I've been selling for The Pampered Chef for about two years now, and though out that time people usually ask me "What's your favorite thing?". I think I've acquired pretty much the entire catalog (excluding some of the recent items that were just added), but for the most part, I have everything. I can confidently say that my kitchen is pimped out..not only my kitchen, but my Dad's as well since I have a knack of sending him goodies for him to test out and give me feedback on.
Honestly, I can't chose just one thing. There's so many different things that are helpful, cool, time saving and all around worth the money..so, here's my official list of PC goodies that I adore:
I use my Mix N Scraper like crazy! Seems simple enough, right? It's like a "super" spatula in my eyes! I use it to scrape out stuff from my mixing bowls, stir things around in my pans while stuff is cooking, get the last bit of goodness out of a jar...and it's strong! As in, it can really take a beating when you're working with something like cookie dough! I've had mine since before I was a Consultant and it still looks BRAND NEW, no stains, no melted spots from using it on the stove top..the head is also heat-resistant to 650°F....you'd never know it was like, five years old. I actually have the whole Scraper collection so I have every size you can think of, lol.
The Adjustable Measuring Spoons have definitely helped when it comes to "taking up less space" in my kitchen tool drawer. You know how it is when you have all the individual spoons you have to flip through, it sucks! These make life easier since you just slide the the black adjuster tab to which ever amount you need, and keep truckin! You can use them for dry and liquid ingredients AND they're dishwasher safe!
The Deep Covered Baker is FAHHHHBULOUS! It's a stoneware piece that's a huge part of my cooking arsenal! I bake/roast chicken in it, made chowders, stews, chili's, bake squashes..man, I use it a TON! Pampered Chef just released a new cookbook geared specifically for the DCB called "Dinner in your Deep Covered Baker", which expanded my mind a little more when it comes to what I can cook in it! The only drawback, per say, is the fact that it's kind of heavy. Other than that, I absolutely love it.
Lucky number seven is my Bamboo Knife Block Set. The only reason why I'm putting it at number seven is because I feel like I'm very lucky to have earned these for FREE. When I first started as a Consultant, you have the chance of earning "PC Dollars" with every new Show you submit. Well, I submitted so many within my first ninety days that I was about to get this without paying a dime. Definitely a nice perk when it comes to selling for Pampered Chef as a newbie. These knives are AMAZING and insanely sharp. Each knife is one solid piece of metal all the way through, NOT assembled in pieces. So, you don't have to worry about the handle warping and breaking off, splintering or anything nasty like that. In the set, you get nine pieces of Forged Cutlery — 9" Bread, 8" Chef's, 7" Santoku, 5" Santoku, 5" Utility, 5" Boning, 4 1/2" Serrated,
3 1/2" Paring and 3" Petite Paring Knives — plus the Bamboo Knife Block, Forged Cutlery Honing Tool and Professional Shears.
3 1/2" Paring and 3" Petite Paring Knives — plus the Bamboo Knife Block, Forged Cutlery Honing Tool and Professional Shears.
The Mini Whipper is by far, the simplest thing on the planet, but I love it to pieces! Whenever I'm making scrambled eggs, I go straight to this cause it'll whip 'em up nicely and gives them plenty of foam (which gives you fluffy eggs). Not only that, but this helps when I'm mixing stuff up for sauces, drinks, dressings, etc. It's dishwasher safe (yay) and pretty indestructible! It's only $4! I use it non-stop!
By no means necessary, am I a fancy person. But, I love my Trifle Bowl! You can use it to hold layered puddings, various types of fruit salads or whatever else your little heart wants to devour (it has a 15 cup capacity), but you can also use it as a means of decoration! Instead of using mine ONLY for food, I actually put beautiful flower arrangements in it for my kitchen. SO pretty! During Christmas, I had a bunch of mini glass ornaments with tinsel in it, then I switched it out and had a lovely bunch of Tulips that I picked up from the local market. You can definitely use it for pretty much anything you can think of. It stores VERY easily (the pedestal fits inside the trifle itself) and comes with a nice plastic lid that seals up perfectly.
The Manual Food Processor is the bomb-diggity! It's one of the newest additions to Pampered Chef's Spring/Summer 2011 catalog. Mine came in a few weeks ago and I totally love how easy it is to assemble! Given, most of Pampered Chef's stuff isn't rocket science, but this particular product only has three pieces: the top which contains the pump to make the blades spin, the staggered blades and the 3 cup plastic unit that holds whatever it is you're chopping up (which has a nice rubber grip on the bottom so it won't slide will you're making stuff!). VERY easy to clean! The cup and the blades are dish washer safe, but you have to hand wash the top piece, which isn't even that bad. I spray it down with some cleaner then wipe it all up, and it's good to go! Since I've had mine, I've made a ton of amazing salsa, made fine chopped oatmeal to put in my pancakes, crushed up nuts...pretty much, I'm making this lil guy earn his keep!
The Measure All Cup!! AHH! I have the regular version (pictured above) as well as the Mini Measure All, I use 'em constantly throughout the day for my veggies! They're fabulous when you need to measure out something like peanut butter (or anything that is thick, like honey), then you just push out the contents without having to scrape everything out. Then you can just flip it over and use the liquid side for your "wet" ingredients! The fact that they're dishwasher safe is a major plus, and they can even go in the microwave when you're wanting to soften up some butter. Eric and I usually fight over the Mini Measure All since he has a knack of hiding it from me (normally stashes it in his oatmeal container) so he can use it in the mornings to make his breakfast. The regular Measure All holds 2 cups while the Mini Measure All holds 1 cup.
Stoneware, is by far, the best thing to bake on! You can bake pretty much anything and everything on the Large Bar Pan! The more you use it, the more "seasoned" it becomes! Seasoning is when the oils and fats from the food you cook pretty much sink into the stoneware, which causes it's own non-stick surface. The darker the pan, the better the non-stick! My bar pan is bordering on a chocolate brown / black color because I use it non stop! I'll bake cookies, rolls, bacon, chicken, and pretty much whatever else you can think of on there! It's almost impossible to burn anything on 'em (unless you leave it in there WAY too long), very very easy to clean and I store it in my Stoneware rack with my other pieces. By far, the best $34 I've ever spent! Here's additional info on Stoneware:
the surface
oven-safe
I would die without my Executive Cookware!! In all honestly, I have all of the Executive Cookware pieces, well, except one...which is the Double Griddle, but I'll eventually acquire it!! People normally scoff at me when they see the price for the sets, and I agree, they're quite pricey, but very worth it. Most of the time, I try to get people a killer deal on these because I swear by 'em! If I happen to have a spare 50% off item or something, I'll hit up people I know that were pretty vocal about getting some cookware, but were frightened off by the $295 and $495 ticket price (eeek!). By chance, if you get a half off reward, you can manage to get the 5 and 7 piece set for $372.50 verses $745! Here's some additional info on them:
- Hard-anodized aluminum reinforced with titanium for superior durability
- DuPont™ Autograph® 2 nonstick coating inside and out for effortless cleanup
- Flared rims for drip-less pouring
- Flat bottoms for keeping food and oil from running to edges
- Thick bottoms for even heat distribution; thinner sidewalls for faster heat transfer
- Riveted stainless and silicone handles with stainless cast hanging loops for a cool, comfortable grip
- Tempered glass lids for a clear view while cooking
- Oven-safe to 400°F
- LIFETIME GUARANTEE
SO, there ya go! There's my loving list of all my absolute favorite Pampered Chef items :)
