8 all-time favorite kitchen items?

[Hillary Black]

I thought it would be fun to see what kitchen goodies we love and (maybe) couldn't bear to do without.

Here are 8 of mine:

1. cast iron Dutch oven
2. cast iron frying pan
3. mini food processor (use it for pesto, large chopping jobs, etc)
4. tall enamel steamer pot (doubles for pasta and soup but has a steamer basket that comes out. Love it!)
5. sharp knives
6. flat wood spoon/scraper
7. Fannie Farmer cookbook
8. Mason jars and lids

I have so many more than 8!
-toaster oven, blender, generous heavy bowls...

So what's your "great 8" list?

:) Hillary

[annielinz]

Well I love to bake so number one is my:

1. Kitchen aid stand up mixer
2. Better Homes and Gardens Red Check cookbook
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. coffee maker
5. Vegetable peeler
6. salad spinner
7. Pampered chef chopper
8. wine opener :D

[yarborough house]

Well I am like annielinz; I love to bake most..but with 4 kids I do cook also.
1. My crock pot (for dinners when fall is so busy with activities)
2. My pampered chef chopper (need to chop nuts for cookies and fudge)
3 My apron ( I am a slob)
4. My big pot (for spaghetti, corn on cob, and melted marshmallows for crispy treats)
5. My mixer (want a kitchen aid- maybe for bday)
6. My microwave (cause sometimes I just need it done fast and right now)
7. My wooden spoons (nothing stirs like a wooden spoon)
8. My big stoneware bowl (I can make about 6 doz cookies in that thing)

[RoseMary]

I love to cook and bake. I have to have:

1. My big bread bowl
2. wooden spoon collection
3. Rubbermaid spatulas~a must!
4. My square cast iron skillet~couldn't make cornbread without it!
5. crock pot
6. Vintage bread boxes for storage
7. Large glass jars for pasta and oatmeal
8. Cookbook collection.

[shabbychick]

Okay, even though my favorite thing to do in the kitchen is leave it, I'll list eight of the things that make my life easier when I'm in there.

1. Pampered Chef microwave steamer/cooker
2. George Foreman grill with removable grill plates
3. Pampered Chef food chopper (manual)
4. Crock Pot
5. Microwave
6. Coffee pot (first thing I see when I stumble into the kitchen in the morning and last thing I see at night after I make the coffee and set the timer)
7. Pampered Chef pizza stone
8. Set of green knives from Pampered Chef: two paring, one tomato, and one Santuko. They're pretty, sharp, and have their own little plastic sleeves.

[Zuzu's Garden]

I seem to be going backwards in time. I love:

1) potato masher
2) Joy of Cooking cookbook
3) copper tea kettle
4) set of 3 ceramic mixing bowls
5) my very broken-in set of Calphalon pots & pans
6) whisks (I got rid my Kitchen aid stand up mixer)
7) oven/stove (I don't use a microwave)
8) small set of quality knives

Zu

[CohenCottage]

Oooh, this is a fun one!

1) wine
2) my Calphalon stainless steel pots and pans
3) my grandmother's small cast iron pan
4) Le Creuset tea pot in robins egg blue (on deep sale at Tuesday Morning)
5) my grandmother's enameled colander that we used for pickle making
6) my grandmother's wooden spoon
7) anything that can be used to make coffee (cone filter, coffee maker, french press)
8) my everyday dishes from Juliska - they don't chip and are oven safe
9) my blender b/c my hubby makes me smoothies every morning for breakfast

Things that I want but don't have:
1) a cast iron or enameled dutch oven
2) cool glass containers to store dry goods
3) a nice way to have my cookbooks handy without them looking cluttered (not that i use recipes anyway)
4) some ina garten cook books

[cheapdiva]

Haha, Shabby!

I'd like a finished kitchen first! Our MIA electrician is suppose to come back tomorrow morning and finish up then we'll be on our way to getting our kitchen back. So here is my list:

1) Crock pot - put chili in there this morning, making stew and chicken and dumplings also in the crock pot this week.
2) Microwave - can't wait for my new over the range one to be installed
3) the "rabbit" cork screw - I like to have a nice glass of wine when I am cooking and often cook with wine
4) big, heavy mixing bowls which I use for many things besides cooking - like serving salad and storing fruit.
5) silicone cookware - LOVE it!
6) wine fridge (see #3) - unfortunately mine died about a year ago
7) my big stock pot
8) pretty kitchen towels, because they are inexpensive and can make a kitchen feel new!

[CohenCottage]

i'd like to amend my list to include the rabbit too...geez, how could i forget!

[Heather]

Dear CC I hope you're referring to #3 in Cheapdivas list....

[CohenCottage]

Yes, I am but that leads us to an even funnier story...When we got married, two of our friends were the alcohol and sexual health coordinators at UGA. They chipped in and got us the beverage related rabbit, but the card was hysterical b/c they made all sorts of references to the "other rabbit".

[Heather]

Tee hee hee

[Lisa S]

Fun Thread!

1.) The Golden Retreiver who loves to lay on the floor while I cook.
2.) Bunn coffee maker. When I want coffee, I want it NOW!
3.) Collection of red and white mixing bowls.
4.) Grandmother's ornate bowl.
5.) Dutch oven
6.) Crockpot
7.) Restaurant grade cookie sheets and muffin tins
8.) The candle of the month that sits on my window ledge.

[vintage girl]

Gosh where to begin:)

1. My 1950 Wedgewood Stove - I have been whining about getting a vintage stove for years!!!! I finally wore hubs down.
2. Dishwasher
3. Garbage Disposal
The reason I have the dishwasher and garbage disposal listed is because we were on septic for years and I had neither a disposal or a dishwasher (other than myself). I hate washing dishes, and I got sick of saving all the food scrapings, etc for our pigs (whole other story;). I got the dishwasher for my anninversary and the garbage disposal for christmas. My hubs is so romantic:rolleyes:
4. Automatic Espresso Machine - expensive but well worth it
5. Rice cooker/steamer
6. Carousel Horse - I know a little weird huh??? But I have been wanting one for years and when I finally got it, I had hubs install it on our pass through counter. It makes me smile everytime I see it.
7. Large pig chef statue from Mimi's. Whenever mimi's restaurants redecorate out here in Southern CA, they have a sale and sell all their items. I had my eye on a gorgeous hutch, but someone got to it before me. But I love my pig chef.
8. Vintage gold silverware. Scored a complete set for 12 at a garage sale for $5
9. Ooops I am over the 8 limit, but I have to include my 4 chiwi's dancing around my feet whenever I cook. They drive me nuts, but those big ears always make me smile;)

[oxide]

I'm pretty boring.

1. My Cuisinart 5" serrated knives. I use them for all my veggies.
2. My bamboo cutting board.
3. My over-the-sink strainer. I bought the good $25 stainless steel mesh one. Worth every penny.
4. My Cuisinart 14-cup food processor. For the morning smoothies.
5. My 3-quart casserole pot with the handles on both sides. I make soup at least once a week. I just bought a 6-qt stockpot for making my own broth from vegetable scraps.
6. My Oxo peeler and my melon baller (best for coring apples.)
7. My plastic bowls with snap lids.
8. Coolness favorite: my serrated peeler which peels little matchsticks right off of carrots and potatoes.

I refuse to buy a toaster oven because I once reached into one of those evil things while it was still on, and touched the upper heating element. I still have the scar.

By the way, has anyone ever used ALL SIX burners on those high-end stainless steel stoves at one time? They seem like such ego trips.

[toolgirl]

I seem to be going backwards in time. I love:

1) potato masher
2) Joy of Cooking cookbook
3) copper tea kettle
4) set of 3 ceramic mixing bowls
5) my very broken-in set of Calphalon pots & pans
6) whisks (I got rid my Kitchen aid stand up mixer)
7) oven/stove (I don't use a microwave)
8) small set of quality knives

Zu
Zu, I still have my Joy of Cooking cookbook too. Have losts of new ones but I will always keep that one.
My other favorite things:
2. cast iron pans and pots recently found a pie pan! I love to campout and cook over the charcoals!
3. Kitchen-Aid mixer
4. Microwave
5. Tappan Deluxe Gas Range (1952) and it still works great.

[teresanc]

I have to limit it to 8, huh? Ok, I'll try.

1. my Cusinart toaster oven
2. my cast iron skillets
3. my Le Creuset French oven
4. the Kitchen Aid mixer in lovely cobalt blue
5. the Joyce Chen stir fry pan
6. my retro Corningware tea kettle, white with the little blue flower
7. my Chicago Metallic bread pans
8. Melitta coffee filter holder - sits on top of the pot or mug, very low tech

These items are the ones I use almost everyday and would have to replace them immediately if something happened to them.

[mavgal]

I have too many to list, so here are just 8:

(We use all of these)

Vintage Toaster
Vintage Corey Vacuum Coffee Pot with it's own electric base
Several Vintage red Bakelite handled utensils
All my vintage cast iron skillets and pancake griddle
Vintage Pyrex mixing Bowls
Vintage Sunbeam Mixer, 1940's
Vintage tin canister set
Vintage mandolin style slicer (couldn't live without this one!)

[alene]

My favorites...hummm

1- Vintage refurbished O'keef and Merrrit stove-my baby
2- Cuisinart toaster
3- Cuisinart egg poacher
4- Kitchen-aid mixer
5- Cuisinart food processor
6- Hinkles (sp?) knives
7- whats his names stainless pots and pans..Emril?
8- cutting board that my dad made for me :)

Oh and can I add one more? My beautiful brown Newfoundland dog "Bindi", who is my assistant in the kitchen..hehe :)

[Gigi]

Alene- Hi! Awww cutting boards that your dad made must be very special!

[MaryK]

I am not a kitchen person. I try to avoid as much as possible.
I don't cook or bake and TRY not to eat much.
My 8 items would be:

1. Microwave
2. Silverware
3. Coffee Pot
4. Teapot
5. Big Fruit Bowl
6. Medium Size Plates
7. Water Glasses
8. Small Refrig to keep soda/water cold

That is honesty all I need.

MaryK

[Carrie]

Let's see
1. Red and chrome Mixmaster mixer
2. Red and chrome toaster
3. Red pots and pans
4. Red handled knives in wood stand
5.Better Homes and Garden Autumn Farmhouse table and two benches that serves are a kitchen island as well as a table.
6. A cow printed tea kettle
7. A brightly colored scotty dog cookie jar with matching salt and pepper puppies. I have to look at them mostly, because they are fragile.
8. A red tin cookie jar that I got for Christmas. It says cookies on it.
I have to stop at eight things? I'd add a my garden collecting basket and a red and chrome collander. I also have a matching red and chrome metal trash can.
You think I have a thing for red and chrome? I like retro stuff.

[ChapterTwo]

MaryK...

I am intrigued...Do you go out to eat every night?
I'm interested to hear about your eating lifestyle - Not that I'm a gourmet chef, but even back when I used to go on vacation, I got tired of restaurant food and longed to whip up something exactly the way I wanted it, knowing exactly what was in it. So I'd love to hear what works for you!

[MaryK]

ChapterTwo:
I don't eat much. I love natural foods (fruit, veggies, nuts, etc).
To me, I feel better if I eat natural and healthy items.
I also drink lots of water.

MaryK
P.S. My one down fall (my treat) is that I drink soda (Diet Pepsi).

[ChapterTwo]

Mary K - I'm vegetarian, so we're sort of on the same page. :) I'm not into exclusively raw foods, but I could be!

[Carrie]

New favorite items. I went to Cracker Barrel with my mom for mothers day and fell in love with these in the general store section. The color was so cool and I love seaside, nautical stuff:
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d88/Shadowreb/071.jpg

[shabbychick]

Carrie, those are wonderful containers! They'd be great in a nautical-themed bath, too.

[Gigi]

Carrie- I too LOVE this containers- I went to Crackel Barrel website and didn't see them listed in their "Country Shop"- darn!! BUT I do have one near me- a must stop is in the future!

[Carrie]

They might be hard to find. There was only one left at my store when I got it. I think it's part of the Sandwashed collection.
They would be cute holding Qtips, cotton balls or soap if you have big counters. They are huge canisters.

[vintage girl]

Those are lovely. The color is gorgeous:)

[Seattle Cottage Lover]

Kitchen Aid mixer
Henckels knives
Apron -I love the housecoat style!
Olive Oil
Bodum French Press
Red Le Creuset frying pan
large non stick frying pan
kitchen compost bin

[Breezy]

Carrie - lovely canisters - love the color and the lids are gorgeous!