Kitchen Deals -> Cook's Tools

Buy stainless spoons (both slotted and non-slotted) which are solid and won't bend no matter how tough the job. Also, buy several high quality wooden spoons for stirring delicate dishes like risotto (the sharp edge of a metal spoon would cut or bruise the rice).

Ease of cleaning is well worth considering at the outset. Stay clean liners resist dirt build-up but pyrolitic cleaning is the ultimate. It burns off all baked-on debris at 500°C so that all you have to do is sweep out the resulting ash. Look out for ovens with a steam cleaning facility, too, and remember that some ovens have removable inner doors that are easy to clean.

Is the top or bottom element going to perform the self-cleaning cycle? Some ovens only use the top element and others only use the bottom one. Better designed ovens use the bottom element. The reason for this is that most grease spills and splatters (soil) will accumulate on the sides and the floor of the cavity - not on the ceiling (where the broiler is located) and therefore, the element that is the closest to these soiled areas should be the one to work the strongest in order to bake off the soil.