I receive a lot of questions about my kitchen equipment ->
“What do you think of the air fryer?”
“Do you own an Instapot?”
“Which blender should I get”
“Can an immersion blender replace a full size blender?”
“Do I really need to by a good knife?”
Here’s a little secret about my kitchen tools – I get by with as many basics as I can. Space is at a premium in our place. I built a 10′ transformer storage side table which hides a rolling metal table and even still I’m challenged!
Once per year I take on a big clean-out task to remove and pass on items I haven’t used since the previous year. I’ve been caught using a pan a couple days before the clean-out just so I don’t HAVE to get rid of it… I totally do that same thing with my clothes too!
There’s one pan that will never, ever, be on the donate list. It’s my mini butter warmer pan I’ve had since the late 90s.
Is your first question- “How much butter do you need to warm???” It’s a fair question.
Though I rarely warm butter (when I do it’s always ghee or grass-fed butter), this pan gets used more than any other in my house. I distinctly remember Dave throwing a series of questions at me when I bought this mini pan at a kitchen outlet store south of Denver, the same questions you likely asked at the beginning of this article ->
“Do you need a special pan to melt butter?”
“How often do you melt butter?”
“Can you use it for anything else?”
“…this pan is used so much it sits on top of the stove 90% of the time.”
What don’t I use this adorable little pan for? It’s especially wonderful for heating a single serving of soup, golden milk or just a bit of water for tea. It’s perfect to melt coconut oil, simmer oatmeal and quinoa or to sauté spices or little bits of veggie from time to time. I heat up mugs of broth and whisk in eggs. Bullet-proof coffee gets blended frothy in it. Sauces simmer it. Dairy free cheese comes together in it. Dave uses it for his hot chocolate and mac n cheese all the time! I’ve even melted beeswax in it for a DIY lip balm. Between us, this pan is used so much it sits on top of the stove 90% of the time.
That’s why this Farberware butter warmer pan is my most indispensable kitchen pan. Sure, there are a few others very similar to this that will work great too. Just choose wisely- Stick to stainless steel and avoid any pan with non-stick coating.
By the way, here’s my thoughts on those other kitchen tool questions:
“What do you think of the air fryer?” – Can’t say, don’t own one and don’t intend to for many reasons like space, plastic and lack of interest.
“Do you own an Instapot?” – Yes, I don’t use it as much as I though I would; mostly use it to make bone broth.
“Which blender should I get” – If you can splurge, this Blendtec with Twister Jar is the bomb!
“Can an immersion blender replace a full size blender?” Depends on what type of stuff you typically blend; so maybe, but likely not.
“Do I really need to by a good knife?” – YES!!! But you don’t have to spend a ton. Skip the knife set, buy a good chef’s and pairing knife.