I use my traditional fish spatula for lots of different things. My Deglon 8" chef knife that I bought in Paris in the days of 88 cent Euros fits my hand perfectly, and my cast iron pan gets a lot of use. For sheer fun, I love my salmon knife that you can bend to almost 90 degrees, and that makes skinning a fish or slicing gravlax a breeze. Lately I've been really into my old Farberware roasting pan that I can put on top of the grill and roast whole chickens over the flame. And of course, tongs are a must.

My Sabatier knives and my Weber (charcoal) Grill.

My Mauviel chefs pan and Henckels Santoku knife are in almost constant use.

My Grandma has a set of pots and pans that are nearly as old as my Mom...and they look brand-new.

Tools that get the most use:

Peeler, crock pot, ladle, chef's knives, dishwasher, wok, cutting boards, tongs, spatula.

My favorite:

Bottle opener.

KitchenAid standing mixer.

Big Green Egg.

how long does it take to heat up?are you a baker? I think the only time I use a measuring cup is for rice.

I'd have to say my grill if that counts as a tool.

I think I have ok knife skills (been in foodservice awhile ago), that said, I've never felt the benefit when using fine knives.

Heavy duty S/S locking tongs.

Favorite tool? Tongs.

Garlic press would be a close 2nd.

Last fall, Mrs. Deubster won a Traeger Lil' Tex pellet smoker/grill (Papa Murphey's pizza had a contest, gave away 200 nationwide - we got one). I'm having fun learning how to use it.

Got to say my tongs/grabbers ... keep me from burning my fingers off.

My Phone :)
But seriously, my Ulu, 7" Santoku, 12" Cast Iron skillet, just about any grill.

Definitely a good knife.

However, the anodised griddle pan and silicone-coated tongs follow shortly afterwards. Griddled, fresh asparagus (and this is the season for it, after all) was a revelation. So much tastier than blanching...

Definitely my stone mortar and pestle. I even lugged it back to Sweden from a trip to Thailand. Glad they did not weigh my carry-on.

Great for making homemade spices/rubs and for bashing up herbs for whatever meal I am making. It also makes for a nice bookend for my cookbooks!

I give it 10-15 minutes, which lets me ignore it while it heats up by itself.

I suppose it could get to temperature more quickly if I were to hover over it, but prep work (or sitting beside it with a drink and a book) seems like a better use of the time.