When I graduated from college, here's what I had in the way of kitchen gear: a small cast iron skillet, 2 blenders (one from my parents, one from my grandma) and a large pot. When I moved to Brooklyn, I slowly started gathering other pieces...a plastic measuring cup here, a wooden spoon there, etc. Slowly but surely, most everything I brought either broke, shattered or exploded (minor incident with a microwave, don't ask). Had I only had the video below where Harry Rosenbloom - co-founder and owner of The Brooklyn Kitchen in Williamsburg, BK - lists out the 10 essentials for a starter kitchen, I could have saved myself a lot of money...and clean up time.
Here's the most special thing about this video: the deals!! Watch to the end and you'll see Harry, generous man that he is, is offering 10% off all items in our Economy Bites Starter Package from now until the end of the summer. Items in the package include: a spatula, a wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, a pyrex, mixing bowls, a multi cooker and a really fabulous Chef's knife, and that's not even everything! All you have to do to buy is go to their website and enter the code 'EBites2010' at checkout. They ship all over the Country!
In total, the Economy Bites starter package goes for $266. As a special deal for Economy Bites fans, The Brooklyn Kitchen has knocked $46 off the price of the total package, bringing it down to $220. Pretty great deal for a boatload of amazing kitchen tools that will last for years and years.
Thanks again to the great folks over at The Brooklyn Kitchen. If you're in the New York area, I highly recommend you check out their beautiful new store, recently named Best Gourmet Grocery by New York Magazine - and their Labs where you can take one of a number of inspired cooking classes like Brewing Beer at Home or Vinegar Pickling on the cheap. It's one of my favorite places in Brooklyn, and I have a hunch it'll be one of yours, too.
Enjoy!
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Mine was handed down to me from my Mother. It has been the source of literally thousands of meals over its 40+ years of use, and it's still going strong.
In fact, I'll be making a batch of Chicken Etouffe in it this weekend.
1) Cooking literature. Your brain is the first and most important tool you cook with. Don’t just collect books. Read them and practice.
2) Chef's Knife. Learn how to use it and keep it sharp.
3 & 4) Side towels and apron. The most used items in a kitchen.
5) Cutting Board. Make it roomy and light. Put a side towel underneath.
6) Sauté pan. It gets used for almost every meal. This are can very expensive but it’s worth saving up. NO NON-STICK! They seem convenient but are actually crippling your flavor potential. Research caramelization and fond.
6) A large stock pot and a very large fine mesh strainer, along with a couple smaller ones. Use them to strain and steam.
7 ) Wooden spoon. No metal tools on metal cookware. Both are losers in that battle.
8) Steel bowls. Sturdy, not fancy, and large. No nesting kits. You won’t store them that way, I promise, and end up with bowls that see little use.
9) Very sturdy baking sheet that can double as a roasting pan. Flip the pan over for baking and use parchment paper.
10) Digital Scale. Because you don't know what exactly 256 grams of flour looks like. Do not attempt baking without one.
*11) Digital thermometer. Because they are cheap, you can never trust oven settings, and you have no clue what a pork loin with a 135 degree center feels like yet.
(Hmm... on second thought, now that I've actually seen the video featuring the items, I will say that speaking as a kitchen gadget expert, the dude is right when he says the stuff will last a long time. The items chosen are of good quality, not stuff you will find in a dollar store. The knife's a bit on the light side, but so is the price, and it's presumably German steel. The kit's a lot better than IKEA's starter kitchen kit, and has larger items in it, so actually, the asking price is not unreasonable, when its all added up. I can't say that all of the comparable items in my well stocked kitchen are all better than what's offered, so it's a pretty good set. In fact, I wouldn't mind having that cutting board. Don't have one in that material).
I agree on a few good knives.
And I love my egg beaters: http://ozarkhomesteader.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/eggbeaters/
A better idea would be to go to a local restaurant supply store for high quality, relatively inexpensive kitchen supplies.
Anyone too lazy to go out and buy these items separately (and shop for quality and savings) probably deserves to get stung for $200. And if they're so lazy they need it pre-chosen and delivered straight to their door, I doubt they're going to use it to actually cook.
I think I would like to see the list trimmed down, probably to something like "the 5 items you need to feed yourself" list.
And another thing... what about those of us who don't have kitchens? Some of us live in efficiencies, dorms, or other arrangements and things like a stove or even just the storage for all those items is tricky.
How about a "5 things you need to feed yourself when you don't have a kitchen" list?
Saucepan with lid (Large and small if possible)
Frypan
Good set of knives
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
tongs
wooden spoons
collander
mixing bowl
hand mixer
After that I'd add
rolling pin
pie plate
cookie sheet
basting brush
pastry blender
Blender
I cook most everything from scratch and those are my basics. Not everyone bakes so some of that isn't necessary for those that do basic meat and potatoes stuff.
After the hand mixer and blender my appliances of choice would be a pressure cooker and a stand mixer.
While a microwave is handy it certainly isn't necessary. Our Grandmothers got along quite well without it.
Anything more is both superfluous and presumptuous.
I also don't use a multicooker but I do have a colander.