Buying kitchen stuff that lasts.

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emapples

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Needing some suggestions. I need a new toaster, and some new pots and pans. I spent several hundred dollars on new pots and pans 6 years ago, and the heavy use items are on their last legs. I also need a new toaster. Mine is 7 years old and kinda warms up your bread.

Suggestions? I’m not opposed to spending good money on either of these items. I cook every day, many times multiple times a day. I spent $400 on a zojirushi rice cooker 3 years ago, because all the people I found with them said they would average 15-25 years out of theirs. That’s the kinda longevity I’m looking for. I don’t want to buy another toaster until my kids are in college, and I don’t even have kids yet.

Also, pots and pans. I’m intrigued by copper pots and pans. Real ones, not the infomercial ones. I looked at duparquet, they should last several generations, I’ve seen some that are over 100 years old and they’re made in the US, which is a big plus, but even if I’m buying one at a time as my stuff wears out I can’t swing $500-1200 a pan.
I recommend the following

Pans - Calphalon best blend for the money, Solidtechics is you prefer something more like cast iron
Knives - JA Henckel Pro S
Bender - Vitamix
Food Processor - Breville
Stand Mixer - Kitchen Aide
Juicer - Breville
Rice Cooker - Zojirushi
Utensils - I hate to say it buy Pampered Chef products have served me well :)

Buy once cry once when it comes to these types of items.
 

HoLeChit

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There isnt a "non stick" coating that will last. Stainless or cast iron is the way to go.
I don’t want to buy nonstick pans again, due to this, and also due to the effects of nonstick coatings on the human body. I watched that movie “dark waters” and listened to a few chemical engineers/geneticists and now I can’t stop thinking about nonstick stuff and plastic micro particles when I use associated products.
I recommend the following

Pans - Calphalon best blend for the money, Solidtechics is you prefer something more like cast iron
Knives - JA Henckel Pro S
Bender - Vitamix
Food Processor - Breville
Stand Mixer - Kitchen Aide
Juicer - Breville
Rice Cooker - Zojirushi
Utensils - I hate to say it buy Pampered Chef products have served me well :)

Buy once cry once when it comes to these types of items.
The set of pans im retiring is a mid-top of the line calphalon set. Im a wustoff classic kinda guy myself.

I actually love knork utensils. They’re great and work well for me. They were designed to be used by amputees so that you can cut with a fork through a lot of things. It’s a neat concept that actually works really well.
Thank you! I swear the only time wifey cleans it is to get breadcrumbs for the meatloaf.
I bet Mrs. Snattlerake makes some flavorful meatloaf!
 

kroberts2131

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We bought some cutco knives a few years ago. I cried and yelled about the cost but we absolutely love them. The paring knife is the only one that I don’t like. It just won’t hold an edge as well as the others.

Wife also bought some ninja brand pots and pans several years ago that are still like new. They cost a pretty penny but I don’t know if we will get 15-25 years out of them. I’d wager 10 minimum though.
 

elwoodtrix

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I've bought the Zojirushi rice cooker as my Girlfriend has one that she received 30 years ago and is still kicking. Makes the perfect rice by far!
She also has Cutco knives.
Mikasa dinner ware.
 

HoLeChit

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+1 for the Zojirushi rice cooker! Does your's play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star? I'm in year 11 with mine, and it's still annoying every time I hear it, but it works as good today as it did when I bought it 11 years ago.
Haha it does. I don’t care if it beeped the entire solo of freebird every time I pressed start, you couldn’t convince me to not love mine. I made a pancake it it not too long ago, turned out pretty good actually. I want to figure out how some people cook in theirs and try some stuff out.
Been slowly replacing our pots and pans (enamel coated for the pots) with cast iron the last few years.
I love cast iron, and have a few lodge pans of various sizes/styles and a Dutch oven. And my beloved griswald cornbread ear of corn pan. But the wife hates caring for them, and is definitely not a fan of the weight. I don’t mind some weight to my pans, but tossing my breakfast potatoes in a 13” lodge cast iron is a little too much work for me.
Nothing but good experiences to date with the Instant brand, we have the Instant Pot and the Instant Air Fryer. I thoroughly believe someone could live in a home and use nothing but those two appliances to prepare all their meals and not be unhappy.

A nice side effect was retiring or replacing a whole host of appliances that all performed some function those two do now.
I was looking at a countertop oven/air fryer deal today at Costco. Pretty snazzy. Wife wants one bad, and I like the idea of using a smaller over for most things.
I use Lodge cast iron except for one Aldi enameled skillet I use for high acid dishes. I do have a few non-stick, ceramic coated skillets but I buy them cheap since I know I will have to replace them every year or 2. All my pots are stainless that I have had for decades.
I do have an enameled dutch oven I use for stews and chili. Lodge of course. Most black iron Lodge is made in the USA.
How do you like the stainless stuff? Also directed to @Chuckie and @swampratt. ive used a stainless pan maybe once or twice, ended up with a stuck on mess each time.
 

wawazat

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How do you like the stainless stuff? Also directed to @Chuckie and @swampratt. ive used a stainless pan maybe once or twice, ended up with a stuck on mess each time.
Cooking in stainless is different. Normally if your food is stuck there two primary possibilities. The pan isnt hot enough or the meat isnt ready to flip yet. I know it sounds crazy, but once the protein gets a good sear going it will release itself from the pan.
 

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