2008 Woodie Awards
Necessities for every kitchen
Annaleigha Wilke
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Life
The spring semester is coming to a close and with the new school year beginning soon, many of UNCG's students are looking to live off campus. The only problem is what to purchase to fill up your brand new living space, which includes that newly acquired kitchen. All the gizmos and gadgets that are apparently needed for cooking properly daunt some students, but we are here to help you choose the prefect tools and show you how to effectively utilize them.
For starters, the three most important items for cooking in a kitchen are a pot and pan set, a set of varied utensils for cooking, and a cutting knife set with a cutting board. The best type of pots and pans that you can buy are the non-stick kind. No one wants to spend half of their morning scraping eggs out of a pan. Although a set is pretty expensive, this is a good investment since they will last, along with your patience.
As for utensils, any kind is good, as long as the handles are well insulated. Buy only the ones that you expect to use: a soup ladle, stirring spoons, spaghetti fork, etc. For example don't go and waste money on a potato masher unless you plan on creating homemade mashed potatoes.
Lastly, for the cutting set, don't skimp on this! Some sets can be expensive, but buy a good brand anyhow. If you go cheap the metal will wiggle and bend, and they will hardly cut anything much less the steak you prepared for your friends. Invest well in a strong, sturdy knife set and it will last for a long time. For the cutting board, get a sturdy plastic one for cutting meat.
For the eating aspect of creating meals, you need a good set of dishes, silverware, and Tupperware. Anything is up for grabs as long as the product is dishwasher-safe. You never know when the item will end up in the dishwasher.
If you are going the thrifty way, buy sturdy plastics, not flimsy, soft kinds. It might seem like a good deal to get four cups for a dollar, but they bend and crack and when in the dishwasher, they fly around. If you want your dish and silverware set to last until you graduate, look towards a metal and ceramic set for eating. Tupperware sets are good for storing leftovers. Since you eat different sized foods, you should buy a set of varying sizes. For Tupperware, make sure to get some that is microwavable, and be earth-friendly and stay away from disposable stuff.
For starters, the three most important items for cooking in a kitchen are a pot and pan set, a set of varied utensils for cooking, and a cutting knife set with a cutting board. The best type of pots and pans that you can buy are the non-stick kind. No one wants to spend half of their morning scraping eggs out of a pan. Although a set is pretty expensive, this is a good investment since they will last, along with your patience.
As for utensils, any kind is good, as long as the handles are well insulated. Buy only the ones that you expect to use: a soup ladle, stirring spoons, spaghetti fork, etc. For example don't go and waste money on a potato masher unless you plan on creating homemade mashed potatoes.
Lastly, for the cutting set, don't skimp on this! Some sets can be expensive, but buy a good brand anyhow. If you go cheap the metal will wiggle and bend, and they will hardly cut anything much less the steak you prepared for your friends. Invest well in a strong, sturdy knife set and it will last for a long time. For the cutting board, get a sturdy plastic one for cutting meat.
For the eating aspect of creating meals, you need a good set of dishes, silverware, and Tupperware. Anything is up for grabs as long as the product is dishwasher-safe. You never know when the item will end up in the dishwasher.
If you are going the thrifty way, buy sturdy plastics, not flimsy, soft kinds. It might seem like a good deal to get four cups for a dollar, but they bend and crack and when in the dishwasher, they fly around. If you want your dish and silverware set to last until you graduate, look towards a metal and ceramic set for eating. Tupperware sets are good for storing leftovers. Since you eat different sized foods, you should buy a set of varying sizes. For Tupperware, make sure to get some that is microwavable, and be earth-friendly and stay away from disposable stuff.
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