True, I just like to have coarse ground himalayan sea salt. The fresh ground kosher stuff is alright too. You're right about salt not losing anything though.

There is a good Gordon Ramsay video that shows the basics to invest in to start cooking good food and it isn't as expensive as you think. It's still one of those "buy once, cry once" things though.

German (or siwss) knives, French pans, etc.