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Upgrade Him: Kitchen Confidential

The Way to a Woman's Heart is Also Through Her Stomach

By Dave Smith
Published: Aug 27, 2008

If your man's idea of a well-stocked kitchen is a dusty place-setting for one and his dedicated take-out menu drawer: a) You have my sincerest sympathy; b) You obviously don't mind dating a work in progress; c) He's so handy in the "other rooms" that you'll turn a blind eye to everything kitchen.

Now that the pigs are in flight, here's a starter-kit on what he'll need to elevate his kitchen from a sad afterthought to a place of creative expression. Hopefully, you won't be the only one "expressing yourself."

Illy FrancisFrancis! - X1 Ground Espresso Machine
(red and black $900, stainless steel $1000)

Nothing says class like a freshly pressed espresso after dinner or for a home cooked brunch. You've likely seen this stainless steel powerhouse from Illy. Masters of product placement, they proudly hail it the "most photographed espresso maker in the world." Whatever - it's retro-modern design gives it high marks in cool quotient, and the fact that it was designed by Italian architect, Luca Trazzi, should help you get over the fact that you dropped a grand. But rest assured, the machine arrives built like a tank and it makes bistro-quality espresso with anything but Starbuck's beans with the push of a button.

Purchase at: www.illyusa.com

Shun Classic 3-Piece Knife Set
($250)

Aside from the capability to cue up your morning joe, the most important kitchen utensil one can own is a reliable knife - or better yet, set of knives. And contrary to popular belief, a sharper blade makes for a safer knife. So this is not the place to cut corners (sorry). According to Alton Brown, everyone's "favorite" kitchen tool (sorry again), the four elements to address when buying a good knife are steel, edge, design and construction. Thankfully, Shun has covered all bases. The VG-10 "super steel" used in Shun's classic series is formulated with a high carbon content making it much stronger than steel used in other - even high end - knives. This allows the maker to form an acute 16 degree angled blade unlike standard German knives (read: Wusthof and Henckel) which employ a 22 degree angle. What does it all mean?! The narrower angled Shun blade seemingly melts through whatever you are cutting whether it's a tomato or a pumpkin and that is its trademark and precisely what makes the knives a joy to use. The steel also resists rusting and maintains its razor edge long after other knives need sharpening.

The Shun Classic 3-Piece set, as invaluable for seasoned chefs (I said I was sorry!) as novices, includes an 8" chef's knife, a 6" utility knife and a 3 1/2" paring knife and arrives in its own beautiful wooden storage box. As gorgeous as they are functional, you just can't buy a better knife.

Purchase at: www.surlatable.com

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