Need to stock a kitchen

casca

I need to stock a kitchen with everything except the appliances. So plates, cutlery, pots, pans, glasses, bottle-opener, everything!

Does anyone have suggestions about what sort of thing I should get, and where I can find them cheap? I'd rather get good quality equipment, but I've never done this before so don't know where to start. IKEA? Amazon? Argos?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

RufusA

Ikea is usually a good start if you've got one near you.

Items are reasonable quality (but obviously not Denby-ware) and well priced. I have cuttlery, plastics and glassware from there which has lasted over 5 years. They also bundle up sets of things as kitchen starter packs which can keep the price down. Obviously items are on display so unlike Argos and Amazon you can touch them and judge quality / robustness. Some of the stuff in Ikea is IMHO rubbish, so check items carefully before buying.

Worth working out exactly what you need before visiting as it very easy to let your budget run away with you as you buy pizza slicers, butcher blocks, lemon presses and trivets!

Argos do some good stainless steel cutlery (and some awful stuff as well). Amazon sell cheap branded Saucepans and Woks which may be better quality than Ikeas.

Lakeland plastics, Supermarkets (e.g. larger Tescos) also are worth trying, particularly for smaller items. Robert Dyas and Woolworths are also a good bet (even for small electricals). Also department stores (debs, bentalls, john lewis, allders etc.) when they have sales on can be cheap for high quality saucepans etc.

Basically if you want everything under one roof, and don't mind having the same crockery as half your street then Ikea is probably best. If you don't mind shopping around then there are usually cheaper / better to be found elsewhere, but the leg work / petrol may negate any savings.

HTH - Rufus.

sukk_uk

i suggest somewhere like poundstretcher or wilkinson or woolworths. they have pretty good stuff for your home and garden. i jus wish i had my own house so i could buy lots of stuff for it. lucky you. enjoy shoppin

casca

Thanks Rufus, that really helps. I do have an IKEA nearby and the list is a very good idea! It's also quite easy for me to get to a big Tesco and Asda, and even Costco.

Do you know what good brands for this kind of thing are? I see Prestige, Tefal , Le Crueset on lxdirect (25% voucher discount), but I know that there are many others.

Galtizz

Plates, bowls, mugs, etc. I got all mine from Denby factory shop in Denby, but there are others around the country see the website:

http://www.denby.co.uk/default.ihtml?page=factoryshops.ihtml?

The big plates are about £5.25 each but they do last for years and, if you go after xmas they usually have a sale on - last years was a bogof so that makes them £2.62 - closer to Ikea prices. If you're buying something like Denby (who don't change the designs often) don't forget you can build up your stuff over a year or more. To start off with you only need a max. of 2 of everything each. - On the odd occassion you are feeding more than that get everyone to bring a plate knive and fork!! Don't let anyone tell you need 8 of everything straight away.

Glassware - I'd agree that Ikea are best. Only buy a couple of wine glasses - you'll get loads at Christmas with a bottle of wine from unimaginative family

Kitchen equipment - check big places that are closing down - I got saucepans and cutlery from Co-op really cheap because they were closing down. Lidl occasionally have offers on frying pans and baking tins too.

Also - Just buy the essentials; Bottle opener, tin opener, cutlery, saucepans, only 1 baking tin etc. because once family and friends find out you're moving out they'll throw all there old stuff at you and you'll soon have a house full of measuring jugs, wooden spoons etc. all the stuff you never knew you needed. It might not be to your taste but you can gradually replace it with your own stuff and remember - no-one will take the mickey because you have a bight orange measuring jug (well, only a bit)

I'd also second Poundstretcher for kitchen stuff and Wilkos for EVERYTHING - especially Bathroom and garden stuff and for when you become adicted to DIY (It will happen - you have been warned!!! )

P.s - I'm not affiliated with Denby in anyway, I just live local and found their factory shops a godsend when I bought my house. (Just wanted to clarify before anyone mentions it because I've posted something similar to the above elsewhere on the site)

sablade

IKEA is brill for that sort of thing

raeble

Don't get carried away in IKEA, they can be very cheap but also very, very expensive. I second Wilko's and Poundstrecher. I bought a plastic mixing bowl in poundstretcher for 99p, since seen it for 79p in wilko's which got on me nerves. However I saw the EXACT same bowl, right down the the brand in Allders for £2.75.

I would also check out Debenhams and House of Fraser, who've got 50% off sales on at the moment, BHS is usually pretty good in sales - if you can wait until the 75% off signs come out. I've seen many a dinning set 16 - 20pc etc for around the £15. Also look in Argos, Index (must admit prefer argos but that's because the index/littlewoods store hasn't had a refit since 1985) and Woolies.

Savvy_Sue

Do you know what good brands for this kind of thing are? I see Prestige, Tefal , Le Crueset on lxdirect (25% voucher discount), but I know that there are many others.

DO NOT BUY Le Creuset UNLESS you have used it and like it. It weighs a ton, and even boiling water seems to stick to it and refuse to come off. Waste of space. Tefal for me!

flossie_2

DO NOT BUY Le Creuset UNLESS you have used it and like it. It weighs a ton, and even boiling water seems to stick to it and refuse to come off. Waste of space. Tefal for me!

Absolutely agree. I love the look of it and have several huge casseroles plus smaller pans and dishes.  But I actually find them quite dangerous because of the weight - my arms are strong  even though I'm a 5ft, 7 stone weakling, but these things would wrench your arms out their sockets!  And, I've just chucked a couple out - sick of trying to clean them.  Not cheap either.