# Minimum equipment for a functioning kitchen?



## apicius9 (Jun 30, 2012)

So, I still have not found a job for August, and I need to move out of my apartment. I decided to temporary share an apartment and rented a room (for $875/month %$#@#$#) where I will move later in July - hopefully not forever, I am planning until the end of the year for now. Frustrating in a way, but also an opportunity to declutter my stuff. Now, the kitchen in the place is rather basic whereas mine right now has too much stuff, most of which will probably go into boxes until I have a better idea about the long term perspectives.

That brings up the question: Assuming there is nothing in the kitchen except appliances and you wanted to stay at a place for 6 months (and cook there, of course), what would you take as a minimum (thinking about pots, pans, tools, small appliances here). Trying to get some ideas and a list from this thread before I start packing up things next weekend... 

Stefan


----------



## Deckhand (Jun 30, 2012)

Large fry pan,saucepan, spatula, tongs, microplane,a couple wood spoons, toaster oven,blender, microwave,cookie sheets and pans for oven. Maybe my rice cooker. And of course my knives and cutting board.


----------



## Eamon Burke (Jun 30, 2012)

My last place had a closet sized kitchen. Stand at sink, turn around, now you are at the stove.

Check out the blog Apartment Therapy, lots of inspiration.


----------



## 99Limited (Jun 30, 2012)

What you're getting ready to do is something my wife and I did when we moved to Washington DC for a temporary assignment. We took a knife block and knives, one of my larger dutch ovens, 12" non-stick skillet, a couple of sauce pans, a SS container that held wooden spoons, a pair of tongs and a couple of spatulas. I used those cheap, thin plastic cutting mats since I didn't have room for a wooden board.


----------



## tk59 (Jun 30, 2012)

I like Deckhand and 99's suggestions, except for maybe the non-stick part , if you have good stainless and the rice cooker. I'd also bring 10-ish qt stockpot, a ladle and some extra mixing bowls. Make sure you bring lids for your pots and pans, lol. I did once and it was a pain. I also put my spices in small bottles or ziplock bags, as opposed to some of the huge bulk containers I have at home.


----------



## apicius9 (Jun 30, 2012)

Sounds like what I was thinking so far:

10qt pressure cooker (can also be used for stock, pasta etc.)
3qt saute pan
5qt cast iron dutch oven (I also use that for baking bread)
12" SS or cast iron frying pan
12" non-stick pan
casserole dish
colander, SS bowls
tongs, whisk, spoons, veg peeler etc. 
Microplane (thanks, probably would have forgotten that)
lime/lemon squeezer
pyrex measuring jug, measuring cups
mixing bowls
storage containers
plates, cups, cutlery
wine glasses, all purpose glasses
some knives, sanituff board, a few stones
French press, coffee grinder
salad spinner
dish towels
pepper mills

Have to see again what there is in small appliances. Definitely will take the small rice cooker and toaster oven if there aren't any, don't use blender or microwave very much. Will pack the kitchen aid mixer and the large espresso machine up for storage, I think I can live without them for a few months. Anything important that I am forgetting?

Stefan


----------



## Crothcipt (Jun 30, 2012)

Well you have more than what I have. So your idea of minimum, and mine are very different. That is a good list there.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 30, 2012)

Sweet Jebus, Stefan! That's more **** than I have in my full sized kitchen! Lol. Tongs are secretly lemon/lime squeezers, coffee grinders work just fine as pepper mills, a good fork can zest just about anything, nothing you can do with a salad spinner you can't do by hand with a little patience... that's a pretty damn luxury list!

:laugh:

_Edit -



Crothcipt said:



Well you have more than what I have. So your idea of minimum, and mine are very different. That is a good list there.

Click to expand...


Beat me to it!_


----------



## Crothcipt (Jun 30, 2012)

Ya I was gonna just say that a rice cooker was over the top, too.


----------



## Deckhand (Jun 30, 2012)

Crothcipt said:


> Ya I was gonna just say that a rice cooker was over the top, too.


Depends on your eating habits. Hawaii is very Asian influenced.


----------



## apicius9 (Jun 30, 2012)

Hey, you know how it is - the pros have everything they need, the amateurs have everything....  That's only a small part of my kitchen stuff. But you are right about the lime squeezer and the salad spinner, they are luxury items. Need at least one pepper mill because I use a lot of white pepper and like my pepper fresehr than I find it in most places. And this is the coffee grinder for coffee - I also have two coffee grinders for spices  I would have considered the rice cooker a luxury item also, but after 6 years in Hawaii you get used to eating rice.

Stefan


----------



## SpikeC (Jun 30, 2012)

My wife has fallen in love with the idea of an Airstream trailer so this is a good base for stocking the kitchen in that. The amount of stuff is more limited, so I need to do some strategizing.


----------



## Eamon Burke (Jun 30, 2012)

Yeah, for me, it was all about getting decent hand tools. Since I am not feeding an army anyways, it was often not just space saving, but more efficient. Good knives helped, of course.

-good cast iron skillet
-ss skillet
-versatile saucepan(mine has a thick copper plated bottom)
-one large stockpot
-with box grater(microplane one is good, but I had the cheapo--not great, but worked and took little space)
-large(4 oz) and small(3/4 oz) disher(super versatile--ice cream, butter, mashed potatoes, etc etc)
-a Gray Kunz Spoon
-one flat bottomed wooden spatula(mine was bamboo with a burned handle)
-a stick blender(didn't have one, but wanted one ALL THE TIME)
-2 cup measuring cup(the rest are just accessories, let's be honest)
-Bowl scraper(replaces most spatulae...and it's $0.49)
-Sturdy Whisk
-peeler
-colander
-ss bowls with snap on lids--doubles as storage containers
-can opener
-metal fish spat and/or heat resistant pancake turner, depending on what kind of stuff you do more.
-1/2 sheet pan(in a pinch can be used as a steam-lid for ss saute pan
-2" Quarter hotel pan, 4" Half hotel pan
-soup ladle

I'd say you can skip the citrus press, multiple measuring containers(it's not really the storage, it's the clutter they accumulate when dirty--the 4cp, 2cp 1cp thing gets old in the dish pit), mixing bowls(use the SS ones), multiple big spoons(just get a soup ladle, and gray kunz), and salad spinner(do you really eat that much salad greens??).


----------



## Eamon Burke (Jun 30, 2012)

OH, also add some kind of system for storing spices. Either one of those rotating racks, cans on the cabinet doors ala Alton Brown, or just a basket system or wall rack. I also didn't mention the pepper mill, but to me, a pepper mill, salt pig, and olive oil cruet are no brainers.

FWIW, zesting citrus with a fork and sharing my coffee grinder with pepper is crazy talk.

I can cook damn near anything with the stuff I listed, and have a good time doing it. It all fit in 2 cabinets, one drawer and a counter that's the size of my current cutting board.


----------



## Crothcipt (Jun 30, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Hey, you know how it is - the pros have everything they need, the amateurs have everything....  That's only a small part of my kitchen stuff. But you are right about the lime squeezer and the salad spinner, they are luxury items. Need at least one pepper mill because I use a lot of white pepper and like my pepper fresehr than I find it in most places. And this is the coffee grinder for coffee - I also have two coffee grinders for spices  I would have considered the rice cooker a luxury item also, but after 6 years in Hawaii you get used to eating rice.
> 
> Stefan


I didn't say to stop eating rice. It cooks very east. Being a vegetarian (mostly) I eat rice 4-5x a week. Quick and easy.


----------



## Crothcipt (Jun 30, 2012)

BurkeCutlery said:


> Yeah, for me, it was all about getting decent hand tools. Since I am not feeding an army anyways, it was often not just space saving, but more efficient. Good knives helped, of course.
> 
> -good cast iron skillet
> -ss skillet
> ...



Great list. +100


----------



## apicius9 (Jun 30, 2012)

Good points, Eamon. A few of my kitchen gadgets - like the Immersion blender - run on 220V and I have a transformer, but I don't want to shlepp that monster with me. But the bowl scraper I need anyway for baking, and a soup ladle and silicone spatula sound useful. Not sure what I would use the hotel pans for, I have a few but hardly ever use them now either. I would love a decent set of metal bowls with lids, but now is not the time to buy...

Stefan


----------



## Eamon Burke (Jun 30, 2012)

I understand about the bowls--I got mine when I got married. 

I use hotel pans for baking, roasting, I've even stored leftover pasta and sauce in it, and then just added stock the next day right in the pan and put it on a burner and had soup.  You can just abuse them is all.


----------



## The Edge (Jun 30, 2012)

The only thing I might add to the list is a medium mesh strainer for the sauce maker in me.


----------



## Eamon Burke (Jun 30, 2012)

OH yeah. Definitely. I even had a small hand one that I would just pour through carefully and shake bits into the trash bin as I went. I also use it to make coffee.


----------



## wenus2 (Jul 1, 2012)

Yeah I would definately need my salad spinner. The mrs likes her lettuce leaves dry when dressed. 
I have like 3 rice cookers, but I think I've used one once. People keep assuming I need one I think because they don't see me use one? It's just so much easier to me to grab a pot and a lid, and that stuff doesn't take up "extra" room. Same with toaster oven, I just never got used to using one, I have a broiler in my oven.


----------



## cookinstuff (Jul 1, 2012)

Cast Iron Pan
12" Deep Stainless Saute, sear and roast, or grain dishes/pastas
nonstick - eggs
5-8qt Dutch Oven or deep hotel pan, roasting pan for braises
10 qt stockpot
3 qt saucepot/saucier
forget the colander and double up your mesh strainer/chinois for straining pasta or your sauces, those things are huge
rubber spatula/scraper, wooden spoon, peltex spatula, gray kunz, palette knife
saltpig/pepper mill/oil cruet
knives/stones/2 boards
toaster/kettle/coffee grinder, maker/ mortar pestle (make room, don't use your coffee grinder, oh wait you have two, nevermind)
measuring spoons/cups/pyrex cup
flour/sugar/spices bin
Bowls/Inserts

I think that's pretty good, then find out where to put two immersion circulators and you are good to go. Good luck Stefan, your minimalist kitchen sounds like mine, not very minimal.


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 1, 2012)

Medium strainer is a good idea, I do use that often. Definitely don't need a microwave, I still don't know what they are good for when you don't have kids or nuke your sponges... I was thinking about the salad spinner not because I eat a lot of salad but because I SHOULD eat more salad  There seems to be a lot of agreement about most other things. I still need to get larger tight-closing bins for flour, that was on my list anyway after the I recently saw the oats moving in their bag. It's also a good opportunity to throw out all my spices; should have dated them, but most likely most of them are way past their prime except the pepper. And if I can squeeze it in, I will try reseasoning my old Griswold pan. 

Stefan

P.s., Well, it's still minimal for me - after all, I am not taking the kitchen aid mixer, the stovetop smoker, the hangiri or half a dozen serving plates...


----------



## JohnnyChance (Jul 1, 2012)

Get a job as a line cook and you'll hardly ever even have to cook at home.


----------



## tk59 (Jul 1, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> ...I would have considered the rice cooker a luxury item also, but after 6 years in Hawaii you get used to eating rice...


Before there were rice-cookers, there were pots. Call me a caveman but I still do rice in a typical pot. My rice cooker got thrown out years ago. It's big, redundant and non-stackable, lol. Don't get me wrong. They are nice to have but if I had to throw out one of my small kitchen appliances for space savings (read: knife block), it was an easy choice.


----------



## GlassEye (Jul 1, 2012)

tk59 said:


> Before there were rice-cookers, there were pots. Call me a caveman but I still do rice in a typical pot. My rice cooker got thrown out years ago. It's big, redundant and non-stackable, lol. Don't get me wrong. They are nice to have but if I had to throw out one of my small kitchen appliances for space savings (read: knife block), it was an easy choice.



The reason I have yet to get the Zojirushi, the pot does rice and anything else I want it to.


----------



## geezr (Jul 1, 2012)

GlassEye said:


> The reason I have yet to get the Zojirushi, the pot does rice and anything else I want it to.


We had rice-cookers before our daughter was born - but she still uses 'the pot' to make rice with the crusty bottom layer of rice and makes musubi with texture, as my mom did for her. :thumbsup:


----------



## 99Limited (Jul 1, 2012)

We eat rice several times a week and have never seen the need for a rice cooker. We mostly eat Jasmine rice and this is how I cook it, 1c rice to 1 1/2c liquid plus 1Tbs butter, bring liquid to boil, add rice, put on lid and reduce temp to simmer for 10 min. Turn off burner and wait 10 to 15 more minutes. Comes out perfect every time.


----------



## ecchef (Jul 1, 2012)

Yeah, but you can't program a pot to have the rice ready when you get home.

Stefan, what kind of immersion blender do you have that runs on 220 volt? That's one appliance I couldnt live without.

I also would consider some of those collapsable silicone gadgets.


----------



## barbarajones444 (Jul 12, 2012)

I agree with Deckhand, you should give priority to those equipments which you require on daily basis.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Jul 14, 2012)

I'm afraid this doesn't really apply to you Stefan, but it's an interesting take on the question you pose:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?pagewanted=all


----------



## apicius9 (Jul 14, 2012)

Thanks, I think I am beyond that stage, but not bad for someone who starts with nothing. My favorite quote: "People not only obsess about knives (and write entire articles about them), but you can easily spend over $100 on just one." hahahaha  'Easily $500' is more like it 

Stefan


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Jul 14, 2012)

And a link to the video:

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007...r-kit.html?scp=1&sq=minimalist kitchen&st=cse

This is really for people trying to outfit a kitchen for the first time for as little money as possible, but fun to watch.


----------



## Johnny.B.Good (Jul 14, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> Thanks, I think I am beyond that stage, but not bad for someone who starts with nothing. My favorite quote: "People not only obsess about knives (and write entire articles about them), but you can easily spend over $100 on just one." hahahaha  'Easily $500' is more like it
> 
> Stefan



I laughed at the knife talk too. 

And I know you are way beyond this in terms of what you have and what you need, just found his list interesting.


----------



## Crothcipt (Jul 14, 2012)

Ya those knives for a beginning cook until it gets dull after 10 min. then they are back to were they started.


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 2, 2012)

I have been packing up stuff for the move over the past week - little longer, actually. Maybe I could have been faster and more concentrated, but I also remember that when I moved out here I had 7 professionals packing the boxes that I have been packing pretty much alone. I threw away about a container full of stuff, including wonderful things like a chocolate temperer (doesn't everybody need one of those for making truffles?) about 1,700 or so storage containers without lids and lids without containers, and a plate warmer - plates are warm enough in Hawaii... I think I missed a chance to just fill another container full of stuff and throw them away, but I haven't yet given up on moving into civilized environment again at some point. But I did realized that 80% of all my boxes are either kitchen stuff or cook books. 

I was - very reluctantly - trying to sell some of my furniture, but looks like there are no takers. People are so mobile in Hawaii that there are tons of moving sales, and if you don't give everything away for free, nobody bites. What I see happening is that I give it all away, then one of my job application comes through, I move into a larger place again, and have to buy it all new. I really hate moving.

Stefan


----------



## AFKitchenknivesguy (Aug 2, 2012)

apicius9 said:


> I have been packing up stuff for the move over the past week - little longer, actually. Maybe I could have been faster and more concentrated, but I also remember that when I moved out here I had 7 professionals packing the boxes that I have been packing pretty much alone. I threw away about a container full of stuff, including wonderful things like a chocolate temperer (doesn't everybody need one of those for making truffles?) about 1,700 or so storage containers without lids and lids without containers, and a plate warmer - plates are warm enough in Hawaii... I think I missed a chance to just fill another container full of stuff and throw them away, but I haven't yet given up on moving into civilized environment again at some point. But I did realized that 80% of all my boxes are either kitchen stuff or cook books.
> 
> I was - very reluctantly - trying to sell some of my furniture, but looks like there are no takers. People are so mobile in Hawaii that there are tons of moving sales, and if you don't give everything away for free, nobody bites. What I see happening is that I give it all away, then one of my job application comes through, I move into a larger place again, and have to buy it all new. I really hate moving.
> 
> Stefan



Stefan, I hope it works out for you. I am four years from retirement and am thinking of moving the Hawai'i. My GF is garaunteed a job there no matter what, maybe we will grab another beer some day.


----------



## Mucho Bocho (Aug 2, 2012)

Induction Portable burner. I've been playing around with this Duxtop 1800 burner lately and have found it very useful, more so in a small kitchen too. Give off little heat in the space even when using it for frying. Works awesome with my debuyer pans too


----------



## Eamon Burke (Aug 2, 2012)

Stefan, you should sell your crazy kitchen stuff here on KKF! I mean, I know shipping is a bear, but you'd make a little cash and it wouldn't go to the landfill.

I'm sure someone wants a chocolate temperer, and anything you had that you vouch for would save someone shopping time.


----------



## Crothcipt (Aug 3, 2012)

lol and a great reason to go pick up some kitchen stuff from our 50th state.:spiteful:


----------



## bieniek (Aug 3, 2012)

For 6 months? 

And minimum? buy one RÔTISSOIRE, you propably have knivs and board so is this one dish you could make boulangere, bourguignons and cassoulets, basically you can fry in it, roast in it, bake in it, steam in it, cook stocks in it, so unless you want to make some elaborate meals for yourself, its all you need. 

So the way I see it is you just drop everything in there like its hot along with seared piece of something red and juicy, cover and roast roast roast. 
You want steamed fish? put some water in it, cover with cloth and tighten with cling film around so the cloth stays tensed. Bang some veggies on top, add fish when theyre half way and cover with the usefu lid. 

Job done. 

Any kind of spoon/spatula will be a nice addition.


----------



## apicius9 (Aug 5, 2012)

Well, I moved and could not contain myself, packed way too much. Between kitchen stuff, cook books, and wine glasses my stuff filled approx 35-40 small or medium boxes. Now that I am in the new place, I am wondering whether I would miss anything if I never opened the 30 boxes that went into storage again. I think I missed a chance for a clean cut. But after feeling cheated out of what I considered a good job, letting my stuff go felt just like another loss. Well, lots of unpacking ahead of me... Not tonight, though, totally beat from schlepping things through the heat. 

Stefan


----------



## bieniek (Aug 5, 2012)




----------

