# Your most-used kitchen implements **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553 "2007-09-26T15:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/1 "2007-09-26T15:22:29Z")
I was shopping for kitchen stuff for some newlyweds, and it made me reflect on what I really use, day in and day out, in my kitchen. We all know there are a lot of gadgets that will just get stuck in the back of a cabinet and never used. So what are the most useful items? For me, I use almost daily: nylon cutting boards - large, medium, and small chef’s knife 8 qt pot 4 qt pot 12 inch frying pan 10 inch nonstick omelet pan stainless steel mixing bowls wooden spoons silicone spatula whisk can opener with horizontal blade plastic colander electric kettle instant-read thermometer And about weekly: KitchenAid mixer Zyliss pizza cutter paring knife heavy gauge cookie sheets large ceramic bowl heavy gauge bread pan muffin tin cooling rack Things worth the investment, though they aren’t used as often: porcelain coated cast iron Dutch oven large roasting pan with rack good cake pans rectangular Pyrex pans in varying sizes Things probably worth the investment, but I don’t use them as much because I hate cleaning them: food processor cast iron skillet garlic press How about you? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/2 "2007-09-26T15:34:40Z")
Use a lot: slotted spoon. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/3 "2007-09-26T15:47:03Z")
Ok - typical night last night - I made two dinners: For dinner last night i made teriyaki salmon, steamed broccoli with cheese sauce, and wild rice. I pre-made a meatloaf for tonight. So I used: Broiler pan for salmon brush for teriyaki sauce on salmon medium saucepot for wild rice small sauce pot for cheese sauce various large spoons, including wooden spoons microwaveable casserole dish for steaming broccoli Chef’s knife for chopping onion, green pepper and parsley for meatloaf Wooden cutting board 13 x 9 nonstick baking dish for meatloaf Giant stainless bowl for mixing meatloaf I regularly use my blender, which has a food processor attachment. I also have a “baby” food processor I use probably twice a month. Great for mincing onions. I have a wok I use once a month or so. I use an electric skillet 2-3 times a week. Often used items: paring knife, large pasta pot, collander, baking sheets, tongs, spatulas (metal and plastic/silicone) I think that’s pretty much it… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/4 "2007-09-26T15:48:24Z")
My 12" non-stick skillet is my life right now. Nearly every meal I currently make at home involves it. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/5 "2007-09-26T16:21:53Z")
Coffee grinder Coffee maker Chef’s knife Cutting boards Corkscrew Wine glasses In roughly that order 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rhythmonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rhythmonly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhythmonly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/6 "2007-09-26T18:21:15Z")
The Red Devil 1.5 inch all-purpose putty knife. And a toaster oven. ---
**Author:** ![Obligate\_Carnivore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Obligate\_Carnivore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obligate_Carnivore)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/7 "2007-09-26T18:40:55Z")
My microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/8 "2007-09-26T18:45:45Z")
Toaster oven about weekly. Food processor about weekly, maybe slightly more often. corkscrew - pretty much daily. 12" and 9" non-stick skillets, almost every meal. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/9 "2007-09-26T18:52:43Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] Coffee grinder Coffee maker Chef’s knife Cutting boards Corkscrew Wine glasses In roughly that order 🙂 [/QUOTE] I like the way you cook! Sounds like my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/10 "2007-09-26T20:07:06Z")
I use my small (4 cup?) Cuisinart all the time. Just yesterday I made butternut squash soup with it, and I’m constantly using it to make salsa, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, or just to chop up a bunch of garlic. It’s perfect for my 2 person household- if I had the big one I wouldn’t use it nearly as often, and it’s still easy to use it in to make big things like the soup; you just make batches. I love my Cuisinart! ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/11 "2007-09-26T20:24:18Z")
Things I use pretty much every day or at least once or twice a week: Rabbit corkscrew and foil cutter Large cast iron skillet Cast iron dutch oven Smaller cast iron skillets (3 different sizes.) Chef’s knife Santoku knife Really, really big poly cutting board (We have a super tiny kitchen with a double sink, I can put it over one side of the sink, giving me more counter space and allowing me to push the trash from choppings, etc. right into the disposal.) Garlic peeler gizmo Pampered Chef mini chopper Wooden spatula A multi purpose pot (maybe 8 or 10 qt?, with 2 steamer baskets, deep one for pasta, smaller one for steamed veggies) 3 sauce pans, small, medium, or large Electric can opener Granite mortar and pestle Microplane grater ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/12 "2007-09-26T20:30:42Z")
[QUOTE=psycat90] Things I use pretty much every day or at least once or twice a week: Rabbit corkscrew and foil cutter Large cast iron skillet Cast iron dutch oven Smaller cast iron skillets (3 different sizes.) Chef’s knife Santoku knife Really, really big poly cutting board (We have a super tiny kitchen with a double sink, I can put it over one side of the sink, giving me more counter space and allowing me to push the trash from choppings, etc. right into the disposal.) Garlic peeler gizmo Pampered Chef mini chopper Wooden spatula A multi purpose pot (maybe 8 or 10 qt?, with 2 steamer baskets, deep one for pasta, smaller one for steamed veggies) 3 sauce pans, small, medium, or large Electric can opener Granite mortar and pestle Microplane grater [/QUOTE] Note she lists the corkscrew but no glasses. That’s because she drinks right from the bottle. _ducks and runs_ ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/13 "2007-09-26T21:39:27Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] Note she lists the corkscrew but no glasses. That’s because she drinks right from the bottle. _ducks and runs_ [/QUOTE] Heh. Well, I didn’t list plates or anything like that, I figured glasses were a given. But now that you mention it, I guess they could fall into this list. I wish we could afford an entire set of fine wine glasses, but we just can’t, and they aren’t very durable. So while we have 3 everyday sets (red, white, flutes), I also have my own ‘mixed set’ of fine crystal stemware. A couple of Bordeaux glasses, a Sauv Blanc/white wine, a Burgundy/Pinot Noir, a flute, and a few others. I use the ones that best fit the wine or wines I open that night. They can’t go in the dishwasher, so they get washed by hand along with the cast iron stuff. Kind of a pain, but I really like them. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/14 "2007-09-26T22:04:26Z")
We’re kinda the same on the wine glasses. We have a set for parties - red, white, flutes - that we purchased at a deep discount when a local nice restaurant closed down. They’re nice shapes but glass, not crystal. Then we have our “everyday guest” glasses, decent quality crystal but not so expensive that we are upset if one gets broken. Then we have the Riedels - Burgundy, Bordeaux, Flutes, and a couple others. We only have two of each except for the Burgundys, so they’re only used for me and my husband. They’re very nice, but if you look at them wrong they shatter. For what it’s worth, I hand wash all the wine glasses & crystal, because they take up too much damn space in the dishwasher. Plus, no matter how you position them, water stays in them and I get hard water lines. Such problems I have! (sorry for the hijack. It’s **psycat90’s** fault 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/15 "2007-09-26T22:27:45Z")
Coffee maker you can set up the night before 8" chef’s knife Taylor timer/temperature alarm (the probe is on a 3’ wire, so you can monitor food inside a grill or oven) Diamond-coated sharpening rod Big cutting board, with room for most or all of your chopped ingredients. Smaller cutting boards Separate cutting board for meat. Toaster Serrated bread knife Designated plastic containers for partial onion and green pepper (they’ll always smell like onion and pepper) Cast iron skillet Cast iron wok ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/16 "2007-09-26T22:28:16Z")
10" Lodge cast-iron shallow skillet 10" round Lodge cast-iron griddle 3.5" Lodge Mini-Skillet (perfect size for a single fried egg) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/17 "2007-09-26T23:24:36Z")
I use most of the stuff mentioned, plus I seem to often be reaching for the coarse grater or the microplane. As the arthritis gets worse, the jar opener comes in handy. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/18 "2007-09-27T00:15:06Z")
Cheese grater(s) Cookie sheets ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/19 "2007-09-27T00:21:29Z")
Coffee maker Microwave Spoons! Some one in our two-person household uses a lot of spoons and I suspect it is my wife. I do the dishes, and I am always amazed at how many spoons are in the sink. I am often asked, " Don’t you have a dishwasher? , and I say sure- ME! Never believed in the efficiency of an automatic dishwasher, you have to wash the dishes before you put them in! ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553/20 "2007-09-27T01:29:41Z")
I seem to use my eight inch chef’s knife every day. Two or three times a week I cook something in my 5 1/2 qt. Le Creuset French oven. I just bought some new All Clad stainless steel stuff, and I am sure I will end up with some favorites [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-most-used-kitchen-implements/420553.md?page=2)