When I first started cooking seriously, I knew I was on to a good thing because it was all about tools! I helped build a house once and learned that the right tool makes all the difference. Same goes for these favorites. The tools I recommend can save time and money and will get the job done for many years. They make great gifts for your favorite home cook or your own inner chef.
1. Whisk | The indispensable stirrer for gravy, sauces, eggs, light batters, and so much more. |   |
2. Cast iron skillet | At around 25 bucks, you can’t find a better all-purpose skillet for everything from steak and eggs to pasta sauce. You can’t find a better one for 100 bucks, but I’m not going to tell them! Made in America. |   |
3. Citrus squeezer | Lemons, limes or small oranges. This squeezer gets more juice out of them and it’s cheap. Bonus: Good for forearm exercises. 😉 |   |
4. Nonstick skillet | This is the non-stick skillet recommended by America’s Test Kitchen, and I’ve been really pleased with it for almost a year. If it wears out…hey, it’s only $35 bucks! |   |
5. Immersion blender | Got one for our wedding in the 70s and didn’t know what to do with it for many years. Now, it’s indispensable for making creamier soups, a fall/winter staple. A one-speed model works fine for me. Get the least expensive one you can find. |   |
6. Measuring cups set | Remember, this is an “essentials” list. We make do with one set of measuring cups and one set of measuring spoons. Should last a lifetime! |   |
7. Rubber spatulas | These and a wooden spoon or two are all you need for stirring, scraping, mixing, smoothing, and more. What a deal! |   |
8. Chef’s knife | America’s Test Kitchen’s perennial favorite. A great buy. How do they make a such a great product for the price? Somebody tell the Germans. |   |
9. Vegetable peeler | Eat more plants. |   |
10. Paring knife | Round out your knife set with a great and cheap paring knife. Does a host of chores. |   |
Total bill about $155.00
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Where to get them
- Local restaurant supply stores
Wanted something heavier than the thin-skinned, small aluminum sauce pan from the 70s that we had since it was new. For about $15, got a heavy-duty 2 qt model used in restaurants. Won’t win a beauty contest, but come on, we’re talking about a sauce pan!
- Hardware store
Everyone ought have at least one cast iron skillet – for cornbread, or for a great ribeye steak recipe I found. The best place to get one (Lodge seems to be the most commonly found brand.) is in your hardware store. It will probably be cheaper than anywhere else.
- Your discount warehouse of choice
A few years back, I bought one of those cast aluminum, non-stick surface roasting pans, with handles. Big enough for a 20-pound turkey. When I saw the ad, I couldn’t believe it was only $20! But it was. It has some small knicks in it, but they’re barely noticeable. And, as you probably know, these pans are normally more than $100 anywhere.
You or your wife or your mother probably know a local Pampered Chef rep. Some of their stuff definitely falls into the one-use tool category and should be avoided unless you’ve got money to burn. But there are quite a few items that are high quality, resonably priced, and you can help out an independent business person!
Guy Cicero 
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