So you’ve moved off campus or to Opus and you just realized that means you have to cook for yourself. Like, actually make adult meals for yourself and your roommates so you don’t starve to death. Or maybe you were planning to rely on ramen and EZ Mac — I won’t judge!
Either way, eventually you’ll have to cook, and that’s why I’m here. I love to cook and I know my way around a kitchen, so I’ve compiled a list of kitchen essentials for collegiettes like you who might be a little daunted by the idea of cooking all year.
Pots and Pans
First things first: do NOT buy a cookware set. Trust me on this. You can find all the pots and pans you need individually, and it’ll be a lot cheaper than the set. Plus, you’ll avoid buying things you don’t need — also saving you money! Here’s what you do need:
● 8 & 10 inch skillet (or frying pan, they’re the same thing)
● 2 qt sauce pot
● 4 qt sauce pot
● Cookie sheets
● Pyrex casserole dishes
● Optional: grill pan
Utensils
You’ll need a variety of things to prep, cook, and serve the food you’ll be making. For most of these things, I’d recommend buying them at the Dollar Tree. You don’t need to spend $5 on a plastic serving spoon! The only things really worth spending money on are blades. Knives, peelers, graters, etc — you’ll want them to be razor sharp and stay that way, and Dollar Tree just won’t cut it. Literally.
● Chef’s knife
● Serrated knife
● Kitchen scissors
● Plastic serving/cooking spoons (I’d say 2) and pasta spoon
● Plastic spatulas (2 of these as well, maybe different shapes/sizes)
● Tongs
● Colander
● Hand mixer
● Measuring spoons & cups
● Can opener
● Bottle opener/Corkscrew
● Optional: masher, peeler, grater, paring knife, food processor, blender
Basic Food & Spices:
To start a kitchen, there are a few basic foods and spices you’ll eventually need. For most of these items, you will only buy them once or twice a year since they last a while and you won’t always be using them. Some of these items will go more quickly, like the butter, but they’re all necessary for almost any recipe you make.
● Flour
● Sugar
● Powdered sugar
● Salt
● Butter
● Eggs
● Baking soda & powder (baking soda does double duty as an odor eliminator!)
● Minced garlic
● Black & red pepper
● Minced onion
● Italian seasoning blend (if you’re an Italian food fan)
● Mexican seasoning blend (if you’re a Mexican food fan)
● Cinnamon
● Vanilla extract
● Olive and canola oil
● White and balsamic vinegar (white vinegar does double duty as a cleaning product!)
● Ketchup
● Mustard
● Soy sauce
● Honey
● Optional: hot sauce, rice wine & apple cider vinegar, chile powder, cumin, cornstarch, sesame oil, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, rosemary, ginger, sesame seeds, bread crumbs
Miscellaneous
There are a lot of things you can use in the kitchen that don’t fit neatly into a category, but are still essential to have a function kitchen. Between prepping, cooking, and serving, there will be a wealth of fun stuff to stock up on!
● Cutting boards
● Mixing bowls
● Kitchen towels
● Hot pads/oven mitts
● Salt & pepper shakers
● Tupperware & Ziploc bags in a variety of sizes
● Plates
● Bowls
● Cups
● Silverware
● Napkins
Happy kitchening, ladies!
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