New apartment - kitchen equipment?

marc.faulkner

Evening all, hope you're all enjoying your Easter weekend.

I'm moving into my new apartment on Tuesday, from a furnished bedsit, and need to 'stock' my kitchen with the various gadgets and tools.

In terms of appliances, I'm sorted with my kettle and toaster which I already have and also my breadmaker, which I couldn't live without! I'm in need of a microwave though, if anybody has any low cost recommendations? (Not fussy about colour - I've got a mix of white and s/s already!)

I've also got a set of new crockery which I picked up on the reduced shelf in Tesco the other evening - although I do need a set of cutlery, ideally with blue handles to match my crockery.

The main thing which is troubling me is pans, and what to go for! :eek:

I know that you can get a set of 3 pans in Tesco for under a fiver, but are they a false economy? I want them to last more than a few weeks... Would I be better paying slightly more for s/s or aluminium pans? Or going for an altogether more expensive set? Your opinions would be greatly appreciated

Rupa

Basic stainless steel from ikea. Not worth spending more and false economy to spend less.

Paulie'sGirl

I have ikeas 365 range, their starter pack is about £40 and has two large pans, a milk/saucepan and a fabulous non-stick frying pan. I cannot recommend them enough.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30101168

sillyvixen

stick blender - i cant live without makes soups and smoothies ( for the latter you need a jug or bowl)

tallyhoh

I had great set of that super duper non stick (I think its granite or something) from Asda for about £40, glass lids, dont scratch & clean up a treat. Cheap pans are def a false economy as you will be forking out again in a few weeks.

Ikea also do starter kits. Get you untensils from Poundland or the 99p shop, they are not so important.

Asda again do really cheap electrical stuff, microwaves etc & I saw a DVD player there last week for £12!

Telute

I'd second the stick blender recommndation - I stole my mums when a student and have never looked back. My pans are basic stainless steel from M & S and have always been fine. Their cookware isn't badly priced if you want an alternative to Ikea, I think a set of five pans cost around £25.

Stephen_Leak

sillyvixen wrote: »

stick blender - i cant live without makes soups and smoothies ( for the latter you need a jug or bowel)

I think that should be bowl. Altho' I suppose you do need a bowel. Eventually.

As above - a hand, aka stick, blender - the only electrical kitchen gadget that ever gets used regularly - altho' mine does have a little "food processor" attachment.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4220398.htm

I'm not too sure about the whisk attachment - I can see that "pebbledashing" the kitchen.

Here's my basic culinary toolkit -

Paring knife: 10cm maximum
Cook’s knife: 16cm to 20cm
Chopping boards: plastic, a red one for raw meat and a white one for everything else (Ikea - Red = £1.29, white (inc. a little one) = £1.39)

Small saucepan: 1L capacity (16cm diameter), capacity is more important than diameter
Large saucepan: 2L capacity (21cm diameter), ditto

Frying pan: 25cm to 28cm diameter, non-stick
Spatula: plastic or wooden, not metal

Ovenproof glass casserole dish: 2L capacity

Kitchen scales
Ovenproof glass measuring jug: 500ml capacity
Ovenproof glass mixing bowl: 1L capacity
Set of measuring spoons

Can opener
Colander
Grater
“Waiter’s Friend”: the professional's bottle opener & corkscrew (Ikea = £1.49)
Wooden spoon

Stainless steel saucepans are the best VFM - they are a bit more expensive than cheap aluminium, but they should - barring accidents - last a lifetime. You can get by with just 2 - 16cm/1L and 21cm/2L - capacity is more important than diameter. Thicker bottoms distribute the heat more evenly and mean less stirring.

Microwave - keep it simple. My current one just has two dials. My previous one had a keypad - which I just used to select power level (now dial 1) and input whole minutes (now dial 2). It also had a clock, which I soon gave up reprogramming after every power cut and time I unplugged it by accident.

PS. The link to the blender was just to show what one and the mini food processor attachment looked like.

Paulie'sGirl

My stick blender is the £4.97 one for tesco. brilliant for just starting out.

Other cool devices are:
a lemon reamer (wooden),
a silicon spatula (all manner of uses),
long handled tongs,
a steamer (a tenner. not a necessity, but very good for rice and veg),
a non-stick wok (tesco. why pay more?),
a decent potato masher (these funky one's where one side is unsupported buckle in seconds. you've been warned)
a large and a small sharp knife (unserrated, then you can sharpen them)
a small oven dish (for portions for 1 or 2)
a 3 sided grater

I'm done. contents of my cupboards now inventoried for insurance LOL!!

marc.faulkner

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.

I think I'm probably leaning towards the Ikea s/s pans, as they look decent and don't cost the earth. Plus I'm making a trip to Ikea for a few other bits, so may as well pick them up whilst I'm there.

Stephen_Leak

Also, the Ikea kitchen equipment department, especially if you can look like you know what you're doing, is one of the best places I know for "retail totty hunting"!

marc.faulkner

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Also, the Ikea kitchen equipment department, especially if you can look like you know what you're doing, is one of the best places I know for "retail totty hunting"!

An added bonus!!