Kitchen Equipment For New Cooks
Things to buy and please don’t think you need to get the best of the best. You can get a lot at a dollar store or thrift shop.
2 sets of measuring cup and spoons. Ones that the writing on them is nice and clear.
1 1 cup liquid measuring cup
1 4 cup liquid measuring cup
1 set of wooden spoons (wooden spoons never get hot on the handle so easier to use)
1 set of rubber mixing spatulas
1 potato masher
1 hand held electric mixer can be bought for under $10.
1 small food processor. Wal-mart has them for $4.
1 three piece set of kettles are enough to two get started with.
1 three or four piece set of corning wear or any brand that has 3 or 4 different sizes.
1 rolling pin
1 church key (can opener with the pointed end and a round end for bottle caps)
1 set of mixing bowls which usually have 4 sizes
1 muffin tin which holds at least 12 cupcakes or muffins.
1 set of cupcake papers
2 loaf pans
2 9 inch pie tins
1 box of at least 75ft aluminum foil
1 box plastic wrap
1 box wax paper
1 can opener, any kind will work from the hand held ones, to the electric, what ever you can afford. Remember thrift stores have a lot of this stuff for only a few dollars.
1 box gallon size bags I like to get 1 box of the resealable, and one box that just has the ties, the tie boxes are cheaper and I feel I can use them to shake flour on meats and throw them away. Also can put them on your hands to do a messy job, then toss them.
1 good set of frying pans, I like the Teflon coated, you can pay a lot or as little as you want, if you get the cheaper, you might need to replace them sooner, when the Teflon wears out.
1 set of cookie sheets I like to get the stainless steel as they bake more evenly and look better, the aluminum will turn brown, which doesn’t hurt anything but they will also rust if you don’t dry them well. I like to heat my oven to 200 degrees and turn it off and place them in the oven to dry well.
2 cutting boards I like to get two different styles so I can use one for meat and the other for cutting veggies or cheese etc. Its easier to remember which one is which if they are different.
If you can afford a double boiler buy one, but if not you can use two pans one smaller then the other put together.
If you intend to make candy it is important to get a kettle that is a heavy grade. And it should be deep. I like to buy an older pressure cooker at the thrift shop they are excellent , if you want to use it as a pan for cooking soup or potatoes in it, just remove the rubber inside the lid and it will work as a regular pot. I dont recommend using a pressure cooker until you are an experienced cook. But you can’t find a better pot for the gauge of steel in them, at least I haven’t. Maybe if you go into a restaurant supply you may find one. But never as cheap as a thrift shop. A new one cost about $40. I think.
An extra set of large mixing spoons or serving spoons come in handy too. You can find them where they sell the stainless steel utensils.
Most of this is the basic things to make cooking
easier. There maybe some I have forgotten that will come up down the line,
but this will give your kitchen a good start without costing you a
fortune.
Of course a decent stove and oven and microwave is also a must. A small microwave is all you need, the simpler the better. The same goes for a range. One that is self cleaning is kind of a farce, you still need to whip them out, and they use a lot of electricity to clean them. When you bake anything, put a cookie sheet under it, or tin foil to catch the drips. It saves a lot of time cleaning the oven. If you want to make microwave popcorn get a microwave with the recommended wattage that the pop corn recommends. Or it wont pop good. Microwave ovens usually end up getting used mainly for reheating and quick stuff, so you don't need one that will hold a turkey. I find that one the rotates is nice for a more even heat. I’ve owned one that did lots of so called things and one that just has cook and defrost and they both work as well. I paid $39. For mine and I’ve had it 3 years and its still cooking great.