Thank you for all the yummy suggestions. Much appreciated.

Fellow foodies : Having guests for a week's stay. I want to have ready 3 freeze-ahead mieals. My kitchen is not spacious, so I like to have all prep and clean up done before guests arrive. Have already made a baked pasta, sauce , & side of meatballs, and a tray of chicken marsala. Going thru the posts I am not coming up with another idea (also DH is a picky eater, so no salmon cakes etc.). I have 3 days left to shop and prepare. Thanks for your input.

Thank you for this info. I will certainly look at these also.

Thanks for the list. Have it all except for the grater.
Do you mean a box grater ( I rarely use one) or a microplane (use that alot).

Also lobster pot, bbq tools, measuring spoons, etc. etc.

Yes - high end beach house.
People tend to not spend much time at the stove. Lots of grilling and eating out.
But you have me re-thinking that I should provide quality. I guess I do have to upgrade in the $$ department.
You are certainly up on your cookware. Just spent time reading your posts re 'safe' cooking surfaces.. It's mind-boggling.

Again, thanks. Will have to weigh clean/shiny vs long-lasting. What would I like as a tenant?
My own ss cookware, several decades old, still looking pretty darn good. (but I am sort of anal about them) I have ruined some handles in the d/w though. :)

Thanks for the reply.
I like your suggestion about the throw-away non-stick pan.
I personally like the look of the Tramontina. Good reviews too.
I fear tenants won't attempt to keep the pan exteriors nice and shiny. Later tenants might walk into a kitchen with nasty looking pans. Dark pots are more forgiving - no?

I am about to furnish a kitchen in a vacation rental home. The house will be rented one or two weeks at a time thoughout the summer season. I would like cookware that is easy to maintain.Assume that weekly tenants are not going to fuss over them and would not mind throwing pans into the dishwasher. Also prefer something with a dark exterior. Was looking at the Farberware at Wal-Mart - the reviews are mixed, and the d/w seems to spoil the finish. Non-stick or not?
Ditto a set of knives - thinking of going with Victorinox, although the Ginsu are less expensive - some posts say to stay away from them. All suggestions welcome.

put a fancy label on it and it will sell :)

My point exactly. So why does this exist?

Kinda what I figured. But I am curious...was it pre-pierced? Do you then peel the wrapper off the hot potato?

I'm sure they cost more to pay for the wrapping, and the 'pre-washing'. + the so-called convenience factor. Still don't like the idea of the plastic(?) touching the food. And I saw no evidence they were vented. I just can't understand what is so hard about preparing a potato to nuke it, that such a product is even dreamt of.

A friend (not a foodie) asked my help in cooking "microwave-ready' sweet potatoes. Never having seen these, I peeled off the wrapping, pierced them, and nuked them conventionally. Today, he called from the market, and told me the potatoes should have been left wrapped, and not pierced. Seems unsafe to 1. leave a tight plastic-like wrapper on while cooking, and 2. not pierce to allow steam to escape. Cannot find any online info. What is the story with this product? Why is it even necessary?

A friend's husband asked my help preparing "microwave-ready" sweet potatoes. Never having seen these before, I peeled off the wrapping, pierced the spuds, and nuked conventionally. Today he called from the market, telling me they should have been left wrapped, and not pierced. Seems 1. unsafe to leave food tightly wrapped in whatever the clear wrap is and 2. not to pierce to allow steam to escape. What is the story with this product?

Thanks mikie. I am kinda nuts about checking stuff...Americas Test Kitchen, Amazon, Consumers, etc. Even when ATK rates it best, the buyers out there seem to think otherwise. Hence the nutgrinder that ATK recommended on TV today, but which broke immediately for more than a few users. Go figure!

I often check ratings of products before making a purchase, even something as insignificant as a nut grinder or a cookie sheet. What to make of ratings that go from 5 stars - fabulous!!! - to 1 star - don't waste your money - on the same product.? Are there good batches and bad batches? Good users and bad users? This often stops me from buying anything at all.

He had the Toro. I seem to remember that it came in 80 or 150 (proof)... I looked at the Centerbe website and it shows Forte, (as opposed to Dolce), so maybe they changed the label. I hope it is the same one, but I am so thrilled to find it that it doesn't really matter.

Double thanks. Got it! And Mr. Cirace couldn't have been nicer!

Thanks for your reply. I am looking for Toro (150).....I want to 'gift' it to my brother who uses it as a digestive. Says it works wonders for upset stomach. I will contact Cirace today.

Any website to order centerbe? or any retailer in the NYC or Ft. Lauderdale area?