Benriner Japanese Mandolin Slicer	A must-have. Perfect for thin-slicing of ginger, fennel, or anything else. Durable, cheap, and hugely versatile.
	Lodge Logic 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet	The workhorse skillet. Cast iron requires some care -- no soap, just scrub with very hot water and brush, then apply a small amount of oil -- but is SO worth it
	BLENDER VITA-PREP 48 OZ, EA, 15-0389 VITA-MIX CORPORATION BLENDERS	Another wacky expensive toy, but man: last one of your life, near-daily use, indestructable (it turns CONCRETE into dust), 2 horsepower of pure delight. Make su
	Krups 203-42 Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, Black	My most-used tool in the kitchen. I grind so many things with it: flavored salts, crusts of all types (lentils, bread, rice, etc.), dried whole spices, the work
	DMT W250FCNB 10-inch DuoSharp Bench Stone Fine / Coarse - No Base	World's greatest knife sharpener. Not cheap at $100, but then again you'll have razor-sharp knives for the rest of your life from a one-time purchase. Totally w
	Lodge Logic 3-Quart Pre-Seasoned Chicken Fryer	Makes beautiful Dutch babies! Among many, many other dishes.
	Lodge Enameled Cast-Iron 11-Inch Skillet, Caribbean Blue	My eggs-only pan. My god does this pan get babied! Incredible pan.
	Cuisinart DFP-7BC 7 Cup Food Processor	Love this everything about this machine -- easy to operate and clean, perfect size.
	Nesco American Harvest FD-1010 Gardenmaster Food Dehydrator	I use this to make killer jerky. If you're interested in making any kind of dehydrated food, this is the one.
	Shun Classic 3-1/2-Inch Paring Knife	The perfect pairing knife. It's in constant use in my kitchen.
	DMT B8250 DuoSharp DuoBase - bench stone base	Base for the DMT diamond slab. Makes life a lot easier -- get it.
	Silpat 11-5/8-by-16-1/2-Inch Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat	I used to line baking pans with parchment or foil, but the silpat is far superior; NOTHING sticks to it. It gets very heavy use.
	Global 10-Inch Diamond Sharpening Steel	An excellent sharpening steel, if you don't want to go with the DMT Duosharp diamond slab.
	Fagor Duo 8-Quart Pressure Cooker	A very good pressure cooker for the price. 8 quarts is plenty roomy for almost anything you'd want to do at home. Stainless means cleanup is easy; overall a gre
	Kuhn Rikon Duromatic Top Pressure Cooker, 5-Quart	Really sleek unit that design-conscious people will want. Also good for solo cooks who don't need something larger. Expensive, but worth it!
	Shun Steel 9-Inch Bread Slicing Knife	Amazing bread knife -- it's hard to imagine anything working better!
	Fagor Duo 10-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner	Bigger size for making stocks, large quantities of soup, etc.
	KitchenAid KHB100OB Hand Blender, Onyx Black	Perfect for blending soups when I don't feel like breaking out the VitaPrep. Very powerful.
	Solis SOMAS5000 ANT Master 5000 Anthracite Super Automatic Espresso Machine	OK it's bloody expensive, but when I think of how many years of daily use I've gotten from mine, it's actually a bargain! It makes the best espresso -- can't im