The one kitchen tool you can't do without.

[jimfet]

This will be in my Will.
Bought this at Lowe's over 15 years ago, on sale for half price. Replaced a thinner one with blood grooves in it. A thin board will not survive me.
This board is a gathering point in the house. If ever I'm having a party or just a drinking buddy over, this is where the shots are poured. Some one say's shot time, everyone knows to come here. No telling how many thousands of shots have been taken off this thing. No telling how many hundreds if not thousands of chicken wings have been cut in half with a cleaver here. No telling how many hundreds of lbs of BBQ has been chopped on this board, along with the thousands of individual ribs sliced. Here I am adding garlic to a jar which will soon become hot sauce. All my hot sauce, and other sauces are made on this board. Hot pots and pans go directly on this thing. The hundreds of pizza's that have been made and sliced here. The list goes on. Plus it's right beside the sink for easy cleaning. I think I owe it a nice mineral oil message tomorrow. My knives are very happy with this thing. Damn, all the steaks I've sliced from loins. OK, OK, I'll hush. I think my point is made.

 

[jcamero]

A SHARP knife.

 

[KingBubba]

I have a board about the size of yours. It is made of ash wood that had an unusual origin. I worked with Barnum and Bailey and was friends with the head carpenter in the wood shop. He had a load of ash wood delivered to him. It turned out it was ordered by the bear trainer who wanted bear pedestals made by his design out of the wood. After the pedestals were built, there was an excess left over and the carpenter used it to make various things, which included a cutting board that he gave me. I stained it and polyurethaned it, both of which are long gone. Ash wood is very hard and this thing has very little wear after over 30 years use. It also is the center of the kitchen. I enjoyed the story about your board. Thanks.

 

[onepixel]

A sharp knife. It's hard to mince onions with a cutting board.

 

[valvenator]

I have a board about the size of yours. It is made of ash wood that had an unusual origin. I worked with Barnum and Bailey and was friends with the head carpenter in the wood shop. He had a load of ash wood delivered to him. It turned out it was ordered by the bear trainer who wanted bear pedestals made by his design out of the wood. After the pedestals were built, there was an excess left over and the carpenter used it to make various things, which included a cutting board that he gave me. I stained it and polyurethaned it, both of which are long gone. Ash wood is very hard and this thing has very little wear after over 30 years use. It also is the center of the kitchen. I enjoyed the story about your board. Thanks.

Sand that baby down and get some butcher block conditioner like Howard's or make your own with beeswax and mineral oil.
Say, I've got a couple extra pieces of some heavy oak stair-tread down in the basement.
Pretty much the same thing ain't it?

 

[KeninDC]

On my last day as a bartender, I took my trusty church key with me. It has opened, literally, 148 jillion beers. It's a big one, so you get that crucial leverage where you can open an entire sixer of longnecks in less than 3 seconds. It now lives at home in my kitchen next to my wine tools. It's as if the non-pointed end was created by God himself to fit perfectly on a beer cap.

 

[onwardjames]

Bucket list addition - Eat a meal with Jimfet. I'll bring the habanero and ghost peppers I grow.

 

[Route 66]

A wife who loves to cook.

 

[epifanatic]

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2

Award winning, $45.00!!! Best knife I've ever owned.

 

[usedto]

A wife who loves to cook.

Ditto

 

[WillVT]

Aside from those already mentioned, I've become quite fond of those little wood handled silicone spatulas. They do so many things. From cooking eggs, to stirring batters, to getting the last of the mayo out of the jar. And the slightly spoon shaped one is good for testing sauces. I have 4, and am always reaching for one.

Someday I need to get, or make a big end grain cutting board like your's Jimfet. I'm tired of going through those thin bamboo boards.

 

[jimfet]

A sharp knife. It's hard to mince onions with a cutting board.

But it goes good with anyone's favorite knife. I have a few myself.

 

[onwardjames]

I do NOT cook. I mean....not at all. Just never wanted to learn. I enjoy watching others prepare food, and I have a drinking buddy who has steadily gone from terrible to absolutely amazing.

Makes apple pies completely from scratch, cooks all the stuff we kill (groundhog, squirrel, dove, deer, quail, rabbit, Yeti....okay, maybe not Yeti)
and I sit and pick on my guitar, sip a beer whilst he does it.

But me?? Nah. Still, I don't think my own kitchen would be the same without the seasoned iron skillet I've pushed my wife into using since we got married in 2010. She HATED that thing at first, since she's a clean freak, and a good wipedown is all they usually need.

Now?? She uses it for everything.

So, my vote is for a great seasoned iron skilled. I also value my cork remover and old school "Coca Cola" bottle opener I have mounted to the cupboard in front of the sink.
Many a beer has been consumed thanks to that kitchy old thing.

 

[Eric n Kc]

Hey
Being a knife nut I cant pass up an opportunity to post a picture of a cheap knife I picked up at a garage sale. It was .25 and is so easy to keep sharp. You just gotta keep it clean and dry.( carbon steel I'm a thinkin.) Any who I like it . Eric

 

[nedseg]

All of the above (I might add All-Clad cookware).
But, I just got one of these cutting boards:
https://www.amazon.com/Epicurean-Kitchen-Cutting-11-25-Inch-Natural/dp/B000FDQVIC?th=1
And I have to say I'm pretty impressed. Yah, it's only 1/4" thick or so, but the dang thing fits in my cutlery drawer above the cutlery tray, so it not only saves counter space, but is handy as all get out.
Easy to clean, lays flat on the counter, very light weight, doesn't seem to be 'too tough' on steel...so far so good.
I wasn't actually expecting it to be a 'keeper', so kind of a nice surprise.
I haven't run it through the DW yet (and may never - it's just Gotta Warp!), but so far I'm using it more than the plastic, wood and custom ones I've made up.
Time will tell.

 

[harman/kardon]

Finest quality breakfast knife by Rösle.

 

[Cactus Bob]

A Digital Cooking Thermometer

 

[Cadillac Kid]

A nice spatula for My Wolf. Love the Wolf.

 

[IPADave]

Bucket list addition - Eat a meal with Jimfet. I'll bring the habanero and ghost peppers I grow.

I'm in for that! I'll bring the beer

I do NOT cook. I mean....not at all. Just never wanted to learn. I enjoy watching others prepare food, and I have a drinking buddy who has steadily gone from terrible to absolutely amazing.

Makes apple pies completely from scratch, cooks all the stuff we kill (groundhog, squirrel, dove, deer, quail, rabbit, Yeti....okay, maybe not Yeti)
and I sit and pick on my guitar, sip a beer whilst he does it.

But me?? Nah. Still, I don't think my own kitchen would be the same without the seasoned iron skillet I've pushed my wife into using since we got married in 2010. She HATED that thing at first, since she's a clean freak, and a good wipedown is all they usually need.

Now?? She uses it for everything.

So, my vote is for a great seasoned iron skilled. I also value my cork remover and old school "Coca Cola" bottle opener I have mounted to the cupboard in front of the sink.
Many a beer has been consumed thanks to that kitchy old thing.

+1 on the cast iron skillet. I'll add a good instant read thermometer is a must.

-Dave

 

[Balrog2112]

+1 on the cast iron skillet and +1 on a good sharpe knife. Not only good for food, I like my chances if a fight breaks out.