The ##cooking starter kit

Equipment

You can spend an awful lot of money on kitchen equipment, and to a large extent the more money you spend the better the kit you’ll get. However, there’s no need to spend thousands in one go – start with reasonably priced yet good quality examples of the absolute essentials, then over time add pieces as and when you need and can afford them. Start with the list below, and then build.

People in the channel will be able to provide no end of recommendations for equipment at various price ranges. The important thing is to buy stuff that’s built well enough that you’ll never need to replace it – a Le Creuset or Staub cast iron pot costs a lot, but it’ll be used by your grandchildren. A cheaper one, on the other hand, may wear out and need replacing in a few years.

  • Good eight inch chef knife: http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-8-Inch-47520-5-2063-20/dp/B000638D32/
  • Non stick frying pan: http://www.amazon.com/T-fal-Professional-Thermo-Spot-Indicator-Dishwasher/dp/B000GWG0T2/
  • Cast iron skillet: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006JSUB/
  • Saucier: We’d love to suggest one but haven’t found a cheap one yet
  • Whisk: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004OCNS/

Pantry ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll want in your store cupboard. It might look like a lot to buy at one time, but these items are all shelf-stable and one bottle or jar might last for years. These are the things that are used in a wide range of recipes, and are difficult to substitute (or, sometimes, they are the substitutes for other things).

Dry spices

For cumin, coriander and black pepper, don’t be tempted to buy ready-ground. It’ll go stale and lose its flavour much faster than the whole spice will.

  • Cumin (whole)
  • Allspice (whole)
  • Black peppercorns (whole)
  • Coriander seed (whole)
  • Hungarian paprika (ground)
  • Ginger (ground)
  • Cayenne (ground)
  • Red pepper flake

Dried herbs

These are the herbs that work best when dried. Others (tarragon, basil, parsley, etc.) don’t dry well, and should be bought fresh when you need them.

  • Bay
  • Thyme
  • Marjoram
  • Rosemary

Oils

Three oils, for different purposes. There will be times when you don’t want to use olive oil – sometimes its flavour is too dominant, and its smoke point is too low for most frying.

  • Big tin of decent olive oil
  • Bottle of peanut oil
  • Bottle of grapeseed oil

Salts

  • A box of kosher salt, or large crystal sea salt.

Vinegars

  • Red wine vinegar
  • White wine and/or cider vinegar

Not as essential as the above, but still very useful:

  • Rice vinegar
  • Sherry vinegar

Miscellaneous dried foods

  • A selection of dried beans – pinto, haricot, black turtle and kidney beans are a good start. Big bags of these cost next to nothing and last forever.
  • Mushrooms – porcini mushrooms dry well, and pack an awful lot of flavour.

Tinned foods

  • Whole tomatoes
  • Chipotles in adobo
  • Tomato paste

Sauces

  • Worcestershire sauce – Lea & Perrins is the standard brand here
  • Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
  • Soy sauce
  • Hot sauce – a mild, vinegar-based one and as many hotter versions as you like. Apart from as a table condiment, these are always useful to give a bit more interest to casseroles, tomato-based sauces and anything else you fancy.

Jarred stuff

  • English or German mustard
  • Dijon mustard
  • Whole grain mustard
  • Bouillon base

Grains

  • All-purpose flour
  • short grain rice
  • Dried pasta (whole semolina)
  • Quinoa