Shopping Etc: Cucina Moderna

We asked Ariz David of Halifax-based Cucina Moderna -- a colourful new kitchenware store -- for a primer on buying knives, kitchen gadgets, coffee makers, and even how to create a bridal registry. Here's his advice!

1 Ariz, how does one choose a knife? It can be confusing!
Believe it or not, the biggest thing is that it has to be comfortable. It's not necessarily the most expensive knife, really, it's all about trying it and seeing what feels comfortable in your hand.

2 Say a knife feels comfortable. What else is there to consider?
Weight is important. You don't want to apply a lot of pressure. It's important it falls easily into the food. A heftier, weightier knife will cut through food easily.

3 What's the difference between ceramic versus stainless-steel knives?
Stainless steel is considered top-of-the-line, and is the most common material. Some of the smaller knives for detail work are ceramic knives. They stay sharper, and are thin. The drawback is that if you drop them, they could shatter.

4 What are the musts on a bridal registry?
We recommend three knives: an eight-inch chef knife, a paring knife, and a utility knife or bread knife. The three essential pans are a sauté pan, fry pan, and a saucepan, and possibly a stockpot. If you get quality stuff, they'll be your staples, and you can add on. Spend more on the cookware instead of getting pans you're not going to use.

5 What about picking gadgets and small appliances?
You'll need the basic essentials: can opener, peeler, garlic press. For appliances, a toaster, coffeemaker, and maybe you want a rice maker, or a good blender.

6 How do you pick a coffee maker?
The main things are a glass carafe versus a stainless-steel thermos carafe. Glass is fine, you can see how much is in there, but if it breaks you have to replace it. Thermal stainless-steel carafes keep the coffee warm and don't break. For many people, that's the deciding factor. And also there is programmability. Most coffee machines around $100 and up have that capability.

7 There are so many toasters out there. How to choose?
It comes down more to looks, once you're into a good-quality brands like Krups and Breville. Most good kitchen stores carry them. So the decision is do you want a toaster oven or do you want a toaster? A couple can get by with a toaster oven, you can do chicken breasts or burgers and not use your oven, and you can also do toast.

8 What's your most popular brand of cookware?
It's All-Clad. It's one of the best, and most cooking magazines regard it as the best cookware. The handles stay cooler, there's even heat distribution because it conducts heat better. Even the finish cleans up easier than other stainless-steel cookware.

9 What's your top-selling gadget, and how do you choose one?
Garlic presses. For a garlic press, you want to be able to bring the handles together and press as much garlic out as possible. However, the big thing is you want to clean it properly and be able to get the garlic skin out.

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All photos Ariz David's store, Cucina Moderna, in Halifax, NS. Photos courtesy of breakhouse.ca