Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen by Alton Brown
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Book Reviews of Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen
Book Review: Can a Kitchen Implement Book Be Interesting? YES!
Summary: 4 Stars
How interesting can a book on kitchen implements be? I have always loved kitchen gadgets and machines, and although I'm the one who drags my wife through the kitchenware sections of stores, I still asked this question about this book. Well, it is a very interesting book, and I wish I had read this before buying most of what's in my kitchen.
Alton Brown is the host of the Food Network show GOOD EATS. The show was first brought to my attention by a local radio morning show DJ. Alton is a sort of combination of Julia Childs and Mr. Wizard with a little wackiness of Jeff Corwin thrown in. After quickly getting addicted to the show, I wondered if Alton had any books, and my search led me to GEAR FOR YOUR KITCHEN.
In the short time I've been watching the show, he's twice lifted his fire extinguisher and said, "This is the only unitasker in my kitchen." That philosophy permeates this book. You will also find that he will often use non-kitchen tools if he feels they perform the task better. He serves pie with a masonry trowel and scapes dough with a drywall taping knife.
He's not afraid to name names, which is extremely beneficial and not often seen in books (Don't want to upset potential advertisers!). So instead of just describing what to look for in an item, he tells you what item(s) meets those requirements. Of course, this risks making the book quickly dated. He is also not afraid to say what items he's abandoned when they were poorly "updated," such as now recommending the Kitchenaid food processor over his once-favorite Cuisinart because Cuisinart changed the toggle switch to a membrane switch. Hopefully, some of the revelation will guide the manufacturers to provide better products.
The book is very easy to read, and reads like listening to the author on his show. The layout is very attractive. The book is punctuated with interesting sidebars giving historical information on the materials and products. There are actually a handful of recipes using the tools described in that section. For example, the section on food processors includes a recipe for Hummus. The book is full of photos of recommended items. There is a several-page table on cooking utensil materials: what they are, what they're good for, and what they're not. Some of these sidebars and tables are very appealing to an engineer like me (Alton Brown, in general, probably appeals to engineers like me), but may be boring to others. You can skip many of them without much damage.
Chapters are Pots and Pans, Sharp Things (knives and slicers), Small Things with Plugs (electric countertop kitchen appliances), Kitchen Tools Unplugged (pretty much any tool that doesn't fall into the other categories), Storage and Containment, and a potentially ho-hum chapter on Safety and Sanitation, which wasn't so bad. I could probably benefit from this last chapter, although (famous last words) I've never gotten sick from anything I made in my kitchen. It's harder explaining to my wife why I'm buying spray bottles and squeegees.
I can offer a few suggestions for improvements. Mainly, additional illustrations are needed to help describe differences in some items. He could use diagrams to describe different kinds of pots and pans, different turners and spatulas, and the different whisks. He does this very thing describing different kinds of knives and the parts of the knives, but falls down on the job in the other sections. There are text descriptions like "straight sides," "curved sides," "flared sides," "sides that curve outward," "they all have an offset angle built into them either at the tip or in the handle," and others. It can be hard to conceive in your mind (or maybe it's really simple, and I'm just messed up because I'm an engineer and he's not describing what plane he's working in, what line he's referring the angle to, etc.) By "straight sides" does he mean "vertical?"
And p. 192 confuses me. Alton insists there is a difference between turners and spatulas, but under "Wide, Solid Turner," he describes a particular product he owns, and there is a photo of it with a caption that clearly describes it as the same item, but calls it a "spatula." Furthermore, the next section, "Cake Spatulas," the first describing spatulas, refers to "the spatula described above." Ugh. Which is it? Are spatulas and turners the same or not?
OK. Minor point.
Mr. Brown does concedes that there may be a few good unitaskers, and admits to owning a few, but only if they do a job you need a done a lot, and it does it very well. Oh...and he does discuss fire extinguishers.
I don't think I'll personally purchase this book since it is in the my local library, and it's not something I think I'll have to refer to frequently. However, if you don't have access to it, or want to keep it around for the recipes (or have an unlimited book budget and bookcase space), I'd highly recommend purchasing GEAR FOR YOUR KITCHEN.
Book Review: Where were you Alton?
Summary: 4 Stars
About a year or so ago I finally gave up. All my knives were dull. All my pans were warped and flaking. All my appliances were not working as I wanted. I decided that I enjoyed cooking, but avoided it because of my equipment. I decided I'd start buying only stuff that'd last a life time or until something better came out.
It started with picking up some Wusthof knives, one every couple months. Then I started getting some new small appliances, and now I'm on to pans. I've cleaned out my "junk" drawer of unitaskers and replaced them with quality instruments.
The bad news, if I had Alton's book, I would have saved a lot of time on research. The good news is, I did fairly well on my own.
I admire Alton and this book in particular for two reason: He's innovative with his tools so that the least number of items can do the most tasks. I used to have four different garlic tools. I now I have one -- a knife. Also, a cooking tool doesn't have to come from a cooking store. Second, I enjoy how Alton doesn't shy from naming names, both the good and bad. In most parts of the book, he explains exactly what he thinks you should have and why. It's up to you if that sounds good to you.
A nice little plus is he gives recipes demonstrating some of the gear he discusses. So when you go out and buy something new, you can try it out.
You'll see a lot of this book on his shows. This is probably what this book is best at, a reference for the TV show. The book is not an authoritative look at what pan is best for this or that, or whatever. Cook's Illustrated is probably a better source for this. This is more of an overview of information. Some parts are more in-depth than others. I get the impression that the book was written from Alton's memory. In other words, Alton relied on past research and experience to write this book without going the extra steps to be more in-depth or complete. Some items are better researched and more in-depth than others, which illustrates this point. If it's important to Alton, he knows it front and back and has tested various products. If not, you just get a rough guide of what to look for.
In short, this book is basically Alton's view on cooking tools, which certainly is impressive, but I would not recommend making this book a shopping list. I don't agree with everything in the book, but it does arm you with enough information to know what you're doing at the store. Case in point, I'm looking for a new roasting pan. Alton incorrectly states that the All-Clad has an aluminum core -- it's only stainless steel. While certainly a quality pan, I'm looking for a more affordable alternative since the big thing with All-Clad is the aluminum core. Alton comes into play on what I specifically want: A stainless steel (non-reactive) pan that is heavy enough to de-glaze on the stove. In this case, I'm looking past Alton's strong product recommendation, but I know exactly what I want and why.
Alton's books and shows made me aware of my neglect for food safety. Some great tips in there. The kitchen truly is the most danger room in the house.
If you enjoy Alton's show and his tips for gear, you'll like this book, even if you've seen every episode. At the very least you'll have something to reference. For everyone else, I'd say page through it at a book store and look up topic you're familiar with. If you agree with what he says, buy it. You'll probably agree with everything else.
Book Review: Interesting, but not definitive
Summary: 4 Stars
Here, Alton attempts to assemble a definitive guide to what you should or shouldn't have in your kitchen.
Alton Brown has been described as a kitchen "hacker," kind of like a computer hacker. He's known for his clever solutions to common cooking problems -- his homemade smoker (made out of a wooden or cardboard box) and his ceramic roaster (made out of large terra cotta flower pots) are probably some of his proudest and best known creations.
The problem with this book is that it's a fairly subjective book, based on Alton's personal experience and opinion. Additionally, contrary to Alton's trademark style, the book is NOT filled with clever shortcuts or innovative usages of hardware items in the home kitchen -- his "hacks". For the most part, dedicated fans of his Food Network show, Good Eats, already know most or all of his tricks. The book doesn't really introduce anything new.
Also, the book is somewhat dated, since newer technologies and gear have rendered parts of this book less than totally relevant (e.g. the section on knives. Knives are now made with newer materials that the book does not even mention).
Some of the gear listed is difficult to track down (F. Dick Multicut honing steel, certain other specific makes and models of various items or appliances), some of it is shamelessly expensive (the previously mentioned honing steel is $108.00 on Amazon.com), and some items are probably not worth the price when compared to less expensive alternatives that do the job satisfactorily.
To be fair, Alton does indicate when certain goods cost more than the average cook might like to spend; however, he also suggests that readers buy some of the higher end goods on the market. The message can seem a bit muddied and contradictory when he favors a big cast iron skillet (at or around $10) while also suggesting that home cooks get a good, clad fry pan (~$180) and a clad saute pan (~$220).
Luckily, most of his advice seems to be solid, in my personal opinion. In general, he gives good descriptions of some of his favorite items and why you should try to acquire them if you can. Unfortunately, too many of these items are on the pricy side.
But please don't take this guide to be definitive in any way. Use it as a reference and remember that new gear is constantly coming out and replacing old gear. Some of it is garbage. Some of it is gold. Your best bet is to try some of it out, and to do a little research before plunking down some cash for a shiny new toy. Your wallet will thank you (maybe) later.
Book Review: Great for Spring Cleaning and Beyond!
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're like me, and you walk through Bed Bath & Beyond or similar stores and just get overwhelmed with stuff that looks neat or that you really THINK you need - you're going to love this book.
Personally, I'm a mega neat freak - so this really helped me know what stuff in my kitchen I could really do without. It forces you to be really honest with yourself about what a good home cook really needs and how much is overkill. If you're a packrat - this book is definitely not for you!!!
Inside, Alton Brown not only gives you a run down on what a particular kitchen apparatus does - but what makes one kind or style better than another. He's also got some recommendations on his favorite brands - although it never seems like he's pushing a product as a sales pitch. Any recommendation is backed up with a why and a reason. This is not a book for recipes - you just won't find that here. It's value lies strictly in giving you the ability to say NO to that really neat salad shooter slice-o-matic - even if you do have the 20% off coupon!
Book Review: Good addition to any kitchen library
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is a big help to any fledgling foodie, especially those who don't have Food Network and can't watch "Good Eats". Alton covers all manner of tools and gear, giving examples of what each is good for, what they're not good for, and recipes that make use of them. He can help you decide what you really need for your style of cooking and level of expertise.
For example, he tells you what to look for when buying knives, blenders, baking dishes, etc. He's not shy about telling you which brands and models of products he likes and uses, although they tend to be top-end, expensive ones. But he gives you enough information that if you buy a less expensive product, you get good quality, and your money's worth.
As with any Alton Brown project, this book has science, lots of humor, and funky diagrams and pictures. It's an enjoyable read, and a book you'll find yourself thumbing through whenever you think you need to buy another gadget or two from Amazon.