Kitchen Deals -> Kitchen tools

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 shopping for a new washer, look for a front loading (horizontal-axis) machine. This machine may cost more to buy but uses about a third of the energy and less water than a top-loading machine. With a front loader, you'll also save more on clothes drying, because they remove more water from your clothes during the spin cycle. Look for the Energy Star label.

A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, because you apply to it more pressure and force to cut through foods. It can easily slip out of place as you use it and you can harm yourself. Keep your knives in good working condition by sharpening according to their use and time. There's no specified amount of time, because knives vary as much as their use; although, you can easily determine if they need sharpening by the way they cut/slice foods. If a knife can slice through a tomato and tear the skin, then it needs sharpening. If, on the other hand, the cut is clean and quick without any tears, then it needs not be sharpened.