Subsistence cooking equipment

tru

Ask your butcher if you can buy a couple of meat trays (the ones they display the meat on in the chiller). Chances are, he'll let you have them for free, apparantly they get sent a lot more than they need. They make fab baking sheets.

thriftlady_2

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

Have you actually tried rolling pastry with a wine bottle - never works for me

Penny. x

And presumably you would have to buy a bottle of wine first which seems a bit profligate on a subsistence budget. It's a long time since I bought a rolling pin (they don't seem to wear out, or smash for that matter) but I'm pretty sure they're less than a cheap bottle of wine. Wine bottles are a good substititute on holiday though:)

A set of measuring cups can be made using yogurt pots but you would need a measuring jug first and they usually have cup measures marked on them.

The point about cutting butter blocks into ounces still applies, but you cut it into 50g instead. It's easy to divide it into 5.


Using biscuit tins for cake tins is asking for trouble imo. The paint will flake off and I think the metal is too thin and cakes will not cook evenly. They'd have to buy the biscuits first too surely?

I think Bob and Shirley should bite the bullet and buy themselves mixing bowls, cake tins etc. If they are going to cook from scratch then they need the equipment. Once it is bought then they won't need to buy it again, at least not for a very long time

Bronnie

Just read Weezl's challenge, really interesting! Can I ask why it's the assumption Bob and Shirley would have no kitchen equipment? I would have thought you could work from the premise that they had the very basics of kitchen equipment already, being the age that they are and with teenage children.

If they are the types to be interested and bothered to cook and follow Weezl's nutritious eating plan, then they would surely have the wherewithal to obtain simple equipment they don't already have like a rolling pin, from freecycle, jumble sales, relatives etc

rachbc

so far the substitiutes seem to cost more than the item - tin of sweets is a fiver - a cake tin can be bought for £2-3, same with a wine bottle/ rolling pin!

I assume B and S already have a kettle so would exclude that. Measuring spoons are calibrated - normal teaspoons etc aren't so to me they should be on the list.

BIg pan 2.50
frying pan/ wok 3.37
Baking sheet 2.50
Roasting tin 2.50
loaf tin 2.50
mixing bowl 0.59
measuring jug 0.35
measuring spoons 1.00
wooden spoon .20
whisk .64
rolling pin 0.95
grater 1.00
pyrex/ stone dish for pasta bakes/ pies etc 3.00
scales 1.97
cutting board 1.47
peeler 0.39
masher 0.34
can opener 0.45

Prices are from asda but sure could get some cheaper in pound shops etc

Penelope_Penguin

ceridwen wrote: »

Oh well - I'll knock the toaster off the list then. Shame about that - as I've checked out Argos and they have a Basics one for less than £5.

Cheap toasters work out more expensive in the long run, as the elements burn out, and need replacing Look at this as a bonus as you can use the £5 you save to buy:

ceridwen wrote: »

Right - back to the drawing board then - as to whether there are any freebie substitutes for baking sheets...

pelirocco

ceridwen wrote: »

I've been tasked with making a Dead Basics list of cooking equipment for Weezl's subsistence living thread (ie a family of 4 eating for a month for £100) and we feel that our mythical "family" of Bob and Shirley and their two teenagers wouldnt have much in the way of cooking equipment either.

So - I'm working out a list of what I feel are THE basic items Bob and Shirley couldnt manage without in their kitchen (no rice steamers or souffle dishes then...:(:)). Also looking to see what substitutes there are that Bob and Shirley can use for this purpose.

I've already picked up the following substitutions ideas over the months of reading O.S. - so are there any I have missed please?:D

- Rolling pin = wine bottle
- Mini size cakebaking tins = small food tins (eg mini size baked bean tins)
- Baking trays = the lid of those metal tins that sweet or biscuit "collections" come in
- Cake tins = the main part of those metal tins that sweet or biscuit "collections" come in
- Freezer containers = plastic "milkbottles", margarine containers
- Storage containers = glass jars that some foods are bought in

I think I've about covered it - but would be glad to hear of any other substitutes people use please:D

In particular - it would be useful to know if anyone has devised a substitute item for:
- mixing bowls
- measuring jugs
- kitchen scales
- casserole dishes
- chopping boards

Assuming those on a subsistence income can afford bottles of wine and tins of sweets and biscuits?............tbh I'm not sure of the practicality/ safety of using those tins in the oven , I doubt they would withstand the heat .Plus I am not sure cakes etc are the way to go, there must be better things to spend the money on .

Offcuts of wood? , lots of wood is treated with chemicals so again not sure that would be wise

HappyIdiotTalk

lynzpower wrote: »

Personally I wouldn't use a tin lid off a tin of sweets instead of a baking tray.

Me neither, I hate to be Mr Negative on such an interesting thread. But sweety tin is going to curl up in a hot oven, and I'm not sure what the paint is going to give off when it gets hot and oxidises, but I doubt it'll be pleasant or healthy.

w.dws

Subsistence living Tins of biscuits and bottles of wine? Would they have been able to afford these items in the first place to enable them to use them as substitutes?

OrkneyStar

Would our family be able to take a trip to a charity shop or two ? That is where I get some of my things, and also where I started out with certain items! Or they could ask/look on freegle or freecycle, supposing they have t'internet!
Re the whisk- mum often used a fork, especially for small amounts!
Re the mixing bowl- a pot or even a soup bowl for small amounts can be used to mix in.
Re the rolling pin- a plastic tumbler (or glass if you are gentle!).
Re the measuring jugs......a washed out milk carton would give a 500ml size, and a litre size, a washed out cream pot would give 284ml (or whatever size cream you have!).
Re measuring spoons- table and tea spoons most people already have.
Re casserole dishes- I wonder if some pots can also be used in the oven (depends on type of handle).
Oven gloves= old tea towel
Chopping board= cardboard from a cereal pack (shiny side down).
hth ceridwen my friend!
x

Bronnie

Good ideas, OS. In fact my mum made do with most of these years ago. She always whisked and mashed with a fork. A Victoria sandwich was made with 4 heaped tbs flour, 4 rounded tbs sugar, 2 eggs and a half of the block of butter as no scales and I think she guesstimated with a one pint milk bottle as she didn't have a measuring jug either!! The kettle boiled on the hob and toast was made under the grill.

Actually, it'd probably be most helpful for older posters to think back to the level of equipment our mums had to determine the minimum of basics required!!

Can I suggest adding a simple grater to the "pretty useful basics list", though? Helpful for s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g cheese, making stale bread into crumbs for toppings and coatings, getting off the zest from citrus for flavouring before eating the fruit etc .