I've found the coffee press the best way to make coffee. This is also an ideal press - no glass to break, keeps coffee hot. Make sure you use coarsely ground grinds...

I actually have a round 10 1/2 inch Le Creuset red grill pan... I had obtained this elsewhere. This pan makes the best steaks ever, or any other grilling.

Cast iron is a must for fried chicken. Cooks unbelievably well with even, steady heat; goes easily from stovetop to oven. Never use soap to clean. I scrub mine with a scrubbing sponge, maybe a sprinkle of baking soda or salt for rough spot, rinse clean, place on a stove burner over medium high heat to dry, cool, store. I'm wanting a 10-inch to make more desert recipes...

I actually have Wolfgang Puck's, but anyways, a large skillet is a must when frying up large quantities of food, rather than having to do it in batches... The handle is really helpful when carrying a heavy pan.

Tongs are extremely helpful in flipping food, tossing vegetables in a skillet, dishing up portions, etc. It's like another pair of hands.

I could not be without my paring knives when chopping, slicing up vegetables.

Great for pureeing, making pastry dough, grating a large quantity of cheese in a jiffy. Many parts to wash afterwards, however, but things get done quickly and when you need it...

Besides the cooling of baked goods, I also put this on the bottom of a roasting pan when roasting meat (ie. chicken, turkey) to keep the bird out of the grease.

Flexible spatulas are a godsend for removing cookies from the baking sheet.

Glass measuring cups make measuring so easy (especially when measuring more than 1 liquid), handle and spout make it easy to pour the ingredient out, and the glass is heat-proof.

This is a great way to store cakes, even bread - keeps things fresh.

This comes in real handy when needing to scrape dough off the countertop...

When I need to know how to cook it, I reach for this first.

When I want to cook Italian or something guaranteed to be delicious, I look in here, too.