This is the kind of book that pays for itself. Good, reliable kitchen tools make a big difference both in your cooking experience and in your wallet in good ways. Let me tell you a story. The first time I learned this lesson was decades ago, when I was in my early 20s. It wasn’t about a kitchen tool, but the same concept applies. My sister bought $25 leather boat shoes. I bought leather boat shoes too, but I bought a different brand that was higher quality and looked better. I spent $52, which was more than double what she spent. We wore our shoes all the time. Her shoes wore out every 6 months, primarily because of stitching. She kept buying the same brand for years and kept replacing them every 6 months! I could never talk her into buying a better brand instead. So, she spent hundreds of dollars on her boat shoes, while I was still on my original pair for $52. And, mine always looked better.
She never changed her approach towards buying things in general, not just shoes. So, I understand people who think they are somehow getting a better deal by buying the lowest priced stuff. It’s a mindset.
A worse situation is fighting with your kitchen tool but getting through the fight. An even worse situation is buying a tool that doesn’t work well to the point that you don’t even want to use it or don’t use it at all. What a waste of money! It’s just better to save up a little more money, say 5%, 10% or 20% more money, depending on the tool, to buy a good, long-lasting tool. In the long run, you’ll waste less money, spend less money overall, and enjoy using your tools more at the same time. It doesn’t get better than that!
I only discovered America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) after I retired. It was their YouTube videos and Lisa McManus in them. She explains things so well, including her whys and reasoning. I love her! Before that, I relied on a paid subscription to Consumer Reports, Amazon reviews, and internet research. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many exact same products I bought and ATK recommends. This includes both ATK’s YouTube videos and book. Because of the YouTube videos, I came to trust ATK’s recommendations. After reading the product recommendations in the book, I trust ATK even more.
I bought the book because I can’t find all of ATK’s recommendations in YouTube videos. There are things in the book that I didn’t know about and wouldn’t even have known to look for. Especially when I hear about things that costs less than $15 or $25, I go with ATK’s recommendations and Amazon reviews. It saves me research time, especially when Consumer Reports doesn’t cover a product type. Throwing away $15 or $25 at a time on poor kitchen tools that I don’t use has added up over the years. Again, this book pays for itself, not only on small items, but especially on big items. For example, if you’re into food processors, the food processor you buy makes a big difference in many ways.
In addition, ATK doesn’t just recommend the best of a given product type. If a particular product is expensive, then they have a best-buy recommendation too. So, if I want a tool that I don’t use very often, I prefer ATK’s best-buy option. The latest example is a boning knife. The best is $100. The best buy is $27.
Although I bought the book for kitchen-tool recommendations, it’s only a small portion of what the book offers. There’s a lot of other useful information in it too. You may be surprised by how much there is to learn. It covers everything kitchen related, including even, cleaning the kitchen. I’ve become a huge fan of ATK in general, not just their kitchen-tool recommendations. If you don’t know about ATK, like I didn’t not all that long ago, you might want to look into them.
ATK’s specific product recommendations will age out over time, although some products seem to be ageless, like Victorinox knives. But, the book’s features to look for in specific product types would still be helpful. I can’t recommend this book highly enough to a smart shopper!
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From the Publisher
Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual
Cook Better by Unlocking Your Equipment's Potential
Q&As:
- Are nonstick coatings safe?
- How do I season a skillet?
- Can a knife be too sharp?
- Why are grill tongs often so . . . bad?
- Is it OK to reuse parchment paper?
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Kitchen Equipment
A Manual for Your Entire Kitchen
Finally, a book that answers all the hows, whys, and "wait, what?"s of your kitchen tools. With straight-talking, science-backed advice from professional equipment reviewers Lisa McManus and Hannah Crowley, you'll learn how the pros stock their kitchens, why they hate traditional knife blocks, which tools they think are worth spending a little more money on, and how they stay organized. And when you're ready to get cooking, try one of the 100+ recipes designed to put your gear through its paces.
The Smart Way to Equip Your Kitchen
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Choose Multifunctional PiecesThe more things you can do with a single piece of equipment, the fewer pieces you'll need. |
Invest in Tools That Will LastSpend a little more in the short term to save money in the long term. Do some research before you buy (we can help with that!) so you can be sure your money is spent well. |
Buy Items You'll Actually UseBefore you buy any new gear, think about what and how you enjoy cooking. |
Don't Try to Buy Everything at OnceWho has the budget for that, anyway? Completely stocking a kitchen can be expensive, but if you do it over time, buying a few pieces here and a few pieces there as your skills progress, you’re less likely to feel the pinch in your wallet. |
About Lisa and Hannah:
Meet Professional Equipment Reviewers Lisa McManus and Hannah Crowley!
Lisa McManus and Hannah Crowley are executive reviews editors at America’s Test Kitchen and cohosts of the YouTube series Gear Heads. Lisa also appears on America’s Test Kitchen on PBS. Their equipment reviews appear in Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines; together they have over three decades of equipment-testing experience. As the heads of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews, they’re as passionate about helping home cooks spend their money wisely as they are about all things food.
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Purslane and Watermelon Salad |
Pressure-Cooker Mussels with Red Curry and Coconut Rice |
Chocolate Babka |
Singapore Sling |
About the author
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Top reviews from other countries
dvd fan
Vale la pena para comprar solo lo que vas a usar
Reviewed in Mexico on February 8, 2024
