Equipment

I have quite a lot of baking and kitchen equipment, some of it I've had since I was a teen and it gets used regularly, other things may be rarely touched but necessary to get a task done (although I not a fan of kitchen gadgets and tend to avoid them), still others I wonder why I ever bought them.  It's taken me a long to build up my kit of kitchen tools so if you're just starting out take it slow and get what you need when you need it.  The list of items below is mostly things I'm glad I have in my kitchen and have found helpful for a long time.

What works for me may not work you.  I don't have a test kitchen (although that would a lot of fun) so I haven't done side by side comparisons of my kitchenware against other similar items.  The equipment listed below is not necessarily best in class, the most or least expensive or even available in the market today.  It's a guide of what I use, how I feel about it and nothing more than my suggestions.  Take them or leave them.

A quick note on my purchasing philosophy...I don't like having to replace things because they've broken.  I prefer to spend a bit more money upfront with the expectation that I will not have to replace it for a long time.  I also avoid plastics as much as I can (sometimes I can't so I have to make do with what's available).  I'm just not a fan of plastic in the kitchen.  As a woodworker I love the look and feel of wood and I also love the look and longevity of stainless steel, so these are my go to materials for many things.  For the most part, this purchasing philosophy has worked extremely well for me.  Over the years I've had to replace very few items and I very much hope that one day I can pass down my kitchen tools to another generation and have them last for them as well.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE BAKING EQUIPMENT:

Stand Mixer - Kitchen-aid

OK, I know these are expensive!  Get one!  If you're into baking, this just as important as a scale.  Don't mess around, get a Kitchen-aid or another very well reviewed, powerful mixer.  Get the biggest baddest stand mixer you can afford, especially if you're going to be making bread or large batches of cookies or whipped candy.  I've had my mixer for many years and it hasn't failed me yet.  Other mixers are compared to Kitchen-aid mixers for very good reason.

I have one regret when it comes my mixer...since I use it at least once a week, and I sometimes need to make a double batch of cookies, etc., I wish I would have purchased a professional version with a bigger motor and bowl.  If I had done that I could easily increase my batch size when I need to do.  Having said that, I'm so grateful to have the 5 quart Heavy Duty version which handles just about all my mixing needs.

'Nuf said!  Almost...

One important point concerning my recipes, when the recipe says use a mixer, "to ...", I will always mean a Kitchen-aid stand mixer, unless otherwise specified.  Any speed settings and times in my recipes will also assume a Kitchen-aid stand mixer.  Of course, other mixers can be used, but speeds and times may need to be adjusted a bit.

OK, 'Nuf said!  Probably.

Blender - Vitamix

OK, I know these are expensive!  Get one!  Didn't I say this before for another kitchen tool?

When I was a kid, I remember seeing ads for Vitamix blenders in magazines and I remember going to the Big E fair in West Springfield, MA, USA and seeing demos of these blenders.  I have wanted one of these machines ever since.

I'm now on my 3rd blender.  Nope, the first two were not Vitamix blenders.  The first, and what I thought would be my forever blender, was a Waring Professional, it was OK, I had it for many years but I used it less and less because it just didn't blend well, especially anything with ice.   And this was supposed to be a bar blender.  I got my second blender just a few years ago, a Ninja, which was able to do some of the things the Waring could not.  As an example, it could turn ice to snow without adding water, but, it failed to make blender lemon curd because there simply wasn't enough blade friction.  If I attempted to make an emulsion with the Ninja, I ended up making a mess because the only way to slowly add oil was through the pour spot on one of the corners.  Guess where the blades like to throw the contents of what's being blended?  The Ninja was better than the Waring, and I did use it make a lot of smoothies (in the smoothie cups), but honestly, not much else.

My third blender is a Vitamix 750, and now that I have one, I have to ask myself, "Why did I waste my money on those other blenders?"  Whenever I see side-by-side comparisons of blenders, the Vitamix is almost always one of those compared, and for good reason.  The Vitamix blenders can do it all and will even do some things I would never have dreamed of...

• Make smoothies?  yes, Yes, YES!  The smoothest of smoothies.

• Crush ice without adding water?  Yup!  Even turn the ice to snow.

• Make hot soup without a pot?  Yes!

• Make nut butters?  Yes

• Make ice cream without an ice cream maker?  Oh, ya!

• Make purees?  Really do you have to ask?  Of course.

• Make batters?  Yes, I make crepe and waffle batters in the blender now.

• Grind grains into flour?  Yup!

• Make Hollandaise sauce?  Oooooooh YES!  Amazing!

• Make lemon curd?  I've heard it can but I haven't tried it yet.  (Guess what's coming soon....never mind that last comment, I did this and it worked great!)

So why did I wait so long to buy one?  They are EXPENSIVE!  Very expensive and even the cheapest Vitamix can easily cost more than a quality stand mixer.  BUT, they are so worth it.  I hear the factory reconditioned ones are excellent.

Containers...yes, Vitamix calls their containers "containers", not jars, not pitchers...containers.  The Vitamix 750 I bought came with a 1 liter [64 ounce], short, "wet" container with a 4 inch blade.  This is great for larger batches of things but it's not the best for smaller batches (I generally will stay away from batches smaller than 2 cups in this container.  I bought a separate 1 liter [32 ounce] container which is my go to container for almost everything, including single serving smoothies.  UPDATE: A lot of research has come out recently concerning the dangers of plastics in the environment and in our bodies.  With this in mind, I have switched my go to container to the Vitamix 48 ounce stainless steel version and I LOVE IT!  It has the same container bottom profile as the 32 ounce container so you blend small batches, yet 16 ounces more capacity so your batch size can be a bit bigger.

A note about the Vitamix "tamper"...I may have mentioned this before, but, before I purchase anything, especially anything expensive, like a high powered blender, I do my research.  A LOT of research.  I've read a lot of reviews and seen a lot of videos that state the idea that blenders other than Vitamix are better because they don't need a tamper to get blending done.  It's even a selling point of Blendtec, another high end blender.  Don't be fooled, all blenders require some amount of help when processing certain things.  In some cases food just gets stuck, either at the top of the food stack or in the corners or on the walls of the container.  Some blends just require help, no blender is perfect at keeping all foods moving.  When it's needed, (keep in mind it's not needed for everything) the tamper helps and it helps in a safe manner while the machine is RUNNING.

I REALLY wish my first blender had been a Vitamix.  It's the one found in most commercial kitchens for a reason.

Knives - Wustof

As with many other things in my kitchen, I've have my "good" kitchen knives for a long time.  I bought my first one in my late teens or early twenties and it owes me nothing.  It still holds an edge and still has the same basic shape it had when I bought it.  I can't remember which knife was my first, the 10 inch chef's knife or the 8 inch chef's knife.  It doesn't really matter, they serve the same purpose.  Which do I use the most?  The 10 inch, hands down!  It has more working area than the 8 inch and that is very important to me when I'm slicing or chopping.

What's the most important thing about knives?  Learning how to use them.  I learned early on how to properly use a chef's knife by carefully watching TV show cooks like Jeff Smith, Julia Child and Jacques Pépin.  First, be sure your knife is SHARP!  A sharp knife is a safe knife, it requires less force which means there's less chance of it slipping or twisting while cutting.  Hold the front of the handle so the thumb and first finger of your most used hand are on the top of the blade and the other three fingers are wrapped around the handle, again this will keep the knife from twisting while you're using it.  The other hand is for holding the food you're cutting and your fingers should be curled so the tips of your fingers are under your knuckles.  The side of the knife should always be against your knuckles.  When cutting use a push or pull motion in one direction to cut through all of the food in one pass.  If the knife is sharp you shouldn't have to saw through food.  Bring the knife back up to the starting position, with the side of the knife blade always against your knuckles, to preparing for the next slice.  Watch what you're doing so you don't raise the knife too high.  Done properly, with a sharp knife, you should never hurt yourself.  The only times I have ever hurt myself is when I forgot to keep the fingers holding the food curled.   Always keep your fingers curled.  All of this takes practice...practice...practice.  Every time you use a knife consider it practice and use it properly.  Eventually it will become second nature.

• 10 inch Chef's Knife - My go to knife for slicing and chopping almost everything.

• 8 inch Chef's Knife - I'm really sure why I have this but I do use it sometimes, I prefer the 10 inch.

• Paring Knife - I have two, a good one for counter work (cutting food) and a cheaper one for opening packages.  I use the good one for little things like hulling strawberries.  I'll use it for slicing the berries too when I only have a few do to, why dirty a second knife for just a few berries?  If I'm slicing a lot of them or chopping them, yup, you guessed it, I use the 10 inch chef's knife.

• Bird's Beak Paring Knife - I have one and it's good for peeling but I usually use the regular paring knife if I'm not using an actual vegetable peeler.

• Vegetable Peeler - Is this a knife?  It has a two sharp blades so...yes?  Whatever!  I have a few and yes, I use them.  I keep them sharp as well.  Yes it is possible to sharpen them and it isn't hard to do.  They don't work well at all if they aren't sharp.  Just like a knife, they're safer when they are sharp.  With practice you can learn to peel anything FAST with these babies.

• Boning Knife - Have one but, umm, there are very few bones to deal with when baking so it doesn't get used a lot.

• Meat Cleaver - see boning knife.

• Steak Knives -  see boning knife.

• Bread Knife - I use this when I want crumbs all over the place or for cutting angel cake.  I don't like to clean up unnecessary crumbs so it really doesn't get used for much other than the angle cake.  I think the bread knife is the best thing I've ever used for cutting angel cake, even a really sharp chef's knife compresses the angel cake while it's being cut.

Oh!  Please use your properly sharpened knives on a PROPER cutting board made of wood or (ick) plastic.  Don't use a good knife on plates, ceramic, glass, metal or any other hard material I may have forgotten.  When it comes to knives, these materials are good for only one thing, dulling your knife.  The ONLY knife I use on a plate is a steak knife.

Cutting Boards

• Wood - I have a few but I really only use one.  I have a 24 inch X 24 inch X 1.25 inch, solid maple board that stays on my counter 95+% of the time.  I use it for everything and I clean it immediately after I cut anything.  The only issue I ever have is when I cut onion or garlic then cut fruit, the fruit picks up the flavor of the onion or garlic even after washing.  It usually takes a few days to air out before it's safe to use that area of the board again for fruits.  I try to keep onion and garlic cutting to one corner of the board.  If I can't manage to keep this cutting contained I'll rotate the board or flip it before cutting fruit.

The other boards I have are smaller, homemade boards that I use for cutting bread or fruit than I intend to serve on the board.  They make nice charcuterie boards or serving boards too.  Sometimes I use them just to give them more character for food photography shoots.

• Plastic - I don't have any plastic cutting surfaces.  I don't want plastic in my food so I don't use them.  Clean the wood boards immediately after using them and they will be safe.  If you do use plastic cutting "boards", clean them immediately after using them.  Cuts and scratches in plastic can harbor bacteria just as well as wood, so they need to be cleaned well too.

Pot and Pans - General

I have quite a few pots and pans, honestly, too many.  A few are used a LOT, the others, not so much but they have their place and purpose in the kitchen.  If I needed to rebuild my kitchen, the pots and pans below are what I would want to have.

MOST COMMONLY USED COOKWARE (in order from most used)

• 2 quart Stock Pot - All-Clad D3 (I wish I had one more)

• 8 inch Skillet - DeBuyer carbon steel

• 10 inch Skillet - Lodge raw cast iron

• 12 inch Skillet - Lodge raw cast iron

• 4 quart Stock Pot - All-Clad D3 (I have 2 and sometimes use both at the same time) 

• 8 inch Skillet - Lodge raw cast iron

• 0.5 quart Butter Warmer - All-Clad D3

LESS USED COOKWARE (in order from most used)

• 2 quart Saucier - All-Clad D3

• 2 quart Windsor Pan - All-Clad D3

• 3 quart Saucier - All-Clad D3

• 10 inch Crepe Pan - DeBuyer carbon steel

• 0.5 quart Ramekin - All-Clad D3

• 4 quart Dutch Oven - Staub

• 6 quart Dutch Oven - Staub

• 6 quart Stock Pot - All-Clad D3

• 12 quart Stock Pot - All-Clad

Pot and Pans - All-Clad

I love All-Clad cookware, it looks great, it cooks great and I have more of it than I actually need or use regularly.  For baking & pastry I almost always reach for the 2 quart Windsor pan or a 2 or 3 quart saucier, any of which are good for heating or reducing liquids.  The straight sided 3 and 4 quart sauce pots get used quite a bit as well, the taller sides keep splatters down a bit more and the larger capacities allow me to cook up larger batches.  I could list everything I have but most of my other All-Clad cookware doesn't really get used for baking.  I will, however, recommend the All-Clad butter warmer.  I almost never use a microwave so when I need to melt butter (which happens pretty frequently) this little pot comes out, it's great for melting jams and jellies too.

Cast Iron Cookware, Raw - Lodge

OK, for baking & pastry I honestly don't use the cast iron all that much but if something needs to be fried or I'm baking cornbread or biscuits I'm going to pull down the cast iron.  Why?  Because it heats evenly, nothing sticks to it so it cleans up easily and, seriously, cornbread just looks great served in cast iron.  I have a number of different skillet/fry pan sizes from 4 inches to 12 inches but my number one go to fry pan is the 10 inch size, it's perfect for my cornbread recipe and fits almost everything I typically make for dinner.

Cast Iron Cookware, Enameled - Staub & Le Creuset

I don't have a lot enameled cookware and, other than my fondue pots, I hardly ever use it for baking.  Having said that I will say that I prefer Staub over Le Creuset because it has a textured interior that seasons over time much like raw cast iron.  The exception to this is the Le Creuset fondue sets that I have.  I have two of them and they are fantastic!  I'm not sure if they're still available new but they are worth finding used.  See my notes on fondue pots for more detail.

Cast Iron Fondue Pots, Enameled - Le Creuset

I love making fondue and sharing it with a group of family or friends.  Fondue makes a social event that much better.  My fondue pots are cast iron and I would have a hard time using anything else.  I've used thin sheet metals ones before and an electric one but I didn't care them much.  The electric ones have a cord that gets in the way.  The sheet metals don't spread the heat very well and chocolate and cheese will inevitably scorch or burn to the bottom of the pot.  The Le Creuset enameled cast iron pots I use have thick bottoms which spreads the heat out beautifully so foods don't stick and burn.

Fondue heat sources - The alcohol burners use either liquid or gel alcohol fuel and I really like that I can use either.  For most fondues, like cheese and chocolate, I use the gel fuel because I feel it burns a little cooler than liquid fuel.  I haven't actually verified this but it seems to be the case when I use it.  On the rare occasions I make a broth or oil fondue I use liquid alcohol fuel because I feel it burns a little hotter.  Very rarely I pull out the butane or electric burner as a heat source.  This is for occasions that I make an oil or both fondue and we're outside when it's windy.  In situations like this the alcohol burner just can't keep the oil or broth hot enough to cook the food.

Cooking Torch - Bernzomatic

• Butane Kitchen Torch / Culinary Torch / Crème Brûlée Torch - (2600°F) Don't bother, seriously, don't bother with these.  In my opinion, the little, butane kitchen torches have a couple of big problems, they concentrate too much heat in too small an area and the heat they generate isn't actually all that hot, only about 2600°F.  This leads to burned food and a lot of wasted time because the heat is so concentrated.  I used to struggle getting that perfectly browned sugar on my crème brûlée when ever I used a cooking torch, then I got some really good advice about using a plumber's torch instead.  What a difference it made to anything that needed a quick browning.  Seriously, small kitchen torches aren't worth all the bother.

WAAAAAAAIT!  WAIT!  WAIT!  Wait!  Wait!  Hold on just a minute!  My thoughts and comments above have held true for many years and, for the most part, still remain.  Having said that, I finally found a use for my little kitchen torch that could not be done with my plumber's torch (see my comments below).  In July 2021 I made "S'mores in a Cup" which is made in a cupcake cup and has toasted marshmallow on top.  I was concerned that my plumber's torch would put out too much heat and burn the paper cupcake cup while I was toasting the marshmallow.  I was right, try as I might, I couldn't toast the marshmallow without igniting the paper.  So I had to pullout the little kitchen torch and I quickly found it's concentrated heat allowed me to direct the flame to get the marshmallow browned without burning the paper, mostly.  To be fair, the paper did light on occasion but not nearly like it did with the big torch.  I still prefer the big torch for most things but, in this case, the little torch did a much better job.

• Plumber's Torch - (3600°F) If you need a torch in the kitchen you'll be better off buying a handheld, propane plumber's  torch (which has a burn temperature of 3600°F) with an adjustable flame control (don't use the same torch you use for actual plumbing) and a bottle of propane.  My crème brûlée and torched meringues come out perfectly nearly every time when I use one of these and it only takes a few seconds.  Food caramelizes much faster and more evenly because the flame is more spread out.  When purchasing on of these, the adjustable flame control is important, it allows you to control the heat as you need it.  Most of the time I keep the heat on the low side, so don't burn myself or the food.  You won't go wrong with an adjustable plumber's torch.  I'm not a professional myself but, from what I've heard, you won't find a little kitchen torch in a professional kitchen, you'll find a plumber's torch.  I suggest the Bernzomatic TS8000, it's the one I have and I love it.  By the way, if you suddenly get a craving for toasted, homemade marshmallows, a plumber's torch does a great job.

Waffle Irons

• • Belgian Waffles - I have a Presto 03510 Ceramic FlipSide Belgian Waffle Iron (bought in 2019) and I love it except for one thing.  I'm not sure how I feel about having to flip the iron over when I use it and I haven't tried to use it with out flipping.  I understand that the theory of flipping is to get the batter to fill the space on both halves of the iron, I'm just not sure it's necessary and with this iron you need plenty of counter space to do the flip.  The reason I love this iron so much is the ceramic coating.  I am generally not a fan of non-stick coatings, and I have very little cookware that is non-stick, but, so far, nothing has stuck to this iron from day one.

  • Pizzelle Iron - I've been making pizzelle cookies for many years and the pizzelle iron I've had for years is from Villaware (no longer in business).  If you haven't made pizzelle before I really recommend getting a good electric pizzelle iron and making some.  They are very easy to make, take about 30 seconds to cook two and the basic recipe can be flavored any way you like.

  • Ice Cream Cone Iron - If you're baking gluten-free and you like ice cream cones, pick up one of these and use my GF ice cream cone recipe.  They are SO good!  I've only been making waffle cones for a few years and I my current iron is from Chef's Choice International.  It has a  temperature control which I don't think I've changed since I dialed it in.  Waffle cones take some time to make but they are worth the effort.

Non-stick Baking Liners

• • Parchment Paper - Get some!  I don't, as a general rule, like to be wasteful with things like kitchen consumables (parchment paper, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, etc.), but I find parchment to be one of the few kitchen consumables I don't mind using. Parchment is, after all, from a renewable resource and it's compostable.

I use a Sil-Pat for baking most cookies but the parchment comes out more and more to line baking pans when I'm making brownies or other squares or when I'm using a baking pan to make square marshmallows.  When buying parchment, don't get it a the grocery store or big box store, you'll pay a fortune for a very small amount.  I've been getting mine in larger rolls from the warehouse stores, it's so much cheaper.  Cheaper still is buying it in sheets to fit the specific baking pans you have.  You'll have to buy 500 or 1000 sheets, and find a place to store it, but it's the cheapest way to get it in the long run.  Look online for this.  Another advantage to buying sheets is they won't curl when you place them on a baking sheet.

Side note: I use parchment paper in the wood shop to keep glue from sticking to my clamps, etc.

• • Sil-Pat Baking Sheets (and other silicone baking sheet liners) - This is one of the few plastics I use regularly in the kitchen and they get used almost every time I bake cookies.  I've had the same Sil-Pats for many years they stand up to a lot of abuse.  I've also purchased some other well rated silicone pan liners, we shall see how well they hold up over time.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is better for the environment, something I can use over and over again or something made from paper but has to be thrown out after one use.  I think I'm leaning toward the paper.  I may transition to all paper eventually to keep the plastic consumption out of the diet of those I bake for and to use a product that is probably better for the environment over all.

Baking Sheet Pans and Speed Rack

• • Full Sheet Pans - 18 x 26 inches, I've only got a few of these, they don't fit in most home ovens and I use them mostly as shelves on my speed rack for storing other things.  They are great for processing large batches of candy and, used with a full sheet cooling rack or two half sheet cooling racks, they make a perfect tray to catch crumbs.

  • Half Sheet Pans - 13 x 18 inches, this is my go to sheet pan size for cookies and I have quite a few of them on hand.  They are also great to use as a tray for prep, for processing small batches of candy, and for temporary storage of baked cookies.

  • Quarter Sheet Pans - 9 x 13 inches, these don't see a lot of use but are great for forming cookie balls for freezing.  I do use these more than I expected to when they were given to me.  I wish I had a couple more on some days.

  • Speed Rack - also known as a bun rack, baker's rack, etc.  I bought a full size low end one of these a few years ago and I wish I had gotten one much sooner.  I have a good size kitchen, compared to some other's, but it doesn't take much to fill all the counters during a full day of baking.  The speed rack as eliminated most of my counter clutter issues and given me another place to store some things like sheet pans, sil-pats and parchment.  Of course, I had to find a place to store the speed rack, they are a little bigger than a full size sheet pan and about 6 feet [2 meters] tall.

Pot Holders

• • Leather - I bought some 2 layer leather pot holders many years ago and I love them, they are by far the best for keeping the heat away.  They can be tough to use because they are somewhat stiff but I haven't found anything better for keeping heat away from my hands.

  • Insulated Cloth - these are good and certainly more flexible than leather but if you hold on to something hot for too long it doesn't take much for the heat to work its way through to your hand.  If they get wet or even damp the heat transfer is quite fast.

  • Side Towels - If you work in a professional kitchen you will have a side towel on you all the time.  Side towels are essentially a kitchen towel that is meant to be kept tucked in your apron waist strap, clean and dry so you can use them to transfer hot items just like a pot holder.  They are not for wiping your hands or cleaning up a spill except in an emergency and if used for those kinds of things should be replaced with a dry one immediately so you have something safe to transfer hot items with.  I do use a side towel on occasion but I don't often wear an apron so I don't have a handy place to keep a side towel most of the time.  Yes, I've used kitchen towel on occasion but even a little dampness on the towel can be dangerous so I try to avoid doing that.

Spice Grinders

I am so lucky to have a spice distributor reasonably close by, they used to be right in town but have since moved a couple of towns away.  This distributor sells mostly to local restaurants but they also sell on-line and have a store front so I stop in and pick up what I need.  The up side for all of us who are locals is, we can buy really fresh spices and buy them very cheaply.

I try buy many of my spices whole and crush or grind them myself.  Whole spices keep a lot longer than ground, some for a few years rather than just months, and they generally have a better too aroma and flavor as well.

Buying whole spices means they need to be at least crushed if not finely ground.  I do both as needed.

• Mortar and Pestle - I have a couple of these, a large one (that is big enough to crush fruits and nuts if needed) and a small one (for crushing small amounts of things).

• Electric Spice Grinder - This is my do to device for grinding spices and, very occasionally, coffee when I need it in a recipe.  I have the Kitchen-aid spice grinder that comes with 3 grinding cups (a larger cup for coffee and two smaller cups with lids grinding spices).  I love it and I haven't found anything better for getting spices finely ground.

No matter what method I use for grinding spices, I generally use a very fine mesh sieve separate the fine powder from the less fine pieces that will need to be reground.

Whipped Cream Whipper - isi

OK, I know these are expensive.  I know you may whip cream on occasion with your electric mixer or by hand.  BUT, you may want one of these anyway.  You can literally whip cream in less than 30 seconds with one of these and the cream keeps longer than cream whipped any other way.  But wait there's more... if you act right now... (oh sorry, lost my head, back to your regularly scheduled baking equipment recommendation)... ANYWAY... If you buy a really good stainless steel one you can do rapid infusions, espumas (culinary foams), hot foamy soups, foamy drinks and lots of other things.

My first whipper was a "low end", 1 cup, painted aluminum isi Whipper (I can't remember the model).  It served me well for quite a few years but I was always a little leery of the inside of the canister being painted so I gave it away.  Eventually, my son, the baker, got me hooked up with a really nice, all stainless steel, isi Gourmet Whipper.  I wanted to try making some foams with a higher acid content that would not have done the aluminum canister much good so the stainless steel whipper was just the thing.  After getting this wonderful surprise I did some research and found out I could do so much more with it.  Here's a few to get you started:

• Whipped cream in less than a minute.  Once the cream is in the canister all you have to do is put the top on, charge it, shake it then flip it over and dispense your whipped cream.  It really does take less than 30 seconds.

• Rapid Infusions are amazing!  If you need to flavor a liquid quickly or make an extract from something (like mint leaves, etc.) you can use a quality whipper to make it, almost as fast as you make cream.  I'll dig through my recipes for some ideas and them posted as I can.  In the meantime, Google "Rapid Infusion Whipper", you'll find all kinds of ideas and more information on the exact methods to use.

• Foamy Hot Cocoa has fewer calories!  Because it's got lots of air in it.  If you like foamy things you'll probably like a foamy hot cocoa.  I don't drink a lot of hot cocoa so I don't have my recipe perfected for this yet.  Hmmm, summer coming as I'm writing this (actually spring but summer is right behind spring), the perfect time to work on this recipe.

• Espumas (aka culinary foams) can be made from nearly any thin liquid from fruit juice to soups.  You'll need a gelling agent for making some things and nearly everything will have to be properly strained but it's very possible to foam all kinds of delicious savory and dessert items.

• Foamy Cocktails were all the rage when I was doing my research a few years ago (maybe they're still a thing and just don't know it OR I thought they were but really weren't) and these whippers are one way to make that magic happen with the cocktails.

This is not a toy!  The chargers should be kept out of reach of the kids (and teens, so they don't abuse them) and the top of the whipper should never be removed unless ALL of the pressure has been released.  At a minimum, it might make a huge mess (don't ask me how I know), at the worst someone could get hurt.

Whipper Accessories

Funnel and Sieve - These come as a kit and are necessary for straining anything with chunks in it.  The opening on the whipper valve is very small and anything that is not a thin liquid will most likely clog the valve.  A funnel and sieve made specifically for the whipper will prevent these clogs from happening.  This kit is worth every penny and can certainly be used in the kitchen for other things.

Rapid Infusion Tool Kit - This kit isn't a total necessity but helps keep messes to a minimum if going to be doing a lot of rapid infusions.  I'd suggest starting without this kit, see how it goes and if you consistently make a mess with each infusion pick up one of these.  If you're going to start without this kit be sure to place a glass over the end of the nozzle and degas in the sink to keep the mess down.  Also, there are some good videos on YouTube that explain how to make rapid infusions, watch a few, especially the ones from isi or bartenders.

THINGS I DON'T USE MUCH, BUT YOU MIGHT:

Measuring Cups and Spoons

I don't use them.  Actually, this isn't really true.  I ALMOST never use them when I'm baking.  See my section on Kitchen Scales for more information.  I have a number of different measuring cups including some really nice All-Clad stainless steel ones and some Pyrex glass ones.  When I was measuring by volume I used them a lot, these days, not so much.  If you to need to have some in your kitchen I suggest the All-Clad cups, they are beautifully made and will stand up to a LOT of abuse.  For consistency and proper measuring in baking I suggest using a kitchen scale.

Hand Mixer

I don't use one for baking but you certainly can.  I have a Kitchen-aid hand mixer and it gets pulled out for making mashed potatoes but not for too much else.  I use this more through-out the year than I use the microwave oven.  If you're going to get a hand mixer don't go cheap, get a powerful one.  The one I have can mix cookie dough, I tested it a couple of times because I was curious.  Hmm, maybe I need to try it again.

Microwave Oven 

I have one but I literally use it once or twice in a year, maybe.  It's taking up space in the house and when the kids leave I expect the microwave will leave as well.  I know microwave ovens are a handy kitchen tool, and I do use one to heat my lunch at work, but I much prefer the stove top or oven when I'm home, so that's what I use.  If I didn't have one I wouldn't miss it.