How to Add Your Amazon Links
Step 1 — Get your Amazon Associates account. Sign up at affiliate-program.amazon.com. It's free. You earn a commission every time someone buys through your link.
Step 2 — Find the product on Amazon. Search for the item, go to the product page, and use the "SiteStripe" bar at the top of the page (only visible when logged into Associates) to generate your affiliate link.
Step 3 — Paste the link into this file. In DRC_amazon.html, find the item and replace the placeholder text with your full affiliate URL. Each item has a comment showing exactly where to paste.
Step 4 — Upload to Netlify. Save the file and drag it into Netlify. The links go live instantly.
Step 5 — Link from the vault. Every recipe page has a "Links" tab that points to this page. You can also add direct product links to specific recipe pages via the Links tab in the Excel file (coming soon).
Dutch Oven (5-7 qt)
The single most-used pot in the vault. Bolognese, pot roast, short rib ragu, braised short ribs, chile verde — all need this. Lodge or Le Creuset.
Must Have
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Cast Iron Skillet (12 inch)
Smash burgers, carnitas crisp, sinner chicken, roast potatoes, Detroit pizza reheat. Lodge pre-seasoned is the move.
Must Have
Babish Wok (Carbon Steel)
Required for any stir fry — kung pao, chow mein, moo shu, pad thai, blackpepper chicken. Carbon steel heats faster than cast iron, induction compatible. No coating to chip — seasoned naturally like cast iron.
Must Have
Stainless Steel Stock Pot (8 qt)
Pasta, blanching, large batch soups. Jollof rice in big batches. XLB steaming setup. Stainless steel — no coating, no Teflon, dishwasher safe.
Recommended
Instant Pot (6 qt)
Cuts carnitas from 8 hrs to 45 min. Same for barbacoa, short ribs, pulled pork. The crew uses this weekly. Non-negotiable for batch cooking.
Must Have
Ninja Air Fryer (5.5 qt)
Healthier fried chicken, reheating pizza without sogging it out, roast potatoes in 20 min, crispy carnitas finish. The healthy swap section in the vault references air frying constantly — this is what the crew uses.
Recommended
Ooni Spiral Dough Mixer
Built specifically for pizza and bread dough. Spiral hook mimics hand kneading — develops gluten better than a standard stand mixer for high-hydration doughs. Great for Detroit and Neapolitan.
Recommended
Ninja Food Processor (1000W)
Halal garlic sauce, tomatillo ranch dressing, harissa, pie crusts, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs at scale. Does what a blender can't — chops without liquifying. 1000 watts handles anything in the vault.
Recommended
Blender (High Power)
Butter chicken sauce, halal garlic sauce, tomatillo dressing, Korean BBQ marinade, jollof pepper base. Vitamix or Ninja Pro.
Must Have
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Ninja PossibleCooker (8.5 qt)
Slow cooker, sear, braise, steam, bake — all in one pot. Replaces your crockpot and does more. Crockpot meatballs, pulled pork, white chicken chili, pot roast. 8.5qt fits a full brisket.
Recommended
KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer (5 qt)
Cinnamon rolls, sourdough sticky buns, XLB dough, cookie dough at scale. The Ooni is better for pizza dough specifically — but KitchenAid handles everything else in the vault.
Recommended
KitchenAid Stainless Steel Attachments
The standard KitchenAid attachments have a coating on them — upgrade to full stainless. No coating to chip or flake into your dough. Dough hook, flat beater, and wire whisk in solid stainless steel. If you already own a KitchenAid, this is the first upgrade to make.
Upgrade Your KitchenAid
Lloyd's Detroit Pizza Pan (10×14)
The only pan that makes real Detroit pizza. Blue steel conducts heat differently — gives you the fried caramelized edge crust. Cannot be substituted.
Must Have (Detroit Pizza)
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Kitchen Scale (Digital)
Every baking recipe in this vault has gram measurements. Cookies, cinnamon rolls, pizza dough — measuring by weight is more accurate than cups. OXO or Escali.
Must Have (Baking)
Stainless Steel Baking Sheets (2-pack)
Cookies, roast potatoes, BBQ chicken, sheet pan dinners. Stainless steel — no coating to scratch or chip, no aluminum leaching. Lasts forever and cleans easily. This is the no-plastic, no-coating upgrade for your baking sheets.
Must Have
ThermiChef Pizza Steel
Required for pita bread and any high-heat pizza. Steel holds heat better than a stone — better oven spring, crispier crust, faster cook. Also works for pita, flatbread, and reheating leftover pizza properly.
Recommended
9×13 Baking Dish (Glass)
Cinnamon rolls, sourdough sticky buns, enchiladas, shepherd's pie. A standard kitchen staple — Pyrex is fine.
Must Have
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Dough Proofing Containers (Set)
Airtight containers sized for individual dough balls — pizza, sourdough, cinnamon rolls. Clear sides so you can see the rise without opening. Buckle lid keeps a proper seal for cold fermentation. Makes organizing multiple doughs easy.
Must Have (Baking & Pizza)
Cookie Scoop / Dough Portioner
The secret to consistent cookies. Every ball the same size means every cookie bakes the same way. Used for cookies, muffins, and cinnamon roll filling. Get a medium (1.5 tbsp) size.
Must Have (Baking)
Muffin Tin (12 cup)
Blueberry muffins, raspberry muffins. Light colored — same rule as baking sheets.
Nice to Have
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Babish High-Carbon Chef's Knife (8 inch)
Used in every single recipe. High-carbon 1.4116 steel — holds an edge longer than standard stainless. A sharp 8-inch chef's knife is all you need for 90% of prep work in this vault.
Must Have
Cutting Board (Large, Wood)
18×24 inch minimum. A small cutting board slows everything down. Two solid options below — oak or acacia, both crew-approved.
Must Have
Babish High-Carbon Cleaver
For breaking down whole chickens, smashing garlic, and chopping through bone. Same high-carbon 1.4116 steel as the chef's knife — matches the set. A cleaver makes LA Galbi and Korean short ribs significantly easier.
Nice to Have
Instant Read Thermometer
Used in: every piece of meat, deep frying (oil temp), bread baking (internal temp), candy/caramel making. Not optional — guessing doneness is how you ruin a $40 piece of meat.
Must Have
Infrared Surface Thermometer
Point and shoot to read surface temp instantly. Know when your cast iron is actually at 500°F for smash burgers, when your wok is hot enough for stir fry, or when your pizza steel is ready. Takes the guesswork out.
Recommended
Silicone Oven Mitts (Gorilla Grip)
Handle cast iron, Dutch ovens, sheet pans, and the Lloyd's pizza pan without burning yourself. Silicone grips better than cloth and is waterproof. Get a pair — you need two hands.
Must Have
Stainless Steel Colander / Strainer
Drain pasta, rinse vegetables, strain stocks and broths. Stainless only — no plastic colanders. Plastic colanders crack over time and shed microplastics into your food when you pour boiling water through them. This one lasts forever.
Replace Your Plastic One
Tongs (12 inch, Locking)
Grilling, searing, pasta tossing, pulling meat. Get two pairs. OXO Good Grips.
Must Have
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Flat Heavy Spatula (Smash Burger)
Specifically for smash burgers — the flat metal spatula that can press and smash a ball of beef onto a screaming hot cast iron. Also great for pancakes.
Recommended
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Bamboo Steamer (3-tier)
XLB (soup dumplings) require this. Also great for steaming rice, vegetables, and dim sum. Stackable — cook multiple layers at once.
Recommended
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Vacuum Sealer Machine
Game changer for meal prep. Seal and freeze carnitas, barbacoa, pulled pork, and braised short ribs in individual portions. Keeps food fresh 5x longer than zip-lock. Also great for sealing pizza dough balls before freezing.
Recommended
Wire Cooling Rack (fits half sheet)
Draining fried chicken, cooling cookies, reheating roast potatoes — anything that needs airflow underneath. Get one that fits your half sheet pan.
Must Have
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Glass Food Storage Containers (Airtight)
Replace every plastic container in your kitchen with these. Microwave safe, dishwasher safe, airtight seal. Store leftover carnitas, soups, braises, sauces — no plastic leaching into your food. Glass lasts forever. Plastic doesn't.
Replace Your Plastics
Mason Jars (Wide Mouth, 16 oz)
Vinaigrette shaking, storing sauces (ranch, tomatillo dressing, BBQ sauce), meal prep portions, leftover storage. Get a 12-pack.
Nice to Have
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Butcher Paper (Pink/Peach)
Texas pulled pork and brisket — the Texas crutch wrap. Allows steam to escape while retaining bark. Foil traps too much moisture.
Must Have (BBQ)
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Red Boat Fish Sauce (40°N)
Only two ingredients: anchovies and salt. Used in pad thai, lemongrass chicken, pork adobo, and any Southeast Asian recipe. This is the only fish sauce worth buying.
Buy This Specific One
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Kikkoman Soy Sauce
The standard. Used in more recipes in this vault than any other ingredient. Get the large bottle — you will go through it.
Buy This Specific One
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CJ Haechandle Gochujang
Korean fermented chili paste. Korean fried chicken, korean pork bowl, galbi jjim — you need gochujang and this is the brand Korean households use.
Buy This Specific One
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Tamicon Tamarind Concentrate
Pad thai sauce, some Caribbean and Southeast Asian recipes. The concentrate jar is easier than working with a tamarind block. This brand is reliable.
Recommended Brand
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Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce
Moo shu chicken, char siu, stir fries. Hoisin is fermented — always buy, never make. Lee Kum Kee is the standard brand.
Buy This Specific One
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Green Goddess Sea Salt
An all-purpose finishing salt the crew reaches for constantly. Herb-forward, slightly briny — works on eggs, roasted potatoes, grilled chicken, and salads. One of those pantry items that quietly improves everything.
Crew Staple
Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
The crew's secret weapon seasoning. Used in the mac and cheese crew mods and a handful of other recipes. Add it to almost anything.
Crew Staple
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