Stocking Up On First Apartment Essentials: Part One
We've been packing and prepping this week. I'm passing along some extras from my vast kitchen collection: wooden spoons, tea towels, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a whisk, a spatula, etc. But I realized she's going to need more stuff to feed herself. (This ought to be interesting... because, try as I might, the kid remains indifferent to the charms of cooking.)
So, where did I turn to for advice on stocking up on the first apartment kitchen essentials? Why, Facebook and Twitter, of course. I took a survey among friends and followers, asking for advice. You wouldn't believe how many popped up with this response: A corkscrew! Ha, ha. Very funny.
The question did prompt a wave of fun discusssion (and I'm sure a bit of nostalgia... I moved into my first apartment in Lewistown, Montana, with zilch! Well, you've got to start somewhere.) The following is a list of the Top 10 suggestions. I'll add more after she moves in and we figure out the gaping holes. Please feel free to expand on this must-have lineup.
1. A toaster oven. It's for much more than browning bread. Best way to warm up leftover pizza, for starters.
2. A saute pan. Thanks to Rebekah Denn for making the choice easier with her recent report on Al Dente.
3. A sharp knife. Not going to go pro here, but there are some great values out there, especially the ceramic knife from Victorinox.
4. The Cuisinart Mini-Prep. I want one too!
5. The Hot Shot. It's quicker than the microwave for heating water for her green tea.
6. A can opener. Though one buddy suggested an electric can opener, I think it best if she starts basic.
7. Need to drain pasta? Gotta have a colander!
8. A George Foreman Grill. Guess what? She's already got one.
9. A rice cooker. It steams veggies, too!
10. Containers for all those leftovers. (And, a Sharpie, so she can ID and date 'em.)
-- Leslie Kelly
pc on September 18, 2010 at 01:26 PM
Since you're getting her the rice cooker, you may as well throw in Roger Ebert's rice cooker cookbook. Sounds like a good option for non-cooking young woman.
Cybrludite on September 19, 2010 at 06:24 AM
Dunno, for a starter kitchen an $80 ceramic knife seems a bit overkill. You can get a full set of Ginsus for half the price of that ceramic knife, and they aren't going to chip or shatter if mishandled or dropped.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater on September 19, 2010 at 06:26 AM
favorite can opener: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/kuhn-rikon-can-opener/
great for pizza as well as general toaster-oveniness: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-BRK-100-Classic-Stainless-Steel-Countertop/dp/B000O3PS3W (got it for Citibank points about 6mo ago)
Also, be careful with ceramic knives, cutting into bone or using a stone cutting board can chip the blade.
HopeSew on September 19, 2010 at 07:13 AM
Will your daughter have roommates? Friends hanging out? Don't bother getting anything good because it will get ruined, broken, lost, or taken. In a college apartment, all knives are fair game for prying things open, cutting/hacking non-food items, and going into the dishwasher. Bargain knives and a sharpener will do just fine. Stocking up on those $6 Victorinox paring knives is a better plan than getting one fancy knife in this case. And if you're getting knives, remember to get a bunch of cutting boards too. No wood because, you guessed it, everything ends up in the dishwasher.
memomachine on September 19, 2010 at 07:39 AM
Hmmmm.
"This ought to be interesting... because, try as I might, the kid remains indifferent to the charms of cooking."
That'll last until ...
having lived on pizza for 47 days straight, morning, noon and night.
all the disposable income disappears into the maw of fast food restaurants.
her skin breaks out from the lousy diet.
...
Frankly I'd get her:
a well seasoned plain steel wok with basic implements
a bamboo steamer set
a $5 Chinese cleaver
a set of nylon/plastic cutting boards
a cheap rice cooker (forget about steaming food in it)
a set of disposable containers (nothing expensive)
a labelmaker
For utility you simply cannot beat a good wok. You can deep fry, saute, steam in it. You can fry rice in it. You can boil noodles in it. You can be as expressive or as basic as you want. And they're rather cheap so when she, or her friends, ruin it you can either replace it or walk her through the seasoning process.
As for the cheap Chinese cleaver: I use it for just about everything. I have a nice Henkels set but I generally do all of my prep work with the cleaver. While the edge when you buy it isn't all that great a little bit of work with a knife sharpener can put a truly wicked edge on one.
ymal brucker on September 19, 2010 at 09:40 AM
Essentials for a college kitchen:
A cookie sheet (for cooking pizza)
A beer can opener
A corkscrew for opening wine
A fire extinguisher
A used, small microwave (check Craigslist) instead of the toaster oven. Can be used to heat pizza, make popcorn, tea, or Ramen noodles, and heat leftovers.
DirtCrashr on September 19, 2010 at 11:18 AM
No coffeemaker?
Horologium on September 19, 2010 at 11:34 AM
For a knife, I'd recommend another Victorinox knife.
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47520-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B000638D32/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1284920623&sr=1-1
Much more reasonable price, practically indestructible, and keeps a great edge.
And if she doesn't have a microwave, one of those will be a lot more versatile than a toaster oven and a hot shot, and takes up less space on the counter to boot.
I'd also recommend a cookie sheet, and parchment paper, for reheating pizza (or cooking up a frozen one). 6 minutes in a 400 degree oven on a parchment paper-line cookie sheet does the trick every time.
liz in md on September 19, 2010 at 01:58 PM
I concur on the Victorinox 10" and paring knives.
Quick way to reheat pizza without firing up the oven: Preheat a dry frying pan. Microwave a slice for one minute, or til cheeze is hot, then slide (crust side down) into the pan until crispy. Slide back onto plate. Whole process takes less than 5 min.
Breakfast with leftover pizza:
make scrambled eggs (or omelet) with pizza toppings and cheese. Broil crust for toast.
Pot holders or mitts (dish towels always seem to be damp).
douglas on September 21, 2010 at 06:21 AM
Who has the counterspace in an apartment kitchen for all of these items? A rice cooker? Really? Where is the cook book? Where are the essential kitchen tools? Measuring cups? Tea kettle? No saucepan? The only valid items listed are the saute pan, (would prefer cast iron to the non-stick), a hand crank (not electric) can opener and containers. 'Memomachine' with the wok (sans the rice cooker), has the right idea as well as 'Horologium' with the Victorinox knife recommendation, (it is essential to add sharpening steel/stone for the knife)). They are good practical tools for the apartment dweller to learn how to cook with; with proper care they will last a lifetime.
Cooking is not a competition to see who can acquire the most gadgets.
Skye@deep fryer with stainless steel baskets on March 20, 2011 at 06:21 PM
These cooking equipments are essentials in every kitchen. Yes, it could be good to have them all.
However, if you don't need them in your cooking. It will just become useless. So, I bet you find cooking equipments that are really useful in what you usually cook.
makati condos on August 18, 2011 at 01:52 AM
Thank you for sharing this. I just recently got an apartment but haven't moved yet.