Hi everyone,

I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with seeing
shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy. I'd like to purchase
some good kitchenware, but I don't want to overdo it, so I'm going to
try and stick to buying just basic pieces. However, I'm not sure
which pieces/brands might be best, so suggestions would be great.

Knives: I have an 8" chef's knife (pretty cheap) and a cheap paring
knife, but that's it. I use the 8" all the time - not sure what other
knife I really need? Maybe something with a scalloped edge? I was
thinking of maybe buying a high quality 6" knife? W/S has some new
knives that look sooo nice - wasn't paying attention in training, but
they have funny wiggly lines on the blade from combining two different
metals together and can only be used by right-handed people.

Pans: I have a cheap non-stick 10" frying pan that I use for
everything (it's the only pan I own). I'd definitely like something
much smaller (not sure what the smallest pan size is - 7.5"?) but
that's just for eggs and little things. I'm considering an All-Clad
Copper Core frying pan, maybe an 8" b/c I'd feel silly having another
10" pan, and I'm not sure it's worth the cost for the little pan.

Other: I'm considering an All-Clad braiser, but I'm not sure if I have
the right idea about what it does. I think I might like to use it to
make paella, and perhaps I can do something like brown some beef in
it, add some liquid, pop the lid on, let it simmer, and serve?
Basically, I see it as being like my current all-purpose frying pan,
but prettier (for serving) and (hopefully?) better.

I pretty much have no money to spend, but I like cooking and I thought
I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm working there to
buy some nice equipment now instead of later. Thanks in advance for
your suggestions/comments/advice!

"Tess" > wrote in message
om...
>
> I pretty much have no money to spend, but I like cooking and I thought
> I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm working there to
> buy some nice equipment now instead of later. Thanks in advance for
> your suggestions/comments/advice!

It would have to be a hell of a discount to compensate for the prices at WS.
I like to browse the store but I never buy anything there. Even Sur la
Table is less expensive. I would recommend that you make a list of your
cooking needs and buy equipment that will fulfill them without regard to the
shininess or sex appeal of the particular brand. If money were no object,
then I would say to get as much of the most expensive brand that you can
carry out of the store if that makes you happy That not being the case, you
can cook perfectly well in triply cookware from K-Mart or TJ Max. Disk
bottom cookware from QVC or Home Shopping Network will work as well as the
most expensive thing sold at WS 99% of the time. I'm not knocking WS or
people who buy $900 copper roasting pans at Sur la Table, but the fact is
most people don't require ultra expensive cookware to make good food. WS
only sells expensive cookware, so even with a hefty discount you will be
spending more than you need to spend.

For instance, WS has a 10 piece All-Clad cookware set for $875 that's on
sale for $599. Even if you get a 30% discount, on the sale price, it would
be $420.
http://ww2.williams-sonoma.com/cat/p... %2Fhme%2Fhme

You can get a 10 or 12 piece set of tri-ply stainless at Costco or K-mart
for around $199. For a little less, you can get a 21 piece set of disk
bottom stainless at HSN.com With the rest of the money you can buy a nice
cast iron skillet, a porcelain coated cast iron Dutch oven, and a few good
knives.

"Tess" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with seeing
> shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy. I'd like to purchase
> some good kitchenware, but I don't want to overdo it, so I'm going to
> try and stick to buying just basic pieces. However, I'm not sure
> which pieces/brands might be best, so suggestions would be great.
>

<snipped>

WS has high prices so even with your discount you may end up paying more
than you would at other places. As for what to buy, it's hard for others to
gove good advice. When you are cooking, what do you wish you had? A larger
frypan? A better knife? A food processor? I think this is the best way to
approach the question.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Well, my focus is on the three items I mentioned in my other post - an
all-purpose knife, a frying pan (probably 8", and possibly a very
small one), and a braiser.

I've never considered having a braiser, exactly, but I have thought
about buying a paella pan. The All-Clad braiser from W/S seems like
it might be more useful than a paella pan if I can use it sort of like
I would use my current frying pan.

My knife now is okay, but I can tell that it won't exactly stand the
test of time. Same with my pan (plus, I'd like a smaller one).

"Peter Aitken" > wrote in message r.com>...
>
> WS has high prices so even with your discount you may end up paying more
> than you would at other places. As for what to buy, it's hard for others to
> gove good advice. When you are cooking, what do you wish you had? A larger
> frypan? A better knife? A food processor? I think this is the best way to
> approach the question.

"Frank Lynch" > wrote in message
news
> Can you spend your discount on Christmas gifts? That's what I'd do.
> Like others, I consider WS overpriced, but they have significant cache
> that can work well in gifts.
>
> And spend your own, less money, on yourself.
>
> Frank Lynch
> The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
> http://www.samueljohnson.com/

That would be a good idea for things like cookbooks that you normally
wouldn't find discounted more than 10%.

In article >,
(Tess) wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with seeing
> shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy. I'd like to purchase
> some good kitchenware, but I don't want to overdo it, so I'm going to
> try and stick to buying just basic pieces. However, I'm not sure
> which pieces/brands might be best, so suggestions would be great.
>
> Knives: I have an 8" chef's knife (pretty cheap) and a cheap paring
> knife, but that's it. I use the 8" all the time - not sure what other
> knife I really need? Maybe something with a scalloped edge? I was
> thinking of maybe buying a high quality 6" knife? W/S has some new
> knives that look sooo nice - wasn't paying attention in training, but
> they have funny wiggly lines on the blade from combining two different
> metals together and can only be used by right-handed people.
>
> Pans: I have a cheap non-stick 10" frying pan that I use for
> everything (it's the only pan I own). I'd definitely like something
> much smaller (not sure what the smallest pan size is - 7.5"?) but
> that's just for eggs and little things. I'm considering an All-Clad
> Copper Core frying pan, maybe an 8" b/c I'd feel silly having another
> 10" pan, and I'm not sure it's worth the cost for the little pan.
>
> Other: I'm considering an All-Clad braiser, but I'm not sure if I have
> the right idea about what it does. I think I might like to use it to
> make paella, and perhaps I can do something like brown some beef in
> it, add some liquid, pop the lid on, let it simmer, and serve?
> Basically, I see it as being like my current all-purpose frying pan,
> but prettier (for serving) and (hopefully?) better.
>
> I pretty much have no money to spend, but I like cooking and I thought
> I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm working there to
> buy some nice equipment now instead of later. Thanks in advance for
> your suggestions/comments/advice!

I have the All-Clad 3-qt sauté pan (12" diameter, about 2-1/2" tall,
straight sided) -- the MasterChef line. I love it. Why do you want a
smaller pan than the 10"? I got it on sale at Mervyn's (a friend used
her employee discount for me and it wound up costing about $72 with
tax.) and love it, love it, love it. I can brown 3 pork chops at the
same time without crowding them. :-) For a frying pan, I'd rather
have one that's bigger than I need than smaller. The bacon lays flat in
the pan, too, instead of hanging over the edge. :-)

I use my 6" Henckel's 4-star chef's knife more than the 8". More
comfortable in my hand. Henckel's paring knife is nice, too.
--
-Barb
State Fair prizewinning jams and jellies for sale at the Burnsville
Senior Citizens Bake Sale, November 19, 2003; 9:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.
Diamondhead Education Center, Burnsville Parkway & Nicollet Aves,
Burnsville. 952-707-4120

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:47:41 -0600, in a clarity of expression
resembling Cicero, Melba's Jammin' >
wrote:

>In article >, Frank Lynch
> wrote:
>
>> but they have significant cache that can work well in gifts.
>
>What does this mean?

There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche - - but I
don't know how to do it in usenet. My point is that Williams Sonoma is
seen as "special" by many, who, when getting a Christmas gift of an
item from William Sonoma, will automatically feel it's better.

I think Edith Bunker once said something like, "well, it's ALMOST a
Hallmark..."

Frank Lynch
The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
http://www.samueljohnson.com/

"Frank Lynch" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:47:41 -0600, in a clarity of expression
> resembling Cicero, Melba's Jammin' >
> wrote:
>
> >In article >, Frank Lynch
> > wrote:
> >
> >> but they have significant cache that can work well in gifts.
> >
> >What does this mean?
>
> There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche - - but I
> don't know how to do it in usenet.

hold the alt key and enter 130

In article >,
Frank Lynch > wrote:

>There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche

Or you could use the English spelling, cachet.

-P
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
|
http://www.gammon.com/ | MCSE: technology's version of
Check out www.tribe.net! | an ambulance chaser.

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 23:11:24 GMT, in a clarity of expression
resembling Cicero, "Vox Humana" > wrote:

>> There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche - - but I
>> don't know how to do it in usenet.
>
>hold the alt key and enter 130

Doesn't work in Agent, ap[parently

Frank Lynch
The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
http://www.samueljohnson.com/

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 22:17:34 GMT, Frank Lynch
> wrote:

>On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:47:41 -0600, in a clarity of expression
>resembling Cicero, Melba's Jammin' >
>wrote:
>
>>In article >, Frank Lynch
> wrote:
>>
>>> but they have significant cache that can work well in gifts.
>>
>>What does this mean?
>
>There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche - - but I
>don't know how to do it in usenet. My point is that Williams Sonoma is
>seen as "special" by many, who, when getting a Christmas gift of an
>item from William Sonoma, will automatically feel it's better.

Cache and cachet are two different words that don't mean anywhere near
the same thing.

The word you're looking for to describe the charm or allure of a
product is cachet (pronounced "cash-ay").

Cache (in its simplest form, and pronounced "cash") is a bundle of
food buried for later retrieval.

I've heard cache pronounced "cash-ay" quite a bit recently and wonder
how that got started. I blame the internet.


LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net

"Joe Doe" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, "Vox Humana"
> > wrote:
>
> > You can get a 10 or 12 piece set of tri-ply stainless at Costco or
K-mart
> > for around $199.
>
> I was at Costco and noticed the current set seems extrordinarily heavy,
> So heavy infact that I was wondering if they would be unresponsive
> because they will have so much stored heat (almost like heavy cast iron
> cookware). Normally, I am dissapointed by how flimsy everything else is.
> This was the first time something sturdy disquited me.
>
> Roland

The heft comes from a thick aluminum disk on the bottom. I have similar
cookware and it is far more responsive than cast iron. My 11 inch chicken
fryer is very heavy, but performs far different than my similarly sized cast
iron skillet. Costco is great with returns. I just returned something two
weeks ago and they called to make sure I was happy with their customer
service dealing with the return. If you need cookware you could try it
without worrying about being stuck with it. HSN.com has a 30 day no
questions asked return policy also. They carry several lines of decent
stainless cookware.

Thanks for your feedback Melba! I generally cook just for myself, so
that's why I'd prefer a smaller pan - especially since I already have
a 10" pan now. And I think I'll try out a 6" knife; my current 8"
sometimes feels a little too large and unwieldy.

With regards to the other replies - my discount is for 40% off
regularly priced items, and 20% off sale items and electrics. I will
probably pick up one or two Christmas items, but just for my mum since
I'm not really looking to buy too many gifts this year.

Melba's Jammin' > wrote in message >...
>
> I have the All-Clad 3-qt sauté pan (12" diameter, about 2-1/2" tall,
> straight sided) -- the MasterChef line. I love it. Why do you want a
> smaller pan than the 10"? I got it on sale at Mervyn's (a friend used
> her employee discount for me and it wound up costing about $72 with
> tax.) and love it, love it, love it. I can brown 3 pork chops at the
> same time without crowding them. :-) For a frying pan, I'd rather
> have one that's bigger than I need than smaller. The bacon lays flat in
> the pan, too, instead of hanging over the edge. :-)
>
> I use my 6" Henckel's 4-star chef's knife more than the 8". More
> comfortable in my hand. Henckel's paring knife is nice, too.

Frank Lynch > wrote:

>On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 23:11:24 GMT, in a clarity of expression
>resembling Cicero, "Vox Humana" > wrote:
>
>>> There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche - - but I
>>> don't know how to do it in usenet.
>>
>>hold the alt key and enter 130
>
>Doesn't work in Agent, ap[parently
>
>Frank Lynch
>The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page is at:
>http://www.samueljohnson.com/


Works fine with Agent. You must use the keypad. é

--
Susan N.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who do not.

"Frank Lynch" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:47:41 -0600, in a clarity of expression
> resembling Cicero, Melba's Jammin' >
> wrote:
>
> >In article >, Frank Lynch
> > wrote:
> >
> >> but they have significant cache that can work well in gifts.
> >
> >What does this mean?
>
> There should be an accent on the 'e' in cache, like touche - - but I
> don't know how to do it in usenet. My point is that Williams Sonoma is
> seen as "special" by many, who, when getting a Christmas gift of an
> item from William Sonoma, will automatically feel it's better.

The word you are looking for is cachet.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Tess wrote:
:: Hi everyone,
::
:: I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with
:: seeing shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy::

:: thought I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm working
:: there to buy some nice equipment now instead of later.

Get yerself the new Kitchen-aid espresso machine then...it's only $799

"Scott" > wrote:

> Tess wrote:
> :: Hi everyone,
> ::
> :: I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with
> :: seeing shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy::
>
> :: thought I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm working
> :: there to buy some nice equipment now instead of later.
>
> Get yerself the new Kitchen-aid espresso machine then...it's only $799
>

The Saeco Italia is on sale at $bucks for less than that. :-)

Blanche Nonken wrote:
:: "Scott" > wrote:
::
::: Tess wrote:
::::: Hi everyone,
:::::
::::: I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with
::::: seeing shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy::
:::
::::: thought I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm
::::: working there to buy some nice equipment now instead of later.
:::
::: Get yerself the new Kitchen-aid espresso machine then...it's only
::: $799
:::
::
:: The Saeco Italia is on sale at $bucks for less than that. :-)

Apples and oranges though. The Saeco Italia is a super auto, whereas the KA
is a double boiler, semi-automatic. I'd rather have the KA...plus it's ultra
cool looking.

"Scott" > wrote:

> Blanche Nonken wrote:
> :: "Scott" > wrote:
> ::
> ::: Tess wrote:
> ::::: Hi everyone,
> :::::
> ::::: I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with
> ::::: seeing shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy::
> :::
> ::::: thought I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm
> ::::: working there to buy some nice equipment now instead of later.
> :::
> ::: Get yerself the new Kitchen-aid espresso machine then...it's only
> ::: $799
> :::
> ::
> :: The Saeco Italia is on sale at $bucks for less than that. :-)
>
> Apples and oranges though. The Saeco Italia is a super auto, whereas the KA
> is a double boiler, semi-automatic. I'd rather have the KA...plus it's ultra
> cool looking.
>

I'd rather have the basic model myself - passed up on a Mr. Coffee thing
at a yard sale ($5) because all that plastic in a machine like that made
me twitchy. I'm considering some basic stove-top dooly until I can
budget one in.

Blanche Nonken wrote:
:: "Scott" > wrote:
::
::: Blanche Nonken wrote:
::::: "Scott" > wrote:
:::::
:::::: Tess wrote:
:::::::: Hi everyone,
::::::::
:::::::: I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with
:::::::: seeing shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy::
::::::
:::::::: thought I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm
:::::::: working there to buy some nice equipment now instead of later.
::::::
:::::: Get yerself the new Kitchen-aid espresso machine then...it's only
:::::: $799
::::::
:::::
::::: The Saeco Italia is on sale at $bucks for less than that. :-)
:::
::: Apples and oranges though. The Saeco Italia is a super auto,
::: whereas the KA is a double boiler, semi-automatic. I'd rather have
::: the KA...plus it's ultra cool looking.
:::
::
:: I'd rather have the basic model myself - passed up on a Mr. Coffee
:: thing at a yard sale ($5) because all that plastic in a machine like
:: that made me twitchy. I'm considering some basic stove-top dooly
:: until I can budget one in.

If you're talking about a moka pot when you say stove top dooly, I have two
of them...and they do make very fine coffee. Not truly espresso, but very
good indeed. I only wish I could afford the KA., but at $800, it's quite a
bit outta my range.....I did just pick up a new Italian made espresso
machine on ebay. They are new to the states, but very well
constructed.....the case is all stainless steel....large brass boiler....
If you're interested...do a search on ebay for "Italian Espresso Machine".
They're not listed all the time, but he has had a few of them up lately. I'm
very happy with it.

Tess, I know you're asking about knives & cookware, but my favorite WS
purchase has got to be their large white chili bowls. They are only
$2.xx and they are PERFECT for soup or cereal. I use mine every day! I
also have a couple of the extra large bowls that I generally use as
small serving bowls.

As far as cookware, I have an embarassingly large collection for a
single woman living in a one bedroom apartment but my absolute
favorites are my Le Creuset. With a 7 qt dutch oven, 4 1/2 qt soup
pot, 8" omelette pan, 3 1/2 qt buffet casserole & 1 3/4 qt saucepan I
could make virtually anything I'd be likely to cook. Their stoneware
baking pans are nice, too.

"Scott" > wrote:

> Blanche Nonken wrote:
> :: "Scott" > wrote:
> ::
> ::: Blanche Nonken wrote:
> ::::: "Scott" > wrote:
> :::::
> :::::: Tess wrote:
> :::::::: Hi everyone,
> ::::::::
> :::::::: I've just started working for W/S and my discount combined with
> :::::::: seeing shiny objects is making my credit card jumpy::
> ::::::
> :::::::: thought I might take advantage of the W/S discount while I'm
> :::::::: working there to buy some nice equipment now instead of later.
> ::::::
> :::::: Get yerself the new Kitchen-aid espresso machine then...it's only
> :::::: $799
> ::::::
> :::::
> ::::: The Saeco Italia is on sale at $bucks for less than that. :-)
> :::
> ::: Apples and oranges though. The Saeco Italia is a super auto,
> ::: whereas the KA is a double boiler, semi-automatic. I'd rather have
> ::: the KA...plus it's ultra cool looking.
> :::
> ::
> :: I'd rather have the basic model myself - passed up on a Mr. Coffee
> :: thing at a yard sale ($5) because all that plastic in a machine like
> :: that made me twitchy. I'm considering some basic stove-top dooly
> :: until I can budget one in.
>
> If you're talking about a moka pot when you say stove top dooly, I have two
> of them...and they do make very fine coffee. Not truly espresso, but very
> good indeed. I only wish I could afford the KA., but at $800, it's quite a

Yes, something like that.

> bit outta my range.....I did just pick up a new Italian made espresso
> machine on ebay. They are new to the states, but very well
> constructed.....the case is all stainless steel....large brass boiler....
> If you're interested...do a search on ebay for "Italian Espresso Machine".
> They're not listed all the time, but he has had a few of them up lately. I'm
> very happy with it.

Isn't eBay wonderful? :-)

> Knives: I have an 8" chef's knife (pretty cheap) and a cheap paring
> knife, but that's it. I use the 8" all the time - not sure what other
> knife I really need? Maybe something with a scalloped edge? I was
> thinking of maybe buying a high quality 6" knife?

Buying a knife at Williams-Sonoma isn't a bad idea. That's where I
bought mine, I wanted to try it out before I bought it and they had the
best prices of any local store. I don't think you'll find signficantly
better prices on high quality knives.

I would find a 6" knife very small, but it really depends on how you use
your knives. Are you comfortable with the 8" knife? Buying a really
good chef's knife is a great investment. (And don't worry about
replacing your 8" chef knife - it's always handy to have two. Better to
buy a great 8" knife that you'll use all the time than a 6" knife just
because you don't have one.) I don't have a lot of money, so I only
have one really good knife - my chef's knife. I have some other knives,
but I use my chef's knife 90% of the time. It's the workhorse of the
kitchen so get a good one.

I'm skeptical of the "scalloped edge" knife. This sounds like a bad
idea to me - how do you sharpen it? You want a knife that can be
sharpened. Better to get a good traditional knife. Try out the
different knives in the store. Hold them in your hand and see which
ones feel comfortable. Hands are different - someone with small hands
might prefer a different knife than someone with large hands. Some
people like to chop vigorously, others are more delicate. The best
knife is the one that fits you best.

And you might want to get a knife sharpener, too - I like the electric
Chef's Choice ones. They're pretty foolproof for beginners, and not
that expensive. I'm sure W-S carries them but I'm not sure whether
their prices are decent - they seem a little high but I got mine on a
clearance sale. Even the little manual Chef's Choice isn't bad, I used
that type for a long time before buying the electric one.

> I'm considering an All-Clad Copper Core frying pan

I don't think Williams-Sonoma is the best place to buy pans, even with
your discount, unless you find a really great sale. (Does W-S have a
day after Thanksgiving sale?) I have an All-Clad pan I use almost every
day, but you can buy All-Clad much more cheaply - and if you are
starting from scratch, you might want to consider buying a few pans that
are less expensive.

Karen