Looking to upgrade my kitchen's gear

[Vashar]

I'm looking for basically everything.

I started out with everything cheap:
- Thick plastic colander that gets build up in the holes and is hard to clean.
- Plastic handled flatware in which some (mainly knives) had the metal half separate from the plastic handle.
- Pots and pans that have had their non-stick coating get scratched up and cook relatively unevenly
- Cooking sheets that have warped. Other family members baking a pizza or sweets and putting it in the sink.
- Knives that have lost their sharpness. Chopping carrots and other stuff gets squish sounds rather than solid knife hitting cutting board sounds. Misses severing the fat on flanks of meat, such as when cutting beef into cubes for a stew.

So far, the only thing I've spoiled myself on that's remotely high tech is my 10-cup Zojirushi Rice Cooker which I absolutely love.

I'm looking for quality, convenience, but also value. I know a lot of infomercials sell a lot of junk, so I have never paid attention to any, but if any are really good, I might check it out.

[SueM]

I would look toward Amazon. Usually has good prices and if you have prime free shipping. I have "restocked" my kitchen with brand name deals from SD. Of course this has taken time.

[Vashar]

I looked at that Oneida flatware set that was for 12 (way more than I need) and learned the difference between 18/10 and 18/0 stainless.

The reason I posted about infomercials is because I actually see a lot of them related to making cooking easier.

Knives that cut through anything.
Magic bullet that turns anything into mush.
George foreman grill.
Pasta cookers that make pasta al dente every time.
Some twirling heat lamp thingee that was used to cook frozen pizza.
Food saver vacuum sealer
powered food dehydrators
the pots and pan set with special pyramid bumps in the cooking surface to make stuff never stick to the non-stick coating

Never really seen any of this in person, but heard the mixed reviews about the magic bullet and mostly good reviews about george foreman grill and hear a lot about food saver, but doubt I'll get much use out of it vs simple ziploc bags and rubbermaid containers.

[balabob]

Overstock also has a lot of good deals from time to time. I got my stainless steel Anolon cookware from there a while back.

Also, often there is even some decent stuff in the back of a TJ Maxx or Marshalls. I bought a Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler there today for $7.

For around the same price as a Foreman grill, you can get a panini press, which will do the same stuff only better. I have a Breville Ikon Panini Press. Of course, I also have a Foreman, too.

[BuddhaSack]

If you want a good set of knives and you fancy yourself a chef (which if you're asking for a foreman grill idk if this is for you, but it is good advice).

Woot had some sets of Alton Shun knives a couple of weeks ago for 199.99... It was like a 700 dollar set of knives. You might be able to get them if they come up again. Keep in mind that if taken care of, these are a set of knives you can pass off to your kids and they will still split hairs. It really was a slick deal.

For a pasta cooker all you need is a pot, boiling water, salt, and a timer (oh and good pasta - barilla). It's all about timing.

For the colander, get OXO, they make good plastic products. Very sturdy.

For pots and pans, just get a decent set of Calphalon or something. I would suggest not going non stick, not really necessary if you know what you're doing, but they make non stick sets as well and can be found for decent deals.

If you want a food dehydrator, I have one I can sell you that I have never used. I got it for 50 bucks or something on SD.

Good luck and happy cooking!

And oh!... skip the foreman grill. You will make better food just as quickly with other stuff.

[balabob]

If you want a good set of knives and you fancy yourself a chef (which if you're asking for a foreman grill idk if this is for you, but it is good advice).

Woot had some sets of Alton Shun knives a couple of weeks ago for 199.99... It was like a 700 dollar set of knives. You might be able to get them if they come up again. Keep in mind that if taken care of, these are a set of knives you can pass off to your kids and they will still split hairs. It really was a slick deal.

I have a set of J.A. Henckels Twin knives. They are usually really expensive, but I got them around half price on Overstock a while back. Also, Wusthof are really good knives. Really it just depends on how much you want to spend and how long you are willing to wait around for a great deal.

I have an OXO tea kettle that I love. I bought it for 50% off at the Linens 'N Things going out of business sale.

Like BuddhaSack said, I'd avoid the non-stick. I just don't trust anything with Teflon.

[Vashar]

I was actually avoiding such things, but I was still curious if anyone used them and found them so good that they couldn't live without.

Looking for the quality name brands and tips likes like looking for quality in pots and pans and knives was exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks so far for all the advice.

[santalum]

I second the vote for the Breville Panini Press. I have one, and it is *much* better than the George Foreman I used to have. the Foreman Grill had removable plates for cleaning, but it never got hot enough to sear anything, most stuff just steamed. The Breville has removable plates, and still gets hot enough to cook properly. It's great for burgers and steaks, as well as paninis.

I have the OXO colander in stainless steel. It takes up some space, but can be suspended over the sink. The steel is a breeze to clean up. More expensive than the plastic version, though.

My knives are Cuisinart, I think, not the most expensive knives out there, but they do the job. The key is to sharpen them every once in a while. Also, using the right knife for the job. (My husband cuts everything with a steak knife. Everything. He can't figure out why some things are so difficult for him to cut, where I have no problems, and he blames the knife. I can't get him to even touch the chef's knife, though. *shrug*)

If your old pans have had the Teflon scraped off, I would avoid buying more pans with Teflon again. That stuff went into the food and was eaten. Get something that's not coated, you just have to adjust your cooking a little bit and stuff won't stick. Or, if you like the Teflon, invest in some utensils that have the silicone coating, and ONLY use those in the Teflon pans. They can withstand high cooking temps (unlike nylon, which will melt), and won't scratch the pan. Again, OXO makes some excellent items. I have one omelet pan with teflon, but I got an OXO silicone turner to use in it, and it works great.

I would avoid any "one hit wonders," gadgets that only do one thing. Waste of money and kitchen space. All you need for good pasta is a big pot and a timer. And just put the frozen pizza in the oven or toaster oven! (The Zoji rice cooker was a good investment, though. My husband and I eat a lot of rice, and our Zoji never lets us down. Makes the best rice!)

[airjesse123]

My knife set is the JA Henckels Couteau Series. These have a lifetime warranty and are forged with full tang. Great balance. Got mine at costco for $180, as it is online too:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10045499&search=henckels&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=henckels&Ntt=henckels&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1