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The Minimum Viable Kitchen

priceonomics.com

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Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#131

Post by eaurouge »

tptacek wrote: post #87

Notes: * Strong recommend on the Fibrox knife. If you don't already have a serious knife, don't buy one; get the Fibrox and use it for awhile. You may never want another knife, and if you ever do, you'll have a very good idea what you're looking for. Beware of knives: they're Veblen goods. * Don't get the expensive butcher block board. Actively avoid it. If you feel like arguing about this, you're not the reader this…

I'll add this to your list:

- buy your All Clad pots at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon

Note: I haven't tried this in a some time; they may have discontinued it. You can get a coupon online, in the mail, on eBay...

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#132

Post by tptacek »

jackalope wrote: post #120

Before you run out and spend money on pans, do yourself a favor and spend some time with an induction cooktop. You can get a single element hob for less than $100 that's reasonably portable, easy to store and useable on a counter top. You'll want a large element, but even a 4 inch one is an eye opening introduction to this amazing cooking technology. I've always cooked over flame (and still consider red glowing coals…

Induction burners are awesome and extremely cheap. They're not strictly cost effective to operate in the US (we have unreasonably low gas prices) but are pretty much everywhere else. The coolest thing about them is that they're completely portable; they're lightweight and they generate very little ambient heat. You could bring one to your office to make omelettes, if not for the cleanup problem afterwards.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#133

Post by tptacek »

edw519 wrote: post #130
tptacek wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're eating out most nights except for the ones where you eat salad, you don't have a viable kitchen.

Sure I do. You don't need to cook food. We eat better than most people I know who do cook. Come on over the next time you're in Miami and we'll show you. :-)

If that's your perspective, why even have a kitchen? You can put a fridge in any room. Replace one of your countertops with a stationary bicycle and add a power rack; call it an "eat-in gym".

It's all love with this comment, you know. Come to Chicago sometime and we'll make you ceviche.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#134

Post by mattmaroon »

tptacek wrote: post #87

Notes: * Strong recommend on the Fibrox knife. If you don't already have a serious knife, don't buy one; get the Fibrox and use it for awhile. You may never want another knife, and if you ever do, you'll have a very good idea what you're looking for. Beware of knives: they're Veblen goods. * Don't get the expensive butcher block board. Actively avoid it. If you feel like arguing about this, you're not the reader this…

I left out consumables, but yeah on deli cups.

Couple minor rebuttals:

* The sharpener I recommended takes seconds to use and can't really be messed up. Cook's Illustrated says it works as well as an electric one that is much more difficult and more time consuming. I can sharpen my knife with it in less time than you can even safely package yours to take to get sharpened, and the Fibrox needs to be sharpened somewhat often. Seriously, buy that sharpener and try it. I'll give you the $9 back if you don't like.

* I don't think a 10 piece set costs more than the individual pieces you described typically. They count lids at pieces, so it's really more like a 6 piece set. I frequently need multiple saucepans or skillets when cooking so I really don't think it's overkill. (I'd recommend one saute and one skillet at minimum). You need a small saucepan and a large. I would agree that the first thing I'd spend extra on would be All-Clad pans. Most restaurants, even good ones, use cheapo aluminum pans though, so I don't think I'd call it minimum viable. (I probably should have recommended cheap aluminum pans from a restaurant supply store honestly.)

* I'd pick the blender over the stand mixer any day, and I almost never make beverages with it. It makes awesome soups. Aerates a quiche. Makes homemade mayo. Purees fruit for sorbets or granitas so well you don't even have to strain out the seed chunks. I don't think I'd do any of those with an immersion blender.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#135

Post by mattmaroon »

eaurouge wrote: post #131
tptacek wrote: post #87

Notes: * Strong recommend on the Fibrox knife. If you don't already have a serious knife, don't buy one; get the Fibrox and use it for awhile. You may never want another knife, and if you ever do, you'll have a very good idea what you're looking for. Beware of knives: they're Veblen goods. * Don't get the expensive butcher block board. Actively avoid it. If you feel like arguing about this, you're not the reader this…

I'll add this to your list: - buy your All Clad pots at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon Note: I haven't tried this in a some time; they may have discontinued it. You can get a coupon online, in the mail, on eBay...

Don't those usually say they specifically exclude All-Clad?

Actually if you want the cheaper line, Home Goods or TJ Max has good deals on them.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#136

Post by mattmaroon »

tptacek wrote: post #105
jerhinesmith wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just a note about the pots and pans. All-Clad is nice, but also very expensive. After seeing a few recommendations on reddit, I picked up a Tramontina set from walmart.com (weird, I know). I love them. They're stainless steel, high quality, TryPly-clad pans, and you can pick up an 8-piece (5 total pans + lids) set for ~$130.

This is something I'd go look to Cooks Illustrated for. My only real issue is, don't buy the sets. The pots & pans you need are specific. You definitely don't need 8 of them. Cooks Illustrated doesn't like Tramontina; they claim they heat unevenly and require more oil. They "Recommend it with reservations". The "budget" brand Cooks Illustrated likes is Cuisinart.

Cooks Illustrated is uneven about liking Tramontina, probably because Tramontina's product lineup is uneven. It's the top recommendation in their moderately priced 12 inch skillets from a month ago, for instance. Numerous other products of theirs are "recommended with reservations".

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#137

Post by logicalmind »

tptacek wrote: post #100
logicalmind wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One caveat that people rarely discuss about Victorinox Fibrox knives is that the don't hold an edge very long. They're a great starter knife and a great long-term knife if you don't mind sharpening it fairly frequently. For example, at the rate I cook, I had to buy three separate fibrox chef's knives to go a solid month without needing to resharpen. And then I'd need to resharpen all three. I decided to upgrade to a…

Do you steel every time you use the knife? That seems to be what pro's do. Obviously there's a difference between "dull" and "out of true", and if the only problem is "easy to get out of true", well, that's not a big deal.

Yeah, I use a smooth steel. These knives get truly dull. I sharpen them myself with wet stones and I've tried various angles on the blades. I have 5 victorinox chef's knives of various size. And two victorinox filet knives that I use for cutting fish and breaking down large cuts of meat. The filet knives last a long time because they very rarely touch the cutting board. But for the most part I use a MAC chef's knife.

In about 9 months time I will have dulled all 5 victorinox chef's knives and the one MAC knife I own. And the MAC gets more than half of the load during that time.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#138

Post by tptacek »

mattmaroon wrote: post #134
tptacek wrote: post #87

Notes: * Strong recommend on the Fibrox knife. If you don't already have a serious knife, don't buy one; get the Fibrox and use it for awhile. You may never want another knife, and if you ever do, you'll have a very good idea what you're looking for. Beware of knives: they're Veblen goods. * Don't get the expensive butcher block board. Actively avoid it. If you feel like arguing about this, you're not the reader this…

I left out consumables, but yeah on deli cups. Couple minor rebuttals: * The sharpener I recommended takes seconds to use and can't really be messed up. Cook's Illustrated says it works as well as an electric one that is much more difficult and more time consuming. I can sharpen my knife with it in less time than you can even safely package yours to take to get sharpened, and the Fibrox needs to be sharpened somewhat…

I have so much better luck with the stick blender for mayo and hollandaise that I actively avoid the standing blender for fat-based sauces. Ultimately, if you're not going to bake much and you're not going to make beverages a lot with it, I say ditch both the mixer and the blender and get a decent stick blender instead.

A large straight-sided sautee does double duty as a skillet.

Interesting how neither of us think the food processor is a vital purchase. Especially because I use mine all the time, but, yeah, not in my "MVK".

PS to everyone else: if you don't make mayo, you should try; it's extremely easy and very very good. 1 egg yolk, salt, tbsp of tart liquid, maybe some dijon. Mix, then slowly pour 1 cup oil while running blender. Done. Got some sriracha? Mix in after you get the emulsion going. Amazing.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#139

Post by jlkinsel »

Nothing minimal about that list. "Mininum" kitchen can probably be had for under $100.

Never put the words "Thomas Keller" near "minimum."

I have some allclad D5, it's great. If you're looking for nonstick, pick up Tfal's pro nonstick line on amazon - saute pan runs around $30 and is Cook's Illustrated favorite pick.

Re: The Minimum Viable Kitchen

#140

Post by eaurouge »

mattmaroon wrote: post #135
eaurouge wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll add this to your list: - buy your All Clad pots at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon Note: I haven't tried this in a some time; they may have discontinued it. You can get a coupon online, in the mail, on eBay...

Don't those usually say they specifically exclude All-Clad? Actually if you want the cheaper line, Home Goods or TJ Max has good deals on them.

They may but in practice they allow it. I've bought two sets, both with discounts, so far.
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