Not too much romance here, but essential for any functional kitchen. Buy the heaviest pans possible. Also, you should consider buying a non-stick silicon sheet: they make baking very easy!

We recommend 2 strainers for every kitchen. The first is a solid stainless steel colander (one big enough to wash a lot of lettuce at once). The second strainer is a fine mesh conical strainer (called a chinois) which is a must for any serious sauce or stock making. A chinois is an expensive purchase, but with care it will last many years.

When cooking potatoes to use in potato salad, add a little vinegar to the water when boiling the potatoes. The vinegar causes the potatoes to form a thin crust, which helps them hold their shape