• Measuring jug: This is something you’ll use a lot if you have it and something you wished you had if you don’t get it. You’d be surprised how many things do need measuring – think of the gravy!
• Colander: You can drain all sorts with a colander! Get one with smaller holes as then you can use it for rice, pasta and draining boiled veg.
• Potato masher: Despite the misleading name you can use the masher for things other than potato such as carrots or swede.
• Tin opener: I’ve thought this one through over and over again and can’t think of a better way to open a tin. Unless you only buy cans with ring pulls you are going to need a tin opener.
• Frying pan: 100% worth getting a good one as you’ll be using it a lot. Get a decent hardwearing one that’ll last – cheap ones tend to lose their non-stick and you find little black bits in your food from the bottom of the pan. Not pleasant.
• Good knife: I’d say this is number one in terms of the quality you should buy. It makes life a lot easier if you get a good knife. Look for one that’s a quite big (generally it should be twice as big as what you’re chopping) as this will take a lot of the effort out of chopping.
• Chopping board: No chopping board = scars on the work surfaces = bye bye deposit. Think about it…
• Sauce pans: You can get good-quality sauce pans really quite cheap now and I’d recommend you do look for fairly good ones. I’d also suggest you get 2-3 sauce pans of varying sizes, this way you can have a few things on the go at once i.e. pasta and a sauce.
• Cheap plates, bowls & mugs: Don’t spend lots of this!!! Plates, glasses and mugs get broken all the time. Don’t take your best stuff as it’ll simply be ruined – unless you keep it all in your room and hoard it like a squirrel who’s planning a dinner party.
• Cheap cutlery: Clue is in the name. Once arrived everyone’s cutlery is more than likely going to end up in the same draw. Plus a cheap fork still does the same as an expensive fork – why pay more.
Tags: Cooking, cooking equipment, food, Ingreidients, kitchen utensils, Tips
