What are your favourite and/or most used kitchen items?

fern@beehaw.org to Food and Cooking@beehaw.org – 45 points –

For me, it would probably have to be my Bialetti moka pot and Dualit toaster. I make a pot of coffee and toast almost every morning. I also hope to replace my old pans with a cast iron one soon, and I look forward to using that a lot.

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Probably my gas (well we have LPG here) hob because I suffered with an electric hob for so long in my last place.

Or possibly my stainless steel copper bottom sautée pan but my husband just scoured that with steel wool (you can probably imagine the stunned look on my face). I want to get some cast iron cookware but stainless steel is so versatile for sauces and risotto.

I started with cast iron before getting a nice stainless pan, and I had every intention of using both equally, but I rarely reach for the cast iron now. Really only use it when I need very high heat (like for cast iron pizza) or with things that would stick a ton and make a mess (like burgers)

In your opinion what are the benefits of gas over electric?

I grew up with gas stoves, I remember my first apartment had an electric where it was just solid glass, and my parents would complain about it when they came over. I was like 19 I don't remember one way or the other. But the next place was back to gas. Now the place im in came with an old electric stove, with the coils on top instead of the glass, and I'm really trying to figure out why people like gas more? I cook a lot, this stove boils water faster than gas. The temperature settings seem more accurate than gas where the first 3/4 of the know was basically full flame and the last 1/4 was for adjusting the heat. The only difference I've noticed is that the coil stays hot a bit longer after cutting the power but it's literally as easy as moving the pan to a cold burner.

I just don't personally see enough of a difference to have a preference, other than 'gas is what I grew up with so gas it shall be'

Coil-top stoves are definitely better than gas IMO.

Now, I'm hooked on induction.

I got a good single-burner induction hob to test it out (was like $120, bought online) and immediately fell in love with it. I only revert back to my current gas stove if I absolutely have to (some of my cheaper pans are sadly just aluminum base and dont work on induction) or if I need multiple things going at once.

I'm really getting a lot of mileage out of my cast iron on the induction hob too, I think this is the most I've used it in years and thus the pans are getting quite well seasoned.

I'm hooked on induction all the way. It's such a pleasant cooking experience. Precise heat control all the way from just a little warm to basically melting the pan. Boil water in a couple minutes. No indoor air pollution like with gas.