A few of my favorite things for the kitchen:
Water Filter.
There are probably other perfectly good units out there, but I don’t have personal experience with them. I use a water filter built by these folks in Texas. They helped me figure out what I needed and shipped it to me. You can call and talk to a real person. It’s been a while, but was in the $500 ballpark for a very complete RO system with extra tanks and faucets.
https://www.purewaterproducts.com/
Knives:
With just a few exception, I often use wusthof knives. I have a couple benchmade that are also excellent ( I’ve been using the meat crafter a lot in recent weeks actually). Many knives even from the factory are hit and miss with how sharp they are. I suggest professional sharpening, unless you really really know what your doing. I use: https://www.moletausa.com/ — You can mail knives to them for sharpening, they are legit, I’ve been there in person and know the owner.
A 8 inch chef knife is one of the base knives everyone should have. I have this knife (I have a different style handle that I think was discontinued, same metal).
Paring Knife. This small knife is a favorite for Karen.
If they are in your budget and you want a high end fillet style knife with a great strong edge, made in the US, these are very nice. Not in everyone’s price range for sure. They just introduced some other kitchen knives in different styles, I have not used these yet. I did have a new edge put on the meatcrafters shortly after purchase, they were not a bad factor edge, but not at the level I was pleased with. I’ve come to accept this is normal that I have to re-sharpen many knifes even right from the factor to get the edge I want.
https://www.benchmade.com/custom-meatcrafter
If these knives are out of your price range, get a knife you can afford and professionally sharpen it. It will get very sharp – but it’s a question / gamble how long it will hold the edge for. Depending on use and how fussy I am, a $10 knife might hold an okay edge for me for weeks, a wusthof will do 3-6 months+. I’ve not had them that long, but guessing you get closer to a year on the benchmade. This is with at-home use multiple times a week to daily.
Sous Vide
This rapidly became my favorite way to cook most meats. You place your meat in a vacuum sealed bag or silicone pouch if you are avoiding plastic, remove as much air as possible and place it in a water bath at a set temperature. The time and temp varies with the meat and the goal.
For example, Most steaks I cook are in there for around 1 hour at 127F and then finished on my grill (broiler). I end up with consistent steak house level results (only variable is the quality of the meat) every time I cook.
I found mine on special at sams club for $99 a year ago, it came with a plastic tank, which is nice, but you can also use a pot or other heat resistant container.
The unit has been very reliable overall — it has “glitched” a couple times and had to be unplugged and plugged back in. Not a big deal, but thought I’d mention it. I heard they have good customer service, but have not used it.
I have a couple wood cutting boards we use often. This is one I often use for serving / cutting steaks. It’s really important for the life if your knives not to use glass, stone, etc. Only use wood or plastic if your don’t mind using plastic.
