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Favortie pan is aobut 10 in skillet (not yet iron but eventually) Tongs Oven (for cooking BACON of course) Pressure cooker (although I only know two recipes....got any?) 1 quart pot (boiling water for tea and what not) Grill (pork, lambburgers and chicken)

I need a crock pot for broth i think! :)

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Thanks a lot for this question! – Korion Feb 1 2012 at 17:38
My favorite tool is a steamer, btw. – Korion Feb 1 2012 at 17:38
Hi Theresa! I just noticed you're in J-ville...tell me you shop at Native Sun!? Their grass-fed beef, liver, and pastured eggs are great. I also get bones from them for the broth I make in my crock pot :) – Invisible Caveman Feb 1 2012 at 18:19
I shop at Native Sun when I can. I spent an hour in there two weeks ago going over there products. I like to get Kombucha there and prefer the baymeadows location to the san jose one. AS far as the bones go, may I ask what they charge? were they prepacked or did you have to ask in the meat area? – paleoprimal Feb 1 2012 at 18:49
The bones are $2.99/lb and they go quick apparently. They get their weekly beef shipment on Monday nights which gets put out on Tuesday. I just happened to ask if they had bones and one of the guys who works the meat counter (Scott) said he would hold some for me. They come in 5 lb bags. I live closer to the San Jose store, so I get my eggs and some produce there, but the Baymeadows store does have a better meat selection. I'm also close to Whole Foods and when they have bones (usually in the glass cases next to the meat counter) they are also $2.99. – Invisible Caveman Feb 1 2012 at 20:02
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14 Answers

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Probably 99% of my cooking happens in a 12" cast iron skillet and a 6.5 quart slow cooker.

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Same here! My 12" cast iron is my indoor grill and I use a round 4.5 quart crock pot for just about everything else, though I like to slow bake large whole fish in the oven. – Invisible Caveman Feb 1 2012 at 17:39
Hey, what do you "grease" your cast iron with? We've been using up our canola oil on it, but I know we need something else. – Chris Feb 1 2012 at 17:54
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coconut oil or olive oil works in my experience. Some say olive oil should not be heated I know, but I find it does wonders for conditioning the iron after each use, too. – Caleb the Hobbit Feb 1 2012 at 17:55
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When I cook bacon I don't use anything of course, since it naturally starts greasing the pan immediately. With steaks, fish filets, pork chops, etc. I use coconut oil which I drop in after the pan is nice and hot. Butter occasionally if I'm cooking something slower on low heat, but it browns really quick on medium or higher. – Invisible Caveman Feb 1 2012 at 18:15
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Keep a jar for bacon grease on/near your stove, use as needed! – Dunnie Feb 1 2012 at 18:16
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This is one of my favorite purchases -- I even take it with me when I travel, so that I can prepare meals in my own hotel room. It's the Healthy Chef Turbo Oven -- the bowl is all glass, so there's no plastic off-gassing, and it's very sturdy and extremely versatile.

As a little anecdote, when I went to visit my son at USAF Tech School, I carried this with me, and made us Paleo Pizzas in our room (while we played Gamma World all weekend!) -- and roasted a beautiful pasture-raised chicken with veggies for a Sunday dinner party for him and several of his flight -- he's been hooked ever since!

Turbo Oven

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This is brilliant: where did you get it? I looked at similar items on Amazon and the reviews suggested there are quality issues. – Sara S. Feb 1 2012 at 19:25
I have had a Jet Stream Oven and now have a brand X model and I love/loved them both. It is a quick way to cook food and brown it at the same time. Nothing beats duck cooked/crisped in it. – henny Feb 2 2012 at 0:05
I got this one at Mercola.com. It's not like the ones on Amazon, or the Jet Stream Oven... both of those are plastic. The one I have is completely glass, except for the oven mechanism... bowl, and lid are both glass, so there is no possibility of toxic off-gassing. Also, there is no "non-stick coating", and no metal near your food except if you use the metal rack (which I tend to put parchment paper on beneath my food anyway). – Firestorm Feb 6 2012 at 15:14
+1 for 80's RPGs. :) – Kit Peters Apr 7 2012 at 13:49
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My 240mm japanese gyuto knife, and Haake immersion circulator. :) alt text

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+1 Cool looking stuff Jan. – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Feb 1 2012 at 20:10
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is similar or same as a suis vide? (may have spelled it wrong) – paleoprimal Feb 1 2012 at 21:01
Yes, one uses immersion circulator to "poach" sous vide produce. You can make one from crock pot or rice cooker as well, just ad an PID and water pump. So you will hava highly accurate crockput where you can dial the temp excactly what you want. Like 131F for medium rare shortribs :) – Jan Feb 4 2012 at 18:16
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I LOVE my Spirooli Vegetable Spiralizer & Slicer. I held out on buying one because it seems wasteful to have a gadget just to make noodles out of veggies so I stuck with my old vegetable peeler-made noodles for years. I just couldn't shake this thing from my brain though and I knew I'd never truly be happy in life without at least trying it so I bought it. Wow. Real spaghetti-style noodles made from veggies. If you miss spaghetti you need this. No other peeler/slicer/mandolin can compete.

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Wow- what fun that is! – henny Feb 2 2012 at 0:12
That looks cool Shari. What are the best veggies for making noodle substitutes that go well with spaghetti sauce, do you have a favorite? I was looking at buying a Maxam Vegetable Chopper but I have not bought it yet. amazon.com/Maxam-KTVC7-Vegetable-Chopper/dp/… – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Feb 3 2012 at 0:50
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To make a spaghetti substitute I mostly use zucchini. I made a fun carrot and apple cold salad with it. I also made a dessert spaghetti using apples and chocolate sauce a couple of small chocolate truffles for meatballs (just for the hell of it.) I also like to use red peppers and add them to a broccoli thing. They look like confetti. Yes, my life really is that boring. – Shari Bambino Feb 3 2012 at 4:24
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How do you like your 8 new bronze badges? ;-) – Wcc Kamal Stabby fan Feb 3 2012 at 6:04
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Loooove my spirooli! – Jen Apr 7 2012 at 17:29
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My Wustoff-Trident Santoku - most useful size and balance for just about anything (mine doesn't have the scallops, but you get the picture):

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An Electric kettle - absolutely necessary for my coffee and tea, as well as for fast-forwarding hot water. I have a 2.5L kettle that my wife bought from Target that works well. I don't have a pic (sorry).

Restaurant half-sheet pans for baking bacon, on parchment paper so the fat doesn't jump out of the pan, and so cleanup is easier. Bonus is that these are dirt cheap at Restaurant supply stores and at Sam's Club.

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Finally (and I don't have a pic for this one either, I'm at work away from my beloved kitchen), my great grandfather's cast iron skillet. It has high walls (about 4.5") and a tight-fitting lid. It isn't bead-blasted like modern skillets, it's smooth and thus takes a fantastic seasoning in about half the time. The only mark on this skillet is it's date of manufacture, 1908. This skillet has fed 5 generations of my family, and I hope it feeds many more.

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Awesome cast iron! Can I ask what do you use to "grease" or oil it? – Chris Feb 1 2012 at 17:54
That is amazing you have your grandfather's skillet! I bought my favorite cast iron skillet (which I use everyday) at an antique mall. I wish it had a lid. – Dunnie Feb 1 2012 at 18:18
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@Chris - I mostly use bacon fat that I've strained through a sieve... as it is a free byproduct of my bacon addiction, and it's got a pretty high smoke point. – Joshua Feb 1 2012 at 20:54
@Dunnie, you can get another skillet of similar size and use as a lid, or shop thrift stores for random pot and pan lids. I found an old 12" stainless steel lid I use on mine! – Chris Feb 1 2012 at 21:37
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I just ordered this, and I am quite excited. The small skillet serves as a lid for the big skillet, this giving me a pot / dutch oven.

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I also have the eight-inch skillet from the same company (Lodge Cast Iron).

I also am going to get one of these, an Ulu:

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Still working on getting a more paleo kitchen, so I look forward to what other people share.

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Where did you find that combo? That would be awesome for camp cooking as it serves double-duty. – Joshua Feb 1 2012 at 17:33
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You can find it here: secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/… A bit pricey, but I only cook on cast iron, and I love the multi-functionality. – Caleb the Hobbit Feb 1 2012 at 17:38
i am trying to work myself out of laziness...you have to be on top of cleaning your cast iron asap or you screw them up.... – paleoprimal Feb 1 2012 at 18:51
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true, I don't find that to be an issue though. Once cast iron is conditioned well, it is very easy to clean. Just a moment to clean it (while still warm, then it is easier), then a bit of oil to recondition it. – Caleb the Hobbit Feb 1 2012 at 19:33
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the new cast iron pan set (above) came today! SO EXCITED. It will go well alongside my smaller cast iron piece. =D – Caleb the Hobbit Feb 2 2012 at 17:26
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Skillet, knife, spatula - those are seriously the only tools I need in the kitchen.

If you ask my husband, he'll tell you about the $500 Vitamix eye roll.

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I know someone with a Vitamix and every time they use it it's like turning on a lawnmower in the kitchen. – Invisible Caveman Feb 1 2012 at 18:23
I want a used vitamix but never seem to catch one on craigslist or ebay that is reasonable – paleoprimal Feb 1 2012 at 18:50
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Don't get me wrong - it's a great thing to have for smoothies, etc, but yes, it's like a lawnmower and it's freakin' expensive! – Laina Feb 1 2012 at 21:03
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I really like this big egg I bought for soft boiled eggs at work. You use it in the microwave with the shells on!

Click to see

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Is my picture showing? I can't tell at work. – BaconHealsChic Feb 1 2012 at 17:40
no its not...... – JayJay Feb 1 2012 at 17:44
Thanks JayJay. :) – BaconHealsChic Feb 1 2012 at 17:52
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Dutch Oven, Chef's knife, Cast iron pan and my immersion blender. God I love my immersion blender so much!

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Which one do you have? – Joan Feb 2 2012 at 15:46
I posted a photo but it didn't work. I have a cuisinart. I worked at a pretty great kitchen shop for about three years and the cuisinart smart stick is, in my opinion, the best for the price. The Bamix is better for certain jobs, it can grind spices and even meat with an attachment but nowhere near as well as a food processor so I don't think it's worth the extra cash. – Olivia Feb 3 2012 at 5:47
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I can't live without my 8qt stock pot. My cooking skills are still developing. To save time I am cooking in bulk so I cook almost everything in an 8qt stock pot. Fill it will a little meat, lots of veggies, some ghee and cook enough for about 4 meals.

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http://www.jetboil.com

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My most used kitchen items are my cast iron frying pans, my Flavor-Wave Oven (similar to Firestorm's), my crock pot, my BBQ, and my immersion blender.

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I just got the Flavorwave oven. I've roasted chicken parts and baked frozen salmon filets and shrimp so far. Any recommendations for good ideas/recipes? Most of what I've found online has gluten and other random crap in it... – Joan Feb 2 2012 at 15:49
I liked my old American Harvest jet-Stream Oven better because it had an extra rack to layer different foods and cook at the same time. I am still experimenting with my new one and mainly use it to cook all different meats--pork, beef, lamb, poultry. I love how it cooks them fast and keeps the meat moist. Yam wedges are good too. And I am going to try doing Meatza in it soon. – henny Feb 2 2012 at 16:07
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My favourite are scissors.......... to cut chicken and pork and lattuce. Haha it's ideal and quick.

And a emaille (very old, used to be a pot to make jelly in or something like that) pot of at least 20litres.

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Food processor, cast iron frying pan, oven

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