So you want a well written list of what to buy for cooking because you have absolutely no idea where to start? I happen to have (well) written such a list, so feel free to use it at your own convenience. Mark this page in your browser, take screenshots, or better yet, just download the pretty synthetized PDF version. All my PDFs are pretty, that’s a matter of fact. But if you want more intel on each list entry, keep on reading this post.
Depending on what you usually cook, your utensils will look very different from one household to another. But there are still some basics that everyone needs to be able to start cooking, even if you don’t cook much. I’ve divided this list into 3 sections : preparing, cooking and storing. I will start with the basics and then move on to the nice to have part. Let’s get into it.
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Preparing food
Basics
- Two good knives : one big and one small. I like having two separate knives. Use the big one for meat and big vegetables. Reserve the small one for vegetables and fruits only because when you only need to chop one garlic clove for the whole recipe, you won’t wanna bother with the big knife.
- A chopping board : I’m still on the hunt for the perfect chopping board. Wood is not the most sanitary, especially in humid climate. I had a plastic one but it had a little bit of texture and it was a pain to clean by hand (I don’t have dishwasher nor hot water). I’ve recently moved on to a stainless board and even though it’s super easy to clean, I’m not sure if it’s good for the knives. I’ll update this list once I find a good option.
- Some bowls and/or small tupperwares : if you want to be extremely minimalist, you can buy one or two of medium size. Having a small one is nice to prepare some dips, sauces, store chopped garlic/onions, etc.
- Measuring tools : spoons and cups if you use american recipes. A kitchen scale and a measuring glass if you cook with european recipes or if you bake. For the spoons and cups, you might wanna go with stainless, even if it’s slightly more expensive, you will regret the plastic ones if you’re washing dishes by hand, the greasy feeling is hard to remove.
- A peeler : you don’t want to lose time peeling your fruits and vegetables with a knife. A well handled peeler is a very effective tool.
- A can opener : the best one is just the manual one that works like a knife. All the rotating ones are trash. Save your money and buy the simple type.
- A grater : when you start your cooking journey, you’ll very quickly come across things that need grating : citruses, cheese, vegetables. I have a bowl type and I use it sometimes for carrots. Recently I also bought a super small one specifically for zests, and it’s really convenient.
- A pair of scissors : to open packs, to quickly chop some vegetables, etc.
Nice to have
- A garlic press : You can live without because you can chop garlic or crush it under your knife. But a garlic press makes all the different flavor-wise. You will be able to taste the garlic MUCH MORE if you press it.
- A citrus press : if you consume a lot of lemons or oranges, it’s super convenient. I don’t have one because here the regular citrus we use is super small (calamansi), so we can just press it by hand.
- An apron : I mostly use mine when I do the dishes to keep my clothes from getting too wet (unfortunately, our countertop is as leveled as the Tower of Pisa). When I cook, I usually don’t use it because I’m already wearing house clothes anyway. But if you need extra motivation to cook, choosing a cute apron might help you get in the mood.
- Plastic gloves : if you cook a lot of korean/chinese recipes or prepare meatballs often, loose plastic gloves can be a nice tool. Your hands will thank you for not getting unbelievably sticky and your brain will be saved from overwhelming physical sensations.
- A big mixing bowl : it will come in handy if you prepare salads, or if you bake.
- Whisk : a must-have if you bake
- A dough scraper : comes in super handy when dealing with any kind of dough (cakes, cookies, bread, pizza, pies …)
- A food processor : Again, a life-changing item for me. I got the cheapest one I could find and it’s working well. Make sure to buy a multifunction processor with at least a food chopper, and an immersion blender. If you bake, look for processors that also have an electric whisk attachment, you’ll need it for egg whites.
- A blender : this one is necessary only if you plan to make a lot of smoothies. Otherwise, you can just use the food processor for most tasks.
Cooking food
Basics
- A stove : if we didn’t have so many brownouts here, I would get an infrared or induction stove. It’s much safer and much easier to clean. But unfortunately I am stuck with a big ugly gas stove that’s a whole nightmare to clean. If you have to go for the gas stove too, I recommend choosing one with a special gas saving burner. The one we have is extremely efficient. I only have one burner because I prefer to use my counter space for other activities. You just need a little bit of organization for more complex recipes. But if you can, go for a 2 burner stove.
- A kettle : time-saving for boiling water. Ours is electric, but in my parents house we had a traditional kettle that goes on the stove, it’s a cute aesthetic option also.
- Pots and pans : If you don’t cook much, you need only one small pot and one small pan. If you’re a more experienced cook, you’ll need at least two of them, one big and one small of each. I strongly recommend you go for stainless pans and pots, it’s easy to clean and to maintain, and they won’t fall apart after 6 months of use like non-stick. Trust me, it’s much easier to use than you think and no, food won’t stick when used properly. I only have one non-stick pan, and it’s my small one (20cm). I use it to reheat leftovers, cook eggs, sauces and crepes. I’ve had this one for a while a for now, the non-stick coating is still in a good shape. Make sure all of you pots and pans come with lids. My 24cm pan is good for cooking a 4-5 person meal. If you want to be able to cook more than this, go for a 26 or even 28cm pan. As for pots, the 16cm one is good for boiling eggs, pasta for 1 or 2 people, instant noodles, small baking tasks etc. I use the 20cm pot mainly for soups or cooking pasta for more people. Last year I bought a bigger pot (24cm) because my parents were coming and I wanted to be able to cook for 8 portions at one time. And it’s nice for large batches of pasta. Now I also use it to boil water for laundry (remember we do not have hot water in this house). But you can skip this one if you don’t plan on hosting a lot of people.
If you wait for promotions, you can buy everything for less than 150 euros, even if it’s branded, like Tefal (around 100 euros if you skip the biggest pot). I’ve scoured Amazon for you and here my affordable finds. In the Tefal brand I liked that they have the option with the removable handles. Easier to clean and store. But I didn’t find a suitable option for a small anti adhesive pan. That’s why I look for a second brand. Here are all the amazon links :
Tefal 24cm pan
Tefal 16 and 20cm pots
Tefal 24cm big pot
5Five 16cm pot
5Five 20cm pot
5Five 24cm big pot
5Five 20cm anti adhesive pan
5Five 24cm pan - A spatula and a laddle : those are the only cooking spoons you’ll need. Silicone is good, easy to clean, won’t get greasy and it’s easy on your pans. You can get 2 of each if you cook a lot.
- Tongs and/or long cooking chopsticks : Very convenient to flip things in the pan. If you know how to handle chopsticks, it’s nice to have a pair of them. Even if you don’t cook Asian, chopsticks are a convenient tool if you know how to hold them.
- Pot holders : Get a few. Here we have fabric pot holders and I hate it because they get nasty easily because we use it not only to hold the pots, but also to put them on the table. You can buy a set of fabric pot holders to handle your pots, but I strongly recommend you get pot holders of a different material to use under the pots. In my parents house we had cork ones, I really like the look of it. There are so many alternatives here, go crazy and personal with your choice.
Nice to have
- A fine strainer : This one is nice to have only if you have a dishwasher. Otherwise it’s a pain to clean.
- A rice cooker : if you eat a lot of rice, this one is a no-brainer. At the start of our marriage, I bought a multifunction electric rice cooker because I thought I would use it to cook other things. And I did, but it’s not practical for me so I only use it for rice now. Again, try to avoid non-stick pots, go with stainless for a more durable item. With non-stick, you will have to replace your rice cooker inner pot about every year.
- A rice spoon : Game changer to serve rice. Usually you can find free ones when you buy a rice cooker, but getting a strong and sturdy one is really comfortable. Bonus points if it can also stand on its own.
- A microwave oven or traditional oven : In France we use the oven a lot. Here in the Philippines, people don’t use it at all. So for 3 years I’ve cooked only with stove top, but I ended up making the same meals over and over again. When I got a small oven, my life changed. And I actually gained some weight back (I lost too much when I came in the Philippines, because of the food quality and availability). Now I can cook other types of meals, I bake, sometimes I make bread, I also use it to reheat food.
- A steamer basket : nice to cook several things at a time if you only have one appliance. If you buy a rice cooker, find one that comes with the basket so you don’t have to look for it separately. Plastic is fine as usually you don’t steam greasy food. But if you’re concerned about plastic, you can easily find stainless steam baskets.
Storing food
Basics
- Glass air-tight containers : This will save your leftover game and save you the trouble of cooking several times per day. Glass is easier to clean. It also goes to the oven/microwave so you can use the containers to cook or reheat food directly in them (just make sure they are oven-safe). Air-tight is more expensive but will allow you to keep the food longer. I bought 5 glass containers and I use them everyday. It’s one of the best investment I’ve ever made. Unfortunately when I bought them, I didn’t know better, so mine are not air-tight, but when the time comes to buy new ones (or budget, depending which comes first), I’ll definitely choose air-tight containers.
- A fridge and freezer : Well, yeah. I tried the no-fridge life for a while, not by choice, and it’s not pretty. We’re only two, I cook and store leftovers and ingredients all the time and a medium size fridge is enough. The only problem is that the freezer compartment is a tad small but it still works most of the time. Also, our fridge is not an inverter type. Again, if I would have to buy a fridge now, I would choose the inverter type. It’s more energy-saving and won’t flood your kitchen floors daily. My fridge is an incontinent lady.
- Small tupperwares for lunches on the go : It doesn’t have to be a bento-style. Just a plain air-tight container will do just fine. Buy one for every person in your household.
Nice to have
- Several air-tight containers : This is specifically if you live in humid climate or if bugs and rats have easy access to your kitchen. You’ll use them to store open packages like pasta, flour, oatmeal, etc. But if you live fare enough the equator line, you can very much pass on this and just buy a dozen rubber bands to keep the packages closed.
- A rice dispenser : If you’re eating rice everyday, chances are, you’ll be buying it in bulk. And having the rice in a nice and clean dispenser feels so much better than just diving in the sack every time.
Did you find your happiness in this list? If so, congratulations, you’re very easy to satisfy. If your genes lean more on the complaining side of the spectrum, please let me know in the comments what I missed in there. And don’t forget to grab your pretty PDF version on your way out. I’ll see you in the next one.
