Comments on: The Value of a Minimal Approach

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 30 May 2011 23:41:18 +0000

I cook with a Le Creuset pot as well, but … another great minimalist all around cooking pot is the the WOK – I use a real traditional one that has a full round bottom and made of hammered steel. The wok is extremely versatile once you get the hang of using one and I would say its my go to cooking pot 60 percent of the time.

By: Dean

Dean — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:59:46 +0000

A colander is essential? I have one and have barely used it.

If you need to drain things then hold the pan lid closely to the pan so no solids can get out and tilt.

By: Dana

Dana — Mon, 16 May 2011 21:10:51 +0000

My husband wanted a Le Creuset pot, and for his birthday last year, I promised to get him one. But given that the one he wanted was $350 retail, we decided it made sense to wait for a deal. A few months later, we were on a 10 hour roadtrip, and decided to make a stop at an outlet mall and walk around. We walked into the Le Creuset store and found exactly the pot he wanted, on deep discount for the holiday weekend, and additional discount because it was a discontinued color. We got it and a high-heat metal knob for just under $140, including tax – a better deal than we’d ever imagined!

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sat, 14 May 2011 16:18:07 +0000

Le Creuset is the best cookware. I am adding to my colection slowly. There is an outlet in Fairfax in California. Amazon had it on sale recently. It is worth having.

By: Cathy Moran

Cathy Moran — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:28:03 +0000

Tools that really work well in the kitchen make the job so much easier. They reinforce cooking at home as an exercise in economy and nutrition.

By: Peggy

Peggy — Sat, 14 May 2011 00:08:44 +0000

Love all your cooking related posts as well as reader comments. Could you suggest a good stand mixer. Currently we have a 12 year old Braun food processor. It’s 220V as we bought it while living in a 220V country and hung on to it as we’re still moving every few years. It’s been a real work horse and still works well, but it’s not all that good for things like cookie dough and making cakes. We do all our baking from scratch and rarely purchase prepared food.

I have been researching stand mixers and reading lots of reviews and am considering a KitchenAid but a number of recent reviews say the new models aren’t made as well as older ones. We can invest in a good mixer, but when we make that step want to make sure it will indeed be a long-term investment.

Would welcome your and reader suggestions. Thanks!

By: AnnJo

AnnJo — Fri, 13 May 2011 23:18:29 +0000

@22, Thanks, Stephan F, but since the damage was caused by improper handling, they told me it was not covered by the warranty, for which I can harldy blame Le Creuset. I had hoped they would have the ability to re-enamel it, but they did not.

By: Priswell

Priswell — Fri, 13 May 2011 22:21:20 +0000

I didn’t pay much attention to the topic of minimalism due to my fascination on the economy of buying a really great piece of cookware that may cost real money up front, but saves it every day by continuous use. I think that was the real bargain.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:29:52 +0000

I agree with Evita #24–I am a professional musician and I used to work in music instrument sales. I have played the piano since I was six years old, and playing a keyboard is nothing like playing the piano. While the keys are in the same places, you contend with several setbacks: the keys are not weighted as with a real piano, so by the time the player tries on a real piano, s/he is often unaccustomed to the amount of force needed to play, and this causes more disheartening mistakes than I can even tell you, even on pieces the player knows cold; also the range of the typical keyboard is four, MAYBE five octaves–nowhere near full-size. This seriously limits the repetoire the player can take on, because no amount of switching octaves or transposing will ever come close to the thrill of perfecting a piece, just as the composer intended it to be played.

By: Evita

Evita — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:06:22 +0000

Sorry Trent. A cheap keyboard will never be the same as a real piano and will only bring frustration.
I see a disconnect between buying high quality (Le Creuset) and using a cheap keyboard.

By: the other Tammy

the other Tammy — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:44:52 +0000

I got a small Le Creuset sauce pan for Christmas and I still haven’t used it. I think it just isn’t the right size for me.

Now knives…I could throw away every other knife I own and go with only two…my serrated bread knife and my big Santoku knife. Looooooove them!

By: Stephan F-

Stephan F- — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:08:17 +0000

@AnnJo, Le Creuset has a 101 YEAR warrantee, they’ll replace if you call them and talk to them.

By: jackie

jackie — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:55:52 +0000

The think about buying one good peice like this is that most esablished households already have a ton of other stuff. So instead of creating minimalism, this is just one MORE peice in crowded kitchen. Purging the old stuff is the hard part.

By: AnnJo

AnnJo — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:28:13 +0000

I have a huge Le Creuset dutch oven that I dearly love for braised lamb shanks or ox-tails, pot roasts, etc., but when a “helpful” kitchen assistant scoured my smaller Le Creuset pot with steel wool and completely ruined it, I replaced it with a Lodge enameled cast iron pot just like the one Trent pictured, and it cost only $35 with free shipping. It’s only two or three years old, but so far, seems to be just as good as Le Creuset – and the handles are a little bigger which makes lifting a heavy pot a lot safer.

By: Leisureguy

Leisureguy — Fri, 13 May 2011 13:47:35 +0000

You think Le Creuset is good? Take a look at Staub: much better manufacture.

By: Cathie

Cathie — Fri, 13 May 2011 13:45:34 +0000

I have a Tramontina that I bought at Walmart.com @ Christmas time for $35, and I LOVE it. If they are on one day specials this Christmas, I will buy more as gifts.

By: eaufraiche

eaufraiche — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:22:55 +0000

i’m with Mike – this IS a great post!

it’s easy to be suckered into acquiring all the trappings of new interests or fleeting hobbies – sort of the american way —- and that’s really not necessary!

thanks for this, Trent!

By: David

David — Fri, 13 May 2011 06:43:50 +0000

Tiddeley widdeley,
Ernst Friedrich Schumacher
Sang out in praise of the
Decently small.
O, for the joys of the
Infinitesimal -
Even more exquisite,
Nothing at all.

By: JC

JC — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:53:34 +0000

When it comes to cookware – I trust the reviews of products done by the COOKS ILLUSTRATED folks. They do a thorough job of testing all sorts of kitchen items and write up their process, criteria, and results quite nicely. If I recall, La Tramontina (avail at Walmart) compared quite favorably in the enameled-cookware examination – I’ve got a friend who bought a large dutch oven of this brand and it’s been great. They probably don’t have the crazy good warranty that Le Creuset has but they don’t have the price, either.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Fri, 13 May 2011 01:04:32 +0000

We also have a large knock-off enamel pan from Target that works just as well as the LC. It weighs a ton, but we do use it a lot for stir fries (which I can’t seem to make just a little of). I’m learning to like & use my regular cast iron too. I do keep one small inexpensive nonstick pan for the occasional fried egg or other small fry job.