Yahoo Finance 9 Essential 'Bang for Your Buck' Kitchen Items
Stores like Williams-Sonoma offer an endless array of equipment for your kitchen under the guise that you "need" all of these things to prepare a meal at home. The truth is that you don't really need very much to prepare most meals at home, and you don't need particularly expensive versions of those items, either.
Here are nine great "bang for your buck" items that, together, are enough for you to prepare thousands of meals in your kitchen. You don't need cabinets and drawers full of expensive items. Instead, start with these nine tools.
Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife
You don't need a big block of knives for home use. In fact, you really only need two knives -- a chef's knife and the next item on this list. Victorinox makes wonderful "bang for the buck" knives that hold up to a ton of kitchen use that scarcely dulls the blade. It's the perfect size for big cooking jobs.
Cost: $35.95
Victorinox Swiss Classic 4-inch paring knife
Unfortunately, the larger chef's knife isn't really designed for small tasks like coring vegetables, and that's where this paring knife steps up. It handles the little tasks, leaving the bigger chores, like chopping large things, to the chef's knife. You don't need more than these two knives in your kitchen.
Costs: $8.80
Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet
The advantage of a cast iron skillet is that, over time, it develops a patina as nonstick as any Teflon coating, except that coating will last a lifetime if properly cared for. The trick is actually building up that patina, which requires some time and cooking fatty foods. A dozen suitably rich meals will do the trick, and then you'll have a nonstick surface that will never peel and will last for many years.
Cost: $27
Lodge 6-quart enameled cast iron pot
A good pot can cook a casserole in the oven, make a stew on the stove top, hold heat while sitting on a table after serving and hold up if popped in the refrigerator after a meal. That's the magic of enameled cast iron -- it does all of those things effortlessly, and basically lasts forever, as it's just a big chunk of iron coated in enamel. Lodge makes the best "bang for the buck" enameled cast iron out there, and a single 6-quart enameled cast iron pot like this one will work for many years.
Cost: $64
Crock Pot 6-quart programmable slow cooker
This is the essential kitchen tool for busy families. It enables you to just toss in a bunch of ingredients in the morning, program it appropriately with a few button pushes and walk away. When you get home that evening, a fully cooked meal is ready for you. The Crock-Pot brand offers the best "bang for the buck" option, and the 6-quart programmable slow cooker is the best balance of size, functionality and cost.
Cost: $49
Pyrex baking dishes
While Pyrex baking dishes are not the best baking dishes out there (I'd probably vote for porcelain), they are the best baking dishes for your dollar, as they heat consistently, minimize sticking, don't warp and hold up to lots of wear and tear over the years. Cheaper metal pans don't do those things, and although porcelain has some advantages in terms of retaining heat and presentability, Pyrex wins out in terms of value.
Cost: $17.50
Wilton silicone spatula
Honestly, any silicone spatula will work fine, but these happen to be well-constructed ones for a reasonable price. Silicone spatulas work as well as regular spatulas, but have a bit better heat resistance. They also don't warp around the edges like plastic ones do and don't scrape your dishes the way metal ones can.
Cost: $8.70 for a set of three
OXO stainless steel ladle
A ladle is an essential tool for making, tasting and serving soup, and OXO makes an excellent stainless steel one. Stainless steel ladles are preferable to plastic ones because they'll never melt, and there are no BPA concerns from heated plastic. While you may find other options elsewhere, OXO generally makes well-designed simple kitchen tools, and this one is no exception.
Cost: $9.99
A pair of bamboo cutting boards
Bamboo cutting boards are the best cutting board option, as they're easy to clean and maintain and resist scarring from kitchen knives. A good bamboo board will last a long time. It's good to have two cutting boards, however, for sanitary reasons -- using one for meats and another for non-meats will save you from contamination issues.
Cost: $14
If you fill your kitchen with only these tools, you'll be able to cook thousands of meals with just the raw ingredients and the efforts of your hands.
Editor's Note: All prices are based on July 27, 2015 Amazon listings.
Trent Hamm is the founder of the personal finance website TheSimpleDollar.com, which provides consumers with resources and tools to make informed financial decisions.
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