Starter Kitchen

taztastic

I've just moved into student accomodation and I'm trying to equip my kitchen. Oh but for the cheapness of just robbing my parents stuff. How and ever, what spices and herbs would you guys recommend as the absolute fundamentals? I have the usual like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.
Also I any suggestions on equipment or that kind of thing. I keep having that sinking moment of being half way through a recipe and reaching for that one essential item that you never bought, such as baking without a weighing scales:p .
Any help gratefully appreciated.


"I wish I could drink like a lady. I can take one or two at the most. Three and I'm under the table. Four and I'm under the host.:p "

The Sweeper

That's a difficult one. It depends what you like to cook I suppose. When it comes to buying herbs and spices, I'd only buy what you'll definitely use. Stale spices make really poor ingredients, so unless you're using, say, cardamom pods in a recipe this week, don't bother buying them.

A useful front line of herbs and spices would be whole black pepper (with a pepper mill), sea salt, cumin seeds (and ground cumin if you don't have a mortar n pestle) and mild chili powder.

Good additions are nutmeg and cinnamon which you already have, cloves, cayenne pepper, paprika (mild and the smoked kind), bay leaves and oregano.

Next to that I'd use turmeric, cardamoms, coriander seeds (and ground if you don't have a mortar and pestle), garam masala... can't think of what else right now. I don't use dried herbs much, apart from bay leaves and oregano - I far rather use parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage and coriander fresh if I can.

In terms of kitting out the kitchen, you could go on forever! I suppose the following would be compulsory in my opinion:

1. A sharp knife.
2. A large chopping board.
3. A large saucepan (big enough for rice and pasta)
4. A small saucepan (heating milk, baked beans, etc - assuming you don't have a microwave.
5. A large non-stick frying pan - everything from your breakfast to sauces for pasta to stir frys can be done in this. (I'd rather see a stirfry cooked in a non stick pan than a tomato-based pasta sauce acidically eating the patina off the inside of a carbon steel wok.)
6. A colander for straining things.
7. A sieve (not for straining things).
8. A wooden spoon.
9. A large serving spoon.
10. A ladel.
11. A balloon whisk.
12. A slotted steel spatula.
13. A rubber spatula for baking.
14. A potato masher.
15. A baking tray.
16. A roasting tin.
17. A weighing scales.
18. A mixing bowl (can double as a salad bowl).
19. A pyrex measuring jug.
20. Tupperware containers for stashing a productive days cooking for eating on unproductive days.

I could add another 20 things to that list without blinking, but I suppose it's about what's practice. I've tried to think of things that I cook and figure out where I cannot substitute one device for another.

taztastic

Thanks for that. I can see me wandering Sainsubury's for the next few hours. I have some of the essentials but there's at least 5 things there that I hadn't thought of. I'm so used to having a fully stocked kitchen to hand.
I have noticed that there seems to be very bargineous finds on Ebay as regards kitchen equipment but postage and packing can be extreme. Worth a look for knives and that kind of thing.
Thanks again.



"I wish I could drink like a lady. I can take one or two at the most. Three and I'm under the table. Four and I'm under the host. "

The Sweeper

eBay on the knives: nononoonononononononono! All fakes!

Sainsburys - assume you're in the UK, see if there's a Wilco's close to you for kitchen implements and hit TK Maxx for saucepans etc.

catho_monster

As a broke student myself, i just wanted to give a few alterations to sluttys list ah no, i used to call sutty slutty, now i'll have to find something else to call him, as it just suits you too well now majd

MinesBIGSLUT wrote:

I don't use dried herbs much, apart from bay leaves and oregano - I far rather use parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage and coriander fresh if I can. i find the 'fresh' herbs in the tubes legend, especially instead of buying real fresh herbs from the supermarket everytime i'm cooking something, as i just cant seem to keep the plants alive myself. ok so they dont last for ages, but while they're good they're great value
[*]A potato masherreally now, you can use a wooden spoon. although i use my electric whisk if i really want it nice and creamy. ps. if you can get an electric whisk, which you can for cheap, do. it will save you beating stuff when baking, it will whisk your cream, mash your spuds etc. etc.
[*]A roasting tin. i use my roasting tin as my baking tray - because i burned the hell out of my baking tray, but one will do the job until you can afford the other
[*]Tupperware containers for stashing a productive days cooking for eating chinese takeaway boxes. you are a student! just save these instead of going out and buying some fancy ones. ps. if you put them in the microwave they dont stand up to the heat so well and then the lid wont stay put, so then they leak. so dont put them in the microwave!

ok, im done now.

bonkey

MinesBIGSLUT wrote:

sharp knife.
A large chopping board.

Just on these two items...

I think you need more than a sharp knife. At the least, I think you need a universal or cuisine knife (blade about 7-8") and a 3-4" paring knife. You *probably* will find yourself wishing at least once that you didn't have a serrated knife if you buy non-serrated, and vice versa, so I'd go for 2 3-4" knves, one serrated and one not. Or get a chinese cleaver and learn how to use it for everything.

Personally, I can't stand Laser / Kitchen Devil and the like. Some people love them. If thats your thing, then good for you. If its not, then bear in mind that any non-serrated sharp knife will quickly become a non-serrated blunt knife, and then a funny-shaped bitter knife. In other words....a knife-sharpener that you can use is also a must.

On to the chopping board...

Everyone needs at least 2 chopping boards. There's any number of reasons, and different people will tell you never to cut A and B on the same board...they'll just differ as to what A and B are (a lot of people have a dedicated small board for onions and garlic, f'r example).

As for herbs/spices...

Its impossible to give a good list of what you should have. It depends on your tastes and what you normally would use. The best advice is, as aleady mentioned, not to buy the stuff you don't use regularly until you need it. When you do need it, check out a health/organic store rather than your local supermarket. You can often get more of a better quaity for less money than buying Sharwoods or the like. OK - you dont' get a glass jar with it. Gosh, how bad.

xzanti

When I first moved into my flat my sister bought me a set from Argos.. Its a kitchen starter set, has everything you need from pots and pans to your tin opener, cheese grater and so on.. The pots aren't the best quality but I got a good year out of them and the rest of the set are still serving me well, think she only paid about 30 quid for it... Very good value IMO.. That was 3 years ago so not sure if they still do them.. Worth a look though.. Good luck

The Sweeper

Wow.

How did I ever forget 'corkscrew and bottle opener'?

taztastic

I won't lie, the bottle opener was the first thing to come up. I've been trying to stock the kitchen with a hodge podge of hand-me-downs and then cheap stuff until I can buy something decent. Thanks for the warning as regards Ebay.
I've just moved up to Belfast and I have a feeling I was rather spoilt with the availability of good cheap food where I lived in Dublin but I am definitely finding it much dearer up here. The local health food shop is actually twice the price of home. Just thinking aloud but is there any really reliable way of buying spices and that over the internet? I have so little time at home that I really don't want to spend it food shopping.
I am working on a little selection of herb plants. The row of pots in my tiny room looks so sad.


"I wish I could drink like a lady. I can take one or two at the most. Three and I'm under the table. Four and I'm under the host. "

Tree

goin to be taking half my parents kitchen when i move out (after all i put half the utensils there)

while not absolutley essential, some sorta sandwich maker is a must for the budding student, toasted cheese and beans sandwichs can keep you goin through all them lectures, if you get a flat one you can cook other stuff on it too