For me, it would probably have to be my Bialetti moka pot and Dualit toaster. I make a pot of coffee and toast almost every morning. I also hope to replace my old pans with a cast iron one soon, and I look forward to using that a lot.
My 10" cast iron Lodge skillet. It’s great! And don’t believe all the people who claim that you have to devote most of your life to taking care of your cast iron. They’re cast iron for God’s sake! Pioneers took them all the way across America in their Conestoga wagons. Just don’t leave them wet or stick them in a dishwashing machine, and you’re fine!
Iron lodge is great. I have a 12" stargazer that weighs almost 7 lbs. I developed crazy forearms just handling that beast.
I can’t imagine how a smaller person could cook with one of those things. It’s all I can do to lift it to dump out whatever I’ve been cooking.
I saw a much bigger Lodge skillet in a department store; maybe it was 15 in, maybe more. Anyway, I couldn’t even shift it with one hand. It took two hands just to move it, and it wasn’t easy!
We have two stoneware baking sheets that I use almost exclusively for putting things in the oven. They’re great for reheating stuff in there and kind of like cast iron, they get more and more non stick as you use them.
All 3 of my cutting boards. They get so beat up and I hardly ever maintain them.
FYI, if they’re wooden, you can make your own cutting board conditioner easily and inexpensively. Only needs two things; mineral oil and pure beeswax, 4 parts oil to 1 part beeswax. Heat up the oil, mix in the wax, decant into containers, and let it cool. Store-bought conditioner is almost always that same primary mix; maybe with a little something extra, maybe not.
Thanks! I’m mostly just lazy. I have conditioner I just don’t use it. Good idea though!
I own very expensive knives. I bought them when I was single and had a good income. I have taken very good care of them and they are great knives to this day.
The first knife I always reach for is my $15 Chinese cleaver.
I don’t have super expensive knives, but I have a couple decent steel ones and a couple good ceramics, and I still go for my caidao first for almost everything.
It’s so funny how we have a preference. I’ve always thought that I would like to own a Japanese Nakiri because it’s similar to the Chinese cleaver.
I have three of them and they are almost always my first choice for everything prep. I use a boning/filet knife when I’m prepping meat and a carving knife then I’m carving but that Chinese cleaver comes out for almost everything else.
