Kitchen Setup 101

Getting the Basics & Best Value

Greetings! 🏝

Seeing a lot of people under-the-weather. After being down a few days, a great reminder that Food is Comfort & Medicine!

Remember: always good to have some quality-homemade stocks in the freezer ready to be deployed for a soul satisfying soup on the fly!

🐙 wrote a Substack on homemade stocks previously. Save all your bone scraps and vegetable trimmings and you can make homemade stocks for close to ~$0. 

Today begins a multi-part series in Kitchen Setups. 

This is a broad topic as there are many variables depending on: location, square footage, counter space, household size, kitchen use frequency, and the list goes on!

We’ll cover many angles and products, so you can make informed decisions in assembling (or paring down!) your kitchen to be maximally functional, efficient and also a new addition to the Octopod Culinary family! 

Let’s dive into the Basics by going through an outline of a minimalist setup with some recommendations. 

Minimalist Essentials:

Chef’s Knife

Paring Knife

Cutting Board

Saute Pan(s)

Saucepot(s)

Stock Pot

Microplane Zester

Vegetable Peeler

Streaming Insert

Whisk

Tongs 

Spatula 

Cake Tester

With this setup, you could pack all of these tools in medium-large moving box and be totally mobile if you’re living a nomadic lifestyle. 

Notice what’s missing? 

No electronic gadgets of any kind. 

Yes, there are certain appliances that can help with time and efficiency, but the above setup is fully versatile to allow you to do essential kitchen preparations, no machinery or voltage adapters necessary. 

Let’s take a deeper dive on Cookware (Pots & Pans) as there have been a lot of questions in my DM’s and Twitter TL on Cookware recommendations, and then give a TLDR for other essentials listed. 

Pots & Pans:

Whether you are roasting, sautéing, pan frying, deep frying, boiling, stewing, or braising… Pots & Pans are the workhorses of kitchen cooking and as such, deserve some thoughtful consideration when stocking your kitchen. 

Common Materials:

Copper: A great conductor of heat, Copper has been used for tools and cookware for 1,000’s of years. It is a reactive metal so most high quality copper pans are lined with a non-reactive metal to give the best of both worlds. Mauviel is a top-tier brand out of France. This type of cookware carries a higher price tag. 

Cast Iron: Having a cult-like following, cast iron is fantastic at holding heat. While cast iron tends to heat unevenly, once it is heated, it retains the heat very well giving an even pan temperature during cookware. Cons are heavy weight, requires upkeep/seasoning and some preheating is necessary for optimal results. If cared for properly these pieces last for generations. Lodge is a popular lower-cost option. For a Luxe option, check out Butter Pat Industries.

*There is a large community of vintage cast iron enthusiasts. DYOR on spotting fakes when buy-in Ebay, etc.  

Enameled Cast Iron: This takes all of the pros that come with cast iron, and then adds a non-reactive enamel coating which allows you to cook anything inside without fear of reaction with acidic ingredients. The big caveat being, the enamel coating can be chipped and scratched by metal utensils. Use only wooden or silicon-nonstick utensils. You get what you pay for here. High quality brands like Le Creuset and Staub are the Go-To’s. 

Carbon Steel: Carries a lot of the benefits of Cast Iron at a fraction of the weight. The light weight makes pans much easier to maneuver and not cumbersome. Carbon steel is reactive, so some care and maintenance are required (as with cast iron). When properly seasoned it retains a non-stick surface and also retains heat very well. De Buyer is a high quality brand. 

Aluminum: A great conductor of heat and also cheap. Downside is that aluminum is reactive and is a softer metal than stainless steel, meaning not as durable. 

Stainless Steel: Non-reactive, durable and retains heat well. Stainless steel cookware is extremely low maintenance and compatible with all cooktops (yes, incl induction). While stainless steel retains heat well, it is a poor conductor of heat: meaning it takes longer to heat up. 

For this reason, higher quality manufacturers have developed 3-ply and 5-ply conduction. Meaning, aluminum (or copper, $$$) are sandwiched between the stainless steel to increase the conductivity performance of the pan. All-clad is a popular high end producer that popularized this approach. 

There are some variables but general rule of thumb: 3-ply heat faster. 5-ply heat slightly slower but more forgiving to temperature fluctuations and usually more costly. 

Functionality:

Worth noting here, after years of dealing with all types of pot and pan manufacturers, there are a ton of uncomfortable designs on the market. 

Handle shape is ideally ergonomic. Over time this is a factor in joint pain, so definitely worth thinking about

Avoid non-metallic handles. You want pots and pans you can put in and out of the oven without worrying about meltable coverings. Straight up metal is the best way to go. 

Finally, some manufacturers of Stainless cookware have developed handles that stay cool while cooking. This is an extremely nice feature to have in avoiding accidental burns. 

SO WHAT IS THE BEST OPTION FOR THE MINIMALIST?

Without a doubt, Stainless Steel is the best all-around option for the minimalist or someone just starting out. It is low maintenance, heats well, non-reactive and very durable. 

Even as an enthusiast who loves carbon steel, cast iron, copper & enameled cast iron, I would still reach for Stainless Steel first if I could pick just one. 

Pan/Pot Sizes will vary based on your household size.

For a Single or up to Family of 4:

(1) 10 or 12inch sauté pan can also serve as a roaster for putting a chicken in the oven.

(1) 3-4qt saucepot is great for sauce making, rice, vegetables and purees.

(1) 6-8qt dutch oven (or stock pot) for stocks, blanching, pasta cooking, and larger preps.

For Larger Families: scale up size on pots or pans you use more frequently, as needed. (Drop any specific questions in the comments)

Stainless Pots & Pans:

Excited to announce that Octopod Culinary is now partnered with a high quality and reputable cookware manufacturer. 

This has been in the works for months and now very happy to finally release details. 

As a culinary professional for many years, it takes a lot for me to stand behind a brand and will only recommend something I’ve used, and currently do. 

Heritage Steel has been making premium cookware for over 40 years in Clarksville, Tennesee. The quality is top notch, aesthetic and functional design, that I’ve used for many years professionally and at home. 

They have an innovative 5-ply design, source the best quality metals, ergonomic handles stay cool when cooking and a lifetime warranty seal the deal!

These guys are producing top tier quality at the best value on market. 

Chef’s Knife:

The most used tool in the kitchen. You get that you pay for, and there are a myriad of options. Check this prior Substack for a deep dive on knives. 

TLDR: Carbon steel is favored by a lot of professionals but requires some maintenance. Stainless steel is low-maintenance but alloy quality and edge retention can be issues. 

The above variables were taken into consideration when launching the Octopod Classic Chef Knife. Takes a razor edge, low maintenance will give you years upon years of high quality service.

Cutting Board:

You don’t need 5 different sized cutting boards. 1 properly sized cutting board eliminates clutter. Ideally find a dedicated counter space for your cutting board to live permanently on. Ready to use at a moments notice.

-Glass cutting boards should never be used, will destroy your knife blade. 

-There are number of different poly-composite-plastic blends but in the end, wood is the best option. 

-Wood is naturally antibacterial, easy to clean/maintain and cushions knife blades to discourage excessive dulling. Scientific studies have shown wood to be far more bacterial resistant than plastic.

-Maple, Teak and Walnut are good choices. Would not recommend bamboo, it tends to be much harder on blades (specifically, in nodes of the wood; so the hardness and softness isn’t consistent, which is problematic longterm). There are a number of variables with wooden boards, but for now this suffices. 

*Highly recommend checking out the Octopod Culinary cutting board. Designed specifically with the above-considerations mentioned: 

-2-sided

-One side has a channel perfect for meat carving 

-Flip over for an ample flat surface for any prep work, and also back channel allowing you to prop an iPad up and have your digital/photo recipes in front of you.  

Cake tester- Used this throughout my entire cooking career, and to this day at home, for testing doneness and cook temperatures. A cake tester is simply a very thin metal probe; prefer all metal models but a plastic handle is fine and prolific now. Perfect for testing vegetables for doneness, and also for testing Meat Protein doneness. Simply insert the tester into the midpoint of your protein, wait 5-7 seconds and place directly under your bottom lip. You’ll know instantly if the protein has a cold, warm or hot interior. 

Spatula- Essential for scraping purees, sauces, etc out of pots and pans, leaving no goodness behind. Silicon high-heat resistant spatula’s are best. All plastic easily go in dishwasher or wooden handles for hand wash. (personal preference)

Tongs- Extremely useful for flipping, maneuvering ingredients over high heat. Prefer gentle scalloped edges to avoid ripping/tearing ingredients. 

Whisk- Classic balloon whisk should be the go-to. Can whip cream, perfect for emulsions (mayo’s, salad dressings) and can still fit into a saucepot for making roux’s, gravies and sauces. Recommend all metal for durability.

Steaming Insert- These perforated baskets fold up nicely and can fit into a variety of pots for steaming, and can also be placed in a sink and used for straining.

Vegetable Peeler- Strongly suggest a Y-peeler design. Allows you to apply even pressure vs the side-handle model. 

Microplane- Essential for mincing garlic, ginger, cheese, grating nutmeg, etc. The rasp-style is most versatile. 

Optional Additions:

Rice Cooker: Usually come with a small steamer basket and a good time saver If you eat a lot of steamed rice. Zoijurishi is the brand to get. Japanese company that puts out a top tier product.

Pressure Cooker: Fissler makes a high quality stove-top pressure cooker. Refer to a previous Substack on Pressure Cookers to fully explain this. If you do a lot of braises, beans, lentils etc… this is a great tool to have in the kitchen and a big timesaver.

That’s all for Essential Setup! Next will be exploring more utensils to flesh out the kitchen of a budding culinary enthusiast…

Stay well and healthy! Perfect weather to be enjoying soups and stews… 🍜 🍲