What David Chang Really Thinks Of Fancy Countertop Appliances
David Chang, the Michelin-starred chef and founder of the Momofuku restaurant group, is easily one of the most notable faces in the food industry right now. As such, his opinion may be something you want to keep in mind when building your home kitchen — and, specifically, what to think about the growing variety of high-tech countertop appliances.
There are definitely some tempting fancy appliances out there — who doesn't want a way to get on-demand sweet cold treats at home with an ice cream maker or a mini pizza oven for pizzeria-quality crust from the convenience of your countertop? Whatever your favorite food or treat happens to be, it seems there is an appliance for it, but if you're going off Chang's advice, you might not want to be so quick to purchase any of them.
In an article for GQ, Chang expressed his disdain for these single-purpose products, writing, "Don't get me started on big fancy machines like bread makers, espresso makers, ice cream makers, and sausage grinders." His reasoning is that the average person doesn't need to be able to make all of these things in their own home, continuing, "If you want any of the food that originates in these machines, that's what restaurants are for."
Chang advocates for being a cheapskate — except for a few kitchen items
One of the other reasons Chang doesn't think that you need to go out of your way to buy these appliances is you shouldn't be spending an exorbitant amount of money when investing in most kitchen items. In the GQ piece, Chang writes, "One thing I've realized is that there's absolutely no need to buy everything from a bougie cookware retailer like Williams Sonoma. Some stuff, yes. Splurge on items that will last you generations and look good, too. Otherwise, be a cheapskate."
As for what you should invest in? Chang suggests investing in good pots and pans, highlighting clay pots and Dutch ovens as types he gravitates toward. He also says you can get by with just three types of knives — a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated bread knife — insisting you don't need a full cutlery set.
Overall, when you haven't spent all of your money on that ice cream maker or countertop pizza oven, you can invest in the simplest tools that have many uses in the kitchen. It also means you can focus all of your wallet's energy on quality ingredients, which Chang insists is the most important for anyone's kitchen.