My second son is preparing to leave for college in another state. We’ve been talking through his plans for several months now. It’s exciting and overwhelming–for both us. He likes to cook, and I want cooking to be a fun, creative, and rewarding activity. Knowing it will save him money and keep him healthier than an endless supply of ramen noodles or frozen burritos, I want to help him get the right equipment so that it’s a successful experience. Buying dishes for your first kitchen can be daunting, confusing, or fun. Let’s look at it together.
Apartment living–6 guys–small kitchen. Everything in that kitchen must be worth its real estate.
I don’t want to spend a lot of money, but I want them to be good quality I’ll be shopping thrift stores and estate sales over the next several months to find items that will work for him.
Here are the plans we have for stocking his first kitchen.
Pots and pans for the lower cabinets:
- 2 metal jelly roll pans (light colored for cookies, dark colored for roasting vegetables, frozen pizza)
- cooling rack
- 2 cutting boards (1 for meat, 1 for everything else, keep them clean)
- muffin tin (12 cups— great for freezing individual portions)
- 2 skillets— a 7” and 10” (Plan to hand wash these. They can be hung from a command strip on the wall if cabinet space is limited.)
- a 2-3 quart saucepan (Hand wash)
- a 6 quart pot for soups and pasta (Hand wash)
- toaster
- lunch box with ice packs
Dishes for the upper cabinets:
- 9 x 13 casserole dish, freezer-to-oven safe
- 1 medium and 1 large mixing bowl
- a 2-cup liquid measuring cup
- 1 dry measuring cup set
- 6-8 freezer-to-microwave containers (Pyrex work well.)
- 1 loaf pan (for bread and smaller casseroles)
- wand blender
Implements for the drawers:
- 2 knives— 1 good chef’s knife and 1 good paring knife
- measuring spoons
- grater or microplaner
- strainer, large with feet
- rubber scrapers—2, stiff with nice flex
- spatula, sturdy and safe for nonstick cookware
- can opener, a good one
- 2 wooden spoons (Plan to hand wash them.)
- wire whisk
- vegetable peeler
- meat thermometer
- tongs
- potato masher
- serving spoons
- aluminum foil
- pizza cutter
- plastic wrap
- zippered bags, small and large
Dishes for the table:
- Place settings for 4-8
- 2 serving bowls
- 2 serving spoons
- pitcher for juice, water
Textiles:
- 2 oven mitts
- 3-4 dish towels (color coded helps designate hand towels/dish towels/clean up)
- 6-8 dish cloths
- 1 tablecloth (great for picnics or tailgating)
- apron if you want one
To add later:
- blender
- handmixer
- serrated bread knife
- pie plate
- meat tenderizer
- candy thermometer
- additional saucepans
- sifter
- crock pot
- waffle iron
- soup ladle
- steak knives
- Funnel
Buying dishes for your first kitchen doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I’ve put together a checklist for you that I call The Ultimate College Kitchen Checklist. Click here to get your hands on that list. And if you’re looking for good pots and pans, here are some sound tips for you.
