stock your kitchen
The excuse I hear most often as to why my friends do not cook for themselves or why they think it would too expensive to cook for themselves is because they don't have a properly stocked kitchen. I decided to put together a list of basics that I think every kitchen should have to get them through the most basic recipes. Sure, there will be ingredients in every recipe that you need to buy fresh but these are the items that you can buy once or buy once in a great while and use over and over and over again. Remember, the cost of these items are often one-time costs or once-a-year (or longer) costs.Spices and Seasonings
With all of the cooking I do, these bottles of herbs and spices often last me over a year. Because the cost is so small and hard to calculate, you will often see me list these ingredients in recipes as costing $0.05 per recipe or $0.10 per recipe for more expensive herbs and spices. NOTE: these prices are for "brand" products. if you can find generic, the cost will be even lower.| salt | $0.36 | 26 oz. |
| fresh pepper grinder (mini) | $2.22 | .85 oz. |
| seasoning salt (like tony chachere's ) | $1.32 | 8 oz. |
| dried basil | $1.94 | .62 oz. |
| dried oregano | $1.62 | .75 oz. |
| red pepper flakes | $2.68 | 2.62 oz. |
| cumin | $2.62 | 2 oz. |
| total | $14.4 | 7 items |
Pantry Basics
These dry items can be kept for a very long time if sealed air tight to keep out moisture and critters.| sugar | $1.12 | 20 oz. |
| all-purpose flour | $1.50 | 2 lbs. |
| olive oil | $6.28 | 25.5 oz. |
| balsamic vinegar | $1.58 | 8 oz. |
| non-stick spray | $1.74 | 8 oz. |
| bread crumbs | $0.98 | 15 oz. |
| long grain rice | $1.46 | 2 lb. |
| brown rice | $1.56 | 2 lb. |
| total | $16.50 | 8 items |
Fresh/Refrigerated Items
Although these items are fresh and do not last forever like the other kitchen basics, I keep them at all times because they are so widely used in my every day cooking that I use them up before they go bad.| milk | $2.33 | .5 gal |
| eggs | $1.88 | 1 doz (12 ea) |
| salsa | $1.98 | 26 oz. |
| shredded cheese | $1.78 | 8 oz. |
| total | $9.09 | 4 items |
Appliances and Utensils
| measuring cups | $2.74 | set of 4 |
| measuring spoons | $1.64 | set of 5 |
| cutting board | $9.98 | 8x10 inches |
| plastic food storage containers | $10.00 | 24 pc. set |
| total | $24.36 | 4 (27, technically) items |
A Kitchen Stocked with the Basics - $64.35
If you are on "super tight budget lock down" then don't worry! You don't need to buy all of these things at once! This is just a guide for those of you who don't know where to begin or are overwhelmed with the thought of getting everything you need to start cooking for yourself. Once again, this list is not everything that you will need to cook every recipe but it is a great start!
What else is on my personal "must have" grocery list? Well let's see...
Bananas: I eat them in my cereal, in yogurt parfaits or as a carry along snack.
Yogurt: a healthier alternative to the usual sweet tooth fix and also makes a great parfait for breakfast.
Coffee: I gotta have my morning cup a joe. So warm and satisfying!
Canned Beans: If I'm really in a pinch for time or money, I just open a can, pour it over some rice, add some salsa and cheese and I'm good to go. This is my emergency meal.
Dry pasta, jar of pasta sauce: another emergency meal, great to keep on hand (they last forever).
A $10 bottle of wine: just in case you have "one of those days" or an unexpected dinner guest!
What are you kitchen basics? What food, ingredient, gadget or appliance can you not live without? Post your answers and share with us all!
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11 comments:
As I was reading one of your recipes, I thought to myself "Beth needs a kitchen stock list." Then I went up top and saw that you were ahead of the game.
I personally would take off the food storage containers because I reuse containers that food comes in like large yogurt, sliced meat, cream cheese, that kind of thing. It's better for the environment and your pocketbook!
I can live without the oil spray and two types of rice, but I cannot live without butter, potatoes, onions, garlic, and bell pepper. That's all I can think of for now. Cheers!
A good chef's knife should be at the top of the list. Everyone needs a knife if they want to cut those potatoes, peppers, onions, and meat. "Block" knife sets dull quickly and become dangerous. So, invest in just one good chef's knife. If you go to an actual knife shop (not department stores), you can find a good starter chef's knife for as low as $20. The better ones, of course, go well over a hundred, but a good starter knife will do in this case. Just stay away from the blocks.
good call! yes, a good knife is SO important. speaking of, i desperately need to invest in one.
What about pots and pans or a wok with it's multifunctionality? If this is for a starter, isn't the necessary heating utensils necessary? For a family who eat rice constantly a rice steamer is a necessity. But for a single new to cooking, it also allows you to focus on other food items without having to check on the rice. Which is better; a toaster or a toaster oven? A toaster if you have access to an oven and a toaster oven if you don't? I know some people are living off of an electrical hot plate--the wok would be best for them.
that just made the idea bulb turn on in my head... if you are REALLY in a pinch for money and have no pots and pans, make your first stop a thrift store. I've seen TONS of cookware at thrift stores over the years and never taken advantage of it (now I might). plus, if you buy thrift, that's less for the landfills. If you don't want to buy used, discount stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, etc. always have really great prices on cookware and some of it is very good quality.
Dollar store. I'm a college kid so most of my "stuff" comes from $Tree. I use a god awful knife, measuring cups, tupperware, saranwrap, strainers (I got 2 cup-sized strainers for a dollar that were $10 for one at department store), plates napkins, all sorts of things from the dollar store. Yeah your knife is gonna be a piece of crap but as a college student I have access to the art department's machine shop and I can sharpen that baby in a jiff :D
Skip the basil (it is pretty much flavorless in dried form) and get some other spice that works better when dried. (perhaps thyme, or ginger)
I don't know if you have Trader Joe's around you, but they sell frozen, sliced 3-color raw bell peppers... don't remember the price, but pretty sure it's under $2. Still, it's perfect for throwing in a handful into salads, pastas, curries, stir-frys, whatever... the addition of tricolor bell peppers adds a bit of sophistication to almost any mundane dish (and it's healthy too!) and since it's frozen, no worries about it going bad. I always keep some on hand.
This time of year I can't live without my Foley food mill for making applesauce and cranberry sauce from fresh, local fruit. The food mill is easy to find in antique shops for $10..may not be so shiny, but works great to remove skins. There's nothing like homemade sauces!
Keep doing a great job with the blog! I enjoy reading all the insightful tips and to-do's!
I love it! Very creative!That's actually really cool.
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參觀,Thanks
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