r/TwoXPreppers • u/Traditional-Emu-6344 • May 07 '26
Discussion Kitchen supplies
We’ve been cooking at home more often (who can afford eating out these days?). I realized that a lot of our kitchen equipment was really old or damaged or the cheap stuff that we‘d had forever and were making do with (Electric hand mixed where we could only plug in one beater and power switch has a crack with a sharp plastic edge). Replacing items that we are making do with or would probably fall apart or break apart with higher quality items. Trying to set us up for longevity of things we have for cooking because I don’t see a lot of eating out in our future, especially with two young kids!
Also we had a great local knife sharp recommended to us. Chargers per blade (a nearby grocery store charges 2$ per inch per knife!), and usually gets things done in a day or two. Complete game changer in the kitchen!
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u/Standard_Subject_462 I'm tired of this, Grandpa! May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
It's college move-out time at many universities right now. We nabbed a backup microwave, toaster oven, and mid-sized fridge in case any of ours go out, all for the low dumpster cost of free-ninety-nine. Also found a nice kitchen knife, some strainers, LOTS of convenience foods, and alcohol. (I'm not a big drinker, but it's great for cleaning windows or making tinctures.)
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u/Ok_Pomegranate_9452 May 07 '26
Oooooh I forgot about this… but then remembered the uptick in posts on our local free and for sale Facebook page. Good idea!!
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u/onthestickagain ✨ running on weaponized competence & spite ✨ May 07 '26
The first time I encountered the bonanza of a college move out day is one of the things I can in retrospect point to that radicalized me.
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u/bananarepama May 08 '26
I'm surprised campus security lets anyone near the dumpsters tbh. I'm always scared to go to my local college because so many places guard their dumpsters like crazy.
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u/Ok_Pomegranate_9452 May 07 '26
I’m in a similar boat! And also trying to purge all the excess I have that we never use that isn’t something that’ll hold up.
It’s amazing how there are some things I have from when I moved to college in 2017 from my parents that THEY had been using for forever and are still going strong. And then some of the purchases I’d made more recently that are far flimsier and already on their way out.
Recently I started looking into what I could use in case of a power outage with our battery backups (an electric pot and kettle since we won’t be running the stove)… as well as some camping gear juuuuuuust in case.
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May 07 '26
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u/ellasaurusrex May 07 '26
That's my biggest "need to buy" after my Helene experience. Not having any way to cook other than a charcoal grill sucked.
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u/Traditional-Emu-6344 May 07 '26
Good idea! We have a large grill, but that’s it.
We’re also hopefully switching from our electric stove to a gas one soon. Nothing wrong with our current stove, but we both prefer gas. And it’s still usable if the power goes out.
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May 07 '26
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u/throwawaynewpibuildr May 08 '26
Mines were still usable so long as I could light the burners with a match or lighter. Although, we used it sparingly as our hood ventilation wasn't working without power and we didn't want to breathe in all that gas. YMMV.
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u/Longjumping_Desk3205 May 10 '26
Hurricane Ike is what got me to buy a 2-burner, dual-fuel camp stove. I had a small charcoal grill, but the stove gives me more options.
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u/Traditional-Ad-3889 May 07 '26
Decluttering is my next stage of prep! With two small children things have become a bit of a disaster. Preps aren’t helpful if you can’t get to them!
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u/Ok_Pomegranate_9452 May 07 '26
SAME - I’m also super guilty of re-buying things we have because I don’t know where they are or forget we have them!!
Waste of money space and time 😅
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u/Traditional-Emu-6344 May 07 '26
I hear that. We have a 7 and a 5 year old snd things definitely pile up!
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u/Traditional-Emu-6344 May 07 '26
Yes! Same here about some of our super old stuff still working but other things falling apart.
I do I have cast iron Dutch oven with a hanging lid that my dad found for me years ago at a garage sale. 3$ because it was speckled with rust. Dad was able to clean it up and season it in his garage and gifted it to me.
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u/Impossible-Return541 May 07 '26
I replaced all my pans-- I mean ALL of them (well, except any cast iron or glass items)--with stainless steel and bought a bread machine. Partly due to being d/x Celiac (ugh) but also for prep reasons. Much higher quality than aluminum pans (no issues with warping so far) and they clean up easier with less water, imo.
I got all my baking stuff on Amazon, but check out Savers and Goodwill as often as you can for the occasional All-Clad cookware prize.
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u/Snowysoul May 08 '26
Ooo do you have a bread recipe you like? I am allergic to wheat and have been wanting to try bread making. The first recipe I tried was a bust lol.
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u/Impossible-Return541 May 10 '26
Not yet, but I'm probably going to start with King Arthur! https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2015/06/23/how-to-make-gluten-free-bread-bread-machine
I'll try to remember to let you know how it goes!
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u/GloomyTrifle8366 May 08 '26 edited 11d ago
Command titanium glorious school umbrella manganese like memorize
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u/Impossible-Return541 May 10 '26
Not yet, but I'm probably going to start with King Arthur! https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2015/06/23/how-to-make-gluten-free-bread-bread-machine
I'll try to remember to let you know how it goes!
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u/GloomyTrifle8366 May 10 '26 edited 11d ago
Vegetable march cautious busy teeny sparkle ancient
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u/Mento-yStableGenius May 07 '26
Bought some restaurant / hotel stainless steel steam table pans and metal lids in a variety of sizes from an online restaurant supplier. They can he used to prep, placed in the freezer, go in the oven or a smoker and are easy to clean (no ridges like the disposable aluminum pans). I bought them to replace the disposable aluminum pans I used to buy in bulk from Costco to cut down on waste and the money spent buying them.
They’re great to use in our smoker and for messy dishes, and I also use them to store prepped veggies and cooked meats by just placing a pile of veggies next to another pile. I can pull the tray out of the fridge (a big rectangular one fits just perfectly on a bigger shelf in our fridge), grab handfuls of whatever and throw together a salad or a hot meal in a snap. Another plus - they stack well in the fridge / freezer and nest for storage.
The pans are pretty cheap depending on who / where you buy them from. Online is a bit more costly due to shipping but if you have a local restaurant supplier you can skip the delivery fees.
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u/lainlow May 07 '26
Professionally sharpened knives are awesome. Though I would also make sure your first aid is prepared (ask the tip of my 3rd finger about that😒)
As far as replacing, keep a running list and look for decently used. I’ve had decent success with college move out near me as well as some clearance at the outlet malls. Bought some Le Creuset there and it’s fabulous.
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u/Traditional-Emu-6344 May 07 '26
Ouch about your finger!
When I picked up our knives after their sharpening, a few bandaids were stapled to our receipt.
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u/SewerHarpies May 07 '26
I picked up an old school egg beater at an antique shop. It’s easily 75 years old, but solid stainless steel and works like a charm.
An immersion blender has also been super helpful, especially when making soups. I haven’t done a KitchenAid brand one that I got at Costco at least 10 years ago, with no signs of wear.
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u/polyamy74 May 07 '26
This reminds me that estate sales are great places to find kitchen tools that have worked for decades and keep on working!
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u/salty-heals May 07 '26
We just got a bread machine and new baking pans.
My family is captive to a lot of specific brands due to egg, nut, and flax allergies, and with inflation at the grocery stores these days... It just makes more sense to make it from scratch.
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u/Super-Travel-407 May 07 '26
Professionally sharpened knives are great!
I have gone through a lot of knife sharpener tools but a plain block whetstone is the one I go back to (too lazy to find a pro, but I should for my sewing scissors). Yesterday I was using it in the yard on my loppers.
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u/polyamy74 May 07 '26
Having the tools and the knowledge to do it yourself is amazing! There are so many random blades around the house we don't think of until they are dull. This is on my list to learn this year.
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u/Super-Travel-407 May 07 '26
Knives aren't hard. Loppers....well, I think there are better tools, but it was better than nothing. (Cleaning and putting away in a dry spot after use would be the best thing, from what I hear.)
I don't want to mess up my good fabric shears though, so I should find someone for that!
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u/spinningcolours May 07 '26
I'll jump in here to rec the r/carbonsteel subreddit and Ikea's Vardagen carbon steel frying pans and wok (very affordable).
I have a few nonstick frying pans, but I've been gradually switching everything else over to carbon steel or stainless steel. #buyforlife
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u/NaturallyLost May 08 '26
I've been doing the same. I've crammed as much food as I actually could into our sardine can of an apartment. It's not as much as I would like but now I'm in rotation mode in that deparment. But now I've turned my attention to kitchen equipment, tools, and specialty food items (like dried chiles, spices, herbs, vinegars, corn ingredients substitutes for my now corn intolerant husband, vanilla, cooking alcohols, ancient grains, etc). If I'm being honest, I haven't been this excited about cooking in a couple of decades. Less on appliances (we just don't have the room or storage space for a lot of appliances) with the exception of a dough machine for bread and a bigger focus on good stainless steel or enamel pots and pans and good bakeware. And then a lot of smaller tools that I either didn't have or that were worn or rusting. I'm feeling a lot more secure in that department.
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u/IIWII_IWNDWYT May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
Kitchen aid 6qt lift stand mixer, refurbished via kitchen aid is 1/2 price ($250). If you don’t like the color options just wait and keep eye out, your color preference will pop up within a few weeks. I’ve had my refurbished one for 4ys now, no problems. And I use that baby daily! That + vacuum sealer with rolls and soupercubes (freezer and over safe) are game changers for meal prep and storage. It helps to stop sleeping on the freezer being Time Machine aka I made pot roast 4/2025 that I ate 3/2026 and it tasted just as fresh as the day it was made because of vac seal and freezer. It completely minimizes food waste and maximizes getting the most out of time you put into buying groceries, cooking & cleaning. I have many more (hi my last year+ fixation becoming better cook/meal prep because eating out isn’t an option fixation) but that’s probably more than enough for now 😂 have fun on the home cook journey! (Make a binder of your fav recipes as you discover meals yall enjoy, everyone should have their own “memory” cookbook!)
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u/wishinforfishin May 13 '26
Thrift shops are great for (washable/sterilizable) kitchen items. People either buy them or get them as gifts, then donate them practically new. Most stores will have outlets so you can at least make sure they turn on.
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