this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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Pretty much all kitchenware is worth getting the good stuff if you can afford it, even if cheap versions will work.
Probably safety-related items.
One exception is one particular chef knife. Most cheap knives you get what you pay for. But there is one, the Victorinox Classic Chef Knife, that is around $30 but is competitive in comfort and sharpness with very expensive knives.
Edit: I was incorrect on the model, it's the Fibrox Pro 8" Chefβs Knife.
You're right! Their santoku is very good too. These knives are used by professionals in kitchens. I used one for years. I finally got a Wustoff set and a JA Henkels Zwilling Pro, and I do greatly prefer using those, but if you only have $30 then the Forschner/Victornox knives are outstanding values for the money.
I'll let you in on a secret: it's not just Victorinox Fibrox; other cheap commerical-style knives (Mercer, Dexter-Russell, etc.) are decent, too.
America's Test Kitchen also ranked Mercer highly, but dinged it for a handle that gets slick when wet or greasy. For the Dexter-Russell knife they tested, it was very dull.
I feel like there are too many exceptions to this rule. Maybe dont get the cheapest but you dont need to spend a lot to have a very good:
I could go on but I believe Ive made my point.
It used to be the case that cheap brands were prone to the enamel chipping off easily, so Le Creuset was considered "worth it" because it not only doesn't chip, but if it does it's got a lifetime warranty.
It seems like cheap enamel maybe has gotten better recently, though.
That's interesting, I didn't realize that! I think it may have, because I've been using my Cuisinart one that I picked up pretty cheaply at Marshall's a few years back and it's been pretty solidβno chipping at all. I had been wondering myself why I would shell out for a higher end one if the cheaper one is working, but that makes sense if the cheap ones used to be worse.
I do have a Le Creuset French press that I splurged on that I enjoy, but that's neither here nor there.
Yeah, one thing I'd say to be careful of (unless you just want it as a splurge) is not to be fooled into thinking that just because a brand is famous for being good at one thing, that everything else it makes is also high-end. For example, All-Clad invented stainless steel-clad aluminum cookware and is still the best at it, but you'd be a chump if you bought an All-Clad teflon nonstick pan instead of a cheap T-Fal one. Le Creuset non-cast-iron stuff might look pretty because it comes in the same colors as their enameled cast iron dutch ovens, but there's otherwise nothing special or premium about it. Kitchen Aid made famously-durable stand mixers (until recently, at least), but doesn't mean you should get a Kitchen Aid can opener or something.
You're best off mixing-and-matching between brands according to what experts like ATK say is the best tool in each category.
Very good point. I'm still early on in trying to build my collection of kitchen implements, but that is something I've been learning very quickly.
I would definitely agree on the Le Creuset stuff, as far as the French press goes! It probably wasn't worth what I paid for it, though the ceramic does keep my coffee a little warmer a little longer than glass ones and looks nice on my counter top. You could probably get one just as good/nice looking for much cheaper.
Man I misread your comment as going in the other direction and I was about to go off about how good a cheap Lodge cast iron pan is.
Cost doesn't mean quality, but at the same time be sure you pick the right item. I have a subscription to America's Test Kitchen, which has for the most part served me well. For more expensive items, they will often pick a favored item and a less expensive "best buy". I honestly use them more for their equipment reviews than for their recipes at this point.
There is one thing I would point to for needing to go for the expensive option. If you want a high quality stainless steel skillet, you want it to be fully clad, aka triple ply. There are cheap skillets with an aluminum disc on the bottom, sometimes deceptively marketed as "fully clad base" or "tri ply bottom". They perform poorly, scorching food and sometimes allowing the disc to detach. I have an All Clad skillet, but I hear Made In is also good.
Completely agree. Didnt put stainless steel on my list because of it.