Moving out of home is a big step in every persons life. Not only are you moving away from the comforts of Mum and Dad, you’re also moving away from the stocked pantry and fully equipped kitchen. Your first night in your own house will be exciting… until you realise that you have nothing to cook with. Rather than ordering pizza every day for the rest of your life, we’ve compiled a list of the basic essential things you will need to make the most of your new kitchen!
Lets start simple. You need things to eat with.
- Plates- You don’t need hundreds of plates, but enough to cater for everyone in the house, and perhaps a couple of guests.
- Bowls– Same as plates, you’ll need enough for everyone in the house plus one or two
- Cups- In my experience, one cup per person is not enough. I personally am a serial “drink from a cup once and put it in the sink to be washed” kind of person. Lots of cups are necessary.
- Coffee Mugs- Again, one for every person plus a few extra for guests.
- Forks / Knives / Spoons / Steak Knives – These typically come in packs of about a dozen. A dozen of each is a good place to start. If you start taking forks to work to have with your lunch, you may need to restock at home because they’re probably not going to come back.
Now to Appliance Essentials!
- Slow Cooker – These are a great investment and especially good for anyone who is time poor. Through your dinner in the pot in the morning before work, and come home to a perfectly slow cooked meal.
- Toaster – Breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can’t go wrong with toast
- Kettle- Hot chocolates, coffees, two minute noodles or soup, you need a kettle
- Rice Cooker– Throw the rice in and it’ll cook without you having to think! Super helpful
- Microwave– For all your leftovers, make old meals new again!
- Sandwich Press- When you can’t be bothered cooking a grommet meal, toasted sandwiches are the best go to. Spaghetti and Cheese or Chicken, Avocado and Cheese. Yummy!
- Frying Pan- You will need more than one. Perhaps a large, medium and small one!
- Saucepans- Same deal as frying pans, have one in three different sizes. This is effective for cooking lots of things at once because stove tops usually have large and small hotplates.
- Colander- a colander can be used as both a strainer and a tool for steaming veggies.
- Chopping Boards- Have a few of these. You do not want to be chopping raw meet and vegetables on the same surface.
- Mixing Bowls- Get microwave safe mixing bowls. They become very handy for cooking vegetables quickly, or using to marinade your food.
- Grater- It will surprise you how often you need one of these
- Oven Safe Casserole Dish- For potato bakes or pasta bakes. Ensure it is oven safe or you will have a big mess on your hands
- Measuring Cup- It’s not always easy to guess how much of everything you have, so grab yourself a measuring cup for peace of mind.
Some little things
- Potato Peeler
- Rolling Pin
- Spatula
- Egg Flip
- Tongs
Hopefully this guide has given you an idea into what you might need for your new adventure. You will make your kitchen your own and work out the things you do and do not need. Enjoy this next chapter, and happy cooking!