Some people are quite happy with cheap throw-away products and there is really nothing wrong with that.
But for those who want quality, there is a certain amount of care to keep the products in best condition. If it is too much of a hassle, by all means get a cheaper version.
Classic cars, fine antiques, collectibles - all because someone spent the time to take care of them correctly. If you have ever been to a house filled with quality products that have been taken care of over the years, you will understand the concept and appreciate the value and reason to spend the effort.
And regarding cleaning television (and computer) screens - they do gather dust and picture quality is reduced if you don’t clean them. However, you have to buy certain specific products to clean them, otherwise you will ruin the screens permanently.
I do not pretend to have lots of nice stuff at home, but I have quite a few things(cookware being one of them). Sure, it takes time to keep those things clean and to take care of them, but over they years, they hold up and I think it is worth the effort.
I have Caphalon pots and pans and a hodgepodge of knives. (I’m a knife slut. I am not loyal to any brand buy buys what feels right). I also have Noritake gold rimmed china and Lenox crystal.
All get thrown in the dishwasher. I will baby the crystal and china by running the dishwasher on the crystal/china setting and cutting the detergent in half. But that’s all the mercy I’ll show my cookware. If they can’t stand the heat of the dishwasher, they need to get the hell out of my kitchen.
P.S. I cook 4-5 nights a week. I got the pots and pans for Xmas 2003. So far, none of them have shown any sign of distress. They may be scared of me.
I think it’s a little arrogant to say “some people just don’t know the value of quality.” It’s not that they don’t value quality, it’s that they value time (or money, or something else) over somewhat ethereal measures of quality.
I will never buy antique furniture. I will never buy gold-edged china. I will never buy a Rolls Royce. I can see the beauty in them, but if I want to see them I’ll go to a museum or something. I feel no need to actually own them.
And I will never buy pots and pans that don’t go in the dishwasher. Now, I’m an avid cook. And I won’t cook with crap. But my $20 restaurant supply store chef’s knife (complete with plastic handle designed to survive an autoclave) is just as much a joy for me to use as a perfectly maintained $100 name-brand knife. Maybe one day I will be able to buy Caphalon cookware, but I promise that when that happens- unless I can afford a maid to go with it- that stuff will go in the dishwasher. There is no kitchen joy short of fucking on the counters that is worth hand washing large pots.
Then again, I will drive hundreds of miles to get specific ingredients. And I will do stuff like refuse to even look at a tomato in the supermarket or consider eating strawberries out of season. We all value different things. That doesn’t make everyone who doesn’t share your values a cretin.
Hope you weren’t referring to my posts as that is certainly not what I was implying.
You should only have things in your home that you feel comfortable with. I too love my dishwasher and fill it almost every other day…if I had some hand painted, gold leaf dishes, I would go stark raving mad having to clean them by hand every day - so I have a great set of everyday dishes that are dishwasher safe.
For that matter, I would love to own a dog, but know that it takes commitment to care for, walk, keep healthy, come home regularly…and it just doesn’t fit.
So each to their own.
But if you DO have nice things, you have to expect to spend some time in the care and handling.
And if I didn’t have the nice cookware, I think the stuff you can buy at any industrial, proffessional restaurant supply store would be just dandy.
This is what I wanted to hear. Someone who has already thrown caution to the wind, and not seen any ill effects.
Quick question: What type of Calphalon pots and pans do you have? Are they non-stick? (Some kinds, like stainless steel, are dishwasher safe according to the instructions.)
Non-stick Kitchen Effects by Calphalon, which I think my mom got at Target or Kohls. It specifically instructed me not to put it in the dishwasher but, what can I say? I live on the edge.
For the money, however, I’d check out the Bialetti brand at Costco. They looked very nice to me.
My knives, however, do go into the dishwasher. I do have to resharpen periodically, but use a simple kitchen resharpener that works by pulling the knife between 2 wheels. I’d prefer a better method though.
As for the China cabinet you mentioned above, send Mrs. Debaser out with Mrs. Butler and let them hit all of the 2nd hand stores.
Nope. My mind is already made up. I don’t care the cost! Damn to torpedos! My cookware is going into harms way.
I love the new location, BTW. I may have to steal it. I still cling to a shred of hope that some day someone will recognize mine and a kindred spirit from the port will show up on the SDMB.
Caveat: In the interest of full discloser, I have to report that the outside of the pans are not as pretty as new (or, presumably, hand washed ones). They have white streaks. If aesthetics are important, this may be a problem. But, functionally, they are still as non-stick as ever.
I don’t care about looks, though, as much as I do functionality. They’ve already been into the dishwasher!
One thing to note, though, is that dishwashing seems to be a gradual damage effect. So, I’ll still hand wash occasionally. If I just heat up some soup, I’ll probably give the pan a quick hand was rather than punish it in the dishwasher unnesessariy.