While cooking at home is a great money-saving strategy, it’s not that easy to do if your kitchen isn’t yet stocked with the basics. Certain tools and accessories will make your culinary routine an enjoyable and frugal tradition. Consider making sure you have these 18 items on hand to make dinnertime a little easier and more affordable.
A chef’s knife and cutting board
Almost everything you need to do, from peeling vegetables to hacking up roasts, can be accomplished with a good chef’s knife. The quality of your cutting board doesn’t matter much, so you don’t need to spend a lot. If you opt for plastic, find one that’s thick enough so it won’t bend and warp.
Pots and pans
While your specific needs depend on the size of the group you’re cooking for, you can’t go wrong with a quality non-stick frying pan, a medium-size stockpot and a Dutch oven.
An oven-safe pan
Use this for anything you want to bake, oven-roast or broil. To start, look for a Pyrex baking dish with at least two-inch-high sides. You can use this for everything from lasagna to brownies to roasted eggplant.
Measuring cups and spoons
Look for cups and spoons that have the measurement number pressed into the plastic or metal instead of printed on, because the printed ones eventually rub off.
Serving utensils
Between your silverware and a spatula, tongs and spoon or ladle, you can handle scraping, spreading and serving just about any kind of food you’re cooking.
Hand mixer
An inexpensive hand mixer (not to be confused with that wedding-registry favorite, the stand mixer) is a near-must for baking. Whipping egg whites and cream with an electric hand mixer already takes a while; you do not want to do that by hand with a whisk. It also works well for soups, smoothies and baby food.
Mixing bowls
From salad to cookies to burger meat, you need something you can mix ingredients in. It’s best to have at least two bowls, and these work great for serving meals, too.
Can opener
You can get fancy or keep things simple when it comes to can openers, but the most important thing is to be able to quickly and easily open your canned goods. If you struggle with the cheap openers, you might try an electronic one, which you can find for under $20. (And don’t forget to recycle those cans when you’re done with them!)
Spices
One key to frugal cooking is finding ways to make cheap food delicious, and adding shelf-stable spices is a great way to do that. Shop for spices at ethnic grocery stores; they’re often much cheaper than at regular grocery stores.
Slow cookers
Preparing a meal in advance to cook all day while you’re out means coming home to mouth-watering smells — and it saves you time in the evening. You won’t be tempted to order takeout because your meal is already made.
Cheese grater
Grating your own cheese takes an extra five minutes in prep and clean-up time, but the results taste better and are cheaper than packages of pre-shredded cheese.
Cookbooks
Even seasoned chefs can use some inspiration now and then, and that’s where cookbooks come in. Classics like “The Joy of Cooking” and new favorites by Food Network stars provide recipe ideas as well as time- and money-saving tips.
Herb garden
Purchasing the occasional handful of basil or mint can set you back $3 a pop. Instead, plant a small herb garden so you can brighten up your sauces and pastas on the cheap.
Coffee maker
We’ve all heard how quickly the costs of daily coffee purchases can add up. A simple drip machine or French press allows you to make fresh coffee whenever you want it. As long as you buy high-quality beans, your cup of joe can taste just as good as what you find at the local café.
Tea pot
The same make-your-own philosophy applies to tea. Jazzing up your teapot can make you more excited about brewing your own Earl Gray.
Pizza cutter
As long as you grate your own cheese and either make your own dough or buy cheap, premade dough, homemade pizza can be cheaper than store-bought slices. Owning a pizza slicer makes your creations look professional.
Microwave
One of the biggest money-savers is learning to waste less food. Reheating leftovers in the microwave helps with this goal.
Food storage containers
High-quality storage containers that can hold up in the freezer, dishwasher and microwave make it easy to use all of your leftovers. Plus, you can turn your freezer into a fast food joint with an array of ready-to-go meal options.
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