Quality and durable kitchen items?

[TridenT]

Got any suggestions on brands and so forth? I'm in the market for a silicone spatula and some measuring cups. The last spatula that was a part of 3 spatula set had the head snap off. The handle was made of some kind of plastic. It was bound to happen... Now I'm in the market for steel handles. Same for measuring cups.

Saw this thing: http://www.amazon.com/J-A-Henckels-T...rds=JA+Spatula Looks like a beast of a spatula (Minus the somewhat thin steel neck), but is pricey.

 

[IronWing]

AllClad makes a measuring cup suitable for home defense applications.

 

[PottedMeat]

oxo good grips

Saw this thing: http://www.amazon.com/J-A-Henckels-T...rds=JA+Spatula Looks like a beast of a spatula (Minus the somewhat thin steel neck), but is pricey.

you're paying for the name Henckels.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

I have a monster, heavy duty Kitchen-Aid pizza slicer that I would be proud
to take into battle, anytime, anywhere, that is all.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

AllClad makes a measuring cup suitable for home defense applications.

They make quite a few measuring cups. These are the ones I have:

The one in the middle is 3 years old. The others are between 5 and 8 years old. They have all been through an untold number of dishwashing cycles and still look great. All-Clad may be pricey but their durability can't be beat.

 

[DrPizza]

Spatula - I highly recommend the kitchenaid one on the left: http://minimalistbaker.com/store/kitchenaid-bamboo-2-piece-spatula-set-red/
And, with wooden handles, they should never be placed in the dishwasher & soaked in the sink. As soon as I'm done with it, it's rinsed under very hot water (my water would scald you), dried with a paper towel, and put away. Having baked since I was a little kid, over all these years, I think that one is my favorite. It's got a longer edge than most, nice flexibility, and conforms to the shape of my bowls very well, allowing for much easier scraping away of cake batter, etc.

(Gee, this sounds like a paid review - no wonder all my reviews on Yelp were filtered out.)

 

[mizzou]

look for something solid and made using a long lasting material

 

[DrPizza]

Measuring cups - I prefer a set of plastic nesting measuring cups that I've had for a few years. It's more satisfying to be able to just give it a little toss into the sink when I'm done (without worrying about chipping something.)

 

[TridenT]

All-Clad/Allclad/All Clad has some bad reviews on their measuring cups when searching on Amazon...

And I don't really want wooden handles. :/

 

[Crono]

http://www.amazon.com/MIU-France-Si...=1357206057&sr=1-61&keywords=spatula+silicone

 

[Baked]

You've gotta be stupid or hates money if you waste money on all-clad measuring cups...

 

[dawp]

cast iron skillet, unless you use it as a mallet. I prefer lodge brand but most any will do.

http://www.lodgemfg.com/

carbon steel wok, very versatile.

 

[Ben90]

You've gotta be stupid or hates money if you waste money on all-clad measuring cups...

What a great injustice. He will no longer have a whole 20 dollars.

 

[xanis]

OXO Good Grips (can openers, garlic presses, etc.). Seems to be a good price/quality balance in my experience.

EDIT: Is Farberware still any good? My parents have a set of stainless steel pots and pans that they got as a wedding gift 28 years ago and every single piece is still intact and in great condition.

 

[lxskllr]

Buy American, European, or English, and avoid China. It isn't rocket science.

 

[sjwaste]

I buy OXO for most kitchen utensils.

 

[NutBucket]

For measuring cups nothing beats old-style glass Pyrex.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

All-Clad/Allclad/All Clad has some bad reviews on their measuring cups when searching on Amazon...

And I don't really want wooden handles. :/

You have to often carefully read, then consider the low ratings though. Most complaints concerning quality products, on Amazon, seem to come from morons. E.G. Giving 1 star because the kitchen knife they bought, rusted after being left in the sink after use. Or low rating a coffee maker, for a reason, which had they RTFM, they would know was a feature, not an issue. One they could have changed easily. And never forget, fanboys are not limited to computer parts or cars. So they will unjustly bash the comp, and praise their favorite.

And if there is an alternative to 'Made in China" I willingly spend more. Zebo put it best "Cheaper is more expensive." and often, on many levels.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

For measuring cups nothing beats old-style glass Pyrex.

I still have the set I bought in the 80's. Not a single measuring indicator has scratch off or faded. They refuse to chip too. Same with the Pyrex baking dishes I have had that long.

I think about replacing them sometimes. But, at this point they have that vintage quality going for them.

 

[DrPizza]

And I don't really want wooden handles. :/

Why?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

You've gotta be stupid or hates money if you waste money on all-clad measuring cups...

Not at all. In fact, it's the opposite. In the long term All-Clad is a good value because I'll never have to buy another set again. First, they come with a lifetime guarantee. If they do rust, which shouldn't ever happen since they are stainless, I can simply RMA them for new ones. Plus, if I ever decide that I no longer need them, which is unlikely since I use them almost daily, I can list them on eBay and they will still sell for a decent amount. Try doing that with a el-cheapo set of kitchen items.

 

[Leymenaide]

When I was buying the stuff I found Williams-Sonoma to be high quality. I have a well equipped kitchen and do not need to replace much because it is from:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/

 

[disappoint]

I have a monster, heavy duty Kitchen-Aid pizza slicer that I would be proud
to take into battle, anytime, anywhere, that is all.

I have a Monster pizza slicer with an op amp jb welded to the handle for maximum audio fidelity. It was only $300 so it was a steel, or some other metal like unobtainium. Not sure. Anywho....

On a more serious note best deal I ever found was a pizza peel and pizza stone at Bed Bath and Beyond for like $15. Still going strong, and delicious. Well they aren't edible just what I make with them. Can't find that deal anymore, now they're like $30 each or something, but they are really good quality.

I recommend shopping around till you find what you like. Try it out in store make sure it's not flimsy or anything and you should be good to go.

 

[madoka]

Zebo put it best "Cheaper is more expensive." and often, on many levels.

+1, though I like the phrase "buy once, cry once" a bit more.

 

[vi edit]

They are overpriced, but Pampered Chef utensils are pretty nice too. I've got a couple spatulas for grilling that could double as medieval instruments of war.