Lots of things….most things.
Over the cliff and down the rabbit hole I go….
Copper cookware:
Copper is amazing to cook on. It’s like comparing a sharp Japanese knife to a standard European one. It can blow you away. Copper (and silver) has the best heat distribution (it can shock you), is fast and responsive to changes in heat, can be non stick, and is a joy to cook with. You can bargain hunt used gear, quality matters more than age. It’s worth looking into. I’m happy to share more if anyone wants.
Cast iron cookware:
If copper cookware is having a sports car, cast iron is having a truck. Both are great, complement each other nicely, and are useful for different things. Carbon steel can work here too.
Note: The myth of cast iron having even heat distribution needs to end. Cast iron and carbon steel have terrible heat distribution, what they have is good heat retention.
Stove/Ranges:
Look into nicer ranges, and you may want one too. But be warned, they get expensive fast, and offer the low value for the money. Similar to expensive fridges. However they can be absolutely beautiful to look at, some are like art, and can be the primary feature in your kitchen.
Combi steam oven:
Great to use in the kitchen, and very useful. More useful than you might think. Research one and you also might want one too.
Food processors:
Often used, but typically forgotten. These can be really helpful. Making breadcrumbs, emulsions, hummus, pesto, pizza dough, etc. Robot Coupe make the high end commercial ones, Magimix is their home version. Breville can be good too. Cusinart on the affordable, but still worth buying end. A little digging here and you can figure out what you want.
Grills, BBQ, Smoker:
This is something a lot of us will like. I like using charcoal, and I love kamado’s: Green egg, KamadoJoe, etc. I have two green eggs now, but I will move to a Komodo Kamado one day. They are the best, by far. It’s not even a debate. They’re expensive, but you get what you pay for. A 21” or 23” is good for most. A forno is nice as a sidekick if you love to bake bread and pizza. You should go down this rabbit hole.
Plating:
Just getting more into serious plating. So tweezers, chop sticks, spoons, etc… if someone has a good guide, please post or share.
Sideline stuff:
Coffee and espresso.
Surprisingly more complex than you would think. Like cooking, this is a fun hobby, and great to share with friends. With pour over, you can do high end for reasonable money. Get a good grinder, that is key. Research Bunzilla. Good espresso gear is always going to be pricey, no way around it. You can find good used gear though. For a bonus round, get into lever espresso machines.
Beer:
Home brewing can be a great hobby. Lots of fun, goes well with food, and is really social to share with friends. You can spend your life researching, experimenting trying different microbrews. Hint: Look into White labs. The yeasts you use are your secret weapon.
Wine:
We all know this is a deep rabbit hole, which can get expensive fast, but it doesn’t have too. Learn about wines, start trying things, and you can find something enjoyable for $10-$20. Once you find something affordable you really like, get a decent wine cooler, and age of them for 3 to 5 years (or whatever is best for that wine). They’ll get even better. Some years are better than others, a large enough wine cooler also lets you skip the bad years. I’m barely scratching the surface here, I’m still an amateur. Okay, this is really kitchen gear, but it augments the kitchen.
Bonus, to complement to kitchen tools:
Grow your own food:
Try growing some of your own herbs and veggies for the quality, freshness, and enjoyment of doing so.
Raised beds, green house, aquaponics, permaculture (even small scale backward sized), chickens, rabbits, etc. There are so many ways to do it. I still had a small herb garden when I lived in a condo. Great food starts with great ingredients.
Hmm, there is probably more I am forgetting. I love food and cooking.
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