Brand & Type: Martha Stewart Everyday 11 1/2 inch Cast Iron Skillet

Price range: medium

Rating: 8

Description: 11 1/2 inch Cast Iron Skillet.

Pros: good size cast iron skillet

Cons: must be seasoned.

Conclusion: Cast iron is a great material to cook with and this pan is a great everyday size.

For a smaller group (1-3 people) you can usually use a 10 inch cast iron pan without any problems. There is probably no more useful and inexpensive tool to have in the kitchen. And it will last a lifetime with the proper care.

For more information about creating the proper seasoning please see the below article.

Cleaning and Seasoning Cast Iron Pots and Pans

From the manufacturer:

Brand & Type: Farberware 12 inch Stainless Steel Electric Skillet

Price range: around $70

Rating: 7

Description: 12 inch Stainless Steel Electric Skillet

Pros: nice clean design, stainless steel, glass lid

Cons: none.

Conclusion: Nice design on the skillet with the handles and lid like a traditional skillet. An extra burner always helps. This is a good solid model that really can replace the stove top when cooking small meals. It is perfect for sauteeing anything you would normally use the stove top for.

From the manufacturer:

"Versatile electric skillet; cook breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one appliance.
Variable heat control ranges from 150°F to 450°F.
Aluminum clad bottom for even heating.
Fully immersible when heating probe is removed.
12" diameter, 2" deep, with a 7" rolled handle."

Brand & Type: Henckels Mikado 6 1/2 inch Nakiri Vegetable Knife

Rating: High

Price: medium

Description: 6 1/2 inch Japanese vegetable knife

Pros: Solid construction, thin blade, good handle, light-weight

Cons: may not be necessary for some kitchens, use only for vegetables

Conclusion: If you like to collect knives, or are a serious home cook then this is a great knife to try. We really like the thin blade as it cuts through onions with ease, and has good balance and control.

This is the first knife of this type we have tried. We have used santoku knives, but I personally do not like that style of blade. I found the nakiri blade much more useful than the santoku blade but it is a personal preference.

The end of the blade is not sharp and is not a replacement for a chef's knife or other versatile knifes. This is a great vegetable knife and we do not recommend this type of knife for meat or chopping. The blade is meant to slice so you may have to get used to not rocking the blade as you would with a chef's knife.

The blade is quite sharp out of the box but like anything else it should be honed before each use and sharpened once a year or so. For the money the quality of the knife is very high. You can spend a lot of money on Japanese knives and they are becoming very popular but may not be a must-have for everyone.

Brand & Type: Sylvania Microwave Oven Model # WP1000AL38-5S

Price range: Medium

Rating: High

Description: Stainless steel exterior microwave - 1000 Watts, 1.4 cu.ft. with a glass tray. Has a control panel display with lots of operating levels that does just about everything.

Pros: Great for reheating since all you have to do to heat a cup of coffee or soup is to press a button. Easy to clean & just looks clean and simple.

Cons: Really can't think of any - maybe too many choices.

Conclusion: This microwave is fairly new and we don't use it nearly enough but I do like it.

Update: After using this microwave for 2 years we have found no problems. It is large, works consistently and we have found it does more than boil water.