Necessities

Not cheap, these things are must-haves.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Cost: Over $200

Somehow I fell into the role of cookie chef around the office. Not that I’m complaining! Still, if I’m making a batch of cookies, whipping up frosting for a cake, or making one of a hundred other recipes, I’ve got to have the stand mixer.

French Press

Cost: $20-$50

This might be the caffeine addict talking, but a French press is really the only way to make a good cup of coffee. All you need is hot water and a good roast, plus it’s perfect for just two or three cups instead of a full pot that’s cold before I finish it.

Coffee Grinder

Cost: $15-$25

If you’re going to have a French press, you’ve got to grind your own coffee beans. Keeping the beans whole as long as possible ensures that they retain as much of their flavor and strength as possible. Quality beans are, of course, another essential.

If Budget Allows

Not especially cheap, but not terribly vital either, these things are nice to have and might make great holiday gifts.

George Foreman Indoor Grill

Cost: $50-$60 (medium size)

Since I don’t eat meat and don’t really grill much, I don’t actually own one. Many of my friends, however, swear by this grill, which can hold a few chicken breasts or a whole pile of veggies. To compromise, if I had fifty dollars to burn, maybe I’d get one.

Wine Pump and Stoppers

Cost: $15-$30

Keeps an opened bottle of wine much better than just sticking the crumbled cork back in. Vacuum action helps ensure a tight seal.

Salad Spinner

Cost: $20-$40

It’s a somewhat useful idea, in that it sucks having dirty lettuce or a pool of water in the bottom of the salad bowl. It’s somewhat redundant in that shaking washed lettuce in a strainer does essentially the same thing in a less cool, messier way.

Garlic Press

Cost: $15-$30

It really only has one job, but it does it really well.

It's Cheap, Why Not?

They’re so cheap that they’re silly to not have, even though none of them are life-or-death items.

Pinch Bowls

Cost: $5-$7

These tiny little silicon bowls are great for cooking up meals, especially dishes that include a lot of spices, like curry. Putting items like minced garlic or grated ginger in these keeps me from attempting to store piles on the corners of the cutting board while chopping up other things (the result is always messy and involves a lot of lurid cursing).

Mushroom Brush

Cost: $2-$5

Yes, it’s a weird obsessive thing, but I hate having dirt on my mushrooms. Luckily, a mushroom brush totally fixes this problem. At the cost of just a few dollars, I can contentedly sit down to dinner knowing my veggies are clean. The downside: I spend 15 minutes cleaning a pile of mushrooms when 30 seconds under the faucet probably would have done a fine job.

Tea Strainer

Cost: $2-$5

You never think you need it until you get a gift of loose-leaf tea. Then all the sudden you wonder why you never spent three dollars on one. I prefer the ball-shaped traps, as it keeps the tea leaves trapped where they belong.

Kitchen Snobbery

You don’t need these things. Really. But they’re fun anyways.

Mortar and Pestle

Cost: $25-$40

There’s a really soothing, homey feeling that comes from using a mortar and pestle, but the result isn’t anything that can’t be had with a good set of knives and a cutting board, or a plastic bowl and a heavy rock. Add to the illusion that you’re a fantastic cook by buying one and putting it out on the counter, like you use it enough to always keep it handy.

Digital Kitchen Scale

Cost: $40-$60

How often do you really need to know to the 0.1 ounce how much flour you’re using? Probably never, though they say that scientific cooking is making a huge presence in the modern community.

Spend Way Too Much on the Kitchen

Some of these specialty kitchen shops have so much for sale it’s a little overwhelming. Going in without a plan, it’s easy to spend more than intended. But wow they have such great little implements for everything!