 | Wüsthof Grand Prix II 7-Inch Hollow Ground Santoku Knife
Buy new: $69.99 My first -- and most frequently used -- "good" knife. Make sure you find a style that fits your hand.
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 | Wüsthof Grand Prix II 3-1/2-Inch Paring Knife
Buy new: $29.99 Paring fruit and veggies is one thing the Santoku knife can't do.
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 | Wüsthof Grand Prix II 9-Inch Bread Knife
Buy new: $69.99 You may not use it often, but when you need a bread knife, no other knife will do.
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 | Calphalon Professional Nonstick II 4-Quart Chef's Pan with Lid
Great for stir-frying (big enough so you don't spill when you stir the food). It can go in the oven. Good for low-fat cooking since it's non-stick. I especially like the glass lid.
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 | Calphalon Professional Nonstick II 12-Inch Omelette Pan
A "desert island" item if there ever was one (haha). If you have nothing else in your kitchen, make it this and a knife.
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 | Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless 10-Inch Omelet Pan
Buy new: $39.95 You gotta have a NON-non-stick pan in your repertoire -- for searing steaks and other meats, for reducing sauces, or any time you want to brown something.
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 | Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless 8-Quart Stockpot with Glass Lid
I made the mistake of buying a non-stick stockpot, which is no good if you need to brown meat before adding liquid to make stew. This should do the trick.
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 | Microplane Grater/Zester
Buy new: $11.95 / Used from: $9.99 Much less clumsy than a box shredder/grater, and easier to clean.
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 | Old Stone Oven 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone
Buy new: $37.99 / Used from: $33.99 Cheaper and better than this would be to get unglazed ceramic tile from Home Depot to cover the entire bottom of your oven. Great for keeping the temperature constant and that nice crust on pizzas...
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 | Oxo Good Grips 4-Cup Angled Measuring Cup
Buy new: $9.99 You can read the measurements from above! So nifty.
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 | William Bounds Rita Satin Combination Salt Shaker & Pepper Mill, Chrome
Buy new: $22.99 / Used from: $19.99 Whatever S&P set you buy, make sure you get a pepper grinder, not a shaker. There is no substitute for fresh-ground pepper.
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 | Amco Stainless-Steel and Nylon Locking Tongs
Buy new: $8.99 If you own non-stick cookware, you need tongs not made of metal.
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 | Misto Gourmet Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer
Buy new: $10.95 / Used from: $17.00 It might seem frivolous but it is useful with low-fat cooking, and there is no way to improvise if you don't have one.
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 | Pyrex Bakeware 3-Piece Set, Clear
The 8" square baking dish is a must-have; the others are just bonuses. So simple and classic, and very versatile.
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 | Le Creuset Stoneware 4-3/4-Ounce 4-Piece Ramekin Set, Red
These little dishes are great for holding small amounts of ingredients while you cook, for individual desserts/portion control, and they're just so cute!
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 | Trudeau Over-the-Sink Polypropylene Cutting Board
Grippy corners keep it from slipping, over-sink means you save space, and plastic means it disinfects better than wood.
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 | American Cottage Set of 3 Shelves
Pop a few of these on some spare wall space in your kitchen to store cereal boxes, canned goods, pots and pans, etc. Cheap and easy.
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 | Braun WK200W Aqua Express Electric Water Kettle, White
Buy used from: $49.99 If you have a gas stove, you know that boiling water with a traditional kettle can heat the entire kitchen up. This electric kettle is quick, well-made & convenient, albeit a bit pricey.
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