Now that you have crossed the carefree life of a student and are planning to seriously settle down as a homemaker, you need to understand that those days of a single saucepan, a couple of bowls and a wooden spatula are over. From now on you will be running a full fledged kitchen and there will be hungry bellies that would look up to you for deliciously cooked food day after day.



So, let us quickly go through the details you must keep in mind when you are shopping for you new kitchen.

You should ideally go for four saucepans – three of them should vary between sizes 18 to 24 cm. and be made of stainless steel. They could be used for boiling rice, potatoes, eggs or vegetables while the fourth one, which must surely be made of non-sick material and be of a smaller size (not more than 18 cm) can be used for frying meat or onions. For the larger saucepans, cast iron is strongly discouraged since they would be so heavy that you may not be able to maneuver with one hand.

The next in line should be casserole dishes, if for no other reason then for the simple fact that they serve the double purpose of cookware and can be put on the dining table too. That saves a lot of washing and cleaning! The casseroles always come with two handles, so handling them is never a problem.

As I have already said, the days of a single wooden spatula are over. Now you a need a good collection of wooden spoons, though I would most definitely recommend acrylic ones because they don’t damage your non stick pans. You should buy at least a ladle, a slotted spoon, a spatula, a masher and a slice. Are you feeling a little bewildered? Don’t worry; you will very soon be using all of them and maybe thanking me for suggesting such an elaborate list!

Now let us cast a glance at the knives. Go for the best quality all purpose cook’s knife and don’t forget to buy a sturdy steel for sharpening it. Many experts have many opinions about what a good all purpose kitchen knife should be, like good grip, uniform weight distribution, and just enough heavy to cut the fattest potato with minimum of effort. But what my experience has taught me is something different. Finding a good all purpose kitchen knife is like finding a life partner – your heart tells you that you have found the right one!

If kitchen knife comes, can a chopping board be far behind? Many people go for the acrylic ones but I would always opt for a nice wooden block. For the novice homemaker one chopping board would do, but with time and experience, you will yourself go for separate chopping boards for meat, poultry and vegetables.

Armed with these basic weapons, go ahead make a dash! Wish you many many years of happy cooking!