 | Flanagan's Smart Home: The 98 Essentials for Starting Out, Starting Over, Scaling Back by Barbara Flanagan
Buy new: $9.09 / Used from: $0.01 The book that inspired this list.
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 | Cuisinart 77-7 Chef's Classic Stainless 7-Piece Cookware Set
Buy new: $88.95 |
 | Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Stainless 8-Inch Open Skillet
Buy new: $30.94 The cookware set I've listed comes with a 10" skillet, but I would use this to round it out since it's always good to have a nonstick skillet around for sticky jobs like eggs. You could also opt to go bigger and add a 12" nonstick skillet instead.
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 | Le Creuset L2501-26-67 Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French Oven, Red
Buy new: $214.00 / Used from: $215.99 It's a major splurge, but this is basically the best (and bestselling) dutch oven of all time.
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 | Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 16-Inch Roaster with Rack and 3-Piece Roasting Set
Buy new: $80.56 / Used from: $70.50 |
 | Wüsthof 9755Classic 2-Piece Knife Starter Set
Buy new: $139.99 A good kitchen starts with high quality knives--an 8" chef's knife and a 3 1/2" paring knife are practically all you'll ever need. Bulky block sets are unnecessary for the average home cook; get some blade covers if you're worried about storing them in a drawer.
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 | Wüsthof 4150-7 Classic 9-Inch Bread Knife
Buy new: $79.95 |
 | Totally Bamboo 20-2038 Bamboo Cutting Board Set, 2-Board Set
Buy new: $9.95 / Used from: $8.99 One small and one large--boom, done.
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 | MIU 5-Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cup Set
Buy new: $20.99 |
 | MIU Trendy Stainless-Steel 5-Piece Measuring Spoon Set
Buy new: $17.49 |
 | Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Measurements
Buy new: $9.97 Liquid measurements are different from dry measurements, so you really should have both.
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 | Pyrex Prepware 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set, Clear
Buy new: $16.91 / Used from: $20.00 |
 | Pyrex Grip-Rite 3-Quart Oblong Baking Dish Clear
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $12.00 Flanagan's list didn't have any bakeware on it, but I think that even a person who's not interested in baking should have one of these around for casseroles, lasagnas, and the occasional emergency birthday cake or batch of brownies.
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 | Oxo 32480 Good Grips Salad Spinner
Buy new: $26.00 |
 | OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander
Buy new: $29.50 Flanagan recommends a mesh strainer, but I believe that a colander is much more useful for the average home cook. I can't remember the last time I used a strainer for anything but pasta. If you do think you'd prefer a strainer, Oxo also makes a very well-reviewed one.
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 | RSVP International Endurance Salt Server With Spoon 8-oz.
Buy new: $18.95 I had never thought of this, but a salt cellar is so much smarter than a shaker--it can be used for cooking (either with a measuring spoon or pinch) and tableside.
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 | William Bounds Bamboo Chef Pepper Mill
Buy new: $19.95 |
 | Wüsthof 5558-1 Come-Apart Kitchen Shears
Buy new: $18.29 / Used from: $11.99 |
 | Calphalon Utensils Wood Large Spoon
Buy new: $10.88 It's usually good to have more than one of these. Calphalon makes them in three different sizes.
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 | Oxo Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
Buy new: $9.95 They also make a pair with nylon tips if you're worried about nonstick cookware.
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 | Oxo 58081 SteeL Can Opener
Buy new: $17.25 I'm an advocate for investing in higher quality items, so I like Oxo's Steel line of kitchen gadgets; however the Good Grips items are just as well reviewed if you would rather save a few bucks.
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 | Oxo SteeL Swivel Peeler
Buy new: $10.99 |
 | Oxo SteeL Ladle
Buy new: $12.99 Here's an item that I've added--while it's possible to serve soup with a regular cooking spoon, I find that there's really no replacement for a good ladle.
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 | Oxo SteeL Turner
Buy new: $10.99 Replace or supplement with a nylon/silicone one if you're worried about nonstick cookware.
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 | Oxo Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $8.49 This is another one I've added--although you can beat eggs with a fork if you really want to, a real grown-up kitchen ought to have a good whisk.
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 | Oxo Good Grips Medium Silicone Spatula, Vanilla
Buy new: $7.99 I added gadget this to the list because there's really just no replacement for scraping and folding.
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 | Oxo Good Grips Box Grater
Buy new: $16.99 / Used from: $13.99 |
 | Screwpull by Le Creuset Table Model Corkscrew, Black
Buy new: $14.99 |
 | Taylor 9842 Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer
Buy new: $13.95 |
 | Black & Decker TRO480BS Toast-R-Oven 4-Slice Toaster Oven
Buy new: $34.26 Toaster ovens are so much more versatile than just plain toasters, so if you're going the less-is-more route, just get a toaster oven. This one is a well-loved classic.
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 | Panasonic NN-H765BF Full-Size 1.6-Cubic-Feet 1250-Watt Microwave Oven, Black
Buy new: $129.99 / Used from: $89.99 |
 | Revere 3-1/2-Quart Copper Bottom Teakettle
Buy new: $29.99 / Used from: $21.99 Electric kettles are admittedly convenient, but they take up a lot of counterspace. Unless you frequently use all of your burners simultaneously, an old-fashioned stovetop kettle can be stored right there on the stove. Besides, if you really can't stand to wait for your hot water to boil, you've got bigger problems.
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 | Popcorn 3-Piece Kitchen Towel Set, Taupe
Buy new: $7.84 Always wash a few times before use unless you want lint all over your clean dishes.
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 | OXO Good Grips Silicone Pot Holder with Magnet, Licorice Black
Buy new: $10.17 |
 | OXO Good Grips Silicone Oven Mitt with Magnet, Licorice Black
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $8.99 I added this because although pot holders can do double duty just fine, I don't like worrying about losing by grip, getting burned or dropping one in the oven and causing a fire. I don't know why these don't come in sets of two, but you almost definitely need two of them.
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 | simplehuman Step Trash Can, Rectangular, Plastic, 10-1/2 Gallons, Black
Buy new: $39.00 For me, having a LIDDED trash can is the piece de resistance of a clean and organized kitchen. The difference it makes is amazing.
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