Kitchen Basics: Part 1 - What the Hell do I need?

So, you’ve printed a recipe and bought groceries because you are ready to OWN this cooking thing! YAY! You go! You sauté those peppers! You cook that pasta! Sear that salmon! YES!

Wait… what the fuck do I sear with? What’s a skillet? A spatula? What kind of spatula? Wait, what the hell is a saucepan? Strain the pasta…. With what?

Huh?

Soooooo, you wanna start cooking but have no idea where to start. This is actually very common. Some people don’t cook for a variety of reasons but one of the ones I hear the most is that “I don’t know how” and “I can’t afford it.”

Well that makes sense. With the prevalence of pre-made meals, frozen dinners, and fast food, most people never cooked because they just didn’t have too. They have sustained eating processed food because it’s fast, easy, and what they think they can afford. Now, I am not here to shame anyone for that - Everyone is doing the best they can. In total honesty, every now and then I absolutely take advantage of how convenient pre-made frozen meals are when I did not plan my week out very well. But, if you’re trying to learn how to cook (which WILL save you more money in the long run) having a few basic cooking tools is necessary.

But what? There are so many options. I can’t afford all that! I’m a starving artist/college kid/minimum wage worker.

You don’t need a lot to have a functional kitchen to start your cooking journey and you certainly do not need to spend a shit ton of money. You can get most of these at Wal-Mart, Target, some grocery stores, The Dollar Store, yard sales, Goodwill (ain’t no shame in the Goodwill game!), and several other inexpensive options. If they are in decent shape, and aren’t broken or rusting, they are perfectly fine. As you go along and become more comfortable you will likely start collecting more items for your kitchen. Keep in mind: You are not gonna have a fully stocked kitchen right out of the gate. Like I said before, starving artists up in here. Start with the basics: a large pot, a skillet, a baking sheet, a good knife, a cutting board, an angled spatula and a wooden spoon. You will build up to the rest.

Here's what you need:

· 2 Large skillets (1 non-stick and 1 stainless steel )

· 2 saucepans with lids (these are also called pots, you need 1 large and 1 medium sized)

· 1 Dutch oven or very large pot with a lid (you can store this on the stove if you have little cupboard space)

· 1 large rimmed baking sheet

· 1 baking dish (9 by 13 is most common, something you would see someone make a casserole in)

· 2 cutting boards (one for meat and fish ONLY, the other for other stuff)

· 1 large chef’s knife (approx. 6-9 inches will do)

· 2 spatulas (1 rubber and 1 angled)

· 1 wooden spoon

· 1 colander (aka strainer)

· 1 pair of rubber ended tongs

· 1 set of measuring cups (dry)

· 1 set of measuring spoons

· 1 2-cup measuring cup (liquid)

· 1 whisk

· 3 mixing/prep bowls (1 small, 1 med, 1 large)

· 1 large mesh strainer

· 1 Box grater

· 1 can opener

· 1 vegetable peeler

· 1 blender (build up to this… these are so readily available though you should be able to find one relatively cheaply.)

That is it. Those are the basic items you need to start. If you have a teeny as fuck apartment kitchen, you can manage to cook decent food with these tools without taking up all the room in your cupboard.

Now, how do you use them? Well here are a few tips:

Stainless steel skillet for searing, sautéing, caramelizing, heavier cooking tasks. (Example Pictured)

Non-stick skillet for eggs, sauces, glazes, more delicate things. (Example Pictured)

Dutch oven or Large pot for soups, chili's, stews, braising, and large batch cooking. (Example Pictured)

Rubber spatula for folding, stirring, and mixing wet stuff like batters and sauces. (Example Pictured)

Angled spatula for flipping stuff like fish, pancakes, burgers, veggies, etc. (Example Pictured)

Always use a rubber, wood, or plastic utensil like the wooden spoon and rubber ended tongs on your non-stick cookware. Metal will scratch it and you will be pissed.

Blender for blending (duh), processing, making pesto’s or smoothies (or daiquiris).

The rest is self-explanatory… Knife for slicing, dicing, cutting, chopping… all the things knives do. Bowls for mixing and prep, whisk for whisking, grater for grating and shredding, strainers for straining, etc...

So there ya go. That’s how you stock your kitchen.

Now, go. Get your shit together. When you got it, come back for part 2: Kitchen basics - What the Fuck do I do now?