If there鈥檚 one place in the house that we鈥檇 vote to streamline first, it鈥檚 the kitchen. No shame in being utilitarian here instead of filling your cabinets with five-piece decanter sets. In fact, the ideal no-frills kitchen almost exclusively requires items under $30 (with the exception of two splurges).听We distilled the perfect toolkit that鈥檒l get you through daily meal prep, supply you with money-saving homemade training fuel, and make the occasional fancy dinner party effortless.听
A Versatile Knife Set
For knife recommendations, we turned to听, the听regional head chef for in San Francisco. He says you need at least听four different blades:
- A 3-inch paring knife:听鈥淔or smaller, hand-held work like trimming.鈥澨
- A听chef knife:听鈥淓ither traditional or [Japanese]听Santoku shape is fine.鈥
- A serrated bread knife.听
- A stiff boning or听fillet knife,听鈥渋f you're interested in doing any butchery.鈥
Our pick: 听($40). Bonus carving knife included!
Set of Three Cutting Boards
Proper sanitation during prep is always important, and it鈥檚 a must if you work with uncooked meat. 鈥淐ross contamination can happen when cutting potentially hazardous foods, so keeping food types separate by using separate cutting boards is a good idea,鈥 says Tishman. You should have one board reserved for meat, and one that you never use to chop strong-flavored ingredients. 鈥淐utting strawberries on a board after cutting onions or garlic is a terrible idea.鈥澨
Our pick: ($12)
Saucier Pan听
The closest you'll get to a one-size-fits-all stovetop item: a multipurpose saucier pan.听Molly Pam, a New York City-based freelance chef, recommends investing in a nice one听that holds at least three quarts. 鈥淵ou can saut茅 in it, you can boil water for pasta or cook grains in it. It is the most versatile pan I own, and you almost don't need to own any others,鈥 says Pam. Hers is made of听stainless steel, which 鈥渉eats evenly and quickly, cleans easily, and is heavy enough that it won鈥檛 warp over time.鈥
Our pick: ($182)
Cost-effective alternative: ($50)
Metal Baking Pan
Don鈥檛 overthink听it:听A 13-by-9-inch dark听metal pan is impossible to break and easy to clean. And if you're not a serious baker, it eliminates the need for any other oven tool.听During the week, compartmentalize it with foil to听bake your vegetables and protein side-by-side. Line it with sturdy听foil wrappers to bake power muffins for your weekend ride.听And听on special occasions, it takes care of your fancy roast听补苍诲听your cake.
Our pick:听听($23)
Blender
Don't skimp here. A good blender is going to take care of your smoothies, homemade sport chews or energy balls,听blended soups,听hummus, pesto, etc.听Cheaper options won't be powerful enough to double as food processor, plus they're much more likely to break within the year.听鈥淣othing works like a Vitamix,鈥 Tishman says. 鈥淭hey are the best for a reason!鈥澨
Our pick: ($359)
Corkscrew 补苍诲听Bottle Opener
There鈥檚 no substitute for this one. Whether you鈥檙e drinking a microbrew or a nice bottle of vino with dinner, you need something to open the bottle (do not use your teeth).
Our pick: ($11)