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.

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.

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.