We just made a stop at Ikea and made it out without doing anything stupid. By now we know that there really are only a few things one should buy at Ikea - items that are useful, and that last. Wandering those cinnamon-bun-scented aisles, one must remain focused and have a sharp eye. Here are a few things you're allowed to buy when you go to Ikea:
SVALKA glass - set of 6 for $4.50 (4" high, 7oz.) - beautifully designed, simple, and durable.
MIXTUR oven/serving dish for $3.99 (11" x 7") - you can roast anything from a small bird to brussels sprout, bake a crumble, or serve especially handsome veggies - all clear, no lip, simple.
FORMA ramekin for $1.99 - we use these constantly - for individual soufflés, serving olives, or prepping recipes. They go in the oven, the freezer, and the dishwasher.
VICKNING mortar and pestel for $5.99 - just the right size.
BURKEN glass jars for $2.49 - $5.99 - if you don't like packaging, these are your friends. We put our grains, flours, sugars, cereals and beyond in them.
UGN measuring cup for $4.99 - a bit on the delicate side, but a nice design-alternative to the classic red-marked Pyrex version.
Man, you just can't be mad at Ikea. It's a great place to stock up on those kitchen items you need at an affordable price. Much better than Lechters and all their plastic stuff was! I wish I had seen those glass jars before I bought those boring white ones for my kitchen. Ahh hindsite!
I must shout the accolades of the IKEA mortar and pestel for doubters who might think the low price renders it perhaps - not good.
I have several types of M&P's. During my husband's radiation and chemo, this was the ONLY one that worked for crushing pills. It is amazing and cleans well, better than others.
While I hope no one needs it for pill crushing, I must say its great with spices. (I bought another). It has the perfect grating surface, is attractive and looks good anywhere in the kitchen.
I have that measuring cup, and am always afraid it will break in my hands. (So I use the smaller pyrex one I have.) Has anyone used it without fear?
[Say yes, and perhaps I'll relax...]
I question bragging about an oven-to-table baking dish not having a lip. When you're pulling something glass out of the oven with hot pads you're going to be darn grateful for a lip, or even god-forbid, some handles on each side. Multiply that by an order of magnitude if your yummy gratin or roast has left an oily (slippery) residue on the sides. The Pyrex shape, with it's end handles, is a classic for a reason! If Pyrex is too low-brow, then a classic au gratin dish would be better if you plan on pulling it out of the oven on a regular basis. Maybe we are just busy, rushed cooks, but it would be a bad design in my kitchen.
guido, if you avoid shocking the glass (going from very hot to very cold, or vice versa) you should be ok for a while. Thinner glass does get stress fractures in it more easily so it will break sooner, but I'm speaking from a lab perspective where we're pretty hard on stuff, and everything breaks sooner or later. Depending on how hard on things you are in the kitchen, you'll probably be just fine using it instead of the thicker Pyrex.
regards,
trillium
I am addicted to those Burken glass jars. I can't seem to resist grabbing a few more each time I'm at IKEA, and even with that I find that I'm always thinking, "I wish I had another jar for that!"
thx trillium
those things *look* lab-y without feeling stable.
It's not like I treat anything else gingerly in the kitchen, and god know I use stemmy thin wine glasses without fear . . .
lordy lou, I am in apartment Therapy with this post
cheers folks
Speaking of Pyrex: I've had the same Pyrex measuring cups for over 15 years. Still great! Plus some of the bakeware, also still great!
Pyrex made the FireKing tableware of the 40's (I'm 99.9% sure of this fact) and I even have tons of that and, yes, still great!
Glass wise, I think Pyrex beats all and anyone with good sense shouldn't consider it low brow.
Good points, Trillium, very good.
We use a cup made by Corning-Pyrex at home that was given away as a freebie from purchasing stuff for a lab. It looks a lot like the UGN above. It's been used for years now (tea, metal spoons, dishwasher, etc), and is doing just fine. So I think you'll be fine, really. Personally, I wish it would break, as I don't like having work reminders at home in the kitchen, but it's the partner's favorite, so I put up with it.
regards,
trillium
Getting back to Ikea... I was there a few weeks ago, and agree that there is always something that is a welcome surprise. I ended up getting the Rationell chopping board (slotted with a tray and intended for cutting bread and catching crumbs), and repurposed it as a dish drying rack.
"Allowed to buy...?"
; )
fyi- I bought a glass baking dish at ikea a few years ago. While cooking lasagna it exploded. Fun times!! Hope they improved.
Sara, was the baking dish marked as pasta-certified? Tomato council seal of approval? A NDR (Non-Dairy Reactive) marker *on the glass*? Hate to say it, but, you know, let the buyer beware.
"..there really are only a few things one should buy at Ikea.."
Huh?
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