Disappointing Kitchen Accessories

[hennotrooster]

I've gotten so I won't use "non stick" anything. At first it was because I have parrot types in the house and overheating a non-stick puts off a gas that will kill the birds.

But now, I have some 50's skillets and stainless steel and just plain love them. They are fairly "non stick" anyway and no coating to wear off so they need replacing.

I only have stainless steal and learned that you must get them nice and hot before adding your oil or spray the while they are cold with Pam. I heat them with a med. to low heat then add the oil and food will not stick. I did not like the fact that the non stick stuff would start to come off did not want to continue to eat the inside of our pans.

how do you feel about dish racks especially the utensil holder ever look inside one at someone elses house? I wash mine out since they seem to collect dirt.

 

[EweSheep]

It's the BIG difference in getting quality cookwares. Mine are stainless steel and folks "ewwwwwww" it because it sticks to it. Not really.

AND Barkeeper's Friend is my new best friend with Mr Clean Eraser!

 

[galanie]

Learn, and the food won't stick. Like they say, depending on the food, either let it get hot before spraying on PAM or put the food in there with oil before it's gotten hot. This is exactly the way you do cast iron, if's it's the good old cast iron that has had the inside of the bottom milled smooth. The new cast iron isn't worth the effort to send it to the Devil.

 

[EweSheep]

I hate those rubber spatulas to take out my cake mixes out of big bowls. They are not as stiff, they bend so bad. I ended up using my clean hands to scrap them off.

I always like those BIG wooden mixing spoons, bamboo, oak or olive wood...they are so durable and it won't break like those dollar wooden spoons with one mix, SNAP! You broke the handle! GRRRRR! I'm glad I've invested a bit of money to get good wooden spoons. What happened to all t hose wonderful durable wares??? Flea markets, antique markets, etc.

Pampered chef makes some GOOD wooden spoons!

 

[mickey328]

My cookware is all stainless as well...and I saved up to get the really good, heavy stuff. I think a lot of people do the "ew, it sticks" thing because a) they don't know how to use it properly or b) it's the thin cheap stuff...and food DOES stick in that. I always get the pan hot before I add the oil and then dump the stuff right in. Of course it sticks some...that's carmelization and it's what makes meat taste so good...those brown bits! But ya keep it moving till everything's browned and while the pan's still hot you add some water, which boils right away loosening all that stuff. If I get something that does stick, I put about a half inch of water and some baking soda in it and bring it to a simmer for a few minutes...a quick scrub and it's fine.

You really have to look around but you can still find good, stiff rubber or silicon spatulas...I've gone mostly to silicon now because that way I can use it in a hot pan or a cool jar of mayo They're not cheap but I think they're worth the investment...they last forever without the handles breaking and they do the job you want them too. Better to spend $10 on one that works than $1 each for 10 that break or don't do the job.

 

[galanie]

My cookware is all stainless as well...and I saved up to get the really good, heavy stuff.  I think a lot of people do the "ew, it sticks" thing because a) they don't know how to use it properly or b) it's the thin cheap stuff...and food DOES stick in that.  I always get the pan hot before I add the oil and then dump the stuff right in.  Of course it sticks some...that's carmelization and it's what makes meat taste so good...those brown bits!  But ya keep it moving till everything's browned and while the pan's still hot you add some water, which boils right away loosening all that stuff.  If I get something that does stick, I put about a half inch of water and some baking soda in it and bring it to a simmer for a few minutes...a quick scrub and it's fine.

You really have to look around but you can still find good, stiff rubber or silicon spatulas...I've gone mostly to silicon now because that way I can use it in a hot pan or a cool jar of mayo  They're not cheap but I think they're worth the investment...they last forever without the handles breaking and they do the job you want them too.  Better to spend $10 on one that works than $1 each for 10 that break or don't do the job.

Agreed, the silicone spatulas are great. I even use them in candy making. They can withstand the high temps of even "hard ball" stage just fine. One thing I found they don't withstand well, is accidentally hitting the blades of a running blender. OOPS. Had to throw that batch out.

Trick is to get the heavy bottomed pans. The thin ones just burn everything on the bottom. Like she said, learn how to do it and they are great. Don't need replacements and no noxious fumes if they get too hot like the non stick finishes give. PLUS you really can just use those big old nasty stainless steel scrubbers. No worries about using special stuff to keep from scratching the surface.

 

[Happy Chooks]

AND Barkeeper's Friend is my new best friend

It's great on glass cooktops too.

 

[TennesseeChicken]

Last night, standing at the kitchen counter dicing up to the tomato to add to the stir-fry it hits me! After slicing and dicing the carrots, onion, zuchinni, mushrooms, and cabbage - I should have used the new Food Processor!

Oh well, it may take me a while to remember that I have a nice one now.

Yeah, but then you have to clean it! LOL I prefer to do my own chopping, unless it's a huge amount. I love to cook and I think chopping up everything is a big part of it. Plus, I can chop almost like a pro now! Almost-LOL

 

[hennotrooster]

Have a nice Kitchen Aide food processor have used it maybe 5 times in the last 3 years. I would rather wash one knife rather than the bowl lid blade etc....

Bar Keeper's Friend is a must have in my kitchen my pans look as if they never get used and have had them forever. My cast iron stays nice, never see soap only really hot water if I have a mishap (me burning something because I forgot I was cooking when I went out to check on the hens) then well oiled after. My eggs slide right off of the stainless and the cast iron but they must be heated well before the oil/butter goes in and cold for Pam it burns Crisco has a spray (hard to find) that does not burn prefer it over Pam.

 

[mickey328]

Bar Keeper's Friend? I've never heard of it...but the way y'all are talking it sounds like I need to check it out.

We got one of those pump sprayer things...a great investment! I use olive oil in mine which adds pretty much no taste and doesn't burn or smoke till it reaches a really, really high temp. For the most part though I don't spray...I get the pan hot and then just pour enough in to coat the bottom.

I can relate, galanie. When I get a new machine, it takes me a while to "remember" I have it, LOL. I have an old, old food processor...probably nearly 30 years old now. I've lost or misplaced all the extra blades, and only have the one that is sort of S shaped and fits in the bottom. It's hot a huge one; probably holds a pint and a half. When I just have one onion to chop, it's easier to do it by hand. I do have one of those mini choppers (in fact, I think I inherited another from someone along the way, so I actually have 2) but for some reason, I never seem to get it out. I do use the "regular" one quite a bit though when I'm doing things that have to be chopped fairly fine...like when I'm chopping a big batch of onions to dehydrate...I can process 10 lbs in short order over doing them by hand. Mine tends to clean up quite easily...if I'm going from onions to another veg, I usually just give it a quick rinse under running water. When I'm done, all the parts that need washing go right into the dishwasher.

As far as the good pots/pans go, another thing that seems to really help is using a gas stove...I've found that you get less burning and sticking with gas than with electric. And the "heavy bottom" remark is right on the money...the side walls don't have to be as heavy but the heavier the bottom, the better. The ones I have are copper sandwiched between the SS and they hold the heat wonderfully as well as spread it evenly so there aren't "hot spots" which will play havoc with your cooking. Those suckers are heavy though; makes draining yer spuds an adventure, LOL. My larger skillet has the long handle on one side and a shorter one on the other side, which is good because I would almost not be able to lift it with just the one when it's full of food in addition to its own weight.