Kitchen Splurges: The Tools That Are Worth Buying (and Those That Aren’t)

When you eventually start stocking a kitchen, it’s hard to know where to spend your money. Is it copper pots? Japanese ceramic knives? That very shiny, very expensive KitchenAid stand mixer? The answer is: yes. Here’s why.

The Rules

To know what you should spend your money on, first you need to know what your spend your time doing. Take us seriously and do this: make a note of what you touch in your kitchen in one day. Then do it for a week. Did you cook at all? Have an inkling to bake? Or did you touch your coffee pot 137 times? Not all investments are appropriate for all people. Focus your money on what you use most. [pagebreak]

For Bakers

No surprise here: suck it up and go for that KitchenAid stand mixer. Yes, there are cheaper options. No, they aren’t better than a KitchenAid. KitchenAids are excellent at a variety of tasks and come with varied attachments. That means you can build up your kitchen over time: start with the stand mixer then buy the pasta attachment, the sausage attachment, whisks, scrapers, etc. And since you can use them to whip, mix, and knead, it’s like having multiple appliances in once.

For Cooks

It’s time to chuck that knife the came with your $20 knife block. Invest in one high quality German or Japanese chef’s knife. If you treat it well (never put it in the dishwasher, clean it well, sharpen occasionally), it will last you a lifetime. And it’s a workhorse: use it to butcher meat and chop fruits and veggies. Pick a brand and a line and add on as you have time: pairing knife, serrated knife, etc.  

For All Kitchens

Nonstick pans are a great investment: your food will cook evenly and quickly, you’ll use less butter and oil, and clean up is a breeze. But here’s the catch: cheap non-stick pans release nasty chemicals with every use, don’t hold up under high heat, and scratch easily. So throw those out and buy one All-Clad non-stick pan (for frying and sautéing) and one pot for everything else. They are PFOA-free (a harsh chemical) and come with, get ready, a lifetime guarantee. [pagebreak]

Extras

What else you need to round out your kitchen is entirely up to how you spend your time.

Caffeine addicts: replace the spice grinder you’ve been using with a high quality coffee bean grinder. You’ll be able to grind large or small quantities of beans just as well, set the consistency and fineness, and keep your beans free of any unwanted flavors (like black pepper still stuck in the blades of your spice grinder).

Amateur mixologists: not all ice cube trays are made the same. But luckily, most ice cube trays are affordable. Stock up on different sizes and pop them all in your freezer: you’ll have extra large cubes for tumblers of drinks, rocks that won’t melt and water down your spirit of choice, and small cubes to lightly chill drinks.

New cooks: Chances are you won’t be doing a lot of off-the-cuff cooking at home. Invest in an iPad holder and a splatter shield. That way you can watch how-to videos and scroll through recipes as you cook (without worrying that you’ve ruined both your dinner and an expensive piece of technology).