Know before you buy.

People often ask why two vessels that look identical can differ so much in price. The answer is almost always the same one word: thickness. Two vessels can be the same size and the same shine, but one will last ten years and the other will warp at the base within two.

Pick it up first

This is the simplest test you can do standing in the shop. Take two vessels of the same size, one in each hand. The heavier one is almost always the better one. Thin-gauge steel costs less, but it does not spread heat evenly, and that is exactly why rice catches at the bottom.

Look at the base

A good vessel sits flat. Put it on a level surface — if it rocks, put it back. The base should also be visibly thicker than the sides, because the base is the part that takes the heat.

Run your finger along the rim

The rim should feel smooth and be the same thickness all the way round. A sharp or uneven rim means the finishing was rushed. It will catch your hand when you wash it, and it is usually where cracks start years later.

If a vessel is cheaper, something in it is less. Usually it's the thickness.

What to buy for what

• Everyday cooking — buy the heavy-base vessel. This is the one you use twice a day; it is the wrong place to economise.
• Storage and water — medium gauge is fine. These never see heat.
• Occasional use — a large vessel you bring out twice a year does not need to be the most expensive one on the shelf.

When you come in, tell us how many people you cook for and what kind of stove you use. We'll take it from there.

There is one mistake we see every single housewarming season. People buy the decorative things first, and then discover on the evening of the move that they cannot cook dinner. After the gruhapravesam is over, the first night still needs a meal.

For the first night's cooking

This is the true minimum. One pressure cooker, one kadai, one tawa, two saucepans, one knife, two ladles. With just this much, rice and kuzhambu will happen on the first night.

For the next morning

Plates, tumblers, a water jug and a coffee filter. Buy two more than the number of people in the house — visitors will come.

The house has to work in the first week. Decoration can wait.

Within the first week

• A rice drum and containers for pulses — otherwise the groceries stay in their bags
• A spice box and an oil can
• Bucket, mug, broom and dustpan
• Serving bowls and spoons — for the first guests

If you would rather not work through all of this item by item, our "Happy Home" collection already contains it — between 40 and 60 items, with 50 as the usual recommendation.

A brass vilakku or thattu is the kind of thing that passes from one generation to the next. But cleaned the wrong way, the surface gets scratched and dulls within a few years.

Never use a steel scrubber

This is the one that matters most. A steel scrubber leaves fine scratches across the brass. Dirt then settles into those scratches, and the piece darkens faster the next time. Use only a soft cloth or a sponge meant for brass.

The simple method, at home

1. Soak a small piece of tamarind in water and work it into a paste with your hand.
2. Take it on a soft cloth and wipe gently in one direction — not in circles.
3. Rinse thoroughly in warm water. Any tamarind left behind will stain the brass.
4. Dry it completely with a dry cloth straight away. Moisture left sitting is the main cause of tarnish.

Moisture is what damages brass. Not dirt.

How often

A lamp you light daily needs cleaning about once a week. Pieces that only come out for festivals should be cleaned after use, dried, and wrapped in a soft cloth before storing. Do that and next year's work is almost nothing.

One thing to note — some new brass comes with a lacquer coating, and those should not be rubbed with tamarind at all. Ask us when you buy and we'll tell you which is which.