What are your favourite cooking equipment items?

[pljlse]

I've been getting into cooking this last year and have invested in some new cooking equipment which has helped making cooking more enjoyable. I think the 2 most life changing things have been my food processor as it is so versatile and really cuts the time it takes for so many things, and then my ninja knives, I've been using blunt knives for years, I love being able to sharpen them and makes cutting so much easier....funnily enough!

Interested to know what are your favourite items to see what I am potentially missing!

My stick blender
My large wok

Metal hand whisk
High quality stainless steel saucepans
Electric whisk
Good knives
Ancient plastic large measuring jug
Old fashioned tea straining for dusting icing sugar
Slotted spoon
Fish slice
Good serving plates and bowls

Good knife
Long handled teaspoon
Silicon spatula
Wooden spoon with 'pointed side', iyswim
Shallow cast iron casserole

Silicon spatula !

Le Creuset silicone spatula

Ninja 2 drawer air fryer - I finally jumped on the bandwagon a couple of months ago and it's great

Sainsbury's fake le Creuset orange pans

30 year old Kenwood Chef
30 year old Kenwood food processor
Japanese steel knives
Good quality pots and pans
Masha (google is your friend if you don't know what a Masha is)
Tongs in several sizes

Wooden spatula
Silicone spatula
Mini food processor for pesto / dressings
One good knife i am clinging onto as it's breaking

I want : new chopping boards , kitchen aid or a stand mixer

Le Creuset casserole, ridiculously expensive £142.50 🙈 @pljlse but will last you over 25 years.

This size is great for a family of four

eta, brand name

@beetr00 can you use it on a gas hob and then transfer to the oven? I've had a few recipes that suggest that but I never have the right dish/saucepans for that, always see it on cooking shows but not sure what they are exactly.

-Oxo peeler. The handle is so chunky and makes peeling anything really easy and quick
-Potato ricer. More so for swede and watery veg, it gets all the water out!
-A silicone spoon rest. I used to use a piece of kitchen paper, but it would stick to the spoon, and become a mess. This dunlem one washes off easily or gets thrown in the dishwasher. https://www.dunelm.com/product/spectrum-silicone-spoon-rest-1000069556

absolutely yes, you can @pljlse can also be used on induction.

Just fyi, they are very heavy even when empty.

eta; their customer service is fantastic too

Air fryer
Slow cooker
Wok
Good knives and plastic chopping boards that go in the dishwasher!

Stick blender - I make soup all the time and it's so easy to use and wash up

Massive Ninja air fryer (the one with the really big drawer) - so convenient, plus my teenagers love it and just put the inserts in the dishwasher

My hand mixer on a stand (it looks like this: https://jacksonsofsaintfield.com/products/breville-heatsoft-2-in-1-vfm029-stand-mixer-white-stainless-steel) as it takes the elbow grease out of mixing when I'm making eg tray bakes and brownies and cakes.

My Delonghi Magnifica coffee machine as it's been going years and makes delicious coffee fast, every time, without breaking.

not sure if original link worked for Le Creuset, so re-posting

also want to add: I bought a pack of three tiny chopping boards from IKEA and absolutely love them, as they are not unwieldy unlike my other chopping boards and can go in the dishwasher.

Agree with other posts above, I also love my Le Creuset casseroles (wedding presents 20+ years ago and still going strong), my smart Japanese knives (ditto), my cheap French peeler, and my Dexam silicon spatula.

(LOVE this thread OP, thank you!)

Interested in this thread: I’ve a few nice bits

my food whisk (dualit) it is strong and worth the investment

chunky steak knives (we bought in Oz) they are amazing !!

pancake Turner (it’s the size of a pan and I love it)

fajita serving dishes (the tortilla Warner came with a brick that you warm in the oven so that it keeps the wraps warm for the duration of the meal / think to maxx about a decade ago)

i have two cast iron serving dishes with wooden boards - so at the weekend I make my dinners look a big ‘restaurant style’ (even though I’m kidding myself 😂😂😂)

Oh yes and a mini chopper (for processer but it’s tiny) and so handy for onions etc from Lidl - I use it all the time as it stops the watering eyes : hands clean

@Paradoes one of my favourites actually is a hand chopper for things like herbs and onions, I got from pampered chef, it's on its last legs 💔

My stick blender.

The ultimate inexpensive gadget means I can make soup in a few minutes, endless variety of lunches through the winter.

So my favourite 'new' things over the last 12 months plus have been items I have that were from my late parents house. A beautiful zing zag patterned potato masher with a red wooden handle (it's not going in the dishwasher); a lovely stainless steel colander, saucepans that are shallower than mine but wider, cute little whisk that looks like cocktail making equipment but is fab for egg whisking. NB I don't think they ever made cocktails.

Silicon spatula
Silicon balloon whisk (so can use with gravies and sauces without damaging pan)
Micro grater thing for garlic
Mini battery powered blender - amazing for when I want onion diced v. small
Big ceramic mixing bowl

Ingenio pans these are fantastic, save so much space and cooks brilliantly

Cuisinart chopper/grinder -mini food processor type thing - use it for spices, small quantities of breadcrumbs etc- now 14 years old and cost £28 - love it

Steamer- I don't do vegetables any other way apart from the odd roast ones

I have, and still use daily, a wooden spatula which I have had since I got married in 1985. Obviously, it is washed after each use, but my daughter is convinced that after so long if I just stirred a pot of boiling water with it I’d end up with an acceptable soup 😃

Oxo goodgrips icing sugar dusting wand. Gives an inordinate amount of pleasure considering it just dusts cakes with icing sugar, or hot chocolate with cocoa dust and cinnamon.