Years ago, I remember preparing to leave home to start University, in the kitchen with my mum who went through every drawer and cupboard pulling out the cookware and crockery that I would inherit. Mis-matched plates and mugs, old cutlery sets that hadn’t been used in years, odd glasses and old wooden spoons, the cupboards clattered as the boxes filled
Having spent 19 years of my life watching my mum plan, prepare and cook food from our daily family dinners to lavish buffets for 30 guests, even though they were very worn, it was like a coming of age that I would receive these precious objects that had been used to create such warm memories.
I started my fresher year sharing a house with friendly strangers. Quickly recognizing our shared family values of eating together, we were soon keen to cook house meals and impress each other with our family recipes. When my turn came to cook my excitement quickly turned to disappointment as the food I cooked stuck and burned to the bottom of my mum’s old stainless steel pans.
Luckily my new friends had brought their own kitchen start kits, sold at Woolies for all those leaving home. Although they were not heavy based, they were brand new, non-stick and did the job. They didn’t last long though and soon enough we were trundling off to Wilkos to buy another set of cheap, non-stick pans.
As I started working and my budget increased, I stuck to what I knew. I invested in better quality and better brands but always stuck to non-stick (sorry, couldn’t resist that one!). Then, a few years ago, I relocated to Dubai, a friend was leaving as I arrived so I purchased the contents of her kitchen cupboards. Now, this dear friend is also an amazingly talented chef so I felt confident in her choice of cookware and tools. As I unpacked the boxes, I realized that I had unknowingly acquired a rather large collection of stainless steel pots. Now with years of my own experience and knowledge, this time I was not going to be beaten. I set to task, planning recipes that would get me using my new kitchen equipment and this time I was not disappointed.
Lesson learnt? Do your research and ask online or instore for the right tools and appliances for your ability. If you are not used to or are not sure of how to use certain products then get recommendations. If you hear great things about a certain product or brand, why not borrow first to see if you can get on with using it before investing your own money.
Read my review of the range here – http://www.anarticulatedlife.com/ikea-365-pot-range/
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