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+-- Thread: Insomniac musings (/showthread.php?tid=46081)
Insomniac musings - lxxf - 01-03-2008
I'm fighting off some flu or something and I can't sleep. Just for fun, I decided to price out all the equipment on the Favorite things section of the February edition (pages 26-27). I googled all the items and took the best price among the first 5 or so items listed. Here are my results.
KitchenAid Professional 500 stand mixer between 400 and 500 - I averaged it out at 450.00; Benriner mandoline 35.00; Unicorn Magnum Plus peppermill 45.00; John Boos cutting board 160.00 (on sale); Kershaw Shun 7" knife 124.00 (on sale); Le Creuset's 7-1/4 quart Dutch oven 235.00; KitchenAid 8" immersion blender 50.00; Lodge 10" cast iron skillet 20.00.
That's 1,119.00. I added no tax or shipping charges. Almost half of that is the mixer. I don't bake anything more complicated than brownies, so I don't have or need the mixer (which doesn't keep me from coveting one, though). I have a mandoline which I rarely use because by the time I set it up and clean it, I can usually just slice by hand whatever I need. I have a decent pepper mill, cutting board and knives. I have a smaller Dutch oven (lodge) and a braun immersion blender and a cast iron skillet. They also mentioned a cookbook, but I didn't add in that cost since we all have them anyway.
An expensive little package.
Sally
Re: Insomniac musings - cjs - 01-03-2008
I'm with you, Sally, when I can't sleep I love to google food/equipment/recpe sites around the world.
Hope you're feeling better this a.m.
Re: Insomniac musings - mlucas1 - 01-03-2008
I was wondering about the pricing for some of those things. Thanks for doing all the work for me!
I just found (on Amazon) a Lodge 6 qt. dutch oven (enamel on cast iron) for $46.99, I am very tempted to buy it!!
Re: Insomniac musings - pink_eagle - 01-03-2008
interesting info--although the LeCreuset dutch ovens are gorgeous, I haven't been able to justify the expense. I have two cast iron dutch ovens (Lodge, I guess) that are well seasoned that work fine for me.
Re: Insomniac musings - esgunn - 01-03-2008
Some one - either c@H or CI did a comparison of cast iron dutch ovens. Le Cruset was top or one of the top but they also listed two enamel $40 brands, one available at Target, that were highly recomended. If I ever remember where I saw it - I'll post what the brand names were.
Re: Insomniac musings - lxxf - 01-03-2008
I got that Lodge 6 qt for Christmas and it was $59.00 reduced from 69. $49 is a great price, but shipping will be high - that sucker is heavy!
It was cooks Illustrated that did the comparison. They preferred the French one but said the lodge was a good substitute. I'm going to use mine today to make the CI's French Chicken in the pot.
Sally
Re: Insomniac musings - Mare749 - 01-03-2008
Isn't it funny what we do when we can't sleep? Some of my best shopping deals were found in the wee hours. Trouble is, then you're so excited you really can't sleep!
I have a Lodge cast iron dutch oven and a large skillet that I've owned for 30 years and they are still my favorite pieces. Also have a smaller one, enamaled, by Innova, kind of a take-off of Le Creuset. Then, I have two pans by Le Creuset, and they don't seem to be any different than the Innova, which is much less expensive. It's only my opinion, but I think Lodge is the best for my money. I bought it for both of my daughters last year and they like it better than their Calphalon.
Re: Insomniac musings - Corinne - 01-03-2008
Did everyone see that CI is back? They went out of business for a few months and I got a few magazines from another company, but now they are publishing again.
Re: Insomniac musings - esgunn - 01-03-2008
I did see they were back - I didn't really know they had left. I don't subscribe to their magazines, but I have a few of the their best recipe books. I got a flyer in a pan I bought for a trial issue - and it said something like "CI is back" - but I thought it was an old flyer, because I didn't know they were gone!
I wonder if they put too much time into all the books they have been publishing lately. I have noticed that a lot of the recipes in their newer magazines are dupliated in soem of their books - sort of like the way C@H reworks their recipes in their special publication books. But I really like having the recipes in the book format and I LOVE getting the magazine in the mail!
Re: Insomniac musings - mlucas1 - 01-03-2008
Sally, my hubby has some kind of membership thing at Amazon that he doesn't pay shipping for anything!