Bookstands

Does anyone use a bookstand to hold recipe books open on the bench? I'm becoming a bit fed-up with holding the pages open with bottles, basins, jars, etc., and with them falling over because they're not heavy enough or the right shape to hold the page down...... with the occasional ensuing catastrophe.

Does anyone else have this problem?

If you use a bookstand that works beautifully, could you describe it and let me know the brand? If you have one that doesn't work as well as you'd like could you say what the problem is?

Thrin, I completely identify with your problem, and you described it perfectly! :) I also have the problem of no counter space to speak of. I'm thinking we need a lovely looking butler to hold the book for us and follow us around the kitchen. ;)

Perhaps people could post pics of their butler as well as of their bookstand.

Lack of counter space has got me thinking..... Some retractable gadget attached to the ceiling? Or something like those shaving mirrors that you pull out from the wall on a thing the name of which I can't recall just now. As for the butler.........

A really cheap solution is a steno stand from an office supply store. They are shorter than a typing stand but can accomodate a cookbook. Porbably cost you less than 5 bucks and they're plastic so they are easy to clean up. Use something like a chip clip if the book doesn't want to stay open :)

I have a bookstand that I found at a flea market, but it can't really hold my thick cookbooks well. So that's something to pay attention to when you are looking for one.

I used various bookstands over the years and gave up on them all. Some hold cookbooks better than others but none are ideal. My solution is a wonderful little tool whose purpose nobody can guess when it is hanging on the hook. It is a heavy stainless steel flattish bar, with a hole at one end for hanging, and a slight kink just off centre, which corresponds with the centre of an open book. You just lay it on the book and it is heavy enough to hold it open. It was ludicrously expensive - something to do with the heavy gauge of the metal, I suspect, but has easily earned back its cost. A spot of googling has found a picture: http://tinyurl.com/2cgs62f

Nowadays I am also spoiled enough to have a kitchen large enough to have a very small, dedicated cookbook table. So with that and the precious metal bar, the cookbook stand went to the charity shop.

v

p.s. for anyone in the UK, I found this: http://www.formahouse.co.uk/onlinestore/hold-cook-book-pageholder/view/SA5007108

Ooh, vaneska - that looks ideal! Going on my Christmas wishlist right now!!

Fascinating. I'll try to find one of those cookbook page holder-openers here in Australia.

>4 debavp: debavp... What is a chip clip?

I use one of these:


Can usually find them cheap at office supply stores.

Found one years ago, its made of Perspex and protects the pages from messy cooks like me as it has been moulded so that it folds up over most of the book, no more butter stains making pages difficult to read, can even put your messy hands on it without damaging book, mark of that long list of ingredients. At the end of the baking session wash it up, clean and ready to for next time or if you have space on your kitchen bench show off your current favoured.

or

Copy the page and use a typing stand from office supplies or computer shop I have a shelf mounted one over my computer, to protect the page use a clear plastic sleeve. This maybe the ultimate way to protect your valuable cook books as thy never need to get mixed up with the ingredients in you kitchen or if you're cooking with children mishaps don't matter and you can give them the recipe if it's a hit.

Thrin--a chip clip is just a gizmo that you use to reclose a bag of chips with :) Some are like the metal bankers clips and are pretty sturdy and could clip several pages together. But I really like think fleela's suggestion would work better than my suggestion. I found a seller for it-- see the link below:

http://www.office1000.com/discount/copy-holders.html

I used to use one like the link below for many years but got rid of it when we bought our house. It does tend to take up space and over the years lucite will scuff up. The other issue is lighting, it can be a pain to read because you can't adjust the angle, if you're lighting isn't the brightest...I think it's similar to what bikebear was talking about.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10001168&N=&Ntt=lucite

I don't usemany cookbooks anymore as I tend to try new recipes from on line so I print them off and make notes as I go. I have a fair amount of counter space so I have a designated area that I keep what I'm working on currently with a pen handy. When I'm done it goes in the never again binder, or the tried and liked binder or if it's really good, I print it up with my notes and place in the favorites binder. ( I started doing it this way so I didn't have to remember which cookbook it was in)

I'm fortunate also to have a three shelf bookcase in my home office that has 2 shelves devoted to cookbooks. I found that I really liked having them there rather than the kitchen as I do most of my research/planning at my desk anyways. Frees up space in the kitchen for more serious stuff :)

Useful advice... Thanks everyone. Now I just have to find stockists here in Australia.

Here's one more thought--for $2 in a thrift shop, I got an "Over the Edge" cookbook holder. It is a small board that hangs at a slight slant off the bottom shelf of an upper cabinet, and you put the cookbook on the board. The top part of the board sort of clips onto the bottom shelf of the cabinet, and then you close the cabinet door. There is a ledge at the bottom of the board, to keep the cookbook from sliding off. I have a cabinet in just the right spot for it in my very small kitchen, and it puts the cookbook at the perfect viewing level for my aging eyes while saving counter space. My cabinet shelf has a funny bit of molding, so I did have to install a couple of very small L-brackets, to make sure the holder doesn't slide off. (Probably not a problem for most people.) It also has a sturdy clip for holding the cookbook open, which works even on really big books. It's the only cookbook holder I've every actually used. The only thing is, they're definitely quite pricey new. However I like it so much, I would buy a replacement if I had to . . .

That sounds pretty darn good, any chance of some photos of that?

Here's a link to AO4444's suggestion (I don't know how to move photos from one place to another!)

http://www.overtheedgeproducts.com/

I finally bought a masterchef fold-up bookstand which works well for me:

http://www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au/Gift-Ideas/Gifts-Under-50/MasterChef-Cookboo...

Very interesting. I like the over the edge design. If I were to build a new kitchen, I'd like to see something similar to that incorporated into it.

The fold up design is pretty standard. Seems to me to be a $14.95 product with a $10.00 MasterChef branding!

Thanks for posting the links, Thrin.

Luckily I actually paid $19 for the MasterChef stand - so that's a little less humiliating ;-)

I have two of these heavy cast iron stands in dark blue:



They were designed by Robert Welch for International Cookware Design.

Gosh! I 'stand' in awe of that one, TheoClarke. And you have TWO!? They are right up there with that wonderful knife (can't find the pic just now) of someone's... was it yours justjim? It had a beautiful stand too. We should have a look at it again if the post can be found (I think it was last year).

That is indeed a lovely stand, Theo. Being cast iron it should have no problems with even the weightiest cookbook.

Thrin, did you mean this? I have no problems with showing it off again!


(click on photo for link to more information about Saussure on the knife maker's own website.)

I've actually just received my second Jay Fisher knife and it, too, is gorgeous.

Yes, that's the one, justjim. Your second Jay Fisher knife looks pretty.... dangerous to me, and I see that its creator mentions things like 'daily carry' and ease of attachment to one's belt. Um.... we are speaking of things culinary here I hope. Or do you perhaps, literally, hunt for your dinner?

Great, thanks Jim, I've just spent 2 hours reading through Jay Fisher's website, 'cause I didn't have anything I really should be doing. :(

Some mighty nice knives you've got there!

I was wondering where this thread had got to!

Yes Thrin, the second Jay Fisher knife is more of a utility knife than a kitchen knife. I would use it when fishing, camping as well as (after a good wash) in the kitchen.

Bernsad, intriguing isn't it. Get in quick, his waiting time is approaching four years from order to delivery!