Everything but the kitchen sink? Well maybe not but it is good start to a new kitchen. Kitchenaid as a brand has never let me down, I even have one of their barbecues and it’s amazing. This set is the perfect housewarming gift for the student moving into their first place. It also is a great set to buy for the cabin or camping trailer.

And this 17 piece kitchen collection really does have everything: spatula, basting spoon, slotted spoon, tongs, grater, peeler, can opener, whisk, measuring cups and spoons. Everything is safe to use in nonstick pots and pans and can handle up to 450 degrees of heat.

 Kitchenaid Classic 17-piece Tools and Gadget Set, Black

This past weekend my wife made Palak Paneer and I was in charge of making the basmati rice. Well I didn’t make enough for the next day’s leftovers (which are better than first day) and had to make rice again. Which meant I ended up using my two completely different rice paddles and that means it’s time for a Rice Paddle Show Down! (imagine game show announcer voice when reading that).

Our first contender is the classic, the plastic, the inexpensive and always there…Plastic Rice Paddle.  These are something you could pick up at the dollar store or the slightly more fancy  Rice Paddle (Two Pieces) from Amazon that have dimpling to keep it non-stick.

These have one major thing going for them and that is they are really cheap. And that is what ultimately is their demise. They tend to melt and bend or break in a very hot pot and the rice always sticks no matter what fancy design or coating (which will peel off over time) is applied. Sorry, you go to the bottom of the cutlery drawer.

And in this corner is the traditional, time tested and always a classic…Bamboo Rice Paddle. Joyce Chen makes a very nice one, the 9-inch Burnished Bamboo Rice Paddle.

There is a reason this is a classic. It only costs a couple bucks more. The handle is longer and sturdier. They aren’t perfectly non-stick but close enough. A little oil on the spoon bowl will make it totally non-stick when required. They hold up in the dishwasher wonderfully. And finally they are not a uni-tasker utensil, they are great for stirring the stew pot or anything else. Hands down our winner. Buy two and thank me later.

OK, I broke another measuring spoon. That’s the fourth set in recent memory. I’ve been buying both metal and plastic and am sad to say they are from the Dollar Store. The plastic breaks and the metal bends or rusts. And sometimes they just get lost for which I blame the cat.

I used to travel a great deal and found myself replacing my luggage all the time because the airlines would destroy it. I finally asked a flight attendant for advice and she said spend $600 now on a travel case and never spend again or $60 every six months for the rest of your life. This rule applies to measuring spoons it seems, but at a lot lower cost.

These five stainless steel spoons come in 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 Tbls, 1 Tbls sizes. Thanks to magnets they “spoon” together while stored to avoid the cat stealing one (what does he do with the things?). The rounded ends are for liquids and the narrow end to fit into spice bottles and being doubled ended works well for wet/dry mixing. Dishwasher safe and designed to sit flat on the counter to avoid spillage. They are not $600 and probably the final set of measuring spoon cutlery you’ll need to buy.

 Progressive International Stainless-Steel Magnetic Measuring Spoons