What is the Best Cooking Technique

In my last post, I spoke about using a $10 wok on a rocket stove. The rocket stove focuses the heat of a small fire on the round bottom of the wok.

The goal of this cooking technique is to cook good food with a minimal amount of resources.

After reading the post, I decided to research how professional cooks use woks.

I was really disappointed to find out that professional chefs in the East are on the quest to create something called "wok hei" that one gets when one cooks at an absurdly high heat. The heat is so high that it eventually distorts the wok. Apparently professional chefs will go through through several woks per year (which is why carbon steel woks cost just $10 at the restaurant supply store. Apparently, restaurants buy the things by the dozen.

Now the idea that a professional cook would view their cooking utensils as disposable made me sad.

I've only worked with a few professional cooks. In every case they loved each piece of equipment they had and prided themselves on how long different equipment was in service.

The people I love doing dutch oven cooking pride themselves on the age and condition of their cookware as well.

As for my family. We inherited my grandparents cast iron skillets from the 1930s.

If a skillet is cared for correctly; there is no reason that it could not be used for centuries.

Personally, I wish that manufacturers would stamp the date on products that they produce. I think we should take pride in things like Lodge skillets that live beyond us.

After I wrote my post, I realized that professional chefs from the east would hate my cooking style. I concentrate on using the least amount of resources possible and want my cooking vessels to live beyond me. Yes, my dutch oven and wok might get covered with a layer of soot, but I intend to keep them in great working condition.

Anyway, I thought I would ask the folks on SteemIt: What are the oldest cooking utensils that you use on a regular basis?

Which utensils in your kitchen will be used well after you are gone?