Well designed practical things

[Zooeyzebra]

What are you favourite high quality but practical things?

My husband doesn’t need or want anything, but he loves and gets great joy out of using well thought out high quality items.

We have 10 year old kitchen scissors and he still mentions how much he like them every time he uses them.

A few years ago I got him a really good set of screwdrivers. He loves them too.

Also a really good long ruler. A comfy pen that writes well. A hose trigger that fits comfortably. Just random stuff really.

Anything well designed for its purpose if you see what I mean.

so what are your favourite well designed practical items, that you love using?

This OXO good grips pair of kitchen tongs. It locks into a closed position for storage, and works exactly as I want it to. I use it for turning items in a frying pan, lifting spaghetti etc.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003L0OYK8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Leatherman multi tool
Peugeot pepper mills
Wilkinson Sword safety razor and brush

I'm slowly making my way through "stuff" and replacing with high quality, made to last alternatives.
I replaced my Teflon frying pan with a Scoville- so far so good. Cooking pan (sauces, curries etc) with a Hexclad with a lid (spendy but almost a year in I'm still thrilled every time I use it 😅). Knives, I've just got ProCook- so far so good, lovely handle shape and very very sharp, but only had those a couple of weeks.
Next I want to do wine glasses, cutlery and saucepans- I hate my current ones! Following this thread 😁

We have a 20 year old Peugeot nutmeg grinder and it's unstoppable.

@OhThePain77 , Can anyone recommend a good tin opener? Ours is shit.
Just use the cheapest one. I think mine was 52p when I bought it. At least it works. The more expensive ones didn't work more than a few times.

I was about to recommend a Leatherman multi tool too. Terrible name, great products!

I've got a "Kitchen Devil" bread knife, it's double edged and v v sharp.

We have a Robert Welch kitchen knife and I would like to have more; my parents have a few, including a lovely breadknife.

@MerryChristmasToYou the problem is it doesn't work! Maybe I should just re0lace it with something cheap.

@OnionBag They are really old but still great, the brand on the side is ‘savannah’ they weren’t expensive but work really well and come apart so it’s easy to clean them and still sharp after 10 or so years.

I think oxo are good for most kitchen equipment if they are no longer in existence

Love the idea of the Peugeot pepper mills. We were in paris for Christmas last year and we actually noticed how many places used them, so it’s quite a nice and quirky throw back to a fun holiday.

Anything Alessi - I keep hoping that someone will gift me any of their trivets. I have the Victorinox tomato and bread knives and they are a pleasure to use.

But my prized possession is a cheese slicer that my late father passed to me. It was from a trip to Norway. It's over 60 years old and the handle is worn smooth but it's still sharp enough to cut a perfect slice of cheddar.

I was also going to add Peugeot salt and pepper mills.

Also Felco secateurs. Make me happy every time I use them.

Also I have a Swiss Army picnic knife for foodstuffs while hiking. Just feels really well balanced in my hand.

A thermopen food thermometer. Really practical and fast. I use it for meat, bread, jam....

Oh... and my Kitchenaid hand mixer.
It mixes at slow speed as well as having power. So no icing sugar goes flying!

@OhThePain77
yes! Ours is culinary MagiCan.
it’s hard to explain the subtle differences … it is just smooth and easy to use once you get used to attaching it to the top (rather than the side edge) of the can. It slices the whole lid off, without leaving the razor sharp edges on the lid.

I have a tin opener recommendation - we love our Joseph Joseph one. It's pricey but the only one we've had that isn't horrible to use!

Joseph Joseph Can-Do

Another vote for Leatherman multi-tools ....DP raves about his and uses it all the time.

Also a bread knife from ProCook.

@OhThePain77 we’ve just got the OXO tin opener, it’s very nice and feels lovely and sturdy. The one we have also has a bottle opener on the top.

But not had it long enough to vouch for longevity.

Our vintage cast iron pans are my favorite! (Our non vintage ones are also far beyond any cookware, but not up to the level of the carefully seasoned restored vintage Dutch oven and small frying pan!) I was always nervous about ruining our enamel coated cast iron (and did, eventually) but for roasting a whole chicken, making a stew, baking a loaf of rustic bread, browning meats, etc. the uncoated cast iron is amazing. Same with frying eggs or sautéing veggies. They’re not high maintenance; we use a scrub brush and liquid soap frequently, and rub oil on afterwards. Even the handle is well-designed; softly rounded and easy to hold.

No link, obviously, because they’re handed down from family… but thrift/charity shops and secondhand stores are often selling them at a decent price!

Edit to add: second the ThermaPen. It changed my bread-baking life from “decent” to “whoa”, and ended the dried out meat era!

My one didn't last long. Waste of money.

@MerryChristmasToYou Ah OK. Mine is still going strong! Worth every penny

I had a brilliant pepper mill from Jekka's Herbs, which was going strong after decades, but did not survive crashing on to paving flags during a BBQ

I've been looking for a replacement since, so Peugeot it may be!

I have a (random brand) nutmeg mill/grinder, and I think it's a fantastic little gadget, and would make a good present for someone you'd like to send something small/useful

I hate mine with a passion. DH chose it. I’d rather have a trusty scissor type.

I live in a flat with high ceilings, my dad got me a telescopic ladder. It's amazing, folds down to store in a cupboard size, opens up to a big ladder and the quality is great.

A knife sharpener that suctions to the worktop, probably not the best quality sharpener like the fancy blocks chefs use but it works so well for me and has given a long life to my knives.