Williams Sonoma

[Vanquisher]

Knives. Absolutely 100%.


Heidi

[ides]

I finally found spatulas that I love. They are one piece covered completely in silicone/rubber. No crannies for stuff to get stuck in, no parts to fall off. I've got mine from Sur la Table but they might have them at a WS.

I'm similar in that I don't have tons of pots and pans. I have what I use - three pots, large and small skillet, and a few baking pans. I have one le cruiset pot I like but honestly the others get used a lot more. Last year I upgraded from my old pots/skillets to All Clad. You don't need a ton of stuff, just what you use regularly. For knives I have four - chef, kinda bigger chef, paring and bread knife. They are a mix of brands. Just like with pots you only need what you use. WS does carry nice knives and good ice cream scoops too.

[MsSassyBaskets]

Yeah, if you really want to invest in something you'll get a lot of use out of, knives are great. Like one or two great knives, not a whole stupid set you'll never use half of. I love my Wusthof classic santoku, extra wide chef's knife, and 4" paring knife, they all get tons of use and I hardly need anything else. Love a good cast iron Dutch oven, and a quality 3-4 qt stainless saucepan (not nonstick, but that's my personal opinion). But seriously, if you really don't cook much, don't bother spending the $. It won't make you cook more.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I also have a santoku that I'm obsessed with. Dh uses something larger (his and hers chefs knives...eye roll). Also a knife sharpener is a good investment.

[MAPPLEBUM]

Ah, you guys are so right: I shouldn't purchase aspirationally. I do love Shun knives but husband LOVES our Cutco set and might be miffed if I get another chef's knife.. SIL was talking about getting us a Staub dutch oven, which I would probably use a lot since the main thing I cook are soups. (She prefers Staub to LC because of the colors?)

I went in there yesterday. Husband has been wanting a mortar and pestle. The ones there are pretty ugly IMO but I might as well pick one. They're also carrying some really cute mini cocktail shakers. He tends to make small drinks so that might be fun.

BUT now the Vitamix is on my mind. Apparently the Cuisinart I purchased back in grad school is being sold for $80. I remember shelling out a lot of cash for the thing, so either it was more expensive then or my concept of "a lot of money" has drastically changed. I went into Crate and Barrel thinking I'd buy the Breville, and my poor sales rep and I got accosted by another sales rep trying to get me to buy the Vitamix. I don't know if they get kick backs for big sells but I was really appreciating how the first woman WASN'T trying to up sell me. I ended up running out of that place after a very intense lecture on the benefits of Vitamix.....Seriously don't think I can justify spending that much on a blender though.

[diggitydot]

Definitely buy what you'll use, not what you hope to maybe use one day. If you make a lot of soups, Dutch ovens are fabulous. I FLOVE my Lodge ceramic covered Dutch oven and use it all the time.

If you go with knives, do your research, buy the best you can afford, and absolutely get a sharpening kit.