It's time again for my picks for the big-ticket items, those expensive appliances and pots that are game changers, but real investments.
I've just started a relationship with Le Creuset, the company that makes the best enameled cast-iron cookware on earth. My go-to pot is the 7-quart Dutch Oven (they're made in France and the company wants me to call them French ovens, which I find interesting since there really should no longer be a nationality attached to the thing; my preferred name for this one is "My Favorite Pot"). It's what I bought my beloved Dad long ago; now, sadly, I have two of them. My other favorite is the braiser, the everyday pot in which you can cook just about anything. (Here's one of the videos we did, where I use this pot to make an easy cassoulet.) I'm also partial to the smaller "ovens"—the 3.5-quart version is perfect if you cook for only one or two people.
For stainless-steel cookware, All-Clad is the best, and they aren't paying me to say so. Here are their saucepans, plus a big sauté pan and a small one. My favorite All-Clad pan is the saucier.
I recommend these Wusthof knives. You don't need a ton of knives, but you need at least two: a chef knife (big) and a paring knife (small). A serrated knife comes in handy for slicing bread, and a flexible boning knife is helpful if you do a lot of cutting.
The Vitamix blender is an awesome machine.
The KitchenAid stand mixer. Far more important than a food processor, this is the workhorse in my kitchen.
Here’s the food processor I used to use, but the lid broke so now I have to turn it on manually and put a plate on top, which is kind of a pain. In professional kitchens, all the food processors are Robot-Coupes. They're great, and until their marketing company contacted me and sent me one to try, I didn't know they made one for the home kitchen. They do, it's called a Magimix 3200, and while I don't like the name, it's a fabulous machine, with three different-sized bowls. Alas, available only at Williams-Sonoma.
The iPad2 and Kindle Fire are going to be game changers in the kitchen. These are the most exciting kitchen tools to come along in a decade. If you have one already, have a look at my bread baking app (on iTunes and Kindle Fire) and also the app for smart phones called Ratio (on iTunes and Android). I personally use Ruhlman's Twenty on my iPad via the Kindle app: below, the finished braised lamb shank, from Twenty.
Cooking is a craft, and good tools are a must with any craft.
BTW..
SousVide Supreme, wants to want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Their Black Friday promotion, running this weekend (Fri thru Mon) online at www.sousvidesupreme.com.
For only $449 ($749 usually), you can get a SousVide Supreme Chef unit and a free vacuum sealer ($129).
© 2012 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2012 Donna Turner Ruhlman. All rights reserved.
@Saads12
I have to say that even though I like Le Creuset, I got a Staub 4 quart cast iron Cocotte for a better price. And it works like a dream. It braises excellently, and then pops into the oven for falling off the bone meat with fantastic juices. So I think I will stick to Staub for now.
Victoria
I would be very interested in your analysis of why you pick the KA Artisan stand mixer and not the lift-arm 6-quart professional.
Ryan
I think it's just a matter of how big a bowl you need. Too big, and it's hard to use it for smaller amounts.
I have the 6-qt arm-lift one. It would be less effective for something like a half recipe of cookies (1 stick butter/1 egg). But in the past I have made large batches of bread dough, and the bigger bowl/motor is definitely a help there.
ruhlman
I should have mentioned both, for the professional, you're right and for the serious home cook who uses it a lot. KitchenAid says it's customers prefer the Artison over it, and it's also the one I have, so that's the one I mention. What's most important is to have a good one, no matter brand!
Jenny
I have a question. You rant and rant against round wooden spoons because they aren't the right shape for straight sided saucepans and saute pans. Yet your "favorite" all Clad pan is a saucier, which has rounded sides, for which a round spoon is perfect. What gives?
Ryan
Sauciers are made for whisk use. I don't think that wooden spoons are the best tools for mixing sauces. You can swirl a liquid around, but you can't dissolve a roux, scrape the sides, or work with low volumes as well as with a whisk. And forget about mixing quickly.
ruhlman
Good catch! I use heatproof rubber spatula and flat edged spoon for this as well. Even with this a round wooden spoon only hits a dot of the pan at a time.
Heidi
I love the idea of technology in the kitchen, and especially using the iPad for easy access to recipes. I already have the hard copy of Twenty, but I love the idea of looking up recipes on my iPad in the kitchen. I'm a new user and had no idea about the ability to search for words with in the text! Is there also the ability to put notes into the iPad on how a specific recipe turned out, my own cooking times, and anything else that will help me the next time I prepare the dish?
ruhlman
actually, many apps allow you to do this. Evernote is popular among chefs.
Martin Sovik
As a guy who has this site bookmarked, and a Barnes & Noble bookseller who's handsold your books to folks who'd never heard of you, I just want to assure your readers that the B&N Nook is easily as good as the Kindle Fire, and B&N.com also has all your books. You keep seeming to forget to mention that. We humans who sell your books would appreciate it, B&N or independent.
ruhlman
we need to have a long conversation about this!
Martin Sovik
Any time, Michael, thanks. You've got my email.
Natalie Luffer Sztern
Martin, as a Canadian with an Ipad and Nook app; I have tried to download books and very few allow it to go into Canada, so I have given up even exploring the site. Amazon has never had that problem. Now, of course the books are all food books and I have nada from Barnes and Noble because of this, although they say they do have books for Canadians I have not found that to be true. We are talking about 6 months ago as the last time I searched...now I don't even bother going there.
Victoria
I have Twenty in hardback book form and electronic form so I can look it up on my iPad and even my iPhone; it is terrific - highly recommended.
I actually have the FIRST Cuisinart sold in the U.S. I would have to look at my warranty card to see when that was - sometime between 74 and 78 I guess. It was made by Robot Coupe. I have been debating getting a new and bigger one. After reading this I willask for the Magimix for Christmas. I also have had my 4-1/2 quart KitchenAid tilt-head stand mixer for over thirty years, and it was made by Hobart so I am very reluctant to upgrade, although I do sometimes think about it.
Paul Kobulnicky
Never, never, never upgrade your Hobart Kitchen Aide. Spend what you must to keep it in repair but it is FAR superior to new KA's.
John Verville
Since you put the picture up, how about your recipe for lamb shanks!
ruhlman
i think i posted this recipe a while ago, did you search?
csilverberg
i would love to win all and everything that you are giving away so to do everybody else who is entering a favor just let them down easy and send it all my way thank you.