June is a month of new beginnings. Marriages. Graduations. New jobs. New homes.
New kitchens.
This is the time when many young people discover they'll need more than a hot plate if they're going to feed themselves.
Yet setting up a kitchen doesn't have to cost a ton of money. With a bit of resourcefulness, thrift and care, it is possible to equip a starter kitchen for less than $500.
Randi Haman, a Baltimore native and recent graduate of American University, and her roommate, Lindsay Levine, have stocked the kitchen in their Washington, D.C., apartment the old-fashioned way: "We went around and asked," says Haman.
"You'd be surprised how many relatives are willing to donate extra things to your new apartment," she says. Her family members contributed a microwave and pots and pans, and Levine's parents gave them a set of knives. They also received Joy of Cooking, their favorite all-purpose cookbook, as a housewarming gift.
When high school health-education teacher Merrill Bender moved into her new apartment in Catonsville, her parents donated pots and pans, colanders, a microwave, a Kitchen Aid mixer, a cookbook and a coffeepot.
Saving on those items enabled Bender to spend well less than $500 for flatware, canisters, a microwave cart, spice racks and cutlery. She even had enough money to buy a George Foreman Grill for $25 and a Weber grill for $60.
But even if you don't have family with kitchen appliances to spare, there are still ways to find bargains. One place to look is at consignment shops like the Clearing House Ltd. in Cockeysville.
Given the parameters of a $500 budget, Clearing House owner Jan Wittenbach came up with a set of Eddie Bauer dishes for eight in a hunter-green color scheme for $89, an 86-piece set of Oneida silver-plate flatware for $105, a large green-striped pasta bowl for $12, a set of green Dank mixing bowls for $27, a salad set for four with a serving bowl for $16.50, a color-coordinated tablecloth and set of four napkins for $26.
Another place to find discounted name-brand cookware is on the Internet. Check out cooking.com for deals on high-end kitchen products.
And don't forget discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target, which stock many affordable items for the beginning cook.
But what to buy?
Knives
While it's fine to buy inexpensive dishes or measuring spoons, professionals advise new cooks to invest in at least one good chef's knife.
"I actually prefer Wusthof, a high-carbon stainless. It holds the edge better and it doesn't stain," says Harbor Court Hotel executive chef Thomas Olson.
He says an 8-inch blade is sufficient, and quips, "If it's bigger, you scare people."
Francois Dionot, president and owner of L'academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, advises grads to also buy a paring knife and a serrated knife. He says the top-of-the-line knives are German, and these are appropriate for professionals, but young people can buy Wusthof and Henckels' less expensive lines to save some money.
Stephanie Gorenflo, merchandise manager of La Cuisine -- the Cook's Resource in Alexandria, Va., says there's no reason to get a lot of knives at once.
"Acquire your knives gradually as you see which ones fit your needs and your hand. Don't buy a counter block full of knives. Get the largest blade that is comfortable for you," she says.
She prefers the Messermeister stainless-steel Spear-point paring knife for $43 and the company's stainless offset serrated knife for $27.
Pots and pans
Pots and pans can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. Dionot recommends aluminum cookware, especially All-Clad, because stainless steel sticks more. He tells grads to purchase a 4-inch or 5-inch saute pan, a 9-inch Dura-ware or Teflon nonstick aluminum saute pan (perfect for cooking two eggs), a 2 1/2 -quart saucepan to heat tomato sauce and meatballs, a large pasta pot, and a four-sided sheet pan to cook bacon.
Dionot says aluminum Wearever pots and pans offer a quality product for those with limited funds. (You can buy the eight-piece Wearever Distinctions Cookset for about $70, the cost of one 8-inch All-Clad frying pan.)
Although Olson prefers the sleek appearance, easy cleanup and even heat distribution of All-Clad pots and pans, he says Farberware puts out a decent product that's affordable for new grads.
"Buying a set of Farberware gives you saucepans, pots, everything you need for a starter kitchen. Ask for All-Clad for birthdays and special occasions or wait to buy All-Clad for your final kitchen," he says.
Gorenflo recommends buying pots and pans individually rather than in sets. "Never buy cookware in sets," she says. "Boxed sets allow manufacturers to unload stock quickly."
She suggests new cooks buy an 8-quart stockpot with a lid, a cast-iron 9.5-inch skillet, a 2-quart aluminum saute pan, a 2-quart saucepan and a 3-quart saucepan.
Haman has one other recommendation: a Teflon-coated pan for stir-frying. "It's a healthy solution for college students and recent grads. You have vegetables and meat, and it's cheap and pretty easy to make."
Appliances
Olson says probably the most important appliance for young people is the microwave oven.
"Today, kids are running, working, partying and they rely on the many convenience foods that are microwavable. If they're single and they like to cook, they can use a microwave for thawing frozen foods. When I lived by myself, I cooked, divided up portions and put them in the freezer, and a microwave came in handy."
Olson also recommends an electric hand mixer for a starter kitchen. "You can get a hand mixer with two beaters for about $20, so whether you're a mashed-potato person or you're making that first cake for your first girlfriend, it's perfect."
A toaster oven is also on his A-list because it's cheap and it doesn't heat up the whole house. "You don't want to turn on an oven for some garlic bread. It works on toast, too, so you kill two birds with one stone."
Haman's favorite kitchen appliances are a small $25 George Foreman Grill and a Black & Decker blender, which her roommate ordered for $30 on the Internet. She says the grill cleans easily, tucks away and is very convenient. They use the blender to make breakfast shakes, snack smoothies and mixed drinks when friends drop in.
The last must-have appliance on Haman's list is a coffee maker. "For us a coffee maker is very helpful, especially while job-searching. It's nice to have a cup of coffee in the morning to get us going or when we come home to relax."
Books
After you've purchased your kitchen equipment, you may need some help in learning how to use it.
Cindy Wolf, executive chef/owner of Charleston and Petit Louis restaurants, says start with the basics, like how to cook an egg or make an omelet, and get a book to show you how to do it.
Wolf suggests Jacques Pepin's La Technique Complete (Black Dog and Leventhal, 2001).
"La Methode and La Technique were originally two books he wrote 20 years ago," she says. "Now they're combined in one paperback. Pepin teaches you how to do a lot of basic things, and the book has pictures. It even shows you how to chop an onion."
Olson says Joy of Cooking is a book every beginning cook should have. "It has everything from soups to nuts. Everything for basic cooking you could possibly want to know."
Another classic cookbook is Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Alfred A Knopf, 1965). In this culinary masterpiece, Child says, "Cooking is not a particularly difficult art, and the more you cook and learn about cooking, the more sense it makes. ... The most important ingredient you can bring to it is love of cooking for its own sake."