30M – I just bought my first house. What are my absolute kitchen essentials?

23 comments

  2. Tin opener. Nothing more frustrating that getting the shopping in and then realising you can’t eat anything.

  3. Congratulations on the house my man,

    IMO, Cast Iron cookware, highly versatile cookware and good for health.

  5. A gas stove. Electric stoves suck because the heat reduction isnt instant when turning the heat down where as a gas stove is. A microwave and air fryer would be good as well. If you don’t want to heat a big oven or don’t need to get an air fryer oven. They bake, broil, dehydrate as well as air fry and more.

  7. Agree air fryer, so versatile for cooking and easy clean up. A good starter set of pots and pans with nonstick frying pan and a big pot for pasta or soup. Some wooden spoons, a spatula, a carrot peeler, and a decent set of knives in a wood block. A strainer for posts etc, and some set of a variety of either Tupperware or glass containers with lids. And a toaster.

  8. Cups, plates, wine glasses, pans, food storage containers, a good set of knives, a crock pot or air fryer, a good blender, etc.

  10. A real set of knives. Not that bullshit sold at big box stores. Even if you just buy one real kitchen knife for now, you can slowly add. These quality knives have to come from real bladesmiths and they are high carbon steel. I paid $500 for my first. And slowly added. Having real knives is such a game changer. You can never go back to POS knives.

  12. How good of a cook are you and how much do you enjoy it? That will inform a lot between whether you buy non-stick vs. stainless steel pans; Kitchen-Aid vs. just a hand mixer; Chicago Cutlery vs. Henkels International knives (I’m fully aware that most Henkels knives are probably made in the same Chinese factory.)

    To start, get small, medium and large sauté pans. Small, medium and large sauce pots and a small to medium stock pot. Tongs are super helpful and I have multiple. Nice knives that hold a good edge are super important. I’m partial to straight edge as opposed to serrated, but that’s preference. As I’ve aged, I’ve learned that having several cutting boards with juice grooves is vital. A cookie sheet or two and some basic Pyrex baking dishes are also handy.

    Good luck!

  13. Metal tongs with silicone tips are the most versatile tool in my kitchen.

    A “lobster pot” takes up space but you’ll find it’s handy in more than one situation. Soups, boiling down stock, boiling corn or other large foods, jarring if you ever get into preserving, and even as a large, easy to clean compost bucket after making a big mess.

    Cast iron is easy to care for and tough to destroy. A good pan will last a few lifetimes.

    Basic set of herbs and spices. Most terrible take out meals, etc. can be fixed with some good spices

    Some mason jars with reusable lids. Super versatile for storing wet or dry goods. You can measure and mix ingredients in them. In a pinch they’re a flower vase or centerpiece. And many other uses.

  14. Here is a good place to start: [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/xpeg60/what_is_your_essential_kitchen_toolgadget_that/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMen/comments/xpeg60/what_is_your_essential_kitchen_toolgadget_that/)

    Beyond that:

    * A bookshelf for cookbooks, and cookbooks to fill that shelf. Finding good recipes and being able to add notes to them will up your cooking game *immensely*.
    * A **good** set of knives. Best I can think of is CutCo brand. It is an expensive brand and set, but it is *worth it*!
    * Dishwasher. Doing by hand is tedious and wastes water.
    * Cast iron and enameled cookware. Highly useful, pretty easy to clean, durable, and usually looks nice hanging.
    * Good quality stand mixer.
    * Hand beater/mixer.
    * Good quality measuring cups and spoons. Make sure they have good durability, and raised measurements are a good idea. These will help you out more than you can think!
    * Lipped sheet pans.
    * Meat and candy/fry thermometers.

  15. Crock pot. While you’re getting situated/figuring out where to put everything, throw in some chopped potato, carrots, and celery, put a roast on top, and put on low for the day. Now you’ve got a start to a decent dinner and leftovers for a few days – provided you can resist a roast soft enough to pull apart with your fingers.

  16. In no particular order…

    * Good quality chef’s knife and paring knife
    * Wood or plastic cutting board
    * 10″ stainless steel skillet
    * Medium-sized pot with a lid for making soup or rice
    * Large pot for cooking pasta
    * Set of measuring spoons and cups
    * 1-2 cup liquid measuring cup
    * Meat thermometer
    * Good quality sheet pan
    * Pyrex or ceramic casserole dish
    * Tongs, mixing spoon, ladle, strainer, spatula, serving spoons
    * Dishes, cutlery, mugs, wine glasses, and water glasses for 4 (although 8-12 is nice if it’s in your budget)

    Nice to have but not mandatory:

    * Bread knife
    * Steak knife set
    * Slow cooker
    * Cast iron pan
    * Nonstick pan
    * Stand mixer
    * Bar set

  18. A quality set of kitchen knives. Sharp knives make prep quick and enjoyable as you breeze through all the basic cuts. Get German steel, Japanese steel has a finer edge but is very unforgiving and you’ll easily roll or nick the edge.

    Cast iron pan.

    Ceramic coated Cast iron cooking pot.

    Stainless Steel pans, fuck non-stick, that Teflon gets in your food.

    An Italian grandma wooden spoon of the finest hardwood. Essential for standing up to thick stews and chasing children and backseat chefs out the kitchen.

    Food thermometer.

  20. Cutting board, pot holders, colander/strainer, wooden spoons, pepper mill, butter dish, vegetable peeler, mixing bowls, cookie sheet

  23. Congrats! I stalk the thrift store and marshals for certain things. Cast iron pans (griswold or Wagner), older silverware (the new silver ware seems to be made for giant sized people and has rough unfinished edges), old school PYREX (vintage stuff is all capitol letters). Oxo makes good quality utensils, correl plates can be collectible (find your favorite pattern!) start off slow and buy things as you find them. I regret buying all the cheap shit and having to replace it all later on.

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