We Passionate Cooks Love Our Cooking Equipment

Cooking things fascinate me. Every little thing I love. I love looking at them, shopping for them, and using them.

I just love cooking and the next best thing is shopping for all the neatest and latest cooking and kitchen gizmos and gadgets on the market today.  Shopping for a fellow culinary enthusiast is also a hobby of mine, and everything from wine racks to specialty meats is right at the top of my list.  Books on how to plan menus and cookbooks on exotic foods are just a few of the things that turn my culinary crank, and with very little effort at all you can work up a really fantastic gift for a friend.  Cook them up something special for their birthday, make them a basket, or if they themselves are a hobby chef, grab a secret family recipe and share it with them, along with a fine sample of the product of course, just so they know what it is supposed to taste like.  Shopping online is a great way to find anything you could possibly need, and getting ideas locally can be a great start too, so put on the thinking cap, put on the chef’s hat, and start getting into the world of food!

Kitchen Cookware

High quality pots and pans are great, I especially love the copper cookware that I use at home, because the heat differential makes cooking with them a dream come true.  They are beautiful as well, and my friends always ask about them when they are in my kitchen, they look so nice that they can be displayed like art.  One of the biggest bonuses is that when you buy them, you get to shop in Williams and Sonoma, and that really just makes my day, I am always looking for a new pot to add to my collection just to get to shop there.  My husband doesn’t complain, when he gets home he reaps the reward of his patience, as I get to try out my new prize!  Other fun things that you can find while you are there would be ceramic bakeware, and new baking pans.  I love getting the chance to grab new baking items, and baking itself is one of my favorite hobbies, my two hundred and fifty pound husband can attest to that.  We will try not to give him diabetes before he is thirty five, but in the meantime try out a ceramic muffin pan, you will never go back to Teflon.

Kitchen Cooking Appliances

When I need a new microwave, I start looking at the other things in my kitchen that may need replacing as well.  Your microwave is likely going to last longer than most anything else, so if it is having problems that may be the death knell of more than just the microwave.  I would replace the toaster as well, they are cheap and for whatever reason seem to go out at about the same time.  If you are in the market for appliances, take a peek at grills in your area too, or even better online, where they can deliver you a fabulous product right to your door.  George Foreman is a big name in kitchen grills, and for good reason.  I love his grills and have had mine for years, we use it all the time.  A recent addition to my kitchen is a roaster, and I must confess I am addicted to it.  Sometime we just watch the meat cook, the juice flowing and our mouths water, it is just fun to watch!  I bet you can’t help but spy on your dinner as it rotates behind the glass.

Kitchen Equipment

With all the things in my kitchen I love making from scratch, like butter, sausages, and whip cream, I would not survive without my Kitchen Aid.  Scoff if you must, but with all the fun colors they come in I had a blast just shopping for it, and is always neat to see someone get one as a gift, before they have any clue how nice life is with one, they have no idea that their life is now so much easier in the kitchen.  Kitchen Aid mixers have really changed the way American women live life in our kitchens, and I cannot see cooking being a pleasure without one.  Blenders are an underappreciated item in most kitchens, but try life without one for a party.  There are so many cool blenders out there, and the demos are just a blast to watch, each company putting theirs through hell on earth to prove it is the best, I believe I watched a guy in Costco dump a roll of quarters in one once, so you can bet that blew my mind!  Poke around online and see what freaky things your blender can do when no one is looking.

Kitchen Beverages

Coffee makers are a major item in most households in America, since the Boston tea party we have rejected the leaf and embraced the bean with eager zeal.  That said, when my coffee pot pees on my counter, I know it is time to go shopping for a new one and don’t think twice about tossing the offending appliance.  Many people get so attached to theirs that they don’t want to give it up, but I say let it go and get shopping!  You never know what fantastic features that a new coffee maker will hold for you.  Tea makers, though not as popular here, are super popular overseas where tea is a bigger deal.  Tea makers are fun to shop for because not being familiar with them makes them an exciting new gizmo to hunt for in a department store, or even online, where you can see all kinds of makes and models and what they are all about.  Even if you don’t drink tea, you likely know someone who does and they would certainly love a tea maker in their home.  Give one a try, they are a hot item (literally) and you may come to love one like I do mine.

Kitchen Gadgets and Utensils

Oh man, not only do I love using these things, I love buying them, lots of them, so many it would blow your mind, or maybe even sink a small ship.  No joke, everything from apple peelers, to pear corers, and a pineapple slicer, not to mention the arsenal of canning equipment at my disposal.  You would very likely be amazed at the amount of toys you would find in my kitchen, and I even sport an impressive collection of spatulas, ladles, and tongs. I don’t see how anyone could not just love sopping for kitchen toys of all varieties, and shopping online only fuels my machine, I get vegetable choppers and ergonomic peelers, and every shape of cookie cutter imaginable.  I must confess, I have to have them and whether I am shopping for them or using them, doesn’t matter. I love getting them for Christmas too, and most everyone knows that nothing thrills me like a kitchen gadget to play with, recently I have been taking cookie cutters too old or brittle to use anymore and making holiday ornaments out of them, which serves to display my culinary addiction to visitors.

Cutlery and Knives

Having good cutlery and knives is a must for any hobby chef, the cheap flimsy ones will only serve to get you hurt as you attempt to force them to do a job they are unable to handle.  Having a great set of knives is a must for any person’s kitchen, and I can’t foresee cooking without one.  Shopping for them can be fun too, and going to the mall and getting to touch the suit of armor as I peruse a set of Ginsu cutlery lights up my week nicely.  I also like playing with the sharpening stones and other great toys they have in the store, you never know what you are going to find in a place like that and there are no shortage of gizmos that will make your life easier and cooking more of a blast for those interested in such pursuits.  Plus, if you find the need, there is usually a sword or two in those kinds of shops just in case the hubby needs a little persuading about your new set of knives, show him the business end of that katana and he will be happy to provide you with a shorter alternative.

Dinnerware

As much as I love cooking, and shopping, and shopping for cooking things, I also adore entertaining.  I just can’t help it, it’s a disease I tell you.  Anyway, if you are going to do any entertaining, you are going to need a really nice set of dishware.  Dishes are the pedestal on which people will judge the hours of work you have laid before them, and besides, your mother in law will complain if things don’t look nice.  It is always great fun, going out and picking out a new pattern if you are just starting out, and picking out dishware can be one of the first true tests in any fresh marriage.  Mine pattern is over thirty years old and was handed down to me by my father though, so shopping for out of production pieces can be kind of tricky.  Try to have as many place settings as your dining room table (plus leaves) will hold, and keep a few extras just in case someone drops a tea cup or saucer.  This will keep your dish set perfect for decades, just something sweet to thing about while you are looking at china with your new hubby.

Drinkware

In the world of glassware, there are three big names as far as class and quality are concerned.  Lennox, Waterford, and Mikasa all have amazing patterns and you are going to want to see them all before you settle on one.  It is true that this crystal is going to cost you through the nose, but as it is going to last you the rest of your life (and likely be fought over by your kids when you die) it is worth buying once, and buying right. Seek great items at great value.  Nothing brings class and elegance to a dining table like a fine set of glassware, and guests will marvel at your beautiful collection every time they see it no matter which company you choose to go with.  They are all three of them legends in the business, and you will never regret having made the commitment to serve with this glassware.  Each company boasts hundreds of patterns each, and you will want to find one the goes well with your style and dinnerware, as well as being something affordable and contusive to your budget.  These sets can cost thousands of dollars, and you don’t want to starve over your stemware.

Flatware

Quality flatware is also something that is just a blast to shop for and pick out, and most couples will be doing that as they approach their impending nuptials.  In some cases, you may be handed down a set of silver, that is to say actual “silverware”.  These can be beautiful hand polished and well kept, but they do tend to tarnish easily and are very hard to maintain.  Most families keep them for sentimental reasons, and don’t actually use the pieces.  That’s okay because, you guessed it, you get to shop for new a brand new set if this is your case.  Lucky you, I would go Lennox in this case, the quality and affordability in the product is second to none and let’s face it, silverware is going to take a beating no if ands or buts about it.  Try to take into account that someone at some point is going to accidently grind a spoon in the garbage disposal, or one of your sons is going to steal some of your flatware as “buried pirate treasure” and it may pay to have an extra fork or two just kicking around.

Servingware

If you are lucky, like me, your dish pattern also contains serving dishes and platters that match your set.  Mikasa is a good bet for this, the sets they have include just about everything you could ever want in a collection, and it is great fun just to have such a collection.  Every week I get online and just see what new piece I can add, and when I serve my guests they all love how everything matches perfectly.  The toughest things to find in the serving department can be cake plates and soup tureens, both obscure items but quite often something that the pattern maker offers for many fine dining sets, so look up your pattern and who knows what you might find on the mighty World Wide Web.  There are a great many resources for hunting this sort of thing down online, and you will likely have a blast doing it, I know I do.  If you get really into it, there are even companies which will make specialty lighting out of the dishware and servingware of your patter, like a really fancy plate chandelier.  They really look amazing, and are a totally unique way to think about serving platters.

Table Linens

Table linens and tableware are extremely important things to have as they are going to be what protects your highly valuable table.  I love my handmade crocheted tablecloth that my grandmother made me, but forgoing that you can find some truly beautiful ones online.  They have every color, shape, size, and texture imaginable and how can you resist just scanning through and picking the ones out that will make your dining room look great?  Seriously, this is a really crucial thing to have, protecting a piece of furniture you paid thousands of dollars for is a must do, especially when the item you are looking for is only going to cost about ten dollars in the first place.  I like shopping for linens, and I have one set for each season of the year, and for quite a few holiday occasions as well, they match my drapes of course which are also changed with the seasons, giving my dining room a fresh new look that is constantly changing.  My guests love the special effort I go to, trying to make them feel special, and I love that I get to pick out new tableware all the time. I always shop for good items at good value.

Kitchen Furniture

Your kitchen needs to be comfortable if you are going to spend as much time in yours as I do in mine.  Kitchen furniture like islands, kitchen stools, and kitchen carts just make the flow of the whole kitchen itself go smoother, and I love shopping for things that organize my life.  Really, it is an investment in not only your home, but your time, as having things comfortable and well laid out will not only make the space more inviting to everyone, but grant you the support you need to truly own the space, which is critical for the success of any hobby chef.  Really, if you think about it, you won’t get anything done or have a good time doing it if you don’t have enough work surfaces, a nice place to sit, and good places to store things where they will be out of the way and easy to find.  One of the reasons I have so much fun in my kitchen at home is because I have a really nice, well laid out area in which to play around in, and any culinary nut can tell you that is a chef’s dream.

Kitchen Storage

Make sure also that you have enough storage items, like canisters and trash cans and the other little things that just make a kitchen a nice space to be in.  Nothing will irk you like not having enough trash space, and the times you are likely to notice this the most will most likely be the holidays, when the dinners are huge and the mess is unbelievable, and the kitchen is crammed.  It never fails, I get to cooking, in my element and happy as a clam in my kitchen and before long the whole blessed family is in there, poking at my cranberry chutney.  And let me tell you, getting great aunt Bess out of the way of your rubbish bin may not be a happening thing, she is likely to sit there and supervise your bird roasting all darn afternoon, in between giving you watery eyes of disapproval, so make sure you have more than one trash receptacle or you are going to be doing the slide past a three hundred and thirty pound English woman in a room full of seven other people.  I am just saying…

Cooking is one of the highlights of my life, I love how my food brings together the madness and joy of my whole family, from great huge affairs to little tiny occasions just me and the hubby, they all are special and much appreciated in my life.  Shopping for the things that make this joy possible in my life is also a real gas, the things that are invented every year to enhance the convenience of my life just boggle the mind, seriously, what will they think of next?  The world is filled with amazing kitchen toys and dining room furniture, all you have to do is take a peek on the internet to see everything you could ever need online and at your very fingertips.  Collect yourself up the things that make for a cozy home, and once you get them all together, you will realize, just how much value they add to your life, in the people who use them every single day, and even in the ones who travel from afar to be there in your beautiful home with you.  There is no greater gift in life than that of serving others, for me, it is the stuff I live on.

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