Corndog | Boneyard

Let’s say you’ve just graduated college, and moved across the country. You’re starting over with nothing in your kitchen but a spoon you stole from a roommate and low bowl. This guide will help you inexpensively stock your kitchen with gear that will make you want to cook.

Everything with an asterisk is something you can buy at a thrift store, and some info to help if that’s your kind of thing.

These are non negotiable brand new buys:

• Blue painters tape – $5
• Sharpies – $5
• Deli containers (Amazon has combo packs of cups/pints/quarts for $10-15)
• Cake tester – $1
• Thermometer $5-10
• Y-peeler $3
• Squeeze bottles $5
• Cambro containers – very ugly, but cheap and last forever
• Latex gloves $5
• Cutting board $10
• Rubber spatulas $10 – Gir and Rubbermaid make high heat resistant spatulas that last years

Duh

• *Tongs
• *Spatula or preferably fish spatula 
• *Whisk
• *Sheet trays
• *Mixing bowls
• *Mason jars 
• *Honing steel $5

These are cheaply sourced at a thrift store, but also cheaply sourced at a restaurant supply store. In my mind, you might as well buy them new for a few bucks more, we’re talking $10 vs. $20 total.

Chefs knife:

I could write a lot about knives, and maybe I will someday, but there is plenty out there to read if you want to spend a lot of money on a shiny toy, but it’s probably better spent elsewhere in your kitchen.

Again, these are also cheaply sourced at a thrift store, and maybe even quite good, but will take some TLC to get them where you want to be.

A perfectly functional new knife, factory sharpened is only $40 from Victorinox. The same knife with gouges and chips at goodwill probably costs $6. So it’s up to you

Western, gyuto, Santoku, nakiri

Note on knives: I realize knives are intimidating, big pointy western chefs knives can be a really spooky tool.

These are not necessary for any of the recipes that I make here, but can definitely elevate the quality and ease of the food you make. Most of them come at a higher price point and will require a bit more skill, but if you’re feeling curious, these are great to have.

Additional gear

• Kitchen twine
• Chinois strainer
• Micro plane
• Baking scale (Escali ones are cute)
• Mandolin
• Spider 
• Oven thermometer
• Non stick skillet