I’d like to have a general thread here on where to get good quality kitchen equipment (durable high-quality home stuff, and semi-professional to pro stuff for those so inclined) at reasonable prices. My main question is: where are the restaurant supply stores for good quality pots, pans, knives etc.? But feel free to throw in info on other types of stores and online suppliers.
There is a thread on large commercial equipment (stainless benches, freezers, commercial size machines etc.) but I’m looking more for home-sized stuff – heavy duty pots and pans, stainless mandolines and chinois(e)s, and so on.
There’s a thread on knife stores, one on a restaurant supply shop in Banqiao, and I’m familiar with the DIY baking shops, Ikea, Hola, Costco and Pantry Magic in Tianmu plus the department stores, Tailung Hands in Breeze and in the Tianmu Sogo, and the hypermarts. What other options are there in Taibei? (There is also one thread asking about pizza equipment here, with no answers to date.) And threads on ovens here and here.
All over Taiwan daiso-sangyo.co.jp/chinese/s … aiwan.html daiso-sangyo.co.jp/chinese/
Their English website changed and there’s no list of stores there any more, but you can check out the US online store for an idea of what they sell (do note that the US site only sells in bulk). Everything is NT$39 in Taiwan…
It might not be professional level equipment, but they really do have a lot of solid stuff despite the low prices. It’s the best place to go if you need a sifter for example. Just one thing, if you see something there that you want, buy it, as they might not have it next time and it’ll be six months until they do again.
For some high quality stuff, sixth floor of the new mall (by the W hotel) has a dozen shops selling very nice pots, pans and what not. There’s a baking equipment shop there as well where I got a very nice German made baking tin. They have a big selection and when I got it was 40% off as there was some kind of sale going on. There are 3 or 4 stores selling high-quality imported pots and pans, but they’re REALLY expensive, as in 10-20k each. There’s also a shop selling German knifes and one selling tableware. Didn’t pay too much attention to what all of the shops sold, but there are some that sell things like blenders and mixers and what not as well.
CitySuper and Jason’s also have a selection of stuff, but it’s expensive for what it is.
Please be sure to give everyone a heads up if you see another big sale (like 40% off) like that at any of these shops. All the better quality pots and pans and knives here seem grossly overpriced. I’m still hoping to find a reasonably priced restaurant supply store somewhere closer to me than Banqiao.
Yeah well, this was only in the baking gear shop and I’m not sure how many people are interesting in spring forms… there was only a limited amount of things that were on sale so…
But it’s a place worth keeping an eye on, as there’s a lot of nice kitchen stuff there, but not at what I’d call reasonable prices…
Sometimes Costco has great pots and pans for sale. If you want a good baking store with decent supplies, then come on Gangqian Lu, and there’s a great baking supplies shop just before you hit Huashan Road. I bought some nice baking pans there, I am sorry I don’t have a card, coz it was stone’s throw from my place, but I’ll try googling it.
Yeah, some of them are okay, but it’s not a good source if you want to buy a single, super heavy bottomed saucepan with a particular kind of base, or a rosti pan or paella pan. They don’t have top quality mandolines, chinois, drum sieves or quiche pans, or oversized stick blenders. I expect to see that kind of stuff in a restaurant supply store. I do know of good baking stores, but other than drum sieves and some rings that will pass for quiche, they don’t carry any of the rest of this stuff.
Thanks for the info, though – I’ll probably still check that out.
Pantry Magic, linked to above, is now closed - either that or my navigation skills are dismal. Their website now references a different place called “Foodie Amber”, which appears to be more of a cooking school (?); the website has headings for a shop and kitchen tools, but you just see “Coming Soon” when you click through to those headings.
I love the ceramic coated pan (Neoflam) that I bought a few months ago (1200NT) at Dollars (single store similar to Carrefour in size). Much better than any teflon I have ever used. They had a slightly different 3 piece set at Costco for 1600NT.
I will probably get a pot or two like sometime even though I don’t like two handle pots much.
Crate and Barrel has a branch in B1 of the new Breeze mall, right beside City Hall MRT station: I gather they’re an American chain, but I’m not familiar with them.
They’ve got a pretty good collection of kitchen equipment, including American brands like All-Clad and Calphalon and Lodge that I’ve had trouble finding here. Plus they’ve got a more expanded stock of things from the OXO Good Grips line. It’s a mix of Crate & Barrel in-house brand and other American brands. I saw plenty of things that I very seldom see here, like pie plates, roasting pans, pizza peels, 12-cup muffin baking tins, and so on. Prices seem reasonable - not as cheap as Amazon, but cheaper than Amazon plus shipping would be. Of course, American doesn’t necessarily mean good, but at least with the American products I can find useful reviews online.
And there’s a big Weber barbecue and oh man would I like to have that, but alas, apartment living. Or more accurately, Taipei apartment living, where my balcony barely has room for a washing machine and laundry.
They take a small step towards filling Taipei’s gaping hole in the “decent quality but not insanely overpriced luxury item” kitchen equipment sector.
That’s a good lead on peels, thanks! As for pie plates, roasting pans, and 12-cup muffin baking tins, the DIY baking shops like Yixing (Minquan bridge store) have them.
True - but when I was first really equipping my kitchen, four or five years ago, Crate and Barrel’s current stock would have been a godsend. I’d guess it’s now the best shop in town for kitchen equipment in the medium-to-high-but-not-extortionate price range.
Now I’m considering how much I can justify upgrading my stuff, and for that matter whether or not hanging a giant pizza peel on the wall is sensible. I’m finally managing to use a baking sheet without burning myself! Plus pizza peels are kind of big/wide for the Lodge double-reversible thing that I believe we’re both using for pizzas. I didn’t notice any pizza stones, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there - it probably wouldn’t take much of a nudge for me to get a “real” pizza stone and peel.
Part of me really wants to pick up one of those All-Clad skillets, but with a vegetarian wife, I just don’t use that kind of skillet very often.
Costco now carries a 2 piece Neoflam set like this for 1600 (lacking the smallest size). I still love the one that I have used for 2 years with no signs of wear. I won’t be buying those stupid Teflon pans ever again.
