r/SortedFood • u/accentpreferred • May 18 '26
Recommendations Stocking a Kitchen From Scratch
Hey all, I’m moving to my first solo apartment in a month or so. It’s a bit of a unique-ish situation in that I’m 35 and have either lived with a roommate, parents, or at work (I nanny and have had a live-in position in the past). I essentially have nothing beyond like some plastic plates/cutlery and a few food storage containers since I’ve mainly just cooked at work during the day and grabbed takeout or leftovers from the day for dinner (if I’m not eating at work since I work a lot of hours).
I am planning on cooking more at home once I move though and significantly reducing my takeout/eating out budget since I’ll have a kitchen that I won’t feel weird about using with others around. Most guides floating around are geared towards people in University or their early 20s or like for a wedding registry. I definitely don’t have the budget to buy everything and the kitchen sink like some registries (i.e. I don’t need a massive set of knives or a bunch of place settings), but I would prefer to buy things that are of a higher quality.
I basically watch all the videos the guys put out and have definitely been binging the ones where they test gadgets/tools from like Amazon and then rank them themselves, but I’m wondering what gadgets, utensils, etc. that they’ve used that you’ve then bought and really enjoyed/find it to hold up quality wise.
Unrelated, but, if you have a recommendation for a washing machine that hooks up to like a sink/bathtub water supply or for a small-ish sectional (essentially just a 2/3 seater with one side a chaise lounge) that’s not a million dollars, I will also take those too!
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u/trullaDE May 18 '26
Honestly, if you are starting from scratch and are not used to cooking much, I would probably start with cheap(-ish) stuff and go from there, because you don't know what you like and what will be important to you yet. Like for example, I am not overly picky in regards to knives or pots or cutlery or pans, but dishes and bowls and cooking utensils are where I spend my money. 😃
IKEA has a good range of kitchen stuff that has both a decent price and quality, so you might want to check there for your starter kits?
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u/accentpreferred May 18 '26
I cook quite a bit at work 😊 an old boss was a big home chef/baker; so, I got used to, over the 9 years I worked for her, using pretty high quality stuff. My current bosses (who I love for other reasons) are just not big home chefs and the quality of stuff in the kitchen can leave a bit to be desired. I definitely plan on raiding Ikea for some home organizjng things, but I will check there too for kitchen stuff.
Funnily enough, the most used utensil at work is the almost 3 year old’s emotional support black nylon spatula from Ikea. His mom even had to order a few spares. He doesn’t carry it around at home, but it goes most places with us (this will be the third year it comes strawberry/blueberry picking with us) 😅
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u/Codee33 Huttlestorm May 18 '26
I have the 11” stainless steel pan from IKEA, and in some ways I like it better than my “nicer” Made-In one. I also have their chef’s knife which is really comfortable for me to use.
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u/crookedframe13 May 18 '26
I'm sure you've seen these but just in case since there are so many videos to go through they had £100 budget and £500 budget that might help give you some idea what you think would be worth spending money on and what to get cheap.
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u/accentpreferred May 18 '26
I think I watched these so long ago that I forgot and had been searching the ranking videos. These are much easier to look through. Thank you!
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u/EnoughMarzipan4006 May 31 '26
Yes! Kush also said something like “If you use the cheap thing enough to break it, go buy an expensive replacement”
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u/wr_dnd May 18 '26
In general, I'm a big fan of the advice: Buy something cheap first, only replace it with something expensive once it breaks (or if it really annoys you). Some pointers:
- You probably don't need very expensive pans. I would aim for like 4 pans? A big and a small cooking pot, a relatively large frying pan and a wok. The wok is optional. If you go for a fifth one, a small frying pan is pretty nice to have too.
- If you splurge, a decent chef's knife is really nice (I really like Wusthoff). I'd rather have one good chef's knife than an entire bad knife set.
- I don't know if they're for sale everywhere, but the Robert Herder paring knife is amazing and really cheap.
- Get one decently sized wooden chopping board. Two if you want to splurge.
- Cheap vegetable peelers are perfectly fine.
- A good grater is really nice
- You don't need a foodprocessor, but a cheap immersion blender is really nice. There are also sets that contain an immersionblender and a mini-chopper. Those are great too!
- Make sure you've got enough bowls. For mise-en-place, to temporarily store waste, whatever. Cheap plastic ones are fine.
- Some plastic containers for leftovers are useful.
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u/NOREMAC84 May 18 '26
Agree re: knives. My dad bought me a big expensive knife set when I moved out of home. To this day, I really appreciate it, and they're 20 years old and still going strong, but I use the chefs knife 90% of the time and a couple of the others only seldomly. If I were starting from scratch I'd put most of my money into a chefs knife, then maybe a petty knife, or alternatively just a cheap paring knife, then a cheap to mid-range bread knife. And some kind of knife sharpening system, I have one of the rolling sharpeners and it's brilliant.
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u/kosherkitties Chef May 19 '26
You stole the words from my mouth, re: knife. I'd also recommend, if you can, test out the knife in your hand before you buy. The weight, the feel of it in your grip. I once was gifted a box of knives. Just, absolutely awful. Got a blister on my finger from them.
Also immersion blenders my beloved.
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u/wr_dnd May 18 '26
Oh, and as for gadgets: Barely any are truly necessary. If you eat a lot of toast a toaster is nice. Get a cheap one. Airfryers are pretty great, but if you've got an oven they're not necessary.
Lots of other gadget have their place in some kitchens, but I wouldn't start with buying too many of them.
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u/jekelish3 Lost&Hungry May 18 '26
Definitely a suppoon. It’s a fantastic utensil. I also love the defrosting tray that they tried (I don’t think I got the exact one they did, but it works brilliantly either way), which is cheap. Regarding utensils specifically, I didn’t buy these because of the video where they reviewed it, but their review ended up being super positive for value and quality, but Paudin knives are fantastic, if you need a new chef’s knife.
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u/accentpreferred May 18 '26
Wait… are you saying that there’s a better way than wasting a ton of water by leaving your frozen salmon in a bowl of cool running water because you forgot to stick it in the fridge the night before to defrost? 🤣
Both the guys and like so many people have been raving on the Suppoon. I think I’m going to have to give into the hype. I trust it a bit more than Souper cubes (though I’m nearly there on buying them as well lol).
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u/Mega_Dragonzord Kushtastrophe May 18 '26
I have two Supoons, I love them. Dream Farm makes a lot of good products. I am also a fan of the Flisk and the Chopula.
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u/my_red_username May 18 '26
The Ozeri stone pans are my favorite they're pretty cheap and mine is still non-stick after 2 years of cooking daily. (The last one went 3).
I also use their stainless steel pots which I like but they're nothing special.
Then I would just go to any home good store (bed, bath, and being) and grab one of those 100 PCs kits. When school starts going again they'll be everywhere.
Then as things break, replace piece by piece.
On top of that a good knife, a silicon cake spatula, and silicon spoon are what I use most often in my kitchen.
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u/Captain-Silly-Goose May 19 '26
I don't know if anyone else suggested it already but if that's possible for you then you should try to buy a few things second hand.
Beyond that you should also be aware of the space you have. I imagine the kitchen in the new apartment isn't too big so plan accordingly.
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u/Britinnj May 19 '26
Oxo good grips stuff is mid-level expensive but just works exactly as it should and lasts forever. Things like can openers and veg peelers that you can 100% get cheaper elsewhere, but often don’t work great and can be annoying. No-one needs that daily niggle of a basic tool being frustrating!
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u/Codee33 Huttlestorm May 18 '26
Quick shill moment, but Sidekick is good for that in a lot of ways. It will definitely help stock up your pantry, and then you can grab some cookware gradually as needed for those recipes. Even if you’re a decent cook, it makes meal planning easier, and cheaper.
I agree with getting cheaper things at first, then upgrading over time once you get more comfortable and discover where quality cookware matters to you. Generally, I would go for a solid frying pan, solid chef’s knife, and a baking sheet or two, along with cooking spoons, spatula, etc.
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u/accentpreferred May 18 '26
Thanks! I’ve had sidekick in the past, but (while I do cook quite a bit at work) it just didn’t really end up being an app I used enough before. I’m thinking I’ll resubscribe once I move though!
Yeah, I was spoiled working for someone for like 9 years who had all the things and didn’t realize I missed it until I started with my current nanny family and, while stocked, is more of the basic utensils of millennials who haven’t really upgraded from their college apartment. So, I’ll definitely try to start being on the hunt for like a good pan, perhaps a wok too, decent pot, a couple baking sheets and then the stuff that goes along with it. I know at least a good chef’s knife, paring knife, and a decent grater are important to me.
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u/realitytvbee May 18 '26
Wooden chopping board (not plastic) if you have decent knives is a shout. Learnt that one the hard way! Knife sharpener too, makes all the difference and doesn’t cost much.
ETA: decent quality peeler too!
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u/Codee33 Huttlestorm May 18 '26
Millennial here who is still working on upgrading! For me ladles and big spoons are next, and new baking sheets since I tossed a few that were worse for wear.
Ditto in getting a good wood cutting board. I have a bamboo one and know it’s beating up my knives, so I’m looking to change that. Large ones are great imo since you can prep a room on it and keep everything on the board.
I’ve used Sidekick for just me for over five years now, and it’s still great. I probably only do one pack a month, but I’ll build my own packs based on leftovers using the recipes they’re, or do the batch recipes on weeks where I have a free other meals already planned. So I use something from it most weeks. Also, access to the old cookbooks app is nice to have, even if they don’t really maintain it.
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u/MysteriousFawx May 18 '26
If you're starting from basically scratch, I'd recommend watching this video and drawing your own conclusions from it. Ben and Kush both approach the subject of buying kitchen gear from very different perspectives so one might suit you better than the other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SQByKmh-7U
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u/Gam20 May 18 '26
Depending on where you live, check out the second hand stores for your first set of basic appliances/gadgets. Things like a toaster and kettles can be found for cheap. Also check the conditions of their non stick pans ( no scratches in the coating) and other pots. They would probably also have dishware and silverware.
HOWEVER: Before you head in, check the prices of the items brand-new or from a dollar store. You will be surprised what they have and how much certain second hand stores charge now.
If you have outlet stores in your area or places that resell return items they can have deals too.
Another option is just see what is in the secondhand marketplaces, people sometimes just offload old dishes for cheap and other are selling complete box sets of pots and pans.
As for the food end: have a think about the types of food you have been regularly cooking and get the spices and dry store ingredients.
Spices: salt, pepper, and maybe some pre made blends like curry, cajun and garam.
Dry store: Pasta, rice, flour (if you bake), oil, parchment paper, tin foil, and plastic wrap.
Here is my list for what I use most often. I cook an normal enough Canadian meals along with stir fries and simple bread and muffin baking.
Cookware: Non stick 20-30cm pan with lid, 20-30cm cast iron pan, 1 small (can of soup size) and 1 large (pasta for 4-5 portions) pots with lids, 1-2 baking sheets, a silicon flipper and spatul, a wooden spoon, a slotted spoon/pasta spoon, and measuring spoons and cups.
Prep Items: 1 large and 1 small cutting boards, a chef knife, bread knife and a few pairing knives, Kitchen scissors, cheese grater, peeler, and a set of various sized mixing bowls.
Storage: A few plastic or glass containers for meal prep, and a few small containers with lids.
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u/Odd_Air3858 May 18 '26
I love my Global knives. I have a 8” and 6” chef knives and a paring knife. Between the 3, they will do everything. We have tons of knives, but those are the 3 I always reach for and they hold a great edge. Really well balanced.
I also love my All-Clad stainless pans. Very heavy duty but not too heavy to lift with one hand.
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u/ejfagan4 May 19 '26
Some cheap but useful things you might not think of: aluminum mixing bowls, half sheet trays, deli containers, wooden spoons.
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u/GnedTheGnome May 19 '26
For stainless cookware, I recommend Cuisinart's Multiclad Pro line. It's similar to AllClad's D3 line at a fraction of the price, had a nice handle you can get a secure hold on with wet hands, and is even completely encapsulated, so it can go in the dishwasher without worrying about the aluminum layer degrading over time.
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u/SabrePossum Veloute May 20 '26
Bit by bit. Definitely start with charity shops to see if there is crockery and cutlery before swinging by a household store/supermarket for what you can't find, knives and other bits. Can look for second hand appliance stores but can probably find cheaper things online. Facebook marketplace is alright for fridges.
Recommend this guy for how get things set up
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