As our household has transitioned from college grads to working adults, we have been taking stock of our kitchen items and upgrading as we are able, purchasing a few entertaining and cooking workhorses that will last for decades and focusing on elegant, timeless pieces that will only get better with age. Here are some of our favorite classics and adaptable basics.
A few of our must-haves are items you can purchase at any store, really, in any city. But two of our entertaining must-haves are more personal than that; we have found that these kitchen keepsakes are a mix of meaningful, sustainable, timeless, and practical.
First on our list: the coveted Le Creuset Dutch Oven. This enameled cast iron pot is the epitome of made-to-last kitchen ware and likely at the top of any home cook's wish list. Able to withstand daily cooking for decades, these pots might just be worth their weight in gold (and that's a lot of gold). They are so known for their reliability, in fact, that they're often passed down to the next cook in the generational line-up.
Another frequent long-lasting multitasker: a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. We inherited ours from an avid baker, and she used it for 15 years before handing it down to us in excellent condition. With attachments, this hefty stand mixer can do anything from knead and cut pasta to whip egg whites.
Whether you find one made from reclaimed teak, recycled metals, or even eco-friendly glass, a beautiful salad bowl (that can double as a pasta or bread bowl in a pinch) is always perfect for entertaining. Take the time to find one that fits into your current home decor sense, but is also a timeless fit.
Whether you're planning on serving your guests hot apple streudel or any variety of corn bread, a cast iron skillet only gets better with age. They're inexpensive to begin with, and are also worth their weight as a timeless kitchen workhorse.
We think that a handmade serving platter can elevate any dinner party from the everyday to the elegant. Like a good serving bowl, look for the perfect one that's made of eco-friendly materials. When it's not busy entertaining dinner guests with crudite, it can be home to fresh fruits.
What would you add to the list of entertaining items that are built to last?
Related posts:
• On Buying Sustainable Plates. . . Slowly
• Roundup: Best Eco-Friendly Entertaining Ideas
• Entertaining Green: Glassware
(Image: WordRidden, licensed under Creative Commons. Originally published 11.8.10)
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Gorgeous. Thank you. This is the true green. Buying non-plastic and reclaimed wood - stuff that is metal and glass, built to last generations. Worth the investment and will save our planet.
Some good metal serving spoons will last forever. Much like the salad bowl and serving platter, look for a timeless style or something unique that appeals to you. These giant utensils are too big to lose, so you'll have them forever.
Metal serving utensils are great, but I prefer the look of bamboo. Its ecofriendly - grows quickly, sustainable - and is also so light!
I absolutely adore my le creuset, kitchenaid stand mixer and lodge cast iron skillet. My husband and I were just commenting on how the le creuset and cast iron skillet were really the only pots/pans we used, except for a random pot to boil water. Funny also that my grandmother just yesterday showed me a beautiful heavily glazed stoneware salad bowl that she got for her wedding 54 years ago and told me she is willing it to me!
I just need the handmade serving platter, but I actually have a few beautiful ones that are working until then, which is more eco-friendly than buying a new one at this point.
My le creuset was passed down from my dad, it's still going strong. Love it.
Ahhhhh...the le crueset. I have one on my Christmas wish list this year (though, disclaimer--I'm not starting a holiday list this early, it's just metaphorical).
Last year our great upgrade was quality sharp knives--another lifetime investment, I think!
My Le Creuset was passed down from my 98 year old grandmother. She bought it sometime in the 50's or 60's and it's still in near perfect condition. I also have a couple stainless steel serving platters and a stainless gravy boat that were my mom's that get constant use.
I absolutely LOVE my Ktichen Aid mixer. I still need to invest in some of the attachments, though.
And they aren't quite big enough to use as salad bowls, but I got some hand-me-down teak serving bowls from my mother's friend a few years ago, and they are absolutely beautiful!
I've got the Le Creset, the Kitchen Aid mixer, the serving platter and salad bowl but my most prized kitchen tool is the 12" lodge cast iron skillet that I got for my high school graduation (strange gift but just what I wanted) in 1979.
I just inherited three rusty cast iron skillets (teeny, medium, and large) and a huge, very old (it looks 19th century), very long griddle. The weekend will likely be spent with lots of steel wool, barkeeper's friend, some potatoes, and a lot of crisco.
Also - quality serving platters last forever if you treat them right. I buy vintage ones, but also have a few more modern-looking white ones from TJ Maxx. I find solid-colored ones are best and easier to coordinate than prints.
well, it's not exactly a kitchen item, but we just a few months updated our dining room bookcase from the dilapidated, grad school press board item we had to a beautiful, hand made maple one. What a difference!
Anybody else have a dining room bookcase? We keep, among others, "Not Your Mother's Casseroles" in it.... that is, when it is not being used in the kitchen!
Good knives were my first investment as an undergrad.
My son is in his last year of college and I've slowly been buying kitchen items for him on an as needed basis. I've found some good pieces at reasonable prices at Macy's (Martha Stewart line), Target and Home Goods. At Home Goods I found Tremontina and LeCresut irregulars--they have small irregularities but will wear normally and when youv'e had them for a number of years, it doesn't matter that they look a little beat up.
This is such a helpful post! We are currently getting ready to register for our wedding and we already have 2 Le Cruset pots (one was handed down from my mom and I won the other one from the Pioneer Woman!) My cast iron skillet is another favorite I think that these are the only pots/pans we cook with.
I love this post. Buy something sturdy that you love and have it forever. My fiancé and I are creating our wedding registry right now, and these are the types of items we'd like to include. Of course, we've already lived together for quite a while and already have the things on this list--anyone have any other suggestions for our registry (don't have to be kitchen-related)? Thanks!
I'm currently in my last year of my undergrad and have started gathering together a few things to last me for years to come. This past weekend I bought 3 lightly used cast iron skillets (small, medium and large). I have spend the past few days not using anything else and I think I'm in love.
Now if only I could afford the Le Cruset...
A good old fashioned cheese grater, we have had our for years and I wouldn't part with it!
I use a Lodge dutch oven instead of a Le Creuset, and I love my antique and vintage cast iron skillets (small, med, and huge). The "huge" one was actually my great grandmother's and I guard it from my son (who still owes me back my biggest stock pot LOL).
My KitchenAid came from my mom and is c1960 - plain white, banged up and still going strong. I have the meat grinder, but not the dough hook.
One 'must have' is a set of good mixing bowls. I have a stainless set and a vintage glass set. The glass ones are more often used as serving dishes.
And I would argue for a big ironstone platter. Big enough for a bigger turkey or a standing rib roast. You may only need it a half dozen times a year, but when you need it, you NEED it. (Mine lives the rest of the time as the base of a centerpiece on my buffet - filled with seasonal foilage and candles.)