If you had to ditch three things

waffles seem so nice though

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Stay home, stay cool, make regular mashed potatoes and add a LITTLE cumin and chili powder and some chopped green chilis. To amp it up use Mexican crema as the dairy.

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I never have thrown any kitchen items away . I just moved them to the garage where they will spend the rest of their lives in retirement on a shelf. Hey they might be called up someday for use .

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My hot weather go to other than salads or grilling on the deck is roasts that are good served cold for several days. Right now we are working our way through a small eye of the round, great cold with green tomato pickle!

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Farberware stainless steel full-sized roasting pan (big-ass turkey-sized - probably 12x18?). Got it when I was probably about 25yo; I just don’t use it anymore since I’m never cooking big-ass turkeys and haven’t in years. I use smaller roasting pans for just myself or a smaller group of people.

Le Creuset braiser - again, for lack of use. Plus, lifting it while full just doesn’t work with my lesser hand strength as I get older.

Off the top of my head, that’s all I can think of right now. Maybe some vintage baking cake pans that I thought were cool because they had a sort of pattern in them - I’ve never used them.

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I just turned over the adjustable bread slicer we’ve had for decades over to #1 kid. I only used it once in 30 years. I should gift away all the Bakelite cutlery sets we inherited to the kids but they’re just not into ‘vintage’ stuff, unless it is nouveau ‘created’ vintage. I’ve been meaning to pass on the waffle cone maker, too. Many more than just three; I do need to downsize radically.

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Going to be the contrarian here stating that I am loving my Le Creusets! :slight_smile:

I have five of them… :star_struck:

Lol… Actually the 30cm Le Creuset low dutch oven is now my go-to saute pan for that size (more like an actual 28 cm), meaning that my Fissler disc bottom and Mauviel copper 28 cm saute pans are collecting dust. The Mauviel I won’t sell because they don’t make them like that anymore, but who knows someday the Fissler could go.

Otherwise, yes, I’m pretty strict myself in easily letting go of stuff I don’t use/like. I’ve sold all of my Demeyere, as an example.

I’ve never used my Fissler non stick fish frying pan. Got a good deal back in the day, but I just love my De Buyer fish frying pan too much. So I guess the Fissler may go as well.

The third pan I could consider selling is the Falk 18cm try me copper saucier. It’s too small, and these days I prefer the Lagostina Lagofusion normal sauce pan in 18cm.

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My wife likes the cast iron skillet. It does make good frittatas. The LC is sticking around awhile because it should make an excellent deep fryer. This morning the electric deep fryer, the Instant Pot, the molcajete, a banneton, and the fancy schmancy stainless steel drum grater that was replaced by a NOS Mouli started their journeys to new lives. Along with them were a few other things that had been cluttering closets. Step by step this place is becoming habitable after raising two kids and three dogs and making the silly acquisitions that were my midlife crisis.

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There is nothing wrong with being contrarian as long as you are polite, which you always are. I agree that sauciers, especially if used for more than sauces, need to be larger.

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Griddle, slow cooker, enamel soup pot (even though it was my grandmother 's). I would have gotten rid of the first two already, but the spousal unit wants to keep them.

But they’re definitely on the list if we ever have to downsize.

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Hmmm… my crockpot does amazing chili, as well as a number of slow braises. Granted I cook a number of ingredients before adding them, but the end results have always been great (and I don’t have to leave the oven on overnight).

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Yes, I’m having problems picking just 3.

If the sorting mechanism is not enough use, my kitchen would be mostly empty.

If the gauge is disappointment, then I would likely give up ECI entirely. But I do use one “braiser” that fills a hole in my rondeaux and one pate terrine.

I could easily jettison 8 or 9 28cm frypans and not miss them, but every so often I’m called upon to measure and compare.

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I imagine the reason your chili is amazing is a combination of your cooking and your recipe. I have made mine in graniteware, and it was the same tasty stuff. Do you have another pot big enough for chili like a DO, a stockpot, or a canning kettle?

I remember even back in Chowhound days you have said that the Le Creuset did not live up to your expectation (or that your expectation has changed). Regardless, what do you do with cookware that you do not find a lot of use for but also too wasteful to discard?
Keep them until you find the right person to give to?

Your chili could be even better if you wouldn’t cook it in a slow cooker

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Great test. Thanks.

I have both a LC dutch oven and a clad SS stock pot… but I don’t get the avoidance of the crockpot. I brown protein in CI or SS, toast spices, and/or caramelize aromatics, and then mix it all together with SM tomatoes or other veggies, and add to the CP for 4-8 hours.

This includes chili, tinga, carnitas, shortrib, meat sauces, and more.

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Of course there are better cooking methods than a crock pot but most folks love them and buy them because of their convenience.
Starting stuff at bedtime and having it ready in the morning can’t be beat for folks who have other things to do besides cooking 18 hours a day.

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And it makes great chicken or beef stock. I don’t have a pressure cooker or IP, but my 40yo crockpot is still hanging in there AND it cooks at the lower temperature vs. the higher temps required by the FDA awhile back, which boils on Low vs. low bubble simmer.

I’ve cooked pork shoulder in them for pulled pork, beef for beef stew. I never do chicken unless it’s on the weekend so I can start it later (noon) so it doesn’t overcook. And never chicken with skin, as you lose the crispy skin part. Which is sometimes the best part. :grin:

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I love this thread.

And yet, it is causing me so much anxiety because there are a lot more than 3 things I know need to be ditched!

ETA: 2 Thoughts for these many items:

  1. Giveaway (or Exchange / Sale) right here on HO

  2. Does anyone still use Freecycle? (I know a lot of people are on Facebook Marketplace now, and there are smaller neighborhood groups, but I’m not a big FB user so I’m still wary.)

(Also - I’m thinking about my top 3)

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