Use thrift stores as a guide for your cookware collection
June 27, 2018 by DarcieEYB Members have frequently posted about the great items they discover at thrift stores. Whether it’s a wonderful cookbook, vintage cookware, or a gorgeous serving piece, there is a thrill involved in digging through the shelves to find the perfect gem. But the things you pass over – and the things you don’t find at these stores in the first place – can be used as a guide for what you really need to stock your kitchen.
Let’s start with the items – okay, junk – you must dig through in order to find the treasures. Thrift stores teem with gadgets and small appliances that were once the “must-have” new item. Consider how many pizza cookers and popcorn poppers litter the shelves at secondhand stores before spending your hard-earned money on something that is heavily advertised. They end up discarded for a reason. Do you see yourself actually using it enough to justify the purchase? Does it take up valuable counter space that you are going to want back in a few months? Do you really need to have a divided frying pan or countertop cheese maker?
Then there are the things you don’t see in thrift stores. How many large Le Creuset or Staub dutch ovens grace the shelves? When is the last time you saw tri-ply cookware or heavy duty half-sheet pans? For me, the answer to those questions is none and never. Quality items like those are treasures that see constant kitchen use, and at least one person in the family will want it once its owner passes on or tires of it. This is the type of cookware that you should strive to purchase, even if it means doing without for a while.
Despite the scarcity of high-quality cookware and the copious quantity of last year’s overpriced gadgets, I will continue to haunt thrift stores. Today I picked up a good condition Joy of Cooking (1953) to round out my collection, and paid only a trifle for it. I passed up a few other items, however, using the wisdom gained from previous impulse buys to temper my enthusiasm. If you can avoid the temptation to buy things you won’t use, thrift and secondhand stores still offer potential.
Categories
- All Posts (6627)
- Antipasto (1991)
- Author Articles (241)
- Book News (919)
- Cookbook Giveaways (947)
- Cookbook Lovers (247)
- Cooking Tips (97)
- Culinary News (298)
- Food Biz People (538)
- Food Online (758)
- Holidays & Celebrations (258)
- New Cookbooks (140)
- Recipes (1444)
- Shelf Life With Susie (231)
- What's New on EYB (129)
Archives
Latest Comments
- anicecuppa on 2024 Cookbook Preview
- dmkxr9 on Pizza Night and Emile Henry Pizza Stone Giveaway
- Bake4one on Flavor – Sabrina Ghayour – Cookbook Giveaway
- Bake4one on Food Gifts Cookbook and Gift Box Giveaway
- itssteph on Pizza Night and Emile Henry Pizza Stone Giveaway
- TammyT2024 on Pizza Night and Emile Henry Pizza Stone Giveaway
- TammyT2024 on Food news antipasto
- susankay on How important is the recipe’s photo?
- fadoum on Pizza Night and Emile Henry Pizza Stone Giveaway
- lucymajor94 on Beatrix Bakes Another Slice Cookbook Giveaway