Needed kitchen items (think basics)

[Koerarmoca]

Say you moved across country and are pretty much starting over so far you have

 

Plates, bowls & cups

Forks, butter knives, spoons

Can opener

Two sauce pans

A wok/large skillet

1 mixing bowl

 

You are on an extremely limited budget and need to cook 2-3 meals per day for a large family.

 

I know I'm going to need atleast a crock pot, toaster, blender, cookie sheets & some casserole dishes

 

What else can you think of that will be needed?

 

(Eventually I'm going to need to do this room by room but the kitchen is top priority)

[RoughCollie]

Utensils -- spatulas, wooden spoons, knives, ladle, whisk, measuring spoons, tongs, meat fork

Measuring cups - liquid and dry

Cake pans -- or get 9 x 13 pans and use for cakes, casseroles, and baking/roasting

Cutting boards - one for meat, one for non-meat

Colander

Food storage for leftovers and for flour, sugar, etc.

1 gallon pitcher (juice, tea, Koolaid)

[Um_2_4]

5 qt+ stock pots (I use multiple for large family dinners)

colander

[Jeannie in NJ]

we use our rice/vegetable steamer every day. They come in a wide variety of prices. We got one for $19.00 at Target, have had it for years and it works great. I have also seen them cheaper like $9 or $14 .

[Pippen]

A colander would be on my list of musts.

 

A cutting board that would work with meats or veggies

 

I use a Nesco 6-quart roasting pan all the time and rarely use my crockpot. The insert doubles for use in the oven, as would a crockpot insert with foil used for a lid.

 

If you have/use canning jars those can double for food storage in the fridge

[Giraffe]

Measuring spoons and cups. Mixing bowls, casseroles, a large stockpot or two, colander, cutting board, grater, baking sheet

[Koerarmoca]

I forgot jars. I have been buying Classico pasta sauce which comes in mason jars and saving them I think I have 6-8 of them tucked away now.

 

[toawh]

I just moved and have been buying kitchen stuff as I need it. The things I found myself needing right away for cooking where:

large cast iron frying pan (this doubles as my baking pan)

large cast iron pot (this doubles as my casserole pan)

small sauce pot

3 SHARP knives (cleaver, regular, paring)

cutting board

tongs

metal spatula

whisk

potato masher

ladle

peeler

2 glass bowls (use for serving food and mixing ingredients)

 

These are enough to cook just about anything. Of course there are times as I am blowing away steam from my fingers as I pour out water from a pot with the lid cracked that I wish for a colander and other great kitchen ware. But I can cook everything, so far, with this list.

[nmoira]

Things I use almost every day:

 

Microplane grater (for zesting, garlic, and carrots and other veggies to "hide" in food)

knives - chopping, paring, serrated for tomatoes, bread knife

measuring spoons and cups (though I use a kitchen scale whenever possible... a particular help with sticky liquid ingredients like honey)

large mixing bowl, medium mixing bowl, small ingredient/prep bowls

cutting board

vegetable peeler

spatulas (wooden, silicone, metal) and wooden spoons; whisk; tongs; ladle

5-ish quart covered saute pan

12 inch frying pan, 8 inch frying pan, medium saucepan, small saucepan, large stock pot for pasta/soups

6 qt Dutch oven (OK, not every day, but at least 3x per month)

muffin tin, rimmed baking sheets

8x13 inch glass casserole, 8x8 inch glass casserole, and cake pans of similar dimension also work for deeper casseroles and lasagne

mesh strainer, one large, one quite small (handy for straining pips from lemon juice, etc.)

reamer

[Orthodox6]

enamel-clad cast iron dutch oven -- either 6 or 7 qt. capacity. I have two, in fact, and they are my work horses, war horses, use-every-day BFF in the kitchen.

[ZeeMommy]

Say you moved across country and are pretty much starting over so far you have

 

Plates, bowls & cups

Forks, butter knives, spoons

Can opener

Two sauce pans

A wok/large skillet

1 mixing bowl

 

You are on an extremely limited budget and need to cook 2-3 meals per day for a large family.

 

I know I'm going to need atleast a crock pot, toaster, blender, cookie sheets & some casserole dishes

 

What else can you think of that will be needed?

 

(Eventually I'm going to need to do this room by room but the kitchen is top priority)

Here's a list of the kitchen stuff I seem to use on a regular basis: saucepans (large and small), my gigantic stainless steel bowl (I keep it in the oven when not using it), box grater, veggie peelers, cast iron fry pan (can bake in it as well as fry, and one of my pot lids fits on top), cookie sheets, toaster oven (for toast and reheating stuff, because we don't have a microwave), chef knife, paring knife, and a knife that's about in between in size, small knife sharpener, a couple of plastic cutting boards (because you can put them in a dishwasher), tongs, rubber spatulas, slotted spoon, metal spatula, ladle, colanders (two cheap ones that are plastic), and silicone hot pads for putting dinner on the table (no serving dishes). Measuring cups and spoons too. I have a blender, but use it rarely. I have a hot air popcorn popper, which I have lived without before but prefer to have. Get good knives and know how to use them. I have a big Kitchen Aid mixer - while it doesn't get used a lot, it can do a lot of useful things (have a meat grinder and grain mill attachment for mine, and a bread hook for kneading dough). It all depends on what you cook as far as what you need. Think of the recipies that your family likes, and what tools you need to prepare them. The more basic your ingredients, the more time you will be spending combining them into meals. Everything else in my kitchen is pretty much not needed. Cookie cutters are nice, and a rolling pin would be great too, but I've rolled out my dough and cut it into squares with a table knife! I also have a cast iron griddle that fits on one side of my gas stove; an essential in our house because it's easier to cook a bunch of pancakes or French toast on it than a few pieces at a time in frying pans (2 adults and 3 children). Some kitchen stuff is expensive but durable, like my griddle, and worth the initial investment if it's going to last forever. Hope this helps!

[Orthodox6]

It all depends on what you cook as far as what you need. Think of the recipies that your family likes, and what tools you need to prepare them.

 

 

This.

[Twigs]

… Think of the recipies that your family likes, and what tools you need to prepare them. …

:iagree:

Go thru each recipe and list each pan, bowl, utensil, measuring cup / spoon, etc. need to prepare that recipe. Start with the recipes you make most often. Then list the individual pieces. There you go!

[justasque]

In a pinch - those medicine dispensing cups usually have marks for teaspoons - one will cover most of your small measuring needs.

Applesauce comes in single-serving 1/2 cup containers - by eyeballing 1/4 cups, one will cover most of your larger measuring needs.

A large chopping knife and a small paring knife will do for most of your cutting needs - get a paring knife with a sheath and it can go on picnics with you. In a pinch, a swiss army knife will do until you can afford something nice.

An inexpensive cutting board will be needed.

One pot in which to do pasta, rice, sauces.

One large "everyday pan" to do pancakes and skillet meals.

A veggie peeler.

A large spoon.

A fork with fairly separate tines for stirring cake mixes, eggs, etc.

A glass lasagna pan, which will work for desserts, casseroles, baking a chicken, lasagna, etc.

 

That was about all I needed for a temporary work assignment. You can of course add more, but it's fun to wait and see what you really need, what you can improvise, and what you can actually do without.

[texasmama]

11X14 glass baking dish and a 9X9 glass baking dish- can double for cakes, casseroles, food storage in the fridge

[LadyR]

I'll add oven mitts and dish towels.

[Pippen]

In a pinch - those medicine dispensing cups usually have marks for teaspoons - one will cover most of your small measuring needs.

Applesauce comes in single-serving 1/2 cup containers - by eyeballing 1/4 cups, one will cover most of your larger measuring needs.

 

I do much of my measuring in a ball 8 ounce jelly jar that has markings every 2 ounces.