<p>Nothing to add - all the items mentioned sound great. But I will say that this is my kind of thread – nice and helpful, and nothing to argue about! :)</p>
<p>^^ agreeing</p>
<p>Soo, I could have gotten a set of knives for a couple of pennies? What a fool I was. Why didn’t anyone tell me then? Why wasn’t there CC for me 25 years ago?
Bwaaaaah.</p>
<p>Oh well!</p>
<p>Thought of some other great items.</p>
<p>Little nesting glass bowls, I mean really little, for mise en scene, otherwise known as cutting up stuff before you have to put it into the hot thing:).</p>
<p>Square baking pan dish, ceramic or glass, in case you only want to cook only 2 pieces of chicken for example. Le Creuset makes one where the size is 23 cm…</p>
<p>Where to buy? Crate and Barrel, but also definitely Target.</p>
<p>Glad to hear I have been needlessly worried about my non-stick frying pans. If that’s the case, an 8-inch and a 10-inch non-stick.</p>
<p>Finally, cookbooks. Here are my always good not too hard favorites. “China Express” by Nina Simonds, one of the great Chinese cooks of the Western world and “The Working Cook” by Tara Duggan, from the San Francisco Chronicle. Eat well without killing yourself, also good for not becoming hugely fat.</p>
<p>The other SF Chronicle books are also good, but the recipes take longer. Another good source is usually the Junior League cookbook from your area. Yes, I did say Junior League, and no, I am not a member lol.</p>
<p>And mollie - thanks for the list props, but most important of course congratulations and enjoy your married life.</p>
<p>I love my All-Clad…except for the big skillet. I just cannot lift it with one hand and always have to grab the little handle. I rarely use that thing.</p>
<p>I’d add a food mill to the list if it isn’t there already. Great for making creamy soups. The best one I’ve found…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku6267801/index.cfm?pkey=cctlotpi[/url]”>http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku6267801/index.cfm?pkey=cctlotpi</a></p>
<p>One other non-pots/pan item. If you don’t have good salt and pepper mills, I’d put those in your registry. I’m a nut for coarse ground black pepper (Southern thing), while my husband prefers the opposite. We both like ground sea salt. I’m unhappy with my set and hoping for new for Mothers’ Day. 
Look for a set that lets you adjust the grind.</p>
<p>
I considered writing “This is not a political thread” as the first line of the post, but figured I’d better not jinx myself. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>A rice cooker??? Still don’t use one after 20+ years of nearly daily rice making (my Indian mother-in-law would have been sure to get me one if she needed one when they stayed with us). The set of knives was greatly appreciated, guess we’re not superstitious. Definitely have some nonstick cookware, and be prepared to have someone use the wrong utensil and scratch it. It may be nice to have a cheap set you don’t mind if a metal teaspoon is used on, “just to stir it and not create more dirty dishes” (when we sold our condo I put the cheap set of pots in the stove drawer so H and S would be more likely to use those than my better cookware…). I have replaced my cookware over the years but have always had 2 sets worth, it was cheaper to buy whole sets and I often use 2 of the same size pan for the same meal. A set of different sizes of Pyrex/Corelle covered dishes is an essential, I still use mine and give it to relatives.</p>
<p>One nice thing Alton Brown on the HGTV cooking show “Good Eats” likes- multitasking tools. Consider how many different uses you can get out of something, or if it is single use, such as a waffle iron, how often you will use it. Some people will use a rice cooker for more than rice…</p>
<p>I pretty much agree with Alu:</p>
<p>All-Clad stainless for skillets. Le Creuset for dutch ovens. BTW, shop the seconds at the Le Creuset outlets. You can buy anything they make in any color for half the price. The stuff ends up being affordable – a third the price of the larger All-Clad dutch ovens. I believe our oldest piece still in service is a 4.5 quart dutch oven that we got for a weedding present 25 years ago. We’ve pretty much worn the enamel coating off the inside (didn’t figure out the best cleaning tricks until later), but it’s still going strong. A 2 quart Le Creuset dutch oven is the best Jasmine rice cooker in the world. There’s just something about the way cast iron holds heat.</p>
<p>Plus a Lodge cast iron skillet.</p>
<p>Non-stick? Nice to have a skillet or two for eggs and stuff. But, it self-destructs in a matter of years (no matter what they say), so it’s crazy to buy the super-high priced stuff. Just pickup a Chinese import (like the Emeril or Wolfgang brand) every few years as needed.</p>
<p>On woks, for anyone without a wok burner, the cast iron Le Creuset wok is simply amazing. You can preheat the sucker until it is smokin’ hot. And, it actually stays hot long enough for stir frying instead of boiling. Costs an absolute fortune, so look for a second on this item at the outlet stores. The wok has the same high-temp black enamel interior as the chicken fryer and some of the newer skillets. Great coating. Indestructible. Behaves pretty much like a seasoned Lodge except you can soak it to clean. I left the empty wok on a high burner by mistake once until it was nearing the point of glowing red – the smoke detectors in the house went off – after about 30 minutes. Like I say, the enamel is indestructible.</p>
<p>Somebody asked about hollandaise. I just make it right in a small LeCreuset saucepan directly on the burner. It’s no problem to control the heat to get the egg yolks thickening.</p>
<p>I just bought a wedding gift–the small Le Creuset oval pot. I think oval shape more useful than round. The new colors are pretty–turquoise, lime green, …</p>
<p>I still use my original from my 20’s. Where are there outlet stoes for these?</p>
<p>The main outlet is near their US headquarters in Yemassee, SC, right off I-95. There’s another at the outlet mall in Kittery, Maine and others scattered around the big outlet malls.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.outletsonline.com/lecreuset/lestores.html[/url]”>http://www.outletsonline.com/lecreuset/lestores.html</a></p>
<p>The oval dutch ovens are pretty useful for some things. We have the 3.5 quart (another wedding present 25 years ago), which is perfect for steaming corn on the cob. Also, ideal for a smallish pot roast because it fits fairly tightly around the meat. Overall, though, it’s not the every day workhorse that the 2 quart, 3 qt, 4.5 qt, 5.5 quart, and 7 qt sizes are. They are just fantastic for soups and stews because you can sear the meat in them, then sautee the onions, then put everything in and simmer on the stove or in the oven. They are also great for deep frying.</p>
<p>The All-Clads would also work great, but I don’t think you can find a the larger dutch ovens for double or even triple the price of the Le Creuset seconds. When you are already talking $50 to $100 per pot, that’s some serious money by the time you cover an assortment of sizes. The All-Clad stuff is hideously expensive. The Le Crueset “seconds” have blemishes that are unnoticeable even when brand new, let alone after you’ve been cooking with them for a decade or two, usually a little bubble in the enamel (the size of a grain of sand), or a scuffed lid, etc.</p>
<p>The only downside to the Le Creuset dutch ovens is that you want to use wooden spatulas for stirring and scraping because the enamel will wear away faster with metal utensils. And you don’t want to use abrasive cleaning powders (that’s what killed the enamel in our 25 year old dutch ovens). If I really mess one up by burning a black residue in one these days, I just let it sit for an hour or two with some clear gel bleach cleaner.</p>
<p>BTW, in addition to the wok (which is to die for), Le Crueset’s two-burner flat griddle (ridges on one side, flat surface on the other) with the high-temp black enamel finish is a beautiful piece. I don’t use it that often because we grill outside, but you can put some serious “restaurant style” grill marks on fish or chops with that that thing.</p>
<p>I like the All-Clad style aluminium skillets better because the aluminum is light enough for the one-handed “food flip” action. A large cast iron skillet is just too heavy for that unless you use two hands! , plus you can remove concrete from a stainless steel surface with a copper pad and some barkeeper’s friend. However, I still use the old workhorse $15 Lodge skillet more than any pan in the kitchen. We get a new set of Chinese import All-Clad knockoff 8-inch and 10-inch non-stick skillets every two years for Christmas for scrambled eggs, omlets, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.</p>
<p>My word of advice is to go and pick up in your hand, each pot you are considering. Last year I was so excited to go purchase a new set of All-Clad that I had had my eyes on for quite some time. I have a very small hand and when I picked them up in the store, the handles were the most uncomfortable things I had ever held. I was so disappointed but so glad I found out before I purchased. I wound up with the Calphalon Tri-Ply and have been very happy. I definitely endorse the Le Crueset dutch ovens.</p>
<p>I haven’t read all the posts, so I don’t think anyone addressed this, but none of this stuff is dishwasher safe :(. I agree completely with everyone’s suggestions, although we have the old black Calphalon, but if I was buying today I would buy All Clad. We have a few copper pieces as well, but you don’t need those on a wedding registry. Everyone needs some cast iron pieces.
We were replacing some of our smaller Calphalon pots, and we were trying to get something dishwasher safe for everyday use - think warming a can of Campbell’s soup - and ended up buying very, very cheap single pots at Walmart. Whene they start looking ratty we will pitch them. this has helped my attitude about dishwashing tremendously, I have about 1/3rd fewer pots to watch.</p>
<p>I consider the All Clad MC2 to be dishwasher safe, but not the anodized black. I’d wash Le Creuset or any other enameled in the diswasher too - although the ones I have with wooden handles do get dry and sere.</p>
<p>I think Alumother’s list is terrific. I would add a good grill pan. I only recently purchased one (All Clad version) and we LOVE it. Great for everything from grilled chicken and meats to paninis and quesadillas. I too have accumulated a mixed bag of pots & pans over the years, starting out with RevereWare and moving on to Calphalon and All Clad. Note: I prefer cookware with heft to it… I think great cookware will last forever if treated well. Though it is recommended that you not use the dishwasher on these brands, we find its worth the handwashing time to have the quality. As for baking (I do a lot of it) I would recommend a few silicone spatulas, wooden spoons, nesting measuring cups, good measuring spoons, a variety of whisks and silpat baking sheets. They fit right into the 1/4 and 1/2 sheet pans for great cookies and very easy clean up. For the guest (or group of guests) that wants to invest in a bigger ticket, lifelong use item I would recommend a great mixer. I am still using the Kitchenaid 4qt. mixer I got for my wedding 25 years ago and it has done yeomans duty. If you like lighter mixing bowls the multi-colored melamine nesting bowls at Crate & Barrel are terrific and clean easily. Best of luck to you Mollie…</p>
<p>I have to clarify…the All-Clad pan that I have a problem lifting is the big saute pan, not the skillet. Every other pan is my collection is great, but that one is heavy and the handle too narrow. I don’t have the wrist strength to hold the thing steady with one hand…and have to grab the small handle with my other hand. I’m sure that small handle is there for that reason, but I find the pan cumbersome and avoid using it. All my other All-Clad pans are wonderful and I highly recommend the brand. But it’s a good idea, mentioned above by my-3-sons, to go and give each pan a road test before buying.</p>
<p>(And I know this is shameful…but I do put my All-Clad stainless in the dishwasher. Drives my chef brother-in-law crazy.)</p>
<p>I cook a lot, and I have mostly Revereware that I purchased 28 years ago when I got married, as well as a few inexpensive non-stick frying pans. I have to confess my ignorance - can some of the knowledgeable cooks here tell me the advantages of All-Clad and some of the other more expensive types of cookware? Everyone here seems to love them!</p>
<p>I like All-Clad and other heavy pots, because they are heavy and therefore unlikely to burn food instantly if I’m careless. This is a good thing because I am frequently careless. However, I have a few lighter pans–like Revereware–for soup and other things that I’m going to have to pour hot.</p>
<p>On the double boiler: I have a lovely double boiler that I never use, since I figured out how to use the microwave to melt chocolate, make hollandaise and bearnaise sauces, and make cheese sauces. It’s much easier and you can use the serving dishes to cook in.</p>
<p>(To make microwave hollandaise/bearnaise: mix all ingredients in the blender (including the melted butter, still hot) until well-aerated. Pour into microwave-safe pottery serving bowl (important because it holds heat). Put in microwave for ten seconds. Take out and stir. Repeat until you have hollandaise (takes about one minute total, if that). I have never had a problem with it separating using this method.)</p>
<p>(To melt chocolate: break into small chunks and put in microwave-safe pottery bowl (again, because it holds heat). Microwave for ten seconds, stir, repeat as necessary until melted.)</p>
<p>(Guess how you make cheese sauces. Same method.)</p>
<p>My advise is get a steamer, and at least 2 big skillets (as large and deep as you can get, and still have fit in dishwasher). Make sure that everything is dishwasher safe. Also, a couple of different sized casserole dishes that go from freezer to oven, and are pretty for serving are great.</p>
<p>knives-Love my Henkle knives, the ones made in Germany (get an electric sharpener for knives). Be careful, I cut myself twice til I got better at using them. They are sharp!</p>
<p>Knives:</p>
<p>10 in and 8 in chefs
Serrated
5 or 6 inch paring
pair of scissors
knife block or in drawer</p>
<p>additions? Cleaver, small small paring but I just use Target cheapo for that.</p>
<p>I used to have Henckels but now use Wusthoff, the originals.</p>
<p>Amazing how similar all of our inventories are. MomofTwo, I think the advantage of All-Clad, especially for soups, stews, sauteeing, anything where the food is on the burner for a while, is that it’s more forgiving and somehow the caramelizing seems to work better without going to a burn.</p>
<p>LOL, I misspelled, Henckel. Is there something that you did not care for about them? BTW, I particularly love the scissors. They cut through turkey, chicken very well.</p>
<p>I liked them, had to replace that’s all, tried something else:).</p>