The Standard Acme Home Kitchen Kit.
$199.00
$199.00
The Standard Acme Home Kitchen Kit.
So many choices and they all have benefits and draw backs so I include all of them because I have all of them in my kitchen and they all get used.
Here is a breakdown and how I use them.
Pros: Even Heating, Fast, Non Reactive.
Cons: Can Stick
The universal material, versatile, non-reactive, even heating and fast response. I only use a fully clad stainless which means an aluminum core for fast even heating covered in layers of stainless steel on the inside and outside for a beautiful durable finish. Hestan and Made In have a sealed rim which means no risk of the aluminum core rusting like some other pans. I prefer a midweight pan, heavy enough for even heating but light enough that I can still toss ingredients around. I also want brushed pans, these are meant to be workhorses and I don’t want to worry about scratching polished pans. Both Hestan and Made in uncoated Stainless are produced in Italy.
Pros: Even Heating, Fast, Non Reactive.
Cons: Can Stick
The universal material, versatile, non-reactive, even heating and fast response. I only use a fully clad stainless which means an aluminum core for fast even heating covered in layers of stainless steel on the inside and outside for a beautiful durable finish. Hestan and Made In have a sealed rim which means no risk of the aluminum core rusting like some other pans. I prefer a midweight pan, heavy enough for even heating but light enough that I can still toss ingredients around. I also want brushed pans, these are meant to be workhorses and I don’t want to worry about scratching polished pans. Both Hestan and Made in uncoated Stainless are produced in Italy.
Pros: Great Searing, Becomes Non-stick with seasoning.
Cons:Needs seasoning, reactive with acidic foods (tomatoes, lemon, etc.)
My carbon steel pan is a heavy one, this allows for great heat retention and searing. Smithey’s pan is handmade in USA and beautiful. Follow my video on seasoning and this pan can become mostly non-stick allowing you to use this instead of a coated nonstick pan for most applications. I still like having a coated nonstick pan for particularly sticky items or I’m just being lazy. This is my pan for searing proteins then basting them or making a pan sauce, fried eggs, searing veggies. Smithey hand forges each one in the USA and they are a work of art. This is probably my most used pan and doesn’t leave the stovetop.
Non Stick: Pros: Even Heating,
Non-Stick Cons: –Not best for searing, will eventually wear out.
This is your egg pan or when your working with sticky or greasy items. I use this for everything breakfast, eggs, bacon, pancakes as well as cooking fish, re-warming leftovers, making glazed carrots. The main negative with Non-Stick is this is the only disposable item in the kit. Every non-stick coating will eventually fail despite whatever marketing departments tell you. I’ve selected Made-In as they are as durable as they come, fully made here in the USA, and don’t cost an insane amount.
Traditional Non-stick or Ceramic. PTFE is the nonstick coating we have used variations of for years because it just works. The newest PTFE coatings no longer use PFOAs and current studies say that the coating on a pan even if it flakes off will just pass through your body safely. There are environmental concerns with PTFE production however, which is why I trust a USA coated pan with our EPA and FDA more than other countries. If you want to avoid PFAS altogether then your option is Ceramic or Carbon Steel. Today’s ceramic coatings are much better than the past but still have a more limited lifespan. Made in has one of the best Ceramic coatings and it is rated at a 3 year life expectancy vs 10+ years for the PTFE. Ideally you will learn to use the Carbon Steel skillet in my set which with proper seasoning will become mostly non-stick and last forever. That way, whichever coated nonstick pan you choose will get limited use and therefore last much longer. For me I use the traditional Non-stick as I rather send less pans to the landfill.
So many choices and they all have benefits and draw backs so I include all of them because I have all of them in my kitchen and they all get used.
Here is a breakdown and how I use them.
Aluminum is the standard in bakeware, even heating, lightweight, great all around. -Bread, bars or brownies, cakes, meatloaf. I’m mostly using nonstick for ease of baking with exception of sheet pans which are uncoated but I have Silpats for when non-stick is needed. The sheet pans being uncoated are reactive to acids so use the stainless in those applications.
Porcelain allows for less browning and also looks great for serving. Porcelain is interchangeable with any recipes that call for glass, but Made In’s Porcelain is shock resistant which is why I don’t have any glass bakeware. – Casseroles, Lasagna
Stainless steel clad interchangeable with Aluminum however is an upgrade when you want more browning and looks great for serving. Heavier than Aluminum though so depends on my mood.
Cast Iron is better for browning and also looks great for serving. Can also be used on a cooktop if needed for reducing drippings if used as a roasting dish for example. – Mac and cheese, dressings, veggies, gratin. When I want crispy edges.
For the most part I just stick with kitchen tools that are non scratch as I know as soon as I put a metal fish spatula in, someone is going to use it in that non stick pan. I feel better knowing I’m not putting micro scratches in my enameled cookware or my carbon steel seasoning. I went full stainless on tools you shouldn’t be scraping with. The only exception to that is my solid turner which gets used on the grill most of the time and the occasional smash burger in the carbon skillet.
I like the shape of the heads and handles on these. They are comfortable to use and feel high quality. I prefer the stainless handle to all silicone tools or ones with wood that aren’t dishwasher safe.
Best I have used, good spring action that isn’t too stiff. The locking mechanism is simple and reliable. Silicone heads don’t melt as easily as others I’ve tried. I have the non-silicone one for grilling, using the kitchen torch, or if I’m charring peppers on the gas cooktop.
This is my most used turner, super versatile, can get under items easily with its thin profile but its stiff enough to handle some weight. I include 2 as inevitably one is always in the dishwasher.
These are mostly used for baking and pancakes, great for getting cookies off the sheets or flipping delicate items in a skillet.
This is my most used turner, super versatile, can get under items easily with its thin profile but its stiff enough to handle some weight. I include 2 as inevitably one is always in the dishwasher.
These are mostly used for baking and pancakes, great for getting cookies off the sheets or flipping delicate items in a skillet.
Needs Description
Germain made stainless steel, excellent strainers. Spider is used all the time for pulling pasta out of boiling water or items when frying.
Got to have a wood spoon and these are USA made with unique profiles. I love the pan holder hook so prevent drips on the counter. The spoonula is versatile for breaking up ground meat and scooping items out of the pot.
Excellent simple dowel style rolling pin made in USA.
Ice Cream scoop with a heat conductive liquid in the handle that helps warm the head for easier scooping. Great head profile also cuts into ice cream easier and makes nice scoops.
Nice large wheel moves easily through pizza as well as baked goods, pasta, and anything else you need to separate.
Wine and Bottle opener – Perfected Waiters Friend style wine opener. The double joint gives great leverage and slide out blade makes quick work of cutting the foil and auto retracts when you open the corkscrew. Made in Spain this is opener worthy of the wine it opens.
This one has worked reliable for me. This isn’t a safety style model as I find those hard to use and blades tend to wear out. Even then I don’t find the lids overly sharp with this one and it is comfortable to handle.
I’m a researcher, every item I buy I look at objective reviews from sources like Consumer Reports, Americas Test Kitchen, Prudent Reviews and more. I look not only at what items won tests but the features they show as to why they won. I then look at everything else on the market I can find that matches those criteria as well as any of my own that I found I like over the years. Then I purchase them and test them myself before coming to a conclusion. Some items I’ve agonized over, others I can tell I love at first touch. Some items in the kit still aren’t perfect but what I want just doesn’t exist. Hopefully with time this kit will evolve as I find new products or work with manufacturers to improve products to my specifications.
Not equally. Every item has a reason to be in the kit and I use them all but some may only get used a couple times a year and others daily. There is also personal preference, some people will gravitate to the carbon steel and use it all the time and others may dislike the minimal maintenance and stick to the enameled cast iron and stainless. I want this kit to allow for some experimentation so you can find what you like. I also tried to be extremely thoughtful about the sizes of each item but you may desire something larger or smaller depending on how many people you are cooking for or particular dishes you make. Use this kit to try all the materials and then add any individual pieces you find you desire.
All the pieces in my kit are pre-seasoned from the factory so you can just start using them. With regular cooking you should naturally develop a deeper and more stable seasoning. If you accidentally cook with acid or the pan gets neglected and just needs a fresh start watch my video here about seasoning. Here is seasoning recommendations from the manufacturers:
Many items in this kit are sold as dishwasher safe, for the most part don’t. Dishwashers are tough on materials so even though an item is dishwasher safe it can still dull finishes or leave residue. Since the items I include are so well made a run in a dishwasher won’t destroy them so you can have that piece of mind, but repeated use isn’t recommended. My exceptions to that are kitchen accessories and prep items which I consistently put in the dishwasher. Stainless and glass bowls, all the silicone/stainless kitchen tools, plastic and glass bottles (top rack). The items that should always be handwashed without exception are anything non-stick, wood, carbon steel or uncoated cast iron. This includes carbon steel blades on knives, peelers. All knives/scissors/graters should be hand washed however I do often throw my boning knife and scissors in the dishwasher if they are particularly messy but understand that will likely mean more frequent sharpening.
I grew up a fan of Wile E Coyote and loved Loony Tunes as a kid. When starting my company, I found myself with diverse interests in home technology, audio video, lighting, cabinetry, furniture, etc. I though back to the ACME company that seemed to supply everything. That born ACME Home, the one stop shop for everything inside and outside your home. The ACME Kitchen Crate was born from building clients kitchens and helping them outfit them with everything I found over the years that I like.
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