Need everything for a kitchen! So useful OS stuff is...?

homeaway

The_Eskimo's_Donger wrote: »

Hey folks
On saturday I move in to my nice shiny bachelor pad :beer: There's a cooker, a fridge and a freezer, but I have nothing else to go in there, not even a fork! So I've begun compiling a list of stuff I'll need to cook like my ole Nan did when I were a lad

I've done LOTS of reading on here so meal planning, making stuff in bulk for the freezer and proper recipies will from Saturday be the way forward, going to start the meal plans tonight :T One major difference in my cooking from most OS will be a higher %age of protein (mmm, meat) as working on my Brad Pitt beach body for next summer :kisses:

So at a guess a slow cooker and a bread maker should be on the cards? Anything else I should be considering apart from the usual pots and pans?

-Eski

Just to add to everything that the others have said.... a bread maker could turn out to be a waste of money. Look for the thread on here that is called artisan bread in 5 minutes, great bread without a bread maker!

buxtonrabbitgreen

One thing you will need if you are doing the os bit is a pair of kitchen scales. This can be your shiney new toy. Some of them are very fancy. I personally like my salter ones which are about 35 years old. Need no batteries have big numbers on so I can see them and are in lbs and ounces.

G'Meister

I figure this is the section of the forum where all the best MSE cooks hang out, or at least are most likely to visit regularly

Please make suggestions for great kitchen equipment you couldn't live without, I'm not talking gizmo's, just standard stuff like pots and pans etc; specific brands or products:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=16104163

I live by myself and will likely never be cooking for more than 4 people at a stretch, just to give you an idea of what size equipment I might need where such info is relevant .
I currently eat mostly prepared frozen foods and junk like that but once I have a proper kitchen I intend to save money and my health by steering away from all that crap.

Thanks :T

Olliebeak

I suppose it all depends on what you like to cook and whether or not you'll want to do any baking. This is my list of what I would want to start off with - but other posters may disagree and suggest some different things.

Buy some decent pans - by that I mean what you can comfortably afford. The really cheapie ones are a complete mistake - but, on the other hand, there's no need to actually break the bank over them. If there is an opportunity for one of those pans to be a 'steamer set' then include one of those, otherwise you can get a bamboo steamer OR just use a colander balanced on top of an ordinary saucepan for steaming things. A set of kitchen scales is very useful - not many of us can guess at weights (especially when we first start cooking/baking). A decent non-stick frying pan is another must-have - got mine from Wilkinson's and actually bought two of them in different sizes (don't need a massive pan for just frying one egg :rolleyes: ). A set of measuring spoons and cups - these can be bought for around £1.00 for a set of both depending on where you find them (often in pound shops ). Kitchen utensils (fish slice, slotted spoon, soup ladle etc) preferably plastic for non-stick pans or s/steel ones for s/steel pans. A wok or a skilletpan can be very useful - but not essential. A multi-sided grater is another very useful item. A couple of different sized roasting tins and a trivet if possible (they don't have to be expensive) - trivet allows the meat to be above any fat that drains out of it. Hand-held food mixer and a stick blender are also very useful things to have, and again don't have to cost a lot of money - my food mixer was £12 and my stick blender was £4.99.

If you have a microwave, you would also need some suitable containers (with lids on) for cooking in - I've found pyrex casserole dishes to be the best for this as they can be used in the ordinary oven as well.

And as you're looking to be 'old-style' you will also need a set (or 2) of plastic freezable/fridgeable containers - don't have to be expensive - these are mine for £2.99: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10098256 - I'm quite addicted to Ikea . You'll also find that you stop throwing away margarine containers .

At a later date you can think about a slow cooker, pressure cooker, grilling machine, remoska etc - but none of those are essentials to start off with.

Penelope_Penguin

Hi there! We have a recent thread on what to buy for a new kitchen, so I'll add your question to that thread

Penny. x

MaureenCornwall

How about a pressure cooker, you can do so much in them and less time cooking, will save on your electric or gas.
Also I joined up with freecycle in my area, its amazing, you give stuff away that you no longer want for free as do others, you can post what they look like, you have to go and collect whether fridge/freezer, cooker, table n chairs, bedroom furniture, garage doors, compost bins, wool, clothes, children toys, people that don't want stuff filling the landfills anymore but would rather give stuff away for free, bread makers whatever, check the site out at www.uk.freecycle.org It may not be your cup of tea, as for me I have never been a fan of celebrities or follow the crowd, finacially cut my cloth accordingly, if its secondhand, I will clean it up and use it.
Hope this is of some help,
MaureenCornwall

halight

Hi mate,

Some good sharp knifes are a must pluss copping bords to go with them

Bella79

ikea do a fab range of stuff at good priecs also i get bits n bobs from carboots but i find your kitchen stuff is something u build up over time jst get the basics from ikea

afterglow_2

have to say im a chef and dont even have a set of knives, was given a set, and got rid of as not that useful, just get what you need for type of cooking you do!
i just use at home 2 paring knives, tomato serrated knife, a very nice expensive cooks knife (for daily use), a large cooks knife, chinese cleaver and bread knife, that covers me for anything!!