Kitchen Necessities
You finally make the big move into your own apartment. You have a kitchen – a kitchen devoid of kitchen equipment.
What do you buy first? What do you really need? You can buy a “kitchen in a box” set at the department store, but
does that make sense? It can be cheap…but it may have stuff that you don’t even know what to do with. We have put
together a list of first kitchen equipment. It includes everything you’ll need to make a wide variety of dishes.
There are lots of places to find kitchen equipment – the hardware store, department stores, supermarkets, specialty kitchen
stores, and restaurant supply companies. Restaurant supply companies can often be the best deal around for many things
like pans, utensils, and knives. Because their products are for restaurant kitchens, they are made to last too.
Every kitchen needs a couple of good knives: a chef ’s knife and a paring knife. You will use your chef ’s knife every-
day, so invest in a decent knife, not the cheapest one you can find. A chef ’s knife will cost about $30. You could get a whole
knife block full of knives you probably never will use or you could use the money to get a single good knife. A paring knife
is used for trimming and peeling, and you can find them for $5. You can get a vegetable peeler, but a paring knife will do
the same job with a little practice.
You will also need these items for prepping food:
• A can opener, extremely important because if you don’t have it, you are going to have one heck of job
getting that can open!
• A cutting board, the biggest one you can fit on your counter within your price range. Plastic
ones are easy on your knives and easy to keep clean.
• Bowls, stainless steel ones are inexpensive and all purpose.
o Small, 1-2 quart for mixing up a vinaigrette, beating up an egg or two
o Medium, 4 qt quart for tossing a salad, mixing up cookies or meatballs
• A Measuring spoon set, usually includes 1/4 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon
• A 1 or 2 cup liquid measuring cup made of glass or plastic
On to equipment for cooking:
• Pans
o 1 quart sauce pan w/lid, for rice, oatmeal, other grains, vegetables, and sauces
o A small soup pot, 3 to 4 quarts for soups, cooking pasta
o Large 10” sauté pan w/lid for sautéing and braising
o Small frying pan for cooking up eggs, omelets, or a single burger. This is the one pan where
nonstick is a good idea.
• Cooking Utensils
o Large spoon, for stirring and serving
o Spatula made of heat-proof silicone so you can use it in hot pans
o Small whisk, for making vinaigrette, mixing liquids, beating eggs
o Tongs, one of the most useful tools after your hands
o Medium wire mesh strainer, it also works as a colander
• Rimmed cookie sheet, not just for cookies but useful for roasting vegetables, meats, and toasting nuts
• Pot holders
After you are done cooking, you will need some storage containers for all that tasty food. Plastic 2-cup and 4-cup
containers are available at any supermarket and you should have a few of these. Glass containers are even better,
especially for reheating food in the microwave, but they are more expensive. You can also wash and save plastic
take-out containers to reuse.
And finally, you will need to clean up:
• A plastic scrubbing pad
• Dishwashing soap
• Dish towels • Pot holders
• Paper towels
There are lots of other things you might want but you can decide if you really need them. Like pancakes? You will
want to buy a pancake turner. Make large batches of soup? Get a big soup pot. You don’t need to start with lots of
equipment to feed yourself.
Provided by School of eating good, inc. 2/21/12