irishvan said:
Went to Dona Claras yesterday and purchased an oven thermometer (german) for 38 pesos. Works a treat! ...Would not have been possible without the thermometer as the required temp was much lower than I had previous guessed. They also take credit cards and sell icing (confectioners) sugar very cheaply compared to other places, and many other things I have not seen here. i.e. xanthin gum.
website address
www.donaclara.com.ar
I picked up the same oven thermometer, and it works great. Made in China by a German company, and uses Imperial units! (also has Celsius.) Don't you love globalization.
While at Doña Clara, we also bought a French press for a very reasonable 45 pesos, a nice set of measuring spoons for cheap, and a teflon bread pan. The prices are all over the map - some things are inexpensive here, others higher than elsewhere. But the key is that it's all under one roof, and they have some items I haven't seen anywhere else in town.
Reinforcing what SarahSarah said about people not using their ovens - the frozen french fries we just bought have instructions for preparing in a deep-fat fryer (complete with exact cooking temperature), in a pan, or in an oven. The oven instructions don't bother mentioning what temperature to heat it to, or even "low","medium", "high". Weird.
Another place we found that has a good selection of cookware, dishes, and other kitchen supplies at reasonable prices is in Chinatown, at Arribeños 2220.
While you're in the neighborhood, head into the grocery across the street - they have good prices for all kinds of tofu, sauces, peanut butter, tahini, nuts, fresh seafood, bok choi, and unusual ramen flavors that beat the pants off the standard stuff.