Your essential kitchen gear checklist

[Legion]

After returning to the bachelor world about a years or so ago, I will admit I have not spent much time in the kitchen. In fact, my definition of food prep has been piercing the top before heating.

But... I'm on a bit of a self improvement kick at the moment, and cooking more is on the list.

So I'm getting some gear together, replacing what I have left behind, and maybe adding some new tools. What I am looking to do in the short term is to keep the cost down by just concentrating on the essentials. I don't mind buying quality stuff that will last, but I don't want to buy three of something if I can get by with one.

What are your main tools in the kitchen that you could not do without?


So far I have my trusty Chinese cleaver size chef knife, which I do most cutting with, but I have ordered a nice carbon Japanese knife (santoku).

I have a cutting board which is decent enough.

I have been looking at cast iron pans, I need to research that more. Pots my housemate has. That can wait.


What else?

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I use a 10 qt stainless stock pot, a 2 qt sauce pan, 9x13 baking pan and a 6 inch nonstick pan for most everything.... I have a large cast iron skillet but I can get buy with the others.

I am a recently divorced and had a kitchen set up that would make most small restaurants drool... I make good stuff happen with what I have. Next on my list is a few baking sheets and a couple more saute pans.

A nice set of measuring cup and spoons is nice o have also.

 

[wimbouman]

A good set of knives and a decent cutting board really is agood start.

I could not live without a couple of other items though:

First, a big casserole that fits in the oven:

Then, a grill pan (a single man's best friend as far as fast but healthy food is concerned)

And of course this classic:

And while we are at it: get one of those Microplanes.
They replaced a lot of other stuff in my kitchen.

 

[yung puck]

Tongs
salt/pepper
EVO! An balsamic V!
george Forman grill baby!

 

[YetiDave]

A Dutch oven
Frying pan, I'll say cast iron because you can use them for baking in too
Large, medium and small stainless saucepans
Spice grinder or pestle and mortar
Rolling pin, marble preferably if you plan on baking (check eBay)
Large, medium and small mixing bowls
A decent thin spatula and some wooden spoons, one slotted

If you don't want small, medium and large then go for medium or large. I'd have at least 2 saucepans though. Can't think of much else at the moment

 

[Rushman2112]

Nothing original from me, just back up what has been said. You have the knives sorted it would appear with the exception of a good paring knife. A saute pan that will stand oven heat is essential. Both of us like to cook Asian - wife being Indonesian she cooks killer Indonesian and Thai having the patience to make the spice pastes - so for us a wok is pretty much a given. I think we have four of various sizes…

Lots of wooden spoons and spatulas and long tongs.

Oven gloves!

Go very long on Pyrex bowls in a variety of sizes. We always have a couple in the freezer with stock, er, in stock so you'd need spares.

I am amazed no-one mentioned at least two corkscrews - in case one breaks late at night…

 

[Acmemfg]

3 qt. saucepan
4.5 qt saucepan
Wok
10" skillet (cast iron or carbon steel)
12" grill pan (here you may want non-stick)
Measuring cups and spoons
Commercial grade tongs and turner (often incorrectly referred to as a "spatula")
4" paring knife

Combined with the items you say you already have, this should keep you set up for some time.

 

[YetiDave]

Oh yeah.. Digital scales!

 

[dpm802]

A set of 1-cup, 1-pint, and 1-quart Pyrex measuring cups.

Not only are they indispensable for getting quantities right, they serve as great mixing bowls, too. And on those morning when I'm feeling lazy, I eat my cereal or oatmeal straight from the 1-cup bowl, since they have a convenient handle.

 

[ouch]

Tongs
Wooden spoons
Microplanes
Multiple strainers
Stainless steel bowls
Baking sheets, even if you never bake

 

[Luc]

What I often use

Chef knife
Chopping board
Mixing bowl Large
Skillet
Large pot to boil pasta/water
Chasseur Enamel 7qt (I prefer Chasseur to LeCreuset because of the grooves in the lid allowing the food to stew instead of drying)
BBQ
Tongs
Baking tray
And the oven of course

That's pretty much it. Depending on what you want to cook, you might add or remove some stuff. I often cook Mexican food so a tortilla press and lime press are a must for me.

 

[PugslyCat]

Obviously the answer is going to have a lot to do with how you eat and cook. I've had times in my life where all I really needed was a cutting wheel because the frozen pizza cooks fine when set directly on the rack.

I have heard that cast iron will scratch a ceramic cook top, but enamled cast won't. Maybe somebody else can chime in on that.

Non-stick skillet - Good for eggs and fish. This is optional as a well seasoned cast iron skillet may work as well for you.

Non-non-stick skillet - It can be tough to make a good pan sauce or get a great sear in a non-stick skillet. This might be your cast iron skillet, or could be stainless. Look for one that can go from stove top to oven or broiler (i.e. avoid plastic handles). I've used my large cast iron skillet as a baking pan. Others talk about using their skillets for corn bread or even pineapple upside down cake.

Griddle/Grill - The griddle is good for things like eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, or anything that you really want to get under with a spatula as opposed to turning with tongs. There is no high side to get in the way like with a skillet. I like the double sided, single burner, cast iron one that I have. It's a little more flexible than a grill pan or a flat griddle. I'm also fond of anything that does multiple things well.

Multiple cutting boards/mats - It's a good idea to have separate cutting boards for meat, poultry, and vegetables to avoid cross contamination. I'm a fan of getting new flexible cutting mats and disposing of the old ones each year, or as they get cut up.

Tongs - Some things are easier to grab and turn rather than getting a spatula underneath them. I prefer the ones hinged on the end as opposed to those with the pivot in the middle like a pair of scissors.

Spatulas - Good for flipping things like eggs and pancakes that need a little support. There are also rubber spatulas for mixing and scraping contents out of bowls or jars.

Microplane Grater - I use this for everything from zesting fruit to finely grated cheese.

Box Grater - Not so finely grated cheese, potatoes, carrots and anything else.

Knives - Duh! If it can be done with a knife instead of a specialized cutter, learn to do it with the knife. We don't need no stinking slap chop gadget as seen on TV if we have decent knife skills.

 

[The Knize]

When I first started cooking I bought a wok in Chinatown, with a lid, and used it for virtually everything. I too had a Chinese cleaver which I still really like, and a cutting board. I do not suggest that anyone go that minimalist, though.

Sticking to a minimalist theme, I would say you need a colander, although I suppose a strainer might substitute. You need kitchen towels, but you can use them instead of oven mitts or pot holders. Stuff one in your belt or pocket for ready access if you do not have an apron.

I would say you need a whisk if you are going to do anything with sauces. I have one that is coils of wire over a triangular bent wire on the end of a piece of bent wire that is great for lying flat in a pan for pan sauces.

I would certainly want a pepper mill.

An instaread thermometer. You can start with a cheap one.

Things I use all the time, but you could get by without include two "grits" of micrograters, one for zesting, hard cheeses, nutmeg, etc. and one for shredding softer cheese. I would skip the box grater. Also a handheld lemon press, although it may be more for drinks. Also some kitchen shears are handy. Get some poultry shears at an Asian grocery. I use a rice cooker all the time but you can surely get by without that.

I think I could get by without a rolling pin, but if you get a plain cylindrical one without handles you can use it to crush things or even grind things.

Stainless steel bowels are useful to have for many purposes including serving, are cheap, easy to clean, and nest for easy storage. Same thing with stainless cooking tools, spoons slotted and regular, absolutely a turner, probably not a fork, I would want ladies in more than one size including very small for sauces, but you could probably get by with spoons.

I have an use excellent mixers, food processors, and a blender, but you can get by without any of those.

 

[xraygun]

You need a whisk.

 

[hawgsquatch]

wooden spoons
whisk
set of nesting mixing bowls
dollar store set of measuring cups and spoons
cheese grater
rice cooker-would literally die without one.
various heavy aluminum disposable casseroles/trays

Alton Brown says nothing belongs in the kitchen that can't do more than one job. I agree. I cook potatoes in the rice cooker.

 

[cody6766]

My must haves, and what I'll buy cheap vs quality:

Chef's knife and small paring knife - quality
Endgrain cutting board - quality, but relatively inexpensive at Bed bath and beyond
Plastic cutting boards - Target sells some with a nice, rubber outside to hold them down - inexpensive quality
measuring cups/spoons - cheap at walmart
pyrex measuring cups, buy a 1 cup and a 4 cup one - buy pyrex brand, not anchor. the letters wash off anchor cups
tongs - walmart sells cheap ones that I like more than most pricey ones
wooden spoons - buy a bamboo set, pretty cheap IIRC
Plastic spoon/spatula set - cheap
rubber/silicone scrapers - inexpensive @ BB&B
9x13 baking dish - pyrex @ wal mart or target
Smaller baking dish - same as above
Mixing bowl set - cheap at walmart...but not too cheap, pick mid-level
collander - cheap but sturdy
funnel set - cheap at walmart
fish filet spatula - expensive enough to do the trick (works well for fish, eggs, veggies, etc. I love mine)
Pans:
--cast iron 12" - I buy Lodge for the price/quality ratio
--cast iron 6 or 8" - same
--stainless steel, heavy bottom - target had some good ones in the $20-30 range that I still use. Buy metal handle for oven work
--8" non stick - good enough quality to get the job done. Mine is TFal and is only really used for eggs in a hurry
****side note, I'd prioritize in this order: Non-stick and stainless pans, then 12" cast iron, then smaller cast iron, them doubles if you need them****
Pots - buy small and big ones, heavy enough metal to hold heat. i like to have some non-stick and some stainless. I"m just now buying enamel coated cast iron and would start there next time. Lodge is cheap enough and works well. Amazon has great prices

Gadgets - rice cooker (get a big one), blender, food processor, maybe a crock pot (but I don't use ours),

Other stuff I use and forgot to mention:
Whisk set, box grater, micro planer, potato peeler, small cups/dishes for prep work, 2-step waiter's wine key (seriously, buy a 2 step), julep strainer, cocktail shaker (cup or boston shaker), small, 2-3oz measuring cup/shot glass for cocktails, garlic press

I"m sure there are a few other things missing from my list, but that's the bulk of it. I like to spend money on individual pieces I use often or that suck out loud when they suck (knives, pans, fish spatula, cutting boards) and then go almost as cheap as possible on the things that get limited use and stay out of sight (measuring cups, plastic cooking spoons). I also found that it's best to buy the bare essentials and then pick up the misc. stuff as you need it. If you don't think of using a micro planer, then wait until a recipe calls for one before buying it. If you drink wine, I can't stress the 2-step opener enough. People cheap out and buy the $5 one from walmart with a single step or drop $50 on a rabbit-gadget. You can spend $10-12 on a good 2-step and you will almost never break a cork, won't struggle to get a cork out and it will work for years and years. I still use the one that got me through 4 years of waiting tables. It's opened A LOT of wine in its day. You may even be able to talk a local liquor store into getting a promotional one from their wine rep. I have a few that were passed along to the restaurant from our wine reps that were given for free.

Good luck, man!

 

[PugslyCat]

A couple of things I forgot to mention:

Slow Cooker - These are great for cooking a lot of things. Typically I'm doing chicken or roasts, but I've got recipes to do pasta and casserole type dishes in them as well. Obviously a 4 qt. slow cooker is going to make a big batch of whatever, but I tend to do a lot of batch cooking. Typically I'll freeze a portion of what I'm making so that I'm not trying to eat the elephant every evening for a week. I'm also fond of cooking something like a chicken that I can server in different ways each night to break up the monotony.

Immersion Blender - These are great if you are making soups or sauces. Maybe this is more of an option than it is a necesity, but I've found enough uses for mine that I would hate to do without it.

 

[Alacrity59]

Pretty good lists. I might approach it from . . . . what do I want to cook? And then what do I need to cook it.

 

[Legion]

Pretty good lists. I might approach it from . . . . what do I want to cook? And then what do I need to cook it.

Yes, I think this is right. I guess I already have a number of the things mentioned in storage, and my house mate has some others here, though the quality of that stuff is a bit average. But it is good seeing what these other blokes "need" in their kitchen, because it gives me an idea of what I might be missing.

Here is a random one. When I packed up and left for singledom, the only two cooking vessels I took with me was the rice cooker (I'm bloody hopeless at getting rice right without that thing) and my tagine.

For you guys interested in slow cooking, a tagine is the business. My one has a cast iron base, so it is very handy to brown the meat on the cooktop first, then add the other ingredients and pop the lid on, slow cook the contents. It rocks.

 

[nageljo]

One thing I would highly recommend is to shop the clearance racks at stores like kohls, bed bath and beyond, etc. A lot of times I have picked up some really NICE stuff at deep discount because it isn't the "trendy" color of the season. Places like fleet farm or your local equivelent can have some nice stuff that focuses more on quality of product vs. the in thing.

Otherwise the a lot of the suggestions here are great. Accumulate what you need as you need it!