Long, long, ago, in a galaxy not that far away, it used to be that women would move from their parents homes to their husbands, (sometimes in with the husbands family) and they would furnish their kitchen by wedding registries.

Nowadays, men and women move out on their own long before they get married, and while registries have their use, perhaps furnishing a kitchen should take a little more planning.

I don’t know about you, but after living on my own for 20 years, with a handful of both good, bad and downright ugly roommates, my kitchen “stuff” looked pretty bad. And interesting mix of hand me downs, and roommate leftovers and things I picked up at a garage sale.

So I went through my kitchen and tossed a LOT of stuff. (Donating items where they still had use to them.) and got down to building a good basic kitchen.

Appliances:

• Microwave
• Toaster (not needed because you can broil items in the oven, but really good to have)
• Coffee maker (VITAL!)
• Cheese grater
• Can Opener

Pots & Pans:

• Saucepan
• Skillet
• Grilling pan
• Stew Pot
• Casserole Dish
• Cookie Sheet

Misc.:

• Cutting Board
• Good Knife
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Wooden mixing/stirring spoons
• Large Bowl

 

Beyond the Basics:

• Food Processor
• Steamer
• Kettle
• Scale
• Juicer
• Colander
• Whisk

And of course, enough silverware to feed yourself and any guests, plates/cups, bowls and glasses.

If you are just starting out, try a Goodwill or Savers discount store. If you take a little time, you can find some very interesting items.

Just remember two things:

1. If it is electric, don’t buy it without testing it first
2. Plates/Bowls etc. don’t have to match.