It is time to move out! But you have no idea what you need in your first kitchen. Knives? Bowls? A Pasta Machine? Ok, maybe not that last one.
But you will need to buy some things for your new kitchen and there are definitely some tools and kitchen equipment everyone needs. The question becomes, what should you buy for your kitchen when you move out?
Every person’s kitchen needs to be prepared to cook a quick meal for yourself, for a special someone or a party. In order to do so you will need some basic kitchen equipment.
Below is a list of the top 5 things our team recommend you have in your first kitchen. We tried to avoid spending too much money on your first kitchen tools.
Now you don’t need a lot of new or expensive tools in your first kitchen. Trust us, you could spend thousands of dollars on a few knives.
But, one you don’t want to spend your entire budget on just knives and two supposedly it is said that some of the best grandmothers in the world could cook an entire 7 course meal with a sharp knife and a cutting board.
So let’s start there!
Every chef and home cook needs to have a sharp knife. Just because you are a home cook, does not mean you should shy away from buying several good knives that perform multiple tasks. This is why we would recommend you buy a knife block instead of just a single knife.
A single chef knife can solve a lot of problems. However, we would argue you will need more than a single chef knife when you move out. Sure, you can cut your steak with a butter knife, or just slice everything with a chef knife. Trust us, there are better options.
So below is the Cangshan V2 Series knife block. It is a good combination of affordable and practical. We hate cheap knives that are flimsy and dull quickly. Instead, we recommend just starting off with a great knife set. Why settle for a temporary knife set that just doesn’t cut it…
Haha, bad joke. But seriously. Take it from a team of people who grew up with knives from second hand. There are better options.
If you are not enjoying cutting fresh vegetables with your knives, then you are doing it wrong. If it is a struggle to slice through onions, or other every day produce, then you should consider a new set.
There are obviously more expensive knife blocks. Yet, if you are just moving out, then perhaps those knives are not right for you. We do prefer Wusthof, but that is because most of us were professional chefs who spent the very small paychecks we got on new knives and modernist cuisine.
For a student, or young millennial moving out, the knife block we recommended above will more than suffice!
However, a knife is only half of the story. You should not be using your knife on a most any form of countertops. Unless you want to ruin both your knife and possibly your countertop. More importantly, you don’t want to use your knife on one of those paper thin cutting boards. They break quickly and really aren’t great investments.
Again, you could buy a very expensive Boos Block (which of course we really love) or you could be more reasonable. Instead of buying a $100 plus cutting board that requires some maintenance. You could buy a much more affordable bamboo cutting board.
It doesn’t have the same weight as a Boos Block. However, it does the job really just as well!
Plus, you will save over a hundred dollars.
Once you have the basics down, your kitchen is ready for at least one or two nice toys. Now this will be up to you. Having both of the next two recommended products would be great. And most of our kitchens have both. However, we have collected them over a several year period because both of these pieces of equipments are quite expensive.
Personally we would recommend first buying a kitchen aid mixer. This tool is versatile and allows you to make anything from cakes and frosting to pasta dough easily.
This is why buying a kitchen aid mixer is great. It saves a lot of time and muscle. Need to whip cream, give it a minute or two and you’re done. French buttercream, done, kneading pasta dough, etc….etc….etc.
So owning a kitchen aid will make your life just that much easier. Its efficent, and allows you to get back to your Netflix binge that much sooner. Plus, it allows you to look like an absoulte pro in your kitchen when you throw parties.
So it is a must for someone that likes entertaining.
Now if you already have a kitchen aid. Another great kitchen tool to have in your first kitchen is a Cuisine Art Food Processor. The food processor is a very versatile and helpful tool.
Again, if you are planning to entertain, a food processor can allow you to do a lot more work much faster. If you want to make guacamole, salsa, or filling for ravioli!
It is much faster than trying to chop everything by hand. Don’t get us wrong, many chef’s don’t like using food processors because they feel like it takes away from the art and the flavor. However, for the home chef, it saves so much time!
So consider buying one of these tools to help save yourself loads of time!
Now let’s go back to the products that are considerably cheaper.
No really, you really need to buy some mixing bowls. We have noted that some people like to rely on just about every other handy container to mix salads, cookie batters and pancake batter.
Look, just invest in a good set of mixing bowls so when you are itching to bake its super easy and not limited by the size of your containers.
It will make all your baking that much simpler!
When moving out it is important that you have the essentials in your kitchen. That way, you are ready to entertain or just provide a basic meal for yourself. Why waste money and your health on food that isn’t as tasty or as healthy anyways!
Yes, new knives, cutting boards, mixers, and other utensils cost money. But consider it an investment in yourself!
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