What is Digg?96 Comments
- rhesuspieces00, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27I think those prices are slightly less than what i can get at Smart&Final, but similar.
I don't agree with everything in the article. Particularly, I think a wok is a good investment for anyone with a gas stove. If yours is electric, don't bother. You can get a good and cheap steel wok at any asian grocery store, like 99Ranch. Shouldn't cost more than $7-10.
Skip the mandoline and learn to use a knife properly, unless you really, really like julienned carrots.
Its true you don't need fancy pots and pans, but thats not to say the nicer ones don't have significant advantages. I'm not saying go buy all-clad, but sometimes you can get really good deals on hard-anodized aluminum stuff from amazon. I spent a total of about $250 on my various pots and pans on amazon; the same set-up would have cost me close to $1000 if I tried to buy equivalent stuff at Williams Sonoma. And I LOVE hard-anodized aluminum. It produces a good fond (almost as good as all-clad stainless) but is much easier to clean, and doesn't scratch or peel like teflon pans.
Don't buy more than one teflon pan, and dont use it for anything except cooking eggs, or possibly fish. Meat doesn't brown properly in non-stick skillets.
Rice cookers don't cost that much, and makes making rice is much less of a head-ache. Burnt rice sucks. They also double as a vegetable steamer. And if you are on a budget so tight you can only spend $200 on your kitchen, then you SHOULD be eating a lot of rice. Its versatile and just about the best nutrition per dollar you're going to find. - rhesuspieces00, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19forgot to mention: if you buy hard anodized stuff, buy calphalon. avoid circulon, kitchen aid, cuisenart, etc. Amazon's prices for cookware fluctuate wildly. I bought this set for $125 through a promotion:
http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Commercial-Hard-Anodized-9-Piece/dp/B0007KQZ3O/
The trick is to stick it in your shopping cart and just leave it there. It will let you know when the price changes. Check every few days and buy when it gets low enough. - kenok, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19I thought this is more about having an actual 'minimalist' kitchen with countertops and stoves in for 200 bucks!
- jacinth, on 10/12/2007, -7/+19I heartily second the advice about not owning a microwave. I have been without one for these past 2 years and have found my cooking skills to improve by leaps and bounds. Better to invest in a couple of good cookbooks and eat real food, not reheated crap in a plastic tray!
- thefeed32x, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Let's Capitalize Every Single Word In Our Sentences. It Looks Awesome And Is Not At All Awkward To Read.
- Fhionnlaoch, on 10/12/2007, -8/+19And tonight's ingredient is....
EEL PENIS!!!!! - LordSkywalker, on 10/12/2007, -7/+171. Microwave
2. Coffee pot
3. Paper plates
4. Fridge (filled w/ beer, soda, and pizza)
END - DarkSenay, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12These prices look super cheap, but then again, its not everyday I go kitchen supplies shopping.
- hoppdawg, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12George Foreman is pissed.
- heffae, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10One thing I have always appreciated about Good Eats is Browns constant point that any tools in your kitchen that have only a single use is pointless and a waste of money and space.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Where is the corkscrew?
- acceleriter, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11No corkscrew necessary -- the box has a convenient spigot :).
- Illuminati, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I disagree with the wok comment, I use my wok alot, it can be a multipurpose tool as long as you look into what you can cook inside it.
a must for real stir fry, not the out of the bag kind, good for deep frying, good for eggs, sautes, etc... - jinushaun, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9I disagree. I'm an avid cook and a microwave is great for heating water, warming up cold rice and reheating leftovers. It's not just for "cooking" up TV dinners. :p I'm Asian, so I cook heaps of rice at once, refrigerate and reheat for later consumption. A microwave is the best method to reheat rice.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This guy is trying to be minimalist, and he is saying you need a ***** salad spinner? Even a food processor is not necessary for most people. And certainly not "minimalists"
- Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Instructions for $ANY pie:
1) Buy premade crust in a pie tin.
2) Dump can of pie filling in crust.
3) Bake.
You call yourself a real cook/baker? Pie is a freaking joke. Even cake is more difficult. - spence1818, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Man it's amazing how advanced even cookware is becoming...ion pans now? how do they work?!?!
- iamdegenatron, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11Just do us all a favor and stuff yourself with some more of that 3 day old pizza and microwavable food in plastic trays. Learn to cook and your body will appreciate it, I guarantee it. Also, the ladies love a man who can cook for them
- macrymble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I'm not sure if it'd be considered equipment, but a good pepper mill is essential (and not very expensive.)
- Firehed, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Depends on the kind of stove you have. Woks are wonderful if you have a gas stove, but their curved bottom makes them rather impractical with an electric stove (even with a wok stand) because of heat distribution. They're incredibly versatile if you know how to use them... other than pancakes, you can cook just about anything in them. And you *can* do pancakes in them if you're clever (err... careful).
Ugh, college. I miss having a stove. - alive1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Food processors are for people who can't master a knife.
My minimalist kitchen: Two knifes, a chopping board, a pan and pot. - jinushaun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Here's the list from the article:
- Knife
- Thermometer
- 3 mixing bowls
- Tongs
- Sheet pan
- Cutting board (plastic)
- Paring knife
- Japanese mandolin
- Vegetable peeler
- Can opener
- Colander
- 3 saucepans (small, medium, large)
- Medium aluminium pan
- Large steep-sided, heavier duty steel pan
- Skillet
- Lid for all those pans
- Skimmer
- Slotted spoon
- Heat-resistant rubber spatula
- Bread knife (good for crusty loaves and ripe tomatoes
- Whisk
- Food processor
- Salad spinner
- Microplane grater
- Coffee and spice grinder
- Blender
- Whetstone (used to sharpen knives)
- Measuring cup
- Roasting pan
- Ladle
- Loaf pan
Non-essentials:
- BREAD MACHINE
- MICROWAVE
- STAND MIXER
- BONING/FILLETING KNIVES
- WOK
- STOCKPOT
- PRESSURE COOKER
- ANYTHING MADE OF COPPER
- RICE COOKER
- COUNTERTOP CONVECTION OVEN, ROTISSERIE, OR “ROASTER” Only if you’re a sucker for late-night cooking infomercials. - spudnic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@jacinth (#6608032)
Considering you can pick one up for the same price as a cheap DVD player nowadays I think he was insane to leave it off the list.
Even if you never eat tray meals they're still worth it for things like heating up leftovers, warming cups of tea, baked potatoes etc.
The guy who wrote this obviously hasn't shopped on a budget for a long time. You could easily get a can opener and peeler for $2 combined.
And a wok is only worth it if you spend $1,400? Right. - danrik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5urusai:
That is not how any self respecting baker makes a pie - premade pie crusts are nasty. Home made pie crusts are devilishly difficult to get right, which is why there is such a big market for the pre made shells, and a good pie crust is the hallmark of a skilled baker.
That being said, cooking (food for dinner) and baking (the dessert or bread) are very different activities, and proficiency in one does not imply proficiency in the other - cooking is more art than science, baking is more science than art (except when it comes to decorating). - xcbxcb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Wok + Rice Cooker + Knife + Plastic Bowl = $100
- MrTea, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8I'd go with a small french press instead of a coffee pot.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00012D0R2/104-5121740-4775157 - jinushaun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I agree. I pretty much cook 80% of my food with a wok. It's not just for Asian stir-fry. It replaces the traditional "pan" for me and does a lot more because of the tall sides.
For those concerned about heat distribution, go with the wok/pan hybrid. They have a larger flat bottom surface than a normal wok (like a traditional pan), but they still have the bowl shape and tall sides. - Y0tsuya, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Agreed, the Rival rice cooker is crap. Visit a Chinese/Japanese/Korean market where they sell real ones with pressure seal.
- Gir53457, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The most expensive thing you should invest in is an iron skillet at a garage sale. Make sure it's seasoned and avoid washing it too much.The only knife that should be serrated is your bread knife and NEVER use knife sharpeners. That metal rod that comes with the knife set is made just for *Straitening* the knife blade. Smithies, welders and carpenters will sharpen knives pretty cheap if you need it.
When buying a blender, Torque over speed. Spatulas should be steel or silicon, nickle and silicon for strainers. You need at least 3 pots, 1 large, 1medium, 1 small and the small bust be able to sit inside the medium so you can make a double boiler. Never use a skillet in place of a saucepan. Portable electric grills are awesome (Make sure they can head up to 400-450 F) and a George Forman grill will work too. - TokenUser, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I had an Electric Wok (ie - like an electric frying pan, not a stove/burner top model) in my first kitchen setup that was amazing, and I would cook pretty much everything in it.
If you can't cook rice, step out of the kitchen. Its not a hassle, but it is all in the timing ... and NEVER lifting the lid or stirring it until it is cooked.
BUT - He buys a mandolin and disses a bread machine?? WTF is he thinking!!!! Nothing better than waking up to fresh bread in the morning. Oh yeah - if you cook a lot of soups, an immersion (stick) blender is a god send - transferring hot liquids to a blender and then back is just asking for trouble. - kitwaites, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Totally agree with rhesuspieces00 about the wok - really useful if you cook on gas especially if you make a lot of stews or soups that need reduction - the larger surface area helps evaporation and saves you money on gas. I got a massive non-stick one for £4 ($8) at a supermarket so not much for the utility you get.
I'd also invest in a microwave rather than a rice cooker - in the UK you can get a decent manual one for £8 ($16) and it's indispensable for cooking potatoes or rice. I've got an old manual one in my kitchen from the 1970's - manual dials never go wrong and so it will honestly last you forever.
Apart from that, great advice. - PaperMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3How about an appliance to remove variations of the same stupid comment showing up a billion times. Is it really that difficult to at least skim the comments before adding your own?
- jinushaun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I agree with salad spinner and food processor. I've never owned any of those things and I cook a lot.
A salad spinner is a luxury. When I was growing up, we would clean and dry our vegetables the old fashioned way. We washed a lot of vegetables and it was always a pain to do so, but a salad spinner is still a luxury item.
A food processor doesn't do anything a bit of manual chopping or mixing can't do. - slicerace, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Why All The Capital Letters? This Is So Weird To Read.
- moosenut754, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I went to college with an Easy-Bake oven.
- babyblue, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Get a $10 rice cooker with steam tray, make rice, soup, pasta, steam bun and dim sum.
I went to college with:
- Rice cooker - best part about it is you don't need a kitchen
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Vegetable peeler - if you can peel with a small knife, then this is optional
- Can opener - same if you know how to use a cleaver, heh
- Medium saucepans - boil, deep fry, anything with large amount of liquid
- 10" frying pan - stir fry, pan fry, some type of grilling, general cooking
- Lid for all those pans
plus some small accessories, though really not essential for dorm cooking - PismoDuo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I have to disagree on the rice cooker. We were given a fairly inexpensive one from costco as a housewarming gift, and I can't imagine my kitchen without it now. I use it for all sorts of things besides making rice, such as steaming vegetables. Not to mention the times when you get home and just want something simple and easy to throw together. 2 cups water, 1 cup rice, a handful of veggies in the steamer tray, maybe some chicken strips instead of the veggies, and there you go, dinner.
Never had a bread maker, and I don't usually drink coffee so I don't have a coffee maker either. I do have a stand mixer, and the article is right, it's not worth the counter top space it takes up because most of what I mix is easier to do with a hand held whisk or a spoon. I can see why some people might find them useful, though. - moosenut754, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I go to culinary school, and I still eat Easy-Mac and Ramen.
- antiphrasis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Great tips in the article. I went to a restaurant supply store today and picked up some cheap knives (Dexter-Russell). Best knives I've ever used.
- crowebert, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I agree with most of the article, but would argue that cast-iron point. My cast-iron skillet is easily the single most versatile thing I own in the kitchen. You can cook a million and one things in it on or in just about any heat source you can name, and it's damn near indestructible.
Otherwise, everything's more or less a solid pick. I especially agree with the non-essentials (except maybe the microwave; those are handy for leftovers and late-night lazy munchies), particularly the wok. Most people just don't realize that 99% of stoves just aren't hot enough to properly use a wok. You need almost a jet engine (or a barbeque sporting some white-hot charcoal) to reach the temperatures that good stir-frying is done at.
If anyone wants more information, Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen is an awesome primer for this sort of thing. Highly recommended. - stuckinOK06, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7I can do without the microwave but there's no way in HELL I'm going without my $50 burr coffee grinder (not a chopper!) and my kick-ass coffee pot.
- SaintStryfe, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4A very good set. I'd buy one more lid, and I like a few more tools - a Probe thermometer to match the instant-read (about 35$), a small lazy susan (Used for frosting cakes), and a 9" cake pan or two. I also like to have two silicone baking mats.
But, for that price, very nice set up.
/alton brown taught me to cook - bwizard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I buy all my kitchen ***** second hand!
- babyblue, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Most of the time, you can use a frying pan for stir fry, so wok is rarely necessary. I got a cast iron pan recently, having alot of trouble keeping that nice black seasoning :(
- ookamikun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I got a rotisserie from amazon for $125. It comes with steak baskets and 8 skewers. I use it for cooking chicken, roasts, steaks, shish kebab, shish chicken, vegetables.
I really disagree about the wok. I have a large wok with a handle and cook most of everything else in it. You can use it as a frying pan too.
The last item you need, besides things like knife, peeler, etc, is a big, clay slow cooker. - ivachen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1get this if you are using a wok on normal gas stove, it will stablized it so you can free your hand:
http://www.amazon.com/Wok-Ring/dp/B00012F3X6/ref=sr_1_10/104-2323883-0169559?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1178804905&sr=1-10 - rewqas, on 10/19/2007, -0/+1http://dream-kitchen-makeovers.blogspot.com/
- slapthemonkey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I liked it. Why not? But what to do with present utensils?
- SpaceMonkeyZero, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hot Plate and Ramen Noodles FTW?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@jinushaun
i'm asian too and i just don't reheat or store rice -- i just cook as much as i need every time. it's easier and healthier. and i use a japanese rice cooker which is super-nonstick, so cleaning it takes no more than a minute. -
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