Kitchen Essentials! What could you not live without?
 

Having moved around and lived with a bunch of different people, I've never really had a fully-stocked kitchen of my own. I've always borrowed this, loaned that, and rarely purchased much. Slowly, but surely, I am needing to get my own full set of kitchen nick-knacks, but right now I have to prioritize my needs (and, of course, save the more expensive things for the wedding registry xD).

I'm not really talking about flatware or silverware (or large appliances like an oven or stove).

However, I would probably die without my silicone spatula. I went without one for a few months and could hardly contain my frustration.

I'm also in love with my fryer. Although I don't do much frying anymore, I basically can use it as a fifth stovetop burner. It also comes in handy for keeping soups and stews warm, since we don't own a crock-pot. I can do the same with my rice cooker, but it doesn't really have a temperature control, so I don't like it for much more than making rice or steaming vegetables.

What I've missed the most is having a toaster (or toaster oven). Making toast in the oven just isn't the same (and uses up way more energy x_x). We have four microwaves though, so if any of you want to trade me... xD

So my question for you, Menewsha, is what could you not live without in your kitchen?

Surprisingly, I've never owned metal bowls. But, I have these huge plastic bowls I use for all sorts of things. Mostly baking, but sometimes for making mashed potatoes or large amounts of something-or-other.

I don't think I'll buy metal bowls until I get a stand-mixer though. Can't really see a need for one over my plastic ones until then. I can't wait to get a nice kitchen-aid (drool)

OH! Something else I've missed since I moved out of my dad's house: A PANTRY. It's like I just can't find the room to put stuff, and some things just don't fit in the cabinets we have (namely cereal boxes and large bottles like for soda or wine).

I'm pretty sure I'd die without a stove. I'd love to have an oven, of course....but I can cook a heck of a lot of things on a stove. .....I realllyyy hope I get a stove in my dorm. T_T

Now, for more realistic to the rest of the world..... a rice cooker. My family doesn't have one, but I'm getting one for college. I used to stay alllll the time at my friend's house, and she always had at least 1 rice cooker full of rice. It was great for when we suddenly got hungry in the middle of the night. You can do all sorts of stuff with rice....so it's like if you've got rice, you've got a whole day of food. >D

I -NEED- a stove and an oven. A microwave I can do without, since I hardly ever cook using that. I'd also require pots and pans of various sizes, as well as a couple skillets. I love to cook, and when I have the money, I do it all the time, haha.

We've had to do without quite a lot in my household, but I honestly hate having to live without a toaster. Absence of a kettle is a pretty hard knock, too.

From a cooking point of view, I can't do without a stock of chilli powder. I really go through that stuff. I like all sorts of herbs and spices, but... wherever possible I add chilli to everything =w= :heart:

sour cream.

I just moved and totally need to rebuy a TON of stuff. I can say though, the really important things to me are: a good set of knives, a strainer, a grater, a whisk and a potato masher (though I never use it for potatoes, lol.)

My oven is really goofy, though, I have to talk to the landlord about that. ._. I'd wind up spending way too much money if I could never bake. D=

ya...welcome to my house. XD Our A/C is broken and our oven has never cooked right. So my mom and brother are always out at McD's or Taco Bell or something. And I'm like...."....can you just get me some bread and cheese? DX"

My A/C is okay, but I walk everywhere, so I just feel too hot to cook anything heavy-duty in summer. It's been a lot of sandwiches and pasta salad at my place this last week ...

mmm pasta salad sounds fantastic. I wish I could do some regular cooking in the summer. There are so many things I'd love to eat right now, but they'd turn the house into its own energy source if I made them all. XD Especially the foods that are supposed to cook for six hours...hehe..heh..

OMG YES KNIVES. One of my housemates was a cutco salesman, so he had the full shebang. When he moved out, I was SO SAD :cry:

I did make a point to get a cutco peeler though, because it was so nice and made my life so much easier *_*

I'll definitely be asking for a nice set of knives for my registry. Or maybe I can get some for Christmas...

And our oven is goofy too. It tends to run hot for some reason. We've burned quite a bit of food, but I've learned to work around it with lower temps and shorter cooking times.

I also miss our quesadilla maker. I never made quesadillas in it, but it was FANTASTIC for pancakes... if you don't mind triangle-shaped pancakes that is xD

Besides the essential appliances, I'd really need a wooden spoon. I was shocked at how much I needed them when I used to go to my old girlfriend's house and try and cook but there were no wooden spoons. Somehow I've gotten into the habit of using wooden spoons cooking everything. Other than that, I need a lot of just normal cutlery.
Food wise, a kitchen always needs milk. D:

What about plastic spoons?

The only thing I don't like about wooden spoons is that they tend to stain :/

But some plastic spoons will too. So eh. I just feel that plastic ones tend to get more clean since they're not porous like wooden spoons are. I wouldn't mind having one though.

I'm like that with garlic xD

I have to have garlic powder AND fresh garlic (if not a jar of minced garlic, when fresh garlic isn't available to me.

Omg, my last stove had a griddle on it -- it was wonderful ... whenever I was really stumped about what to cook I could always make the best quesadillas ever. =D I have to look into a quesadilla-maker, I think. I had no idea they existed. D=?

They're basically like waffle makers (or a george foreman) with a different shape instead of the checker-pattern xD

Hmm. I just googled them and they are really cute, inexpensive and get excellent reviews. I don't mind making them in a skillet, but I have the feeling that I would cook more quesadillas with a maker.

One of my friends used to have a quesadilla maker. Apparently, he used it alll the time. XD

The one thing I can't live with out is plastic blows in my house. we all ways seem to use them to darn fast at times. other then that I can't live with out milk are soy sauce.

You see, the thing about plastic spoons is they melt. I mean they're great in boiling water and such, but I can't scrape frying pans with a plastic spoon.
And the non-cleaning adds flavour. I have a friend with a sauce pot that gets burned and scraped but never washed. D:

Lol, I guess that's one way to think about it (the flavor part).

I've seen melted spoons, yes, but I guess it just never happens to me *shrug*

I forgot one a electric can opener my hand held ones keep rusting to quickly on me.

I don't really mind having a hand-crank opener. If you keep them clean and wash and dry them by hand, they shouldn't rust so quickly.

What I did miss was having a hand-crank opener that worked. At one point, we had two that were broken and a left-handed (i.e. top-sitting, instead of side-sitting) opener that was somewhat awkward to use.

Though, what I do miss about my dad's electric opener is the magnet that keeps the lid from falling into the can. I'm usually good at not letting that happen, but I've cut myself a few times trying to bend the lid back.

Ahhh same! I hate the hand ones.