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The Cooking for Two Shop

Here are my recommendations for essential products for the beginner or experienced cook needing guidance. 

Jump To (scroll for more)
  • Holiday gift suggestions
  • Top Recommendations
  • Thermometers
  • Knives
  • Kitchen Electronics
  • Pots and Pans
  • Baking Needs
  • Grilling Accessories
  • Kitchen Accessories
  • Some Cookbooks I Own
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Notice: All links are affiliate links, meaning I make a small profit from your purchases. Your price is not affected by this commission. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Molly and Lilly playing tug
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Holiday gift suggestions

Smoke remote thermometer

Smoke™ by Thermoworks™

The perfect remote thermometer home cooks—a quality but still economical two probe remote thermometer..
Shop Thermoworks
Joy of Cooking Cookbook

Joy of Cooking Cookbook

The new version of the classic cookbook.
Shop at Amazon
Oxo Mandoline.

OXO SteeL Chef's Mandoline Slicer

Well designed and solid.
Shop at Amazon
Red Thermapen One

Thermapen™ One from Thermoworks™

My personal favorite cooking tool. It will make your a better cook today. More expensive but will last for years.
Go to Thermoworks
The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook

The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook

Shop at Amazon
ATK cooking school book.

American Test Kitchen Cooking School Book

Shop at Amazon
KA Stand Mixer

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer

Shop at Amazon
Gates BBQ Sauce

Gates BBQ Sauce

My favorite sauce for over 40 years.
Shop at Amazon
Lodge Dutch Oven

Lodge 6 qt Dutch Oven

Shop at Amazon
Eight piece knife set

Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Knife Set

Shop at Amazon
All Clad 12-inch

All-Clad 12-inch Fry Pan

Shop at Amazon

Top Recommendations

This category is reserved for the products that make me smile when I use them. They will help you be a better cook, also.

Smoke remote thermometer

Smoke™ by Thermoworks™

The perfect remote thermometer home cooks—a quality but still economical two probe remote thermometer..
Shop Thermoworks
Oxo Mandoline.

OXO SteeL Chef's Mandoline Slicer

Well designed and solid.
Shop at Amazon
KA Stand Mixer

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer

Shop at Amazon
Gates BBQ Sauce

Gates BBQ Sauce

My favorite sauce for over 40 years.
Shop at Amazon
Lodge 10 inch

Lodge 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Shop at Amazon
small slow cooker

Cuisinart 3.5 qt Slow Cooker

My small slow cooker.
Shop at Amazon
Victorinos Chef Knife

Victorinox Chef Knife

Shop at Amazon
All Clad 12-inch

All-Clad 12-inch Fry Pan

Shop at Amazon
All Clad Slow Cooker

All Clad 6.5 Qt Slow Cooker

The one I use.
Shop at Amazon

Thermometers

Accurate thermometers are a must for precise cooking. As they say, knowledge is power. A good thermometer will take you from an okay to an excellent cook.

I love my Thermapen, but it is expensive. A cheaper thermometer will be slower but will still be fine. A good thermometer (like the Thermapen) will outlast a cheaper thermometer many times over and save you lots of money and heartache with improperly prepared meat.

To grill well, you need to know the surface temperature of the grill. Please don't spend much on this since they discolor and don't last long.

An oven thermometer should occasionally be used to check the accuracy of your cooking. The oven is one of the most common inaccuracies people have with cooking.

Smoke remote thermometer

Smoke™ by Thermoworks™

The perfect remote thermometer home cooks—a quality but still economical two probe remote thermometer..
Shop Thermoworks
Red Thermapen One

Thermapen™ One from Thermoworks™

My personal favorite cooking tool. It will make your a better cook today. More expensive but will last for years.
Go to Thermoworks
TP19 from the manufacture..

ThermoPro TP19 Instant Read Thermometer

Fast and accurate instant read thermometer at a lower price perfect for any use.
Shop at Amazon
CDN Grill Surface Thermometer

CDN Grill Surface Thermometer

Cheap and reliable—I still one mine.
Shop at Amazon
Thermopop by Thermoworks

Thermopop™ by Thermoworks™

Super fast and accurate, you can have the quality of Thermoworks on a budget. Highly recommended for the casual cook.
Go to Thermoworks

Knives

Good knives are a must. Dull, cheap knives are much more likely to injure and frustrate your cooking experience. There are many excellent brands. I own and use these recommendations daily.

Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone from Chef Choice Site

Chef'sChoice 463 Pronto Hone

The only manual sharpener recommended by Cooks Illustrated
Shop at Amazon
Oxo Mandoline.

OXO SteeL Chef's Mandoline Slicer

Well designed and solid.
Shop at Amazon
Eight piece knife set

Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Knife Set

Shop at Amazon
Victorinos Chef Knife

Victorinox Chef Knife

Shop at Amazon

Kitchen Electronics

These are always great kitchen toys and great gifts. These are my choices in my kitchen, but there are many excellent choices—check out mine as a starting point.

Proctor Silex 32211 roaster oven for company site.

Proctor Silex Turkey Roaster Oven

Perfect for keeping food warm or cooking a turkey or more.
Shop at Amazon
electric hand mixer

Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer

Generic cheap hand mixer that will last for years.
Shop at Amazon
KA Stand Mixer

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer

Shop at Amazon
small slow cooker

Cuisinart 3.5 qt Slow Cooker

My small slow cooker.
Shop at Amazon
All Clad Slow Cooker

All Clad 6.5 Qt Slow Cooker

The one I use.
Shop at Amazon

Pots and Pans

The copper bottom stuff you grew up with will NOT do—there are many better choices.

Modern cookware will conduct heat much better. I use mostly All-Clad, but Calphalon and many others make excellent products.

Now, go to the William-Sonoma website and sign up for the mailing list. The daily emails are good, but they have an unbelievable deal about once per month.

Lastly, you must have some cast iron. It is cheap and lasts for generations. I like Lodge if your mother won't give you hers.

Sheet pans.

Nortic Ware Half Sheet Pans 2 pack

Heavy duty, made in the USA, half-sheet pans.
Shop on Amazon
Lodge Dutch Oven

Lodge 6 qt Dutch Oven

Shop at Amazon
Calphalon fry pan set

Calphalon Nonstick 10- and 12-Inch

Shop at Amazon
Lodge 10 inch

Lodge 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Shop at Amazon
All Clad 12-inch

All-Clad 12-inch Fry Pan

Shop at Amazon

Baking Needs

Even if you don't bake, you need a few tools to use the oven for cooking other things. Check out these suggestions.

Corningware set

Corningware French White 10 Piece Bakeware Set

Darn useful. You need something like this for storage and baking.
Shop at Amazon
baking racks

Oven Safe Racks

Similar to the racks I use. Be sure to get the right size.
Shop at Amazon

Grilling Accessories

A few recommended grilling accessories. There are a ton of great toys to be had out there. These are useful.

Smoke remote thermometer

Smoke™ by Thermoworks™

The perfect remote thermometer home cooks—a quality but still economical two probe remote thermometer..
Shop Thermoworks
Red Thermapen One

Thermapen™ One from Thermoworks™

My personal favorite cooking tool. It will make your a better cook today. More expensive but will last for years.
Go to Thermoworks
Gates BBQ Sauce

Gates BBQ Sauce

My favorite sauce for over 40 years.
Shop at Amazon
Western Wood Chips

Smoking Wood Chips

Shop at Amazon
Grill Pro Smoke Box

Cast Iron Smoker Box

Shop at Amazon
TP19 from the manufacture..

ThermoPro TP19 Instant Read Thermometer

Fast and accurate instant read thermometer at a lower price perfect for any use.
Shop at Amazon
CDN Grill Surface Thermometer

CDN Grill Surface Thermometer

Cheap and reliable—I still one mine.
Shop at Amazon
Thermopop by Thermoworks

Thermopop™ by Thermoworks™

Super fast and accurate, you can have the quality of Thermoworks on a budget. Highly recommended for the casual cook.
Go to Thermoworks

Kitchen Accessories

A few recommended cooking accessories. There are a ton of great toys to be had out there. I use these almost daily.

baking racks

Oven Safe Racks

Similar to the racks I use. Be sure to get the right size.
Shop at Amazon
Epicurean Chopping Board

Epicurean Chopping Board

I have 8 of this in various colors and sizes.
Shop at Amazon

Some Cookbooks I Own

There are so many cookbooks; here are my top picks.

Joy of Cooking Cookbook

Joy of Cooking Cookbook

The new version of the classic cookbook.
Shop at Amazon
The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook

The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook

Shop at Amazon
ATK cooking school book.

American Test Kitchen Cooking School Book

Shop at Amazon
Lilly Dog smiling
Molly on a lazy Sunday

Last Updated August 5, 2023

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
Welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy step-by-step photo instructions.
About DrDan

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