whats your must have kitchen item?

lizmcvey
lizmcvey Posts: 64 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So in an odd chain of events, I've found myself with a $100 gift card for Williams Sonoma. I've never shopped there, mostly because I'm too cheap for my own good. Whats an item you use in the kitchen that you feel you couldn't live without? I do have a nice digital kitchen scale that use daily and absolutely could not live without so that idea is off the table...

Replies

  • monietrojan
    monietrojan Posts: 45 Member
    They have very nice juicers and food (tea, cocoa, cider etc.)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Cheese grater with a catch bin that sits on the bottom.

    Good hand blender, like an immersion blender type thing for soups/sauces. If you don't have a food processor, buy one of those, too.

    Knives, the good kind.

    Small ramekins. They are great for keeping portions reasonable.

    Eight ounce glasses. Juice and milk always goes in these in my kitchen.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Good knives

    Espresso/Cappuccino Machine

    Kitchen Scale

    Those are the three things I use every single day! Have fun shopping. :-)
  • 1PatientBear
    1PatientBear Posts: 2,089 Member
    Bacon
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Do they have kettle popcorn machines? Cause I got one for my husband a couple years ago and he uses that thing ALOT. And everytime he makes popcorn my daughter (5) get's ridiculously excited about the popcorn popping. BEST. KITCHEN. ITEM. EVER.

    Other than that, I second the grater with a bottom catch.... cause I want one too.
  • lngrunert
    lngrunert Posts: 204 Member
    I'd suggest a Vitamix, but that would take you way over $100.

    A mandolin might be a good idea; you can do a lot of thin sliced or julianned vegetables with one. I make spiral ratatouille with mine and it comes out great with a lot less effort than knife cuts.
  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
    A really good chefs knife, I use it every day.
  • shazzannon
    shazzannon Posts: 117 Member
    I second the knives. There are a lot of things in the kitchen I'll forgo expensiveness on, but quality knives are a must have. And a good sharpener, too.

    Enameled cast iron dutch ovens are also in my top 5. I got mine a couple years ago for like 20 bucks, and I use it ALL THE TIME. You can use them for soups, pastas, bread, etc. I make a roast chicken in mine a lot. We call it *kitten* Chicken because it's so tender the legs just fall open :laugh:

    In fact, I want a second oven so I can get ANOTHER dutch oven and use them both at the same time! Oh, dreams...
  • Rogstar
    Rogstar Posts: 216 Member
    Hmm...the one thing we use every day is an electric tea kettle. This one in fact :

    http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/breville-electric-tea-kettle/?pkey=celectrics-teakettles&cm_src=electrics-teakettles||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-

    But we're all about speed to get the water hot. Before we got this, we were heating water in a pot over the stove. I don't like microwaved water tea...

    I walked around over christmas and I was drooling over some of the cast iron cookware. But I don't know that I would have the patience to season them properly.

    Is there anything you need new? Bakeware (I always need new cookie sheets and cooling racks...I'm pretty rough with them!), cutlery, cutting boards. I have a pizza stone that I use about once a month. If you like to host parties, there are lots of very simple serveware sets.

    I guess if you have any need for a new juicer or blender too. You could probably get that sort of thing at another retailer cheaper, but when you have a gift card, might as well use it for that.

    I think you just have to browse. I know I always have a problem spending gift cards for some reason. I feel I have to make it count!
  • sue_stef
    sue_stef Posts: 194 Member
    http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/prepara-tabletop-oil-mister/?pkey=e|oil+sprayer|6|best|4294967249|1|24|%2Foil-sprayer%2Fcooks-tools|6&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||Category-_-Cooks%27%20Tools-_-NoMerchRules-_-

    It is an oil sprayer I love mine (not the same brand) works great I put extra light olive oil in mine and spray every pan I cook with cuts down on the amount of oil I use etc

    like others said good knives
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    Get a julienne slicer, to make ultra thin slices or shavings of vegetables. My favorite is shaved fennel and shaved lemon salad. Shaved fresh beet salad is very nice too.

    Another thing you may want to consider is to get a fish filet spatula. I love mine that I get from W-S. The working end of the spatula is super thin and flexible, and it makes flipping delicate things like fish filet, crepes, eggs, etc, a real breeze and no damage to the food.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Good knives
    A Coffee pot that grinds the beans and has the thermal carfe not a hot plate
    A crock pot
    Good pans
    a VERY large skillet
    A vitamix
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    Well...a better question to ask you OP, is what's missing from YOUR kitchen? A hundred bucks, go browse the store. Happy shopping :smile:
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    Like many before me I am going to suggest a good knife. Learn how to maintain it and sharpen it. My knife is the most used tool in my kitchen.
  • 1ZenGirl
    1ZenGirl Posts: 432 Member
    Anything that will allow me to open, pour or drink wine....:flowerforyou:
  • bheathfit
    bheathfit Posts: 451 Member
    Wife... Everyone should have one!! :flowerforyou: :devil: :laugh:

    OK. Before all the women tear me to shreads... I was barefoot, cooking and cleaning in the kitchen this week while my Beautiful wife was in the living room playing video games on the big screen. (Where did it all go wrong?!?!) :sad:

    :flowerforyou: :laugh: :laugh: :flowerforyou:
  • kmatthewspowell
    kmatthewspowell Posts: 2
    Chef'sChoice Electric Egg Cooker .........easiest way to hard boil eggs.......quick protein :)
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I bought three quality graters at Williams and Sonoma that I truly love and appreciate. Microplane is the brand I chose.
  • BrittBrat1787
    BrittBrat1787 Posts: 136 Member
    A really good, quality knife is the best kitchen tool you can have!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    So in an odd chain of events, I've found myself with a $100 gift card for Williams Sonoma. I've never shopped there, mostly because I'm too cheap for my own good. Whats an item you use in the kitchen that you feel you couldn't live without? I do have a nice digital kitchen scale that use daily and absolutely could not live without so that idea is off the table...

    Great gift. I love Williams Sonoma.

    I couldn't live without steaming baskets for my leafy greens. A new rice cooker would be nice, too.
  • dougt333
    dougt333 Posts: 697
    Small skillet... with it..I can do anything
  • Robide
    Robide Posts: 101 Member
    I've been building up my collection of Robert Welch knives. They're incredibly good, and I cant recommend them highly enough.

    I also have invested in a chinoise for passing my stock through, and a good stock pot to make decent sized batches of it.

    I've also recently invested in a slow cooker for casseroles and for porridge when I'm up too early to want to make it - just used the delayed timer setting, and it saves me a load of time and effort!
  • Bluizflame
    Bluizflame Posts: 151 Member
    crock pot! I use it to make my dinner for the week since i work the 3rd shift :D

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