So very much this.
Also, if you get some cast iron, or enameled cast iron, go with Lodge. I do not believe it’s worth shelling out the extra money for the fancy stuff. Lodge makes solid products, even in their enameled line, and if you accidentally destroy a pan (which I have done), you aren’t out hundreds of dollars.
My Lodge cast iron pan has been awesome, and I really don’t think it’s that hard to maintain, especially since he’s not going to be having dishwasher convenience for other dishes anyway.
I mean honestly just the arm strength to hoist the fuckin thing around to rinse it out and wipe it down is more work than ss. But I am also a weakling baby manlet, so, YMMV.
Yeah it is a bulky, heavy sucker. I let it ‘soak’ until I’m sure the wife isn’t going to do it. :)
As long as I didn’t make a huge mess I use the sea salt truck I learned from Good Eats most of the time. Pour in sea salt and wipe down while the skillet is still hot, it’s abrasive enough to clean anything stuck and will absorb any liquid. Once it cools down a bit just dump it out.
Anyway, cast iron and Dutch oven aren’t necessary, but we sure use ours a lot.
What do you like to eat and do you see yourself trying to make that first?
For basics, I’d get the victorinox chef knife 8in to start, a honing steel, large sieve or colander, and a cutting board (which you’d probably find cheapest at a restaurant supply store. baking sheets especially).
For cookware, find a decent stainless steel set. slickdeals used to post a bunch. i got a 10 piece for ~150. for a calphalon. lots of folks boast about all-clad. but you just need something with a thick, heavy, flat bottom.
If you like rice, stews/soups, and yogurt, try an instant pot.
I bought a large cast iron skillet, but it’s an optional and takes a while to get going. Frankly I bought it mostly because ‘emeril’ is etched in the bottom and it would be a hilarious to me heirloom.
My chef’s knife from them goes dull pretty quickly, but that’s probably because I put a 15 degree edge on it care of those Chef Step’s Trizor XV. Takes me < 30 seconds to put an edge on it that people are amazed by, but a honing tool will let you go a month or two without it, at least. Feels great in the hand, it’s lightweight, but isn’t very attractive and the looks don’t improve with age. Still my go to knife.
Yeah, never put them in the dishwasher and always wipe them down. I don’t dry them off completely but I make sure any moisture left will evaporate quickly. Mine are 15+ years old and still look great and lay completely flat.
That was going to be my only real addition to the thread. Glass containers for leftovers are a pain to store but I don’t know how anyone cooks for 1 or 2 without them. Ignore this if you are an odd duck who won’t eat leftovers (I know a few).
My other recommendation is going to be sacrilegious to many here but pick up a cheap 5" ceramic knife (mine was $5 at Target I think) as a beater knife for cutting hunks of cheese (that always seem to stick to my good knife), taking outside, cutting fruit, using as a sharp tip when you need to pop the plastic around a lid, or whatever.
I really adore the Oxo glass containers I linked. They really do hold in smelly leftover odors surprisingly well!
I really like USA Pan for all your half sheet and 9x13 etc pan needs
My top used/essential stuff - in a small manageable list
-Mortar and Pestle - mainly to freshen up dried herbs, but sometimes for cooking.
-Food processor with mini-processor/chopper sized bowl - #1 tools. Pesto, dough, chopping, mincing, puree’ing, whatever
-Good Liquid Measure - so key
-Rasp Grater - way better on your knuckles than a box grater
-Electronic baking scale (useful for non-baking also where you go off weight instead of volume - aka how much meat is this?)
-Some thing to keep your knife edges in good shape
-A good timer - a lot of cooking just comes down to heat and time. I die inside when I see friends try to cook without using a timer - their food is always over or under done.
-recipes that are good but can be prepped and cooked in an hour or less (I have some favorites I can do in under 20 minutes).
-A good large spoon/ladle for cooking AND a Good spatula/flipper for cooking - your two main tools for moving stuff around on the stovetop.
-glass ramekins/small ingredient bowls - makes cooking a lot easier when you can stage everything in small bowls to dump in.
Also frequently used, but not necessarily essential
-Lemon/Lime juicer - if you like Citrus juice in your food
-Garlic press - If you like Garlic in your food.
This has all been incredibly helpful! Exactly what I was hoping for.
I’ve owned two of these and used two different ones, and thus far, my experiences with them have been incredibly frustrating. They all seem to leave a big wad of un-pressed garlic curled up around the plunger, usually shooting up out the sides of the “cup” that the garlic goes into. They’re also absurdly difficult to clean, with little bits sticking like their lives depended on it.
Peeling and mincing garlic is one of my top-5 least-favorite kitchen tasks. Please, Qt3, sell me on a garlic press that can at least let me skip the latter of the two parts to said chore.
We have a garlic rocker that I find way more usable than a press. Way easier to scrape off and clean.
Simple one like this Amazon.com: Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker Crusher Mincer Press Dishwasher Safe, Stainless Steel: Kitchen & Dining
I use this one from Ikea.
I never peel the cloves. I haven’t had a problem with garlic squirting up the sides of the plunger. The removeable basket easier to clean than other types of used before. The downside to this model is that it does not handle large cloves well. It either doesn’t fit in which case you need to cut the garlic, or it is a bit difficult to get the plunger into the basket.
Yeah, this is the garlic press secret.
Much good advice, but I have to reinforce @ArmandoPenblade here. Gas > electric for stovetop cooking. Full stop. Electric oven is fine, but range? Gas, maybe induction if you’re getting fancy, but electric blows. It’s very hard to manage heat well on an electric range.
Other than that, I’m in the more minimalist camp. A good chef’s knife, maybe one or two other knives for different things, some good pots and pans (I also love cast iron, though it certainly is not an essential and it would not be my only pan for sure), containers for leftovers, and a food processor. You can get by probably with a good stick blender with attachments, or even just a good blender maybe. Other than that, eh, utensils and tongs, peeler, spatula, etc.
A good dishwasher is nice, but as noted, not totally necessary if you are pretty religious about clean up. I hate, hate, hate garbage disposals, because they always break and if you have a septic tank rather than public water sewer (like us) they are not good for the septic system. Even with public utilities I’d rather compost, which is actually mandated where I live anyhow.
Regarding the garbage disposal, I just really don’t want to worry too much about the sink getting clogged up, especially since I’ll be washing dishes by hand.
Regarding the range, I wouldn’t be opposed to upgrading from electric to gas. I’m getting the impression it would be a worthwhile purchase. Just perhaps something that could wait a few months.
I’m with Armando in that I have never found a garlic press to be usable. I feel like I must be doing something wrong.
I just smash the garlic with the side of my knife and then mince it.