer wood as it seemed good enough for a thousand years ago and if kept clean and disinfected I have never had a problem using it for all foods including meat.

Mrsnonspecifics friend had a clearout a little while ago and we ended up with a random selection of pretty nice knives, all blunt as buggery but came out nice with some time.

One of them was a nice little Japanese 6 inch blade, I gave it to my 8 year old son as he loves cooking, tought him how to use it, sharpen it ect. It's fantastic to see someone so young take pride in a knife and learn to respect it. It is quite deep so he can crab his fingers and it has a delacate roll so he can do cheffy slicing.

He gets a bit exited sometimes and has to be reminded that he only has 8 fingers and that with a sharp knife he could actually loose one, then I re-show him a few scars and he's good to go again.

a reply to: nonspecific

Knife safety was a big deal to my Dad when I was a little kid. He had me memorize these knife safety rules and demonstrate that I knew how to handle a knife properly and safely. Looking back, it was sort of a rite-of-passage when I got my first folding pocket knife.

My favorite cooking items are my crock-pot, and my chicken fryer that my Dad gave me to borrow when our frying pan literally fell apart, but I liked it so much I asked him if I could keep it. This thing is from the 80's and still going strong. I fry my chicken, make egg rolls, and not sure what they are called, but I put spanish rice, green chiles, cut up chicken, and cheese sauce in a tortilla shell and fry it in oil. Only thing I don't make in it is Hamburger Helper or fry ground beef, it tends to stick to the bottom and is a pain to get off.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Living in the world we live today I could not really give my son a pocket knife so a decent chefs blade is the next best thing. He has a real sense of pride and grown up attitude towards it, He sharpens it before every use and gave me a pretty dirty look when he realised I had used it when he was not there(it's a really nice knife).

a reply to: nonspecific

LOL, We I grew up in Alaska and weekend hikes and camping was a regular thing. Of course I would never take a pocket knife to school or anything like that...

a reply to: MacSen191

I used to have a huge double basket deep fryer. That thing was awesome, but also a cleaning nightmare. Dealing with a gallon and a half of oil isn't fun, and the vapor from the grease gets on the walls and makes everything in the house smell like a fast food joint.

I gave up on it when I filled the sucker with sesame oil (someone told me to fry using sesame oil) -- I did not realize they meant pan fry. I should have realized you don't use sesame oil for deep frying, as I had to buy like 10 little bottles to fill the beast up.

My home smelled like a Thai restaurant for weeks. . .

a reply to: MystikMushroom

I grew up in rural Lincolnshire UK even in the early 80's it was ok for me to have my own air rifle at 7 and be able to go out shooting targets without supervision, as said it's a diferent world now.

My son lives in a world that has no need for a pocket knife and that is somewhat saddening so as I said the next best thing is to make sure he knows how to use one to cook and how to treat things with the respect they deserve. He will make some lady very happy one day, I will make sure he has all the skills needed to be happy.

He used a gas powered nail gun and jig saw(under serious supervision) at six, has his own chefs blade and knew how to use the washing machine and dryer at 4. Times may change but passing on skills is timeless

The big nonstick sauce pot with glass lid I got at the flea market.

I can brown the meat in it then add the liquids and the rest of the fixins' for soups, chili and goulash.

EDIT: come to think of it, the sauce pot is my 2nd favorite kitchen item. Mr. Cheddarhead is the 1st favorite. He's can cook rings around me and I totally admit that. He can cook main meals, desserts, he can even can fruit, veggies and jellies to put up for winter.

Just bought my now favourite kitchen implements from Lidl.

A cast iron skillet £12.99

And a cast iron oven dish for £19.99

Bargain!!

Couldn't resist, most expensive 4 pints of milk I have ever stopped off to buy.

a reply to: MrsNonSpecific

Sweepstake on how long before you actually use one of them anybody?

To give you all an idea MNS absolutley could not live without a £400 kitchen aid mixer, we got one nearly 2 years ago and I use it to make bread, pasta and allsorts regularlly.

MNS is still to use it...

originally posted by: nonspecific
a reply to: MrsNonSpecific

Sweepstake on how long before you actually use one of them anybody?

To give you all an idea MNS absolutley could not live without a £400 kitchen aid mixer, we got one nearly 2 years ago and I use it to make bread, pasta and allsorts regularlly.

MNS is still to use it...

This sounds like a reverse on sexism.

Normally it works like this: you buy something for her that is really for you. Lingerie is a common theme, but a vacuum cleaner would work well in a PG environment.

Problem is, it got flipped back around on you. LOL

Don't feel bad....happens to me, too. "Um, thanks for the new food processor, honey....are you going to cook me something with it?" is a response I have heard before.

I like the turkey baster, it's fun to case the dogs around with it.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan

originally posted by: nonspecific
a reply to: MrsNonSpecific

Sweepstake on how long before you actually use one of them anybody?

To give you all an idea MNS absolutley could not live without a £400 kitchen aid mixer, we got one nearly 2 years ago and I use it to make bread, pasta and allsorts regularlly.

MNS is still to use it...

This sounds like a reverse on sexism.

Normally it works like this: you buy something for her that is really for you. Lingerie is a common theme, but a vacuum cleaner would work well in a PG environment.

Problem is, it got flipped back around on you. LOL

Don't feel bad....happens to me, too. "Um, thanks for the new food processor, honey....are you going to cook me something with it?" is a response I have heard before.

It's actually a win win situation as MNS gets to sit there as the main breadwinner feeling all warm inside knowing she has really nice things and I get some great quality stuff to cook with

It reminds me of an incident years ago when my mum and were out shopping and my mum asked my dad what he thought of a dinner service, my dad dutifully answered that it was really nice. That christmas he opened his present from my mum and it was the dinner service my dad had shown an interest in, He dutifully said thankyou, kissed my mum and said he was very happy.

The following year my mum opened her presents at christmas and was somewhat suprised to have been given a new set of chisels, a bench grinder and a rather expensive wood router.

They agreed on boxing day that in the future if they wanted something they should just buy it. I give respect to my dad though as he waited a whole year for that!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus


I like the turkey baster, it's fun to case the dogs around with it.

I chase my dogs around with tongs. The all metal ones that make the loudest clapping sound. I only have 1 pair of those left....the rest are rubber coated.

corkscrew bottle opener.

Once you master that implement, everything else that happens in the kitchen is glorious, despite what others (mainly my wife) say to the contrary.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
I chase my dogs around with tongs. The all metal ones that make the loudest clapping sound. I only have 1 pair of those left....the rest are rubber coated.

I am glad to see I am not the only wacko around here.



However, I am not surprised to see it is you.

a reply to: nonspecific

i have to say, that is rather glorious.

My favorite jokes are the ones that incubate. But a whole year? Brilliant.

a reply to: nonspecific

Love the fact I now have my own Acronym!

As the KitchenAid and cast iron pans will out live both of us (Me and Nonspecific) I suggest that one day I will use it.

It's just good probability maths, like the monkey's eventually typing out Shakespeare on typewriters.

a reply to: CraftBuilder

Coffeepot! I would not be human without it.

For me, it would have to be my large stainless steel French coffee press - it and I see a lot of each other. The second would be my various types of high quality knives.