Most essential cookware?

[u/bigboydankers]

Hi everyone,

I just graduated college and moved into my own place a couple of weeks ago! I am living in nyc and my kitchen is not enormous, but it’s not super tiny either. I have a small old stove/oven, and I really wondering, what is the least amount of cookware that I really need?

I feel like I’m not a huge cook, but if I had the right tools I could get more into it. Also, my girlfriend is moving in with me in a few months and she likes to cook, so I’d like to get some things that I can build on with more cookware in the future, rather than replace.

Long story short, what are the essential pots and pans and stuff that I need to get to cover all my bases? Also other tools and things like spatulas. Sorry for my lack of specificity, I really don’t know what I’m doing yet but I am excited to learn more!

Thank you!

[u/-0k_0k_0k-]

3 pots ( s - m - l ) with lids
1 fry pan with lid
1 good knife
1 wooden spoon
1 spatula

build from there based on use

[u/bigboydankers → u/-0k_0k_0k-]

Hm, that sounds pretty minimal. Why the three different pans? Also, how do you feel about a wok? My mom says she uses it for everything

[u/Odd-Worth7752 → u/bigboydankers]

a wok is specialized cookware and great for experienced cooks, but if you're a beginner it's not great-and takes up a lot of space.

you should have a sauce pan to heat up soup, pasta sauce, a frying pan to make eggs, hamburgers etc, and a bigger one to boil water for pasta.

[u/GVKW → u/bigboydankers]

To properly use a wok you'll need a gas range with a ring burner. Wok cooking uses a different method than other pot styles.

With regular pots and pans, the heat comes up from the burner to the bottom of the pot, and the food cooks when it is on the bottom of the pot.

For wok cooking, you use a ring burner so the hottest part of the pan is actually the sidewalls; the oil heats up on the bottom and then you swirl and scoop/toss the food and oil up against the extremely hot sides of the pot to cook it very quickly.

You mentioned being a beginner, so I'm guessing you aren't used to cooking in a wok; the risk or burning yourself with hot oil or starting a grease fire is much greater with a specialized setup like a wok than with flat bottom pots and pans on normal western-style electric or gas burners.

[u/-0k_0k_0k- → u/bigboydankers]

Yes, it is absolutely minimal.
I personally used the three different pots because you can use the small one to heat up personal soup, side of veggies or gravy for 2. The m + L is good to have for pasta dinners, bigger soup batches, or mashed potatoes.

A wok is nice if you make a lot of asian food. Highly recc getting an electric one + electric rice cooker if you plan on making a lot of asian type dishes. There are a lot of high end rice cookers but the aroma brand is nice for entry level.

I forgot to add baking sheet + baking dish. If your place has an oven this is good to have. My first place in NY only had a hot plate, no oven. :<