Kitchen Deals -> Drinkware & Flatware

Many still consider a whip as a "gourmet" piece of kitchen equipment. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is as essential as a kitchen stove and should be in everyone's kitchen. Nothing works better for mixing a multitude of different preparations or for making sauces or gravy. Buy a solid stainless steel whip with moderately stiff wires. Very thin wires are for mixing delicate things like egg whites or whipped cream. Very thick, solid wires are for mixing stiff dough.

There seems to be little difference between hard wood and plastic cutting boards from a safety standpoint, as long as they are properly washed and sanitized after each use. Personally, I like the feel of solid wood. One piece of advice--buy large cutting boards. Don't bother with these tiny boards that everyone seems to have in his or her kitchen. They are not user friendly. Once you get down to serious cutting or chopping, the small boards are always woefully inadequate and downright maddening!

No new fridge or fridge/freezer should contain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) or HFCs (hydroflourocarbons), which have been linked to the "Greenhouse Effect". However your old fridge may contain them, so please dispose of it thoughtfully. Your local authority should be able to give you some advice and guidelines.