http://restaurant-supply.katom.....on+skillet

All kinds of really great cast iron, and information on their blogs about how to care for it.

Here are my top 10 kitchen utensils, numbered for convenience:

1. Flexible plastic cutting boards – come as a pack of four.
2. Wüsthof 9cm paring knife – Mum bought my sisters and me one of these each when we were young – must have cost a fortune for the four of us!; DH liked it enough to buy a 12cm knife and later the 20cm cooks knife
3. Peeler
4. Dutch oven – stainless, comes with a lid. Mine came in a set but I’m less enamoured of the rest of the set than my…
5. Pyrex glass three saucepans with lids set – I was given these for a birthday or Christmas and I always use them over the steel ones
6. Steel mixing bowls – Minimum of a large but a set of a large, medium and small is more convenient
7. Rectangular cake pan
8. Slotted and unslotted spoon set
9. Large measuring cup – in our recent clean up and move I realised that we have two of these – a Pyrex one and a Tupperware one; both hold two cups but the Tupperware one is shaped and labelled so you might have an idea as to how much you’ve already poured as you’re pouring
10. Strainer – double duty as a sifter

I could possibly be convinced to just get the stainless steel saucepan set (over the Dutch oven and the Pyrex saucepans) since mine also came with a frying pan, as it would allow me to get a kettle as my no. 10 which makes having a cup of tea much easier; speaking of which, that’s what I’m off to get now.

http://www.missionrs.com/home-kitchen.html
http://www.williamssonoma.com/

if i had to reeeaaaalllly minimise, that is what i could live with.

i worked as a professional chef for 15 years and never used a thermometer once….apart from the built-in oven/fridge thermometers.

I also love the term “Luck Out” meaning to have a win. We would just say “Get Lucky” or “Score”. Here if you luck out, its a loss – as in, down on your luck.

10″ stainless skillet w/ lid
Stock pot
2 qt. saucepan w/ lid
Mixing bowl
Jelly roll pan
9 x 11 glass casserole
Chef’s knife
Paring knife
cutting board
Measuring cups
Wooden spoon or mid-size rubber spatula
Food turner

As far as needing 5 knives, personally I believe you need more than that. I believe you need a paring knife, utility knife, chefs knife, steak knives, bread slicer, carving knive, and butcher knife.

Finally, I firmly believe the worst thing you can do is buy a serrated edge. Cutco has a special edge on most of their knives that is so much better. Go to http://www.cutco.com to see why Cutco are the only knives you will ever have to buy for your life, your kids, grandkids, great grandkids… (forever gaurantee)

Saucepan (with lid)
Frying pan (deep sides, with lid)
Stock pot (big enough to brine a chicken in)
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Manual can opener
Cutting/paring knife (serrated or regular)
Cookie sheet
Baking/roasting pan (deep sides)
Your “all purpose utensil” (Mine is a wooden “spatula” with an angled, beveled edge)

Of course, I have other things I like quite a bit, like a crock pot, toaster, baking pans, mixer, etc. Would love to learn how to really rock a pressure cooker, too.

But buying expensive equipment doesn’t make you a better cook. It’s not about what you have. It’s how you use it.

Also, cutting open your meat to use the infrared is a horrible idea. An incision big enough to read will also let out the meat’s juices and will quickly dry out said meat. Remember that it’s important to rest meat before cutting, and it’s even worse if your meat is not ready and has to go back on the heat. The small hole from an instant read will not be anywhere near as disastrous.

I love my infraread thermometer, but an instant-read is much more “essential.” Thermapen is the best, or the aforementioned Taylor 9842 is a great, cheaper alternative (note that most others can be finicky, slow, imprecise, and not dishwasher-safe).

Also, a bread machine in the top 15? I understand that it’s important to you, but it’s certainly not “minimalist.”

On a related note, Alton Brown’s Gear for the Kitchen is a must read.

You do need an instant-read thermometer, like the Taylor 9842 Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer. Try to find a chef that does not carry an instant read thermometer.

Tongs and a good knife can work miracles.