Look for ladles that are made of one piece of stainless steel rather than a handle and dome which are spot welded together. With use, spot welded ladles tend to come apart. Buy several differnet sizes.

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).

Few summer pleasures are as much fun as a cookout. The smell of grilling food is mouth-watering, everything tastes great and it's hard not to have a good time - that is, unless you're the harried host running back and forth between the grill and the kitchen for the chicken and steak, forks and knives, beer and wine, and ketchup and mustard. And when everybody's done, all the leftovers must be lugged back inside.