Stocking a Kitchen

[HgaleK]

I'll be moving in to my first apartment in the next month or so. Between stuff from home and a bit of searching, I've got most of it picked out- good looking, but nothing I'll cry about if it gets puked on. The issue that I'm having right now is stocking my kitchen and dinnerware. I know next to nothing about the kitchen. I use (I found out the name this weekend

) a 10" omelette/fry pan whenever I do get the chance to cook- it just feels right to use. Having check out cookware this weekend, I found out that there's a huge difference in quality by price. I'm on a fairly limited budget (but it's elastic, but was thinking about going with a Calphalon 10" omelette pan, and then getting a cheap 16 piece target set like so to keep everything within the $200 range. Am I making a mistake by skimping on everything else? Should I be looking at something other than Calphalon? Do I have the idea right, but the specific splurge piece wrong? The other option it seems is to drop $200ish on a all around okay set. The other thing is cooking utensils. These would preferably be kept within the $50 range. Is there a particular work horse that's worth dropping the cash on? If I did go with the 16 piece set, it comes with a plastic lade, spatula, spoon, and slotted turner (not clue that happens to be). What about plastic vs wood? Thanks for your insight. Edit: Any nuggets of advice that you want to offer in this area I would happily accept. I'm looking forward to cooking fairly often, and am hoping to avoid as many budget mistakes and money wasters as I can. *Also, which knives are essential for the kitchen? I've been told either an 8" Chef's or a Santoku, a paring knife, and a bread knife by google. Does that sound about right?

 

[Douglas]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html There's plenty in here I personally might quibble with, but it's a pretty good catch-all article that hits your budgetary constraints.

 

[celery]

Cooking set:
http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Ray-An...2394548&sr=8-1

Even I scoffed at the Rachael Ray brand, but I was able to test a frying pan of hers that my mother had. And it was honestly quite good. Non-stick and durable. Until you learn more about cooking it's best to start cheap, and the fact is that you can buy a whole set for the same cost as a single high end pot or pan.

Cooking Utensils and miscellanea:
Measuring cups/spoons
Spatulas (one piece rubber for mixing dough, and a wider one for flipping/chopping in a pan)
Ladle (medium size, roughly between 1/2 and 1/4 cup)
Whisk
Wooden spoon for stirring
Colander
Two large mixing bowls (stainless steel to save weight and ease of cleaning)
2-4 small mixing bowls (again stainless steel) for sauces and holding small amounts of chopped herbs what have you.
Cutting board
Baking sheet
Baking dish (glass is good) and a wire rack that fits it
Oven mitts
Tupperware for storage
Peeler (adjustable ceramic blade)
Cheese grater


As for knives, you only need the three you mentioned (chef's, paring, and bread). The type you want will be totally up to you. Knives tend to be personal as their weight and shape have to feel good to you.

I will personally vouch for Global knives, they are excellent and lightweight. Some complain about their hand hurting from using them, I doubt I will ever find out as a home cook because I never have to use my knife for more than a few minutes at a time. If I had to julienne 300 carrots, I might feel differently.

I have this chef's knife:
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=1073

And this paring knife:
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=10871

 

[gomestar]

will you really need 4 crappy sauce pans and 2 crappy fry pans on top of what you already have? Heed the article's guidance.

The knives you listed are all you need.

 

[Monaco]

when you get cookware, make sure it is anodized aluminum, chemical safe. Buying cookware gets confusing, they all claim to do something amazing but if I were you, I'd pay the extra price for the safety and peace of mind.

For your kitchen, if you want to cook alot, make sure you buy a good combined seasoning rack.

Dinnerware and utensils aren't a big deal, I wouldn't spend too much on them since plates do get dropped/chipped/stained, etc...you can always buy new ones, utensils get damaged easily too and lose luster.

Try to invest in a good can opener that won't rust, I'm sure they have those now? or you can just dip it in CLR.

For knives, I've had great experiences with cutco knives, boy are they sharp..be careful when using.

Cutting board, try to get one made of bamboo, it is great for resisting bacteria.

Try your best not to get anything plastic, wood is best as it also won't damage your cook ware, metal is great too, always be careful because it could damage.

 

[gomestar]

i prefer plastic/acrylic cutting boards. The bamboo ones I had would eventually split without regular care and then they would absorb flavors of stronger foods (have to clean with some vinegar, apparently). Nothing worse than cutting into an apple and having it burst with delicious onion flavor from that vidalia 24 hours earlier (and despite a warm soapy wash and scrub).

And I'm not big on seasoning racks either. I find that most seasings spoil when you buy them 15 at a time. I buy the smallest size I can find, date it, and only buy when it's going to be used rather than letting it sit around. This saves me time, money, and makes my food better. Having a parsley and thyme plant next to my window helps with the herbs/seasoning situations, though.

 

[impolyt_one]

When I was scraping by, I nabbed all my silverware from huge big box food courts, ie Costco. Nobody is going to end up flipping their spoon to see a brand name there. Pots and pans though, you should hit up an antiques shop in the middle of nowhere for a good set of cast iron skillets, and maybe splash on a modern le creuset dutch oven and grill pan. service I think yo ucan get by with from anywhere, as long as it's white.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by gomestar

i prefer plastic/acrylic cutting boards. The bamboo ones I had would eventually split without regular care and then they would absorb flavors of stronger foods (have to clean with some vinegar, apparently). Nothing worse than cutting into an apple and having it burst with delicious onion flavor from that vidalia 24 hours earlier (and despite a warm soapy wash and scrub).
bamboo cutting boards are the WORST. it's like fingernails on chalkboards. they're so hard and when you cut on them with a sharp knife, it's like you can hear the blade scraping. i used acrylic for a long time, but i've gone back to plain wood. they're expensive, but i just like the look and feel better. acrylic will stain like a mother.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by foodguy

bamboo cutting boards are the WORST. it's like fingernails on chalkboards. they're so hard and when you cut on them with a sharp knife, it's like you can hear the blade scraping. i used acrylic for a long time, but i've gone back to plain wood. they're expensive, but i just like the look and feel better. acrylic will stain like a mother.

Acrylic, as in this?

Cutting on that is like cutting on glass.

Bamboo is my favorite cutting surface. I find it much more odor resistant and easier to clean than wood. When I build my first house, the kitchen counter will be made from bamboo.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Sanalite. End of story.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by DNW

Acrylic, as in this?

Cutting on that is like cutting on glass.

Bamboo is my favorite cutting surface. I find it much more odor resistant and easier to clean than wood. When I build my first house, the kitchen counter will be made from bamboo.

there are different acrylics. some are really hard; others, like sanalite, are very much wood-like. i wish you happiness with your bamboo counters. i find them like cutting on glass.

 

[Milpool]

Look for a restaurant supply place that is open to the public (e.g. has a storefront). You can find what you need for much less than consumer versions sell for.

If you want shiny and nice, hit up discount places like TJ Maxx and look through their cookware. You can grab some pretty nice stuff for much cheaper. Calphalon and All Clad are two brands I've seen go through the local TJ Maxx.

 

[Working Stiff]

I suggest this:
https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefro...idProduct=4044

 

[Reggs]

Originally Posted by DNW

Bamboo is my favorite cutting surface. I find it much more odor resistant and easier to clean than wood. When I build my first house, the kitchen counter will be made from bamboo.

Bamboo is one of the worst surfaces for a knife to cut on.

 

[kontai69]

I recently went on a small spending spree upgrading my kitchen accessories. I spent ALOT of time doing online research since it was all kind of new to me.
For cookware, I would recommend Cuisinart Multiclad Pro stainless. The near unanimous positive reviews speak for themselves...
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-Mult...2465416&sr=8-1
You can also buy the 7 piece set for $200 (as I did) if you don't need all 12 pieces. This set should last you a lifetime, so it is worth the extra cost, IMO. Anodized aluminum cookware usually have a non-stick coating (teflon) which will eventually wear off after a couple of years and needs to be trashed. I would still get a cheap 10" non-stick skillet to cook eggs and stuff.

For knives, Forschner is supposed to be good and cheap...
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/forschner_knives.htm
I personally splurged and got an 8pc Wusthof Classic Ikon set.

For utensils, I recommend getting OXO brand. They are high quality and ergonomically designed. You can get them at Target.

Originally Posted by Working Stiff

I suggest this:
https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefro...idProduct=4044
Yeah, Lodge stuff is great. Made in USA, too. I have a 10" cast iron skillet which I use to sear meats. You can easily find them at Target or Wal-Mart for $15.

Originally Posted by Reggs

Bamboo is one of the worst surfaces for a knife to cut on.
I agree. From what I read online, bamboo is too hard and will dull knives quicker than necessary. Alot of people recommend maple, preferably end-grain.

I also suggest searching www.chowhound.com message board. Lots of good info there. That is where I did alot of my research.