
The Minimum Viable Kitchen - rohin
http://priceonomics.com/cookware/
======
jtchang
I cook quite a bit and have a lot of friends who own commercial kitchens.

\- Victorinox Fibrox knives are by far the best value you will get. They are
inexpensive and are quite the workhorse.

\- I agree for the most part about the pots and pans except cast iron should
be #1 on the list. The one thing you will learn very quickly as a cook is that
cast iron is your friend. It also lasts forever.

\- Someone said something about ditching whisk. Are you freaking kidding me? A
whisk costs under $5 and it is invaluable for lots of dishes.

\- Desserts are generally hard and require specialized gear. I'd drop the
whole damn category.

\- I'd add a bamboo steamer to the list. You can pick one up at a asian
grocery store. Put it over a large pan of water.

~~~
logicalmind
One caveat that people rarely discuss about Victorinox Fibrox knives is that
the don't hold an edge very long. They're a great starter knife and a great
long-term knife if you don't mind sharpening it fairly frequently.

For example, at the rate I cook, I had to buy three separate fibrox chef's
knives to go a solid month without needing to resharpen. And then I'd need to
resharpen all three. I decided to upgrade to a slightly more pricey knife that
was made of a harder metal. I can now go between 6 and 9 months between
sharpening that knife.

So if you do go for the victorinox knives, they will arrive super sharp. But
be prepared to resharpen them frequently depending on how much you use them.

~~~
tptacek
Do you steel _every time_ you use the knife? That seems to be what pro's do.
Obviously there's a difference between "dull" and "out of true", and if the
only problem is "easy to get out of true", well, that's not a big deal.

~~~
logicalmind
Yeah, I use a smooth steel. These knives get truly dull. I sharpen them myself
with wet stones and I've tried various angles on the blades. I have 5
victorinox chef's knives of various size. And two victorinox filet knives that
I use for cutting fish and breaking down large cuts of meat. The filet knives
last a long time because they very rarely touch the cutting board. But for the
most part I use a MAC chef's knife.

In about 9 months time I will have dulled all 5 victorinox chef's knives and
the one MAC knife I own. And the MAC gets more than half of the load during
that time.

------
jmduke
Line by line, my disagreements:

\- You don't need cookbooks. The internet is better in terms of 'MVK', and the
best cookbook is the one you make yourself.

\- Get rid of half of the pots and the dutch oven. Cast iron is indeed the
greatest.

\- A stand mixer is nice, but by no means is it Minimum Viable.

\- If you insist on getting a mixing bowl that isn't a regular bowl, don't get
three of them.

\- Ditch the whisk.

\- Saying an ice cream maker is part of an MVK is like saying cool t-shirts is
part of a startup's MVP.

That being said, I really like this article.

~~~
tptacek
* The Internet is full of terrible cooking information, and if you don't have any authoritative sources at all, it's hard to separate the good from the bad. You should have one trustworthy cookbook.

* You will be unhappy if your only cooking surface is cast iron. I agree that you can do without the dutch oven but it is the "pan you can do without" that is the most valuable; it is the immediate runner up to the the "list of must-have pans".

* Strong disagree on your mixing bowl point. You need lots of mixing bowls. I have 8 and wish I had more. For instance: muffins and pancakes both want two mixing bowls at a minimum, and three if you don't want to use a service bowl to separate eggs. Sautees want a mixing bowl for proteins and mixing bowl for prepped vegetables. Dinner prep usually wants one mixing bowl just to throw onion skins and wrappers in. Mixing bowls are lightweight, stackable, cheap, and supremely useful, and it makes no sense to chintz on them.

* I don't even know how to respond to "ditch the whisk" unless you're one of those old French guys who can make a hollandaise with a fork. You need a whisk.

~~~
w1ntermute
_> The Internet is full of terrible cooking information, and if you don't have
any authoritative sources at all, it's hard to separate the good from the
bad._

The internet is full of terrible information in general. That's why PageRank
was invented. Is there something unique about cooking information that means
PageRank won't work with it?

~~~
tptacek
YES. Recipes are a long-tail topic. The sites that do best in PageRank are the
ones with the most recipes. The sites with the most recipes tend to either be
overtly user-generated or slyly repackaged UGC. Moreover, as Patrick will
explain, most people who search for prepared dishes aren't actually going to
prepare them, which means Google has little incentive to ensure the tops of
the SERPs are good.

I'll find the eHow "how to cook a steak" that was pegged to the top of a SERP
in a bit.

Another counterexample to your belief about the miracle of PageRank: try
searching for symptoms some time.

~~~
w1ntermute
> YES. Recipes are a long-tail topic.

There are many (non-tech) long-tail topics that I've successfully searched for
using Google, so I don't think this is a generalizable statement.

> The sites with the most recipes tend to either be overtly user-generated or
> slyly repackaged UGC.

I can't speak as to the average user, but I am usually able to easily
ignore/sift through such sites. They pop up frequently in all kinds of
searches these days, and is one of the clearest signs of Google's results
going downhill.

That said, I have no personal experience looking for recipes online, as my
cooking knowledge was largely learned from my mom, and I've had no reason to
turn to any other sources so far.

> Another counterexample to your belief about the miracle of PageRank: try
> searching for symptoms some time.

When did I suggest that I believe that PageRank is miraculous? It has its
pitfalls, just like any other algorithm.

And I've actually searched for symptoms several times and successfully self-
diagnosed (confirmed later during a doctor's visit). So this example of yours
doesn't hold up. My success there may have been swayed by my professional
biomedical knowledge though.

~~~
tptacek
I had a cold a few weeks back, and a coworker found me a search term that
prominently featured cerebrospinal fluid leakage as a possible cause for runny
nose. Just to establish how far apart you and I are on the usability of the
Internet for this.

~~~
w1ntermute
Oh, it's definitely possible to find all kinds of wacky and incorrect theories
at the top of a SERP. Remember that PageRank depends on internet _users_ being
(mostly) correct. And oftentimes users are not. Take any political topic as an
example. But this is generally solvable by phrasing your query correctly.

But you can still sometimes see this problem with medical topics because
heavy-handed government regulation has largely stifled innovation in the
medical industry. New technology adoption in the industry is extremely slow,
and from my own professional experience, I can tell you that getting doctors
to do something as simple as type their notes (so they're available to
patients online) instead of handwriting them is akin to pulling teeth.

The protectionism that has resulted from constant lobbying by the AMA has
resulted in lots of doctors being able to avoid the adoption of new
technology, so discussion of medical topics online by knowledgeable
individuals is rarer than in other fields. Perhaps this will change as baby
boomers age and medical costs skyrocket, but I'm definitely not holding my
breath.

Also, there is of course the issue of most people searching for this stuff not
being very knowledgeable, so it creates some confusion on the part of the
searcher, what with all the new vocabulary. As for your cerebrospinal fluid
example, it's very possible that I see those sorts of results, but I just tune
them out due to how absurd they are.

Edit: you were probably talking about CSF rhinorrhea[0]. As it says:

> Most cases of CSF rhinorrhea occur after major accidents where the bones of
> the face and skull experience significant trauma.

Ergo, if you haven't been in a major accident recently, disregard. Doesn't
seem that complicated to me.

0: [http://uvahealth.com/services/skull-base-
program/conditions-...](http://uvahealth.com/services/skull-base-
program/conditions-treatments/csf-rhinorrhea)

------
edw519
One mans' MVK = another mans' WTF.

My MVK? A refrigerator, a knife, and a cutting board.

A little background...

90% of what we eat = raw produce. So it's pretty straightforward. We just eat
produce at home and an occasional hot meal out. Every meal at home is either
fresh fruit or a salad. (I haven't eaten anything other than fruit before noon
for 25 years.) We have lots of nuts & seeds, cereals, snacks, and many
wonderful things in our fridge.

We eat out at restaurants several times per week and zero in on our favorites.
(Living in Miami, we'll probably run out of fantastic options in about 30
years.) Most of the places we go serve food far better than what we could or
would want to prepare and most definitely satisfy our "foodie" desires. Miami
also offers many foods we would have never even dreamed about.

This was a nice post for beginning foodies (Thank you, Matt), but these days,
MV<anythings> asymphtotically approach zero. In most places, you really can
eat lots of delicious and healthy food without all that stuff.

(By the way, anyone need a stove, range, or microwave with 0 miles on them?)

~~~
tptacek
If you're eating out most nights except for the ones where you eat salad, you
don't have a viable kitchen.

~~~
edw519
Sure I do. You don't need to cook food.

We eat better than most people I know who do cook. Come on over the next time
you're in Miami and we'll show you. :-)

~~~
tptacek
If that's your perspective, why even have a kitchen? You can put a fridge in
any room. Replace one of your countertops with a stationary bicycle and add a
power rack; call it an "eat-in gym".

It's all love with this comment, you know. Come to Chicago sometime and we'll
make you ceviche.

~~~
infinite8s
Ceviche doesn't require much more than a fridge and a knife too ;)

------
protomyth
This article is horribly titled (not the HN one, the article's actual title).
The full quote from the article (Minimum Viable Kitchen (MVK) for creating
gourmet food) would have been better.

The thesis statement is also helpful to understand what he is trying to
achieve:

    
    
      I define the Minimum Viable Kitchen as one that can 
      allow you to create over 75% of the recipes that are
      in what I consider to be the best cookbooks for 
      home chefs.

~~~
nsfmc
I get that, but also i'm going to echo the points of the other folks up here
that MV is totally an "eye of the beholder" metric.

For cooking most western foods, for example, i think he totally misses the
mark in the pots/pans section. Having worked in a 'new american' kitchen, i
can confidently say that buying cheap aluminum/stainless 8", 10" sautee pans,
an 8" nonstick, a 1pt saucepan, a 2qt pot, (~$9 ea at fsw or whatever) and a
cheap $30 dutch oven covers the vast majority of of cooking needs if you throw
in a few pieces of steel wool and let the sheet tray pass for whatever baking.

the notion that heavy pans for 'even heat distribution' are essential is true
at some echelon of gourmet cuisine, but getting to know how your pan behaves
on your stove is _infinitely_ more valuable and cost effective than buying a
set of all-clads. case in point, buy a cast-iron fry pan and discover its
'even heat' characteristic still includes a hotspot right under the burner.

75% of all recipes don't require all that much, though, it's the 25% that add
much of the weird equipment overhead (i'm looking at you, spring form pan!)

~~~
wiredfool
Actually, my cast iron pan has a donut shaped hot spot, with a cold spot in
the middle.

My 12" allclad fry on the other hand, not so donut shaped.

------
weego
The only part he got right imo is the one most people get wrong; knives. Lots
of my friends have tons of them, I have 3, a good chefs knife and a good
flexible knife for boning and filleting and then a throwaway paring knife (ie
it is so cheap that if I feel like it's not sharpening up well after a few
months I throw it away). Lots of other stuff I've never had... I mean an ice
cream making as minimum? And a stand mixer? Elbow grease costs nothing, as
someone probably rightly once said.

The takeaway possibly is that minimum viable anything is relative to the
expectations of the observer. Also that over-thinking things can lead to
excess.

~~~
typicalrunt
This.

You'd be surprised at the crap knives people buy. Not only do cheap knives
dull quickly, they also are composed of multiple pieces. Dull knives lead to
scarring injuries (whereas sharp knives lead to a clean cut that most likely
won't scar) and knives that have multiple pieces will be harder to clean and
therefore contain more bacteria.

If anyone needs a recommendation, I swear by Global [1] knives. They are sharp
as...well, anything I've ever seen. They also stay sharp for a long time. Yes,
they will cost you a lot of money (but they're usually on sale somewhere out
there) but over the long term you are saving money by not having to buy so
many knives.

I respectfully disagree with having a throw-away knife because a knife is a
sharp cutting instrument that is supposed to be an extension of your arm/hand.
If you are always purchasing new knives, you are changing the feel of the
knife and you will change how you unconsciously use it (also known as muscle
memory). Especially with a paring knife, use the same one because the 'paring'
action usually involves you cutting towards your wrist and you want to make
sure that you don't accidentally suicide yourself.

My goto knives are:

\- G-4: Oriental cook's knife (<http://www.global-
knife.com/products/g/product_g-4.html>)

\- GSF-49: utility knife [I use it as a paring knife] (<http://www.global-
knife.com/products/gs/product_gsf-49.html>)

One other key piece of advice for knives: cutting boards. NEVER NEVER NEVER
use glass cutting boards. Tempered glass is very strong and you are just
damaging the blade by cutting on it. Use wood (and clean it well) or, at the
very least, plastic.

[1] <http://www.global-knife.com/>

~~~
rdl
I use Global Pros (and have ~20 of them), but I'd recommend the $20 Victorinox
chef's knife ([http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-8-Inch-Fibrox-
Straigh...](http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-8-Inch-Fibrox-
Straight/dp/B008M5U1C2) \-- get the 8 or 10 inch), and a smaller knife (like
the matching one). I have some $4 Cold Steel VG-10 serrated knives which I
love, since they're super super tough, too (I use them for opening coconuts,
etc.

Also, get a great pair of shears (which come apart for cleaning), such as
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IMMEW>

~~~
mattmaroon
You know I almost recommended the 10" Global chef's knife because I know a ton
of professional chefs use them, but it was a budget exercise and I think most
home chefs can just sharpen the Fibrox every couple months.

------
callmeed
On blenders, I've _never_ had luck with a < $100 blender and my vitamix would
be on my short list of _"If you were stuck on an island with 1 kitchen
electric ..."_

I cook a lot (for a family of 5) and my minimum/essential kitchen items for us
are:

\- 2 knives (I use Global but I like Victorinox too) + Henckels sharpener

\- Cast iron skillet

\- Wok

\- Small non-stick pan (my wife prefers little/no oils)

\- 2 Pots

\- 1 steamer basket

\- 1 baking sheet

\- 1 pizza stone (or some unglazed tiles from Home Depot)

\- KitchenAid stand mixer

\- Vitamix 5200 blender

\- 1 large Rubbermaid tub/lid for rising bread dough

\- 1 slow cooker / crock pot (you can get em for as little as $20)

As for books, I've collected a few here and there but the ones I refer to the
most are The Professional Chef (referenced in article), The Magnolia Bakery
cookbooks, and Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (amazing bread a pizza dough
for busy people).

[http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-
Revolutioni...](http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-
Revolutionizes/dp/0312362919/ref=sr_1_1)

[http://www.amazon.com/The-Magnolia-Bakery-Cookbook-Old-
Fashi...](http://www.amazon.com/The-Magnolia-Bakery-Cookbook-Old-
Fashioned/dp/0684859106/ref=sr_1_1)

[http://www.amazon.com/Zwilling-J-A-Henckels-Sharp-
Sharpener/...](http://www.amazon.com/Zwilling-J-A-Henckels-Sharp-
Sharpener/dp/B00006CJLM)

~~~
vecinu
Thanks for these great suggestions.

What do you think about slow cookers destroying vital nutrients? This is the
only thing keeping me from buying one.

I read some more serious research a while back but a quick search on Google
got these 2 (not so great) sources:

[http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=45](http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=dailytip&dbid=45)
[http://www.livestrong.com/article/129000-slow-cookers-
nutrit...](http://www.livestrong.com/article/129000-slow-cookers-nutrition/)

~~~
callmeed
It's an interesting topic and I honestly haven't done much research on it.

I really only cook 2 things in our slow cooker: (1) meats in some sort of
sauce (usually chicken or pork) which we use with chopped/raw veggies for
tacos or salads and (2) steel cut oatmeal (we set it on low the night before
with diced apples + cinnamon).

------
bhousel
I feel like there is lots missing from this list that a really functional
kitchen needs.

Supplies I'd add to a MVK:

Dry measuring cups/spoons, liquid measures, rubber jar opener, bottle opener,
plastic wrap, aluminum foil, digital timer, oven mitts, soap (I also like
Lysol wipes for quick sanitizing)

Ingredients to keep in stock:

Fridge: butter (salted for cooking, unsalted for baking), lemon, lime, whole
milk or cream, eggs, soy, Worcestershire

Pantry: cooking wine, vinegar, olive and vegetable oils, salt, black pepper
(peppercorns in grinder preferably), dried spices (oregano, basil, parsley,
cilantro, mint, chive, dill, cumin, coriander, chili powder, red pepper,
garlic powder, dried onion, or at the very least some "cheater" mixes like
Adobo, Jane's Krazy, Old Bay), vanilla, nuts and nut butters, shortening

Dry ingredients: white flour, white sugar (brown optional), baking powder,
baking soda, cornstarch, chocolate, breadcrumbs (or make them)

Also keep around: fresh garlic, onions, quick starches (rice, couscous, pasta,
potato), bread, liquid stocks (really you can make these), cheeses, other
alcohols

I think you can probably get everything on my list for less than the price of
the ice cream maker.

~~~
eumenides1
This.

People focus a lot of the equipment, but a properly stocked pantry will get
you further.

Find a canned "quick" item that is super luxurious. Keep it always stocked. It
makes the simple life awesome. Mine are "elysee gherkins". Eat a sandwich? Add
gherkins. Any kind of appetizer? put a small bowl of gherkins out.

~~~
bhousel
Sweet, I am totally going to buy elysee gherkins the next time I see them.

My secret luxurious dessert ingredient is speculoos. I saw it on Chopped so
now I have to pick it up every time I'm at Trader Joe's.

------
run4yourlives
That's a lot closer to a dream kitchen than an "minimum viable".

~~~
jon-wood
Agreed, I'd say I have half the items on that list at the most, and still
manage to make good food most nights (admittedly my last soup came out like
baby food).

And since it seems somewhat on topic, Hubbub are hiring developers, so if you
love both food and technology we'd love to hear from you:
<http://developers.hubbub.co.uk/>.

We provide an online delivery service for local independent food shops,
because we love food too much to leave it to the supermarkets.

------
mattmaroon
Definitely should have put "for gourmet cooking" or something to that effect
in the title, as that was the intended purpose. Half the comments here are
"you can cook with less than that" with which I agree. You just can't cook a
high percentage of the stuff in a cookbook written by a guy with Michelin
stars.

------
grecy
Title should read "The Minimum Viable Kitchen for heavy consumers"

Go and live in a developing country for a few years, see and taste the
phenomenal food, then double check if you need to spend a fraction of $971

~~~
ubercore
To be fair to the author, he's talking capital K kitchen. Like, you take food
as a serious hobby and want to have a reasonable chance of recreating dishes
from Top Chef or in culinary magazines. I don't think he's trying to make a
"Minimum Viable Food Preperation System".

------
pfranz
When I first moved across the country and needed to build up my kitchen
supplies from scratch I was quite lost. I think I generally followed this
nytimes article and was very happy with the results:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?pagewan...](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)

The nytimes author seems less fussy about things and imho has a better list
for people who need a basic version of most often needed kitchen items.

This priceonomics article is pretty good. I definitely agree with the
Victorinox suggestion and only buying a chef's knife and paring knife upfront.
I think getting an ice cream maker is kind of ridiculous. I do think it's good
to have a few basic cookbooks handy (finding good recipes on the internet is
definitely an acquired skill).

One very helpful thing I haven't seen mentioned is to check out restaurant
supply stores. They generally charge way less than most retail places, while
their presentation isn't always as pretty they work fine (obviously, since
they're used in restaurants). The only issue I've had is that the size of
things necessary for a restaurant can be too big for my home use.

~~~
loevborg
I second the advice by Mark Bittman, the "minimalist". A small kitchen does
not need a stand mixer (though a food processor is useful to make Indian food,
among other things), and certainly not an ice-cream maker.

------
kennon
I like that the article is attempting to encourage people to cook more, but
the premise is flawed. You don't take someone who's interested in food and
tell them to read the French Laundry Cookbook. You tell them to start with
Julia Child, or the Joy of Cooking, or Cooks Illustrated, or Mark Bittman.
Crawl, then walk, then run.

Similarly, you don't tell a novice to spend $1000 on equipment they might
never use. I've cooked "gourmet" for over a decade and I've never owned a
stand mixer. You tell them to buy a good chef's knife, a good paring knife. A
stock pot, a frying pan, maybe a saucepan. I have a cast iron pan but i use my
nonstick pans much more often.

The difficulty in learning to cook is not in getting the right tools. It's in
getting someone to overcome their fear of it. You just need to show them that
it's actually not a difficult thing, that you can screw up a recipe multiple
times and still have a delicious result. Make a pot of spaghetti, then a
simple soup or stew, roast a chicken, fry a steak. Then go nuts making
Keller's Oysters and Pearls. But only after.

The people who would find use out of many of the items listed are the same
people who know what they need, anyway.

------
stcredzero
Here's my recommendation for a knife sharpener, the Lansky system:
<http://amzn.com/B000B8L6LI>

Buy that, plus the "Ultra Fine" stone: <http://amzn.com/B000B8L6MC>

The Lansky system has metal guides that maintain the right honing angle for
you, so you can easily get a decent edge by just following the directions in
their video. So long as you treat your knives right, you should just have to
do that twice a year. (No dishwasher, and don't let them bash against
silverware in the drying rack and in the drawer.)

As for a knife, get something with a real high carbon steel blade. Most
stainless is too soft and loses its edge.

Chicago Cutlery used to be good, but I see now they've cheaped-out on their
design. (If you have the good fortune to find an older Walnut Traditions
knife, make a "boat" with aluminum foil and soak the handles in mineral oil,
then don't wash them so much. Oil soaked wood doesn't need too much washing.)

This one looks promising: <http://amzn.com/B0000CFDD5>

~~~
jrabone
Seconded, I have that Lansky set and it's the best sharpening system I've
used, and very fast and accurate, whether you're grinding a blade to a new
angle or touching up an existing edge.

------
tptacek
Notes:

* Strong recommend on the Fibrox knife. If you don't already have a serious knife, don't buy one; get the Fibrox and use it for awhile. You may never want another knife, and if you ever do, you'll have a very good idea what you're looking for. Beware of knives: they're Veblen goods.

* Don't get the expensive butcher block board. Actively avoid it. If you feel like arguing about this, you're not the reader this note targets; everyone else, trust me that the butcher block board is a lot of maintenance for not a lot of practical difference. Plastic and laminate boards work great, are cheap, and you can throw them in the dishwasher.

* Get two boards of different colors and designate one for meat. This minimizes accidental cross-contamination and also makes it easier to handle multiple prep steps since a board that was used for carrots and onions can just be rinsed off to reuse for shallots or garlic.

* I'd recommend against the knife sharpener. It's hard and a little time consuming to do a good job sharpening knives, and if you're not ready to commit to learning how, you're better off bringing your knives in every month or so; it takes just 2 minutes for a shop to do it. You probably won't sharpen your own knives even if you buy the equipment, but having it, you'll convince yourself you don't need to have your knives sharpened professionally. Bad sharpeners can also mess up your knives.

* Strong disagree on "just get 10 piece set" of pots/pans. You need a large sautee, a saucier (which will double as rice and veg cooking), a soup pot, and a _small_ nonstick omelette pan, and nothing else. Except for the omelette pan, which you'll be replacing every year or so, the quality of your pans will matter a lot. I like All-Clad, like everyone else.

* If you want to optimize a little, get a Lodge Enamelled Dutch Oven and use it for soup and also braises.

* Get the cheapest All-Clad on offer. All-Clad's multiple lines are mostly about price discrimination.

* Unless you eat smoothies, most people will use their Kitchenaid Mixer more than they'll use any blender. You can safely skip the blender! People geek out on blenders, and, what's more tricky, venders _aren't_ Veblen goods; their performance really does scale with their price. Which means you'll easily be convinced to drop a lot of money on a blender. If you're unsure whether you want to allocate a lot of dollars to a Vitamix (we love ours, but...), get an immersion ("stick") blender instead. They're very cheap and they'll do most of the culinary things you'd do with the stand blender.

* Again regarding mixers: there is only one brand. You want a Kitchenaid.

* If you're not going to bake, you can skip the mixer.

* If you get a stick blender, you can get one with attachments and skip the hand mixer.

* Nerds need slow cookers. Here again I disagree with Matt. Normal people can get away with not having a crock pot, but if you're looking to set up a kitchen that will get you cooking more and eating In-N-Out less, you need the crock pot. They're cheap, and more importantly, they allow you to queue up a meal in the morning and come home to it done.

* Hard to disagree with Matt on the utilities. You need a scale. You need a stack of light metal mixing bowls (do not waste time and money on heavy mixing bowls). Microplanes are great. You want a box grater. You want a thermometer. If you're making room in your budget for optimization: the Thermapen is _totally_ worth it. Nobody I know who has one fails to wax poetical about them. I rarely use the rolling pin. I disagree about the silicone tongs; get all-metal ones, but get a good pair. Matt didn't say "fish spatula" but trust me on this, you'll use it _all the time_. If you didn't know you needed a good whisk I don't know how I can help you.

Finally:

One thing Matt didn't list here that has more or less changed my life: go to
Amazon and get the largest bulk plastic deli cup box they'll sell you. Deli
cups are amazing. You need deli cups. I don't mean "you need 1 or 2 deli
cups". I mean you need a stack of 60 somewhere in your kitchen, and another
300 or so in a closet.

Stab at a true minimum viable kitchen (there are other minimal
configurations):

\- Cuisinart 3qt sautee ($52)

\- Large pot ($25, Cuisinart)

\- Small cheap nonstick omelette pan ($20, Cuisinart)

\- Fibrox chef's knife ($26)

\- Metal fish spatula ($12, OXO)

\- 2 plastic cutting boards ($30 for 2, generic)

\- 2 light metal mixing bowls ($20 for 2, generic)

\- 1 4-cup pyrex measuring cup ($10)

\- Balloon whisk ($10, OXO)

\- Large wooden spoon ($5, Calphalon)

\- Large slotted spoon ($10, OXO)

\- Tbsp/tsp measuring spoon ($3, generic)

\- Stick blender ($45, Cuisinart, w/ whisk)

\- Pepper grinder ($10, generic)

\- Thermometer ($20, generic)

\- Scale ($20, generic)

Total: $305

~~~
mattmaroon
I left out consumables, but yeah on deli cups.

Couple minor rebuttals:

* The sharpener I recommended takes seconds to use and can't really be messed up. Cook's Illustrated says it works as well as an electric one that is much more difficult and more time consuming. I can sharpen my knife with it in less time than you can even safely package yours to take to get sharpened, and the Fibrox needs to be sharpened somewhat often. Seriously, buy that sharpener and try it. I'll give you the $9 back if you don't like.

* I don't think a 10 piece set costs more than the individual pieces you described typically. They count lids at pieces, so it's really more like a 6 piece set. I frequently need multiple saucepans or skillets when cooking so I really don't think it's overkill. (I'd recommend one saute and one skillet at minimum). You need a small saucepan and a large. I would agree that the first thing I'd spend extra on would be All-Clad pans. Most restaurants, even good ones, use cheapo aluminum pans though, so I don't think I'd call it minimum viable. (I probably should have recommended cheap aluminum pans from a restaurant supply store honestly.)

* I'd pick the blender over the stand mixer any day, and I almost never make beverages with it. It makes awesome soups. Aerates a quiche. Makes homemade mayo. Purees fruit for sorbets or granitas so well you don't even have to strain out the seed chunks. I don't think I'd do any of those with an immersion blender.

~~~
tptacek
I have so much better luck with the stick blender for mayo and hollandaise
that I actively avoid the standing blender for fat-based sauces. Ultimately,
if you're not going to bake much and you're not going to make beverages a lot
with it, I say ditch both the mixer and the blender and get a decent stick
blender instead.

A large straight-sided sautee does double duty as a skillet.

Interesting how neither of us think the food processor is a vital purchase.
Especially because I use mine all the time, but, yeah, not in my "MVK".

PS to everyone else: if you don't make mayo, you should try; it's extremely
easy and very very good. 1 egg yolk, salt, tbsp of tart liquid, maybe some
dijon. Mix, then slowly pour 1 cup oil while running blender. Done. Got some
sriracha? Mix in after you get the emulsion going. Amazing.

~~~
mattmaroon
And use grapeseed oil! Expensive but amazing.

I use my food processor occasionally. Pie crusts, etc. But most stuff I'd
rather do in a Vitamix.

I guess maybe I love my blender so much because I love soups and sorbets. And
quiche. I use it probably at least twice weekly. And going through that cook
book, there are a lot of things that call for it.

~~~
tptacek
And holy shit we both forgot fish sauce. You can't call your kitchen viable
without fish sauce!

~~~
Avenger42
Any specific recommendations there?

~~~
tptacek
Vietnamese. It isn't expensive. Put it in _everything_.

------
jackalope
Before you run out and spend money on pans, do yourself a favor and spend some
time with an induction cooktop. You can get a single element hob for less than
$100 that's reasonably portable, easy to store and useable on a counter top.
You'll want a large element, but even a 4 inch one is an eye opening
introduction to this amazing cooking technology. I've always cooked over flame
(and still consider red glowing coals superior to anything), but induction is
a game changer. After a year of using the hob, I replaced my gas range with
induction and haven't looked back. Unfortunately, that meant half my pans went
into storage, being aluminum or nonmagnetic stainless steel. Many cheap pans
work well with induction, including cast iron, but a well made induction-ready
pan is a thing of beauty.

Also +1 on parchment paper and Silpats. Your baking sheets and pans will last
forever.

~~~
tptacek
Induction burners are awesome and extremely cheap. They're not strictly cost
effective to operate in the US (we have unreasonably low gas prices) but are
pretty much everywhere else. The coolest thing about them is that they're
completely portable; they're lightweight and they generate very little ambient
heat. You could bring one to your office to make omelettes, if not for the
cleanup problem afterwards.

------
eumenides1
I think the post is great, but he made an assumption that wasn't stated and
might cause all of us to disagree.

He picked a cuisine without saying which one.

A MVK will have different sets of equipment depending on the cuisine you
choose. A Chinese kitchen will have a wok and a rice cooker, while a French
kitchen will have things that you need to make bread.

The most important thing is to choose a cuisine and stick to it! There is a
lot of learn from one cuisine before you move to another.

In my experience (being Chinese and born in North America), my kitchen holds a
lot of stuff that i like (black bean sauce and grainy mustard) that just don't
work together, but i wouldn't want to live without. (Also wok spatula and
tongs if you are looking for an equipment example)

~~~
tptacek
American kitchens should probably skip the wok even if they're making Chinese
food, because woks are designed for a specific kind of cooktop and are
outperformed by large sautee pans otherwise.

~~~
mechanical_fish
I have been told this, and therefore never owned a wok, but I'm now thinking
of getting a wok anyway because Kenji (aka "J. Kenji Lopez-Alt" of
SeriousEats.com) disagrees, and "follow Kenji around like a zombie and taste
what he tastes" is a motto that is serving me well in life so far.

Here's Kenji's non-scientific rant on the subject:

[http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/wok-skills-101-stir-
fryin...](http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/wok-skills-101-stir-frying-
basics.html?ref=search)

Here's the better-equipped-with-charty-graphy-goodness version:

[http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/06/the-food-lab-for-the-
best...](http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/06/the-food-lab-for-the-best-stir-
fry-fire-up-the-grill.html?ref=search)

~~~
tptacek
I am totally getting that Weber grill/wok setup.

------
meaty
I disagree. We cook _anything_ for a family of 5 with virtually nothing. Two
stainless pans, a roasting tray, frying pan, 2 knives, 2x wooden spoon, metal
strainer spoon, peeler, a whisk, a pyrex jug and a couple of forks.

Probably cost us < $100 as most of it was free. Same with our bone china
crockery + cutlery (both were $20).

Less to wash up as well and we haven't cooked any ready meals for 10 years -
we only cook from basic ingredients.

Recipe books - we own _one_ and it's the Mary Berry baking bible because it's
so easy to fuck up when baking and she does 100% bullet proof recipes.

~~~
sitharus
That's similar to my kitchen as well.

These days I do have a lot of random appliances, mostly from loyalty rewards.
They're handy, but the only one I regularly use is my electric mixer. No need
to a stand mixer!

~~~
meaty
We purge appliances regularly. Seem to collect microwaves and bread makers
from relatives who think we are poor and need them.

We make bread by hand (only takes ten mins) and everything that comes out of a
microwave tastes like shit.

~~~
bhousel
How do you make bread in 10 minutes?

~~~
meaty
Flatbreads in frying pan.

Actual bread takes 10 minutes of attention and about 2 hours of wall time.

------
dakr
Mark Bittman wrote a nice column about outfitting a "no-frills kitchen" over
at the NYT. I came across it via a review of knives over at the wirecutter. I
can recommend both.

NYT article:
<[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?_r=1...](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all>);

The Wirecutter review: <[http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/a-great-chefs-
knife/>](http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/a-great-chefs-knife/>);

~~~
mikeocool
I love that Bittman article! I think it's much closer to the idea of a
'minimum viable kitchen' for someone whose just starting cooking than this
article. And it has the much more approachable cost of "under $300," as
opposed to the OP's "under $1000."

~~~
BenSS
Different goals! The OP's aim is a "Minimum Viable Kitchen (MVK) for creating
gourmet food".

------
rdl
The fundamental rule I have is "don't buy sets -- buy individual items as you
find uses for them". I bought a lot of really expensive stuff on eBay (Staub,
Demeyere) and in Japan (Global Pro knives), and I actually only use a few of
each.

A cast iron enameled wok, though, is awesome. I got mine from the Wok Shop in
SF for $30 with spatula/etc.

[http://refer.ly/cooking_tools/c/59d5b57c118b11e2a4ec22000a1d...](http://refer.ly/cooking_tools/c/59d5b57c118b11e2a4ec22000a1d0d51)
is what I came up with a while ago.

~~~
mattmaroon
I mostly agree. I just recommended the pots and pans set because they're cheap
that way, and you really will use everything you find in a 10 piece set
(which, btw, usually counts at least 3 lids as pieces). Knives on the other
hand... I got a set as a gift long ago and have at least 5 I've not touched.

~~~
rdl
The main benefit for me in having two knife blocks of knives is being a able
to do meat vs. veg prep with different instances of the same model knives and
not wash anything until it is done, but now my kitchen is too small to do
that.

------
ghc
My Minimum Viable Kitchen would forget about half that stuff and add a Rice
Cooker and broiler pan.

I have more kitchen equipment than I know what to do with, but 95% of the
meals I wind up cooking need at most these:

\- Bamboo Cutting Board

\- Plastic cutting board

\- Tongs, spatulas, and cooking chopsticks

\- Rice cooker

\- Chef's knife

\- Paring Knife

\- Sashimi knife

\- Nakiri

\- Aluminum nonstick pan

\- cast-iron griddle / broiler pan

\- Pot with steamer

\- Saucepan

\- 12 Qt. Stock pot

\- Large Wok

\- Mixing bowls

\- Whisks

\- Hand mixer

This is enough equipment to cook a broad range of French, Japanese and
American dishes. It's nice to have things like a Mandoline, oil thermometer or
blender, but I find myself using them less frequently as I become more
experienced. I've also never owned a tabletop mixer and never wished for one.

~~~
tptacek
If you have a nakiri _and_ a sashimi knife, why would you want a chef's knife?

~~~
ghc
Chef's knives are excellent for cutting all sorts of things that don't require
an extremely sharp edge, but they're just not good for cutting paper thin
slices of very hard ingredients like lotus root, and my personal experience
with using a chef's knife to slice tuna belly was not so great. By the same
token, I would not dare use either a nakiri or yanagi blade on a chicken
carcass or to fillet a whole fish, because you risk damaging the extremely
sharp blade.

------
muraiki
The Victorinox Fibrox that he recommends is indeed a great knife for general
cooking. I have a lower-middle range gyuto but I usually use the Fibrox
because it's easier to take care of. While I cook mostly vegetables, a friend
of mine who is a much more talented cook uses the Fibrox for everything.

In terms of pots and pans, I recommend getting a carbon steel wok. A carbon
steel wok requires a bit of TLC but pays off in terms of delicious quick meals
and the ability to use much less oil. Unfortunately when most people use a wok
(often stainless or non-stick) they never actually stir fry but only end up
sauteing or braising/steaming the food in its own juices. A zucchini and onion
stir fry should only take about 4 or 5 minutes to stir fry, if even that. A
wok is great for meals for two -- for larger meals you will have to cook in
batches, if what is being made in the wok is the main course.

A good book for learning how to use a wok is "Wok Fast," which teaches you the
techniques behind the wok, gives you a variety of sauces, and a bunch of
recipes. By learning why a certain thing is done (such as why you should steam
broccoli a bit before stir frying) instead of just following recipes, you can
be more creative when cooking. The book is out of print but Amazon lists some
other sellers.

Just be aware that most carbon steel woks come with a protective coating that
must first be removed prior to seasoning and using it; find some instructions
online or else you will end up with strange translucent stuff in your food. :)
The coating has to come off as it is the interaction of oils with the carbon
steel that cause a wok to develop its non-stick patina.

~~~
dkhenry
What would you use to get the Wok Hot enough for Stir-Fry. My biggest
hindrance to using a Wok is the lack of a proper burner. I imagine there are
lots of people in my situation.

~~~
muraiki
Well, even when I was in a cheapo apartment with a rather poor electric stove
I was able to stir fry as long as I paid attention to how much I cooked at
once. Wok Fast teaches a technique that works pretty well for cooking meat +
vegetable dishes. I'm writing this from memory, so it might be off by a bit,
but the key is to cook at the most two cups of ingredients at a time.

1\. Wait until the wok surface is hot enough to vaporize a sprinkling of water
instantly.

2\. Add the oil + onions and/or garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Coat the
wok with the oil as you do this.

3\. Add the meat, let it sit on the wok until it is seared (at which point it
will "unstick" from the wok) and stir fry about two minutes. Remove the meat,
which is not yet fully cooked, and set it aside.

4\. Wait for the wok to heat up again, but be careful about using the water
droplet technique as that can cause the oil to splash. Add the vegetables and
stir fry until they brighten, about two minutes.

5\. If the wok is still pretty hot at this point you can just add the meat and
cook another two minutes, then add the sauce and cook a final two minutes. If
it seems like it isn't hot enough, remove the vegetables and let it heat up a
bit before adding everything.

It's definitely more effort than just being able to add the meat, stir fry,
then add the vegetables, but it does work, and only takes 8-10 minutes for
meat + vegetables. If you are cooking only vegetables, the water doesn't need
to instantly vaporize -- it should sit for about 2 or 3 seconds before
vaporizing.

As I said, I'm recalling this from memory and I don't generally cook meat, so
the instructions might be off (please don't eat undercooked meat!) But what I
wanted to convey was that I found it possible to stir fry for two even with a
low end electric stove. Maybe there are some stoves even worse than what I
had, though! :)

------
pbnjay
If you were to get only one cookbook ever, the best bang for your buck and the
one that gets the most use at my house is the Joy of Cooking. It's $22 and has
thousands of recipes from salad dressings to pot pies to all that fancy-
shmancy stuff.

[http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-
Anniversary-2006/dp/0...](http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-
Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268)

~~~
cowpewter
I would definitely recommend the Joy of Cooking, it's truly a cookbook and not
just a compilation of recipes, going into theory and whys and hows, something
you can really learn from and not just follow route directions, but I would
try to make an effort to find a copy of the 1975 edition (something published
before 1997!)

In the 90s, they totally changed JoC, removing whole sections and modifying a
bunch of the recipes to be "healthier" (read low-fat). I much prefer having
the original recipes and then be able to choose my own substitutions if I want
to modify them.

------
rdl
There are a few cases on there where they mention something as the undisputed
best in the high end, but you should get the cheaper thing, and they got the
cheaper thing right 100% of the time, but either neglected another top option
(which may be better in many ways), or actually didn't pick the top option.
e.g. Demeyere is objectively better than All-Clad in every way except
advertising spending. Shun Ken Onion is only mid-range for knives (but very
good); MAC, Global, and a variety of both cheaper and more expensive Japanese
options are better for Japanese, and there's a style argument for Japanese
(sharper, harder) vs. European (tougher). Staub > Le Creuset, although the
lodge or tramontina is 95% as good for 20% of the cost, and unglazed cast iron
from lodge (or old stuff from Griswold, etc.) is just fine for $20-30 (but
unglazed cast iron is fundamentally different from glazed).

~~~
mattmaroon
I don't know where you get these opinions from, but I know it isn't Cook's
Illustrated. And I don't know anywhere else to get well-tested opinions.

~~~
rdl
I find chow.com to be more accurate than CI.

Vitamix and Blend-Tec are both on par; I'd take either. (slight preference for
vitamix, maybe?) I've never owned either, although I've used a vitamix at a
military hospital; it was nice.

Demeyere is unquestionably better than All-Clad. It just has no distribution
in the US (at least not until recently). All-Clad outspends everyone in
sponsorships and marketing. "All-Clad is like Starbucks" comes up often.

Staub vs. Le Creuset has come up a bunch. Staub is certainly more durable
(interior glaze, color change). Le Creuset has more colors outside, and more
range. I have both (and Lodge), and agree about Staub > Le Creuset generally.
Also, the stoneware crap from Le Creuset = hate. I hate it when premium brands
come up with lower end stuff which is hard to distinguish. The worst is
probably Kitchen-Aid; they had a bunch of Wal-Mart stand mixers which were
visually indistinguishable and sucked.

------
tjic
I've got a copy of Myhrvold's "Modernist Cuisine"

[http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-
Cooking/...](http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-
Cooking/dp/0982761007)

...which helped me learn about the MAXIMUM viable kitchen. It has a $10,000
lab-grade centrifuge, among other things.

~~~
sarah2079
It drives me nuts that someone I hate created a book that I would very much
like to read. I wish there were a way to buy this without supporting the king
of patent trolls.

------
stevesearer
There are some thing I would definitely do different that would either save me
money on my MVK or allow me to choose to buy better quality items.

Things I could do without (I just don't bake much): -stand mixer -ice cream
maker -rolling pin -cooling rack

Some things I would spend a little more on: -knives -thermometer

Additions: -can opener

------
pndmnm
This is certainly not a "minimum viable kitchen" by any stretch, but it is a
reasonable list of equipment necessary to make a certain type of recipe (from-
scratch French-inspired New American cooking that involves baked components).

Personally, the single piece of equipment that I would recommend to the home
chef* would be a good pressure cooker. Vegetables, stews, beans, and grains
cook better and much, much faster, and the stocks you can make in a pressure
cooker will blow away stovetop stocks.

*: I would consider a home chef to be someone who wants to spend time cooking. I know many people who don't and I don't grudge them that -- but for me, cooking is a true hobby (as in, something where I negatively value my own time -- the longer it takes, the more satisfaction I derive from it).

------
paulyg
I agree with most of the article. I do think he missed a few items through.

#1 is a cast iron skillet as others have mentioned. It's the third most used
pan in my kitchen.

#2 and #2 most used is an omelet pan. Use it not just for omelets but for any
kind of eggs. Also rocks at grilled cheese. Here you do want to go non-stick.

#3 is a set of measuring cups and measuring spoons. My advise is skip the
plastic and get stainless. Plastic ones seems to break after a few years,
especially if you run them through the dishwasher. You will also want a
separate set of measuring cups for liquids if you get serious about cooking.
OXO makes a nice set of three clear liquid measuring cups with graduations
that you can read from above. Indispensable IMHO.

------
mstromb
Ikea sells surprisingly good butcher blocks for $25:
<http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40082918/>

I assume they use odds and ends from their furniture manufacturing.

------
justjimmy
Good list and good read but _nowhere_ close to MVK.

$25 for a cutting board? A $40 digital scale is overkill.

True MVP/MVK should be using stuff that's truly necessary. ie: A knife honer -
just use the bottom of a ceramic bowl - worked for chefs for millennium.

~~~
eropple
If you read the thesis statement in the article, it's a minimum kitchen for
cooking from books like Keller.

------
ssharp
Regarding pots and pans, I'm curious how these things hold up over time. Is a
high-quality 15 year old pan (appearances aside) function as well as it did
when it was new?

The reason I ask is because I see what I assume to be quality SS cookware at
restaurant auctions all the time and they usually go for a fraction of what
they're worth new. When I wanted to get a huge kettle (compared to my 20 quart
canning pot) for brewing, I was able to get a 10-gallon SS pot for $30 at one
an auction. For boiling water, it works perfectly. I'm just not sure about
more delicate applications of heat and food.

~~~
wiredfool
If it's something like all-clad, aluminum bonded to stainless, then it should
hold up forever unless it's been overheated to the point of melting.

I've got some that are going on 10 years, and they're essentially new, except
for baked on oils on the (outside) bottom.

Cheaper stuff tends to show wear more, anodized aluminum exteriors wear
through, nonstick fades after a few years, thin stainless dents.

I like restaurant supply stuff, I'd go there more often if I was closer to a
store. I'd generally have no problem with used stainless stuff from a
restaurant.

------
lnanek2
I don't think he's going to turn many people to his side with broad
generalizations, then a ton of purchases and equipment. Maybe just come up
with a purpose - cook a date a meal, or cook a family a holiday spread - then
a simple plan and maybe one piece of oddball advanced equipment. Enough
purpose+tutorial articles -> he might manage to justify that kitchen army.

Even then adherents will spend a lot more time cooking and on food than those
of us who can just buy a grocery bag of bread and milk and fruit every day or
two and live without cooking, or who have other cut down hacks.

------
WiseWeasel
I'd go for a food processor (~$100) over a stand mixer, but I don't make a lot
of deserts. For making bread and pizza dough, I got a cheap bread maker for
$50, and it was well-spent. The food processor comes in handy quite often; I'd
hate to make bread crumbs, sliced or shredded vegetables, fresh salsa and a
bunch of other things without one. Also, for those who are (like me) too lazy
to keep their steel knives in proper working sharpness at all times, a ceramic
knife is pretty handy for preparing veggies.

------
delwin
$971? Are you fucking kidding me? It took me less than $200 to outfit my
kitchen, and that includes a breadmaker, a rice-cooker, as well as things to
eat the food with. Most of this was scavenged from estate sales and thrift
shops.

This MVK post goes completely against the whole "minimal viable" spirit, which
_should_ be self-explanatory: only what you need. This kitchen getup is
certainly viable, but it's anything but minimal. This is more like the "I have
$1000 and want a fancy ass kitchen" viable kitchen.

------
notJim
Mark Bittman [1] has a very good article about this. I followed it, and have
rarely been disappointed [I didn't buy a few things, such as the mandolin]:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?pagewan...](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)

1:
[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/features/diningandwine/columns...](http://topics.nytimes.com/top/features/diningandwine/columns/the_minimalist/index.html)

------
bambax
I don't know if HN is the proper place to exchange recipes but here's the most
simple sauce for asparagus (or many other dishes).

What you need (for 4): one egg, some oil, salt, dijon.

With the yolk, oil, salt and dijon, make regular mayo. Make it strong (don't
save on oil). You need to mix everything before adding oil, as salt doesn't
dissolve in oil.

Whip stiff the egg whites.

Then mix the two (mayo and stiff whites) slowly. _Use a spoon_ for this.

This produces a sauce that is delicious and extremely easy/fast to make.

------
icey
I'd highly recommend adding kitchen shears and butcher twine to this list.
Both items have a ton of uses and I've found them to be indispensable to have
around.

------
nerdo
The Minimum Viable Kitchen is a microwave and a spork.

~~~
bhousel
A campfire and a sharp stick.

------
tomkinstinch
I'll add side towels to the list. They're great for picking up hot things (but
not if they are wet!), drying herbs, keeping the bottoms of bowls from sliding
around, covering dough while it proofs, cleaning up miscellaneous spills, and
tidying up the edges of plates. I like to keep a tall stack of clean ones on
the counter, and throw them into a dedicated kitchen hamper as needed.

------
davidjhamp
I think the author needs to try to cook a great meal with a rice cooker before
he labels everything that comes out of one as painful.

When it comes to minimal a rice cooker is what I would want. You can steam,
pan fry, boil and slow cook. Short of baking and dehydrating(which I'm sure
you could figure out) its got you covered.

Saying you 3 knives is minimum seems to be missing the point.

------
dsugarman
I don't think I could live without a toaster, definitely makes lunch or
breakfast 10x better.

Also, I really like my slow cooker, it also works great for either hacker or
hustler with a lot on their mind because you just cut meat & veggies, throw it
in the pot with some seasoning, set it and get on with your life. Nothing like
a good beef stew..

------
jlkinsel
Nothing minimal about that list. "Mininum" kitchen can probably be had for
under $100.

Never put the words "Thomas Keller" near "minimum."

I have some allclad D5, it's great. If you're looking for nonstick, pick up
Tfal's pro nonstick line on amazon - saute pan runs around $30 and is Cook's
Illustrated favorite pick.

------
mey
My favorite frypan,
[http://www.vollrathco.com/catalog_product.jsp?id=5099&ci...](http://www.vollrathco.com/catalog_product.jsp?id=5099&cid=193)
Picked up from a resturant supply store for $75 dollars. Worth every penny.

------
wj
I've either purchased or influenced the purchase of at least ten copies of Ad
Hoc. It has a lot of tips throughout and the recipes are simple enough for
most cooks while showy enough for dinner parties.

Oh, and a good set of tongs are my must have in the kitchen.

------
zwieback
Good list. We've got a lot more stuff in our kitchen but that list is what we
use all the time and wouldn't want to live without. I do have a couple non-
sticks for omeletts and stuff like that and love them dearly but treat them
very gingerly.

------
GFischer
Congratulations for an excellently written article. I found myself engrossed
by the descriptions, and it has the appropiate amount of humor too.

Sadly I don't think I can find most of the items in my home country (maybe
there's an opportunity there :) ).

------
SonicSoul
in regards to owning multiple plastic cutting boards, i was at the MOMA store
the other day and thought their Index Advance Chopping Boards were neat:

[http://www.momastore.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDi...](http://www.momastore.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_Index-
Advance-Chopping-Boards_10451_10001_112198_-1_26669_26670)

------
gte910h
This is a kitchen that can bake tons of stuff from scratch.

Without that (expensive) component, you can greatly pare down this list to
about ~400ish

------
bambax
Great article, but an "MVK" is really one iron wok, a heat source, and a
knife. Everything else is useful but not "minimal".

------
malandrew
I second the professional chef. McGee's On Food and Cooking is another
essential. It's a reference book, but worth it.

------
scottbartell
My personal MVK cost a lot less than $970...

