Stock FAQs

how to stock kitchen

by Carolanne Gleason Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  1. Check to see what you already have. You may already have enough on hand! ...
  2. Stock your kitchen with food you would normally eat. We’re facing supply chain issues more than the loss of utilities that would result from other emergencies such as blizzard, ...
  3. Make a meal plan. The same rules apply now as they did to life-as-we-knew-it-last-month: Don’t buy food that you don’t have a plan for.
  4. Focus on sale items. While you may not have a lot of choice, wherever possible focus on sale items. Your sales may vary, but the idea is the same.
  5. Expand your canned goods horizons. I grew up on canned foods, as did my parents. But, I tend to cook with more fresh ingredients on a regular basis.
  6. Buy enough to share, but don’t clear the shelves. Obviously, many other people will be doing the same thing as you, so things might get a little heated in ...

Here are some helpful tips on how to stock your first kitchen. You're on your own for the first time!
...
Basic Foods to Keep on Hand
  1. Rice, grains and quinoa.
  2. Pasta.
  3. Canned tuna.
  4. Canned chicken.
  5. Salsa.
  6. Canned vegetables.
  7. Beans dried and canned.
  8. Potato flakes.

What should I stock my Kitchen with?

The Bare Minimum

  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Vegetable oil
  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar

How to stock a vacation rental kitchen?

What to Include in Your Vacation Rental Inventory Checklist

  • Kitchen. Compiling a vacation rental kitchen checklist for the kitchen may take a bit more time than other rooms because there are many smaller items you also need to keep ...
  • Bedroom. A bedroom is the most important room when it comes to helping your guests feel relaxed. ...
  • Bathroom. ...
  • Living Room. ...
  • Dining Rooms. ...
  • Amenities for Children and Pets. ...

How to stock your kitchen for survival?

Figure Out Which Foods Your Family Needs

  • Anything with a high salt content is not recommended as it can make you thirstier and you might not have a lot to drink.
  • Choose one "want" item per family member to boost morale during an emergency.
  • Stock only nonperishable items that come in cans, jars, bottles, or sealed boxes.

More items...

How to accessorize a small kitchen?

We Absolutely Believe in Your Galley Kitchen

  • Group Your Appliances. Designer Brady Tolbert divided his tiny galley into two parts. ...
  • Stick to Cosmetic Changes. ...
  • Tuck Half Underneath the Staircase Schedule Schedule Schedule. ...
  • Turn Up the Drama. ...
  • Make the Ground the Focus. ...
  • Paint It White. ...

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How do you properly stock a kitchen?

Getting StartedClear the decks. Take everything out of your pantry, give it a hard look and decide what you can get rid of. ... Keep what looks and smells good. “Expiration,” “sell by,” and “best by” dates are not good guidelines. ... Assess what remains. ... Fill in the blanks with food that will make you a better cook.

How do you stock an empty kitchen?

Kitchen Essentials: PerishablesMilk (dairy or non-dairy)Fresh fruit.Fresh vegetables.Eggs.Butter.Deli meats.Tofu.Yogurt.More items...•

How do you make a well stocked kitchen?

50 Essentials for a Well-Stocked KitchenKnives.Cookware. Small Skillet/Sauté Pan (6-8 inches) Large Skillet/Sauté Pan (10-12 inches) Saucepans with lids – varying sizes. ... Baking. 2 8 or 9-inch round cake pans. 8 or 9-inch square cake pan. ... Appliances. Blender. Bread Machine. ... Tools. Box grater. Citrus reamer/Juicer.

What food items should I stock up on?

Pasta. Dried pasta is one of the best things you can keep on hand since it is shelf-stable, comes in various shapes and sizes, and has a version for every diet. ... Baking Supplies. ... Nuts. ... Nut Butters. ... Coffee/Tea. ... Frozen Fruit. ... Apples and Citrus.

How do I stock up food for a month?

Learn how to stock up your pantry so that you do not have to run to the grocery store every other day, and you are covered for at least a month....Protein:Nuts and Trail Mix.Nut Butter.Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds etc)Canned Fish.Canned Beans.Canned Chicken Or Turkey.Eggs.

What should I keep in my kitchen cabinets?

Items that should be nearest the stove:Cooking utensils: spatulas, wooden spoons (preferably in a crock on the counter)Spices (either in a drawer, or on a riser in a cabinet/on the countertop)Oils, vinegars, and commonly used condiments (on a tray next to the stove, and/or on a lazy Susan in the cabinet)Spoon rest.More items...•

What should every fridge have?

31 Foods You Should Always Have In Your KitchenFridge. Pro tip: It is very important to keep you refrigerator organized and clean. ... Milk Or Other Dairy Products. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are what life is all about. ... Eggs. ... Peanut Butter & Jelly. ... Baking Soda. ... Sauces On Sauces on Sauces. ... Coffee. ... Bread.More items...•

What can I stock my fridge and pantry With?

BasicsKosher salt.Fine salt.Black peppercorns.Extra virgin olive oil.Vegetable oil.Apple cider vinegar.Red wine vinegar.Balsamic or sherry vinegar.More items...

How do I stock my first pantry?

How to Stock a Pantry for the First Time on a Budget:Don't Buy Everything at Once. Buy just what you actually need for the next couple weeks. ... Buy in Bulk. ... Buy on Sale. ... Store Brands. ... Shop at Cheaper Stores. ... Accept Food From Others. ... Keep Food Simple. ... Use Substitutes.More items...•

What will be scarce in 2022?

Eggs and Meat According to Business Insider, nearly half of Americans in a survey reported seeing a shortage of meat and eggs in the beginning of 2022. It might be time to switch to vegetarian dinners (sans the eggs) for a while to combat this food shortage.

What should I stockpile for food shortages?

What to stockpile for food shortagesFlour (white, wholemeal, self-raising)Rice.Noodles.Beans (dried and canned different varieties)Lentils.Oats.Pasta (different shapes, white & wholewheat)Sugar (white, soft brown, dark brown)More items...•

How do I build a 3 month food supply?

A three month supply would require 90 breakfast bags, 90 lunch bags (if desired), and 90 dinner bags. It's that easy. Gather your favorite quick and simple recipes and make copies of them. One copy for each time you would like to eat that meal.

Where to Store Certain Foods

First homes and apartments can be quite small. You might be navigating a tiny kitchen and trying to get by with very little cupboard space. Many apartments have smaller fridges and stoves as well and a deep freezer is unheard of.

Basic Foods to Keep on Hand

You can stock your pantry and cupboards with some basic foods to help you create plenty of different meals. There are some great items to buy that can be combined to make a myriad of dishes—pasta dishes, chicken or tuna salad, rice and beans, and soups. Once opened, store items in the fridge in a glass container. Some items to keep on hand:

Helpful Kitchen Tools

If your space is limited, there are just a few basic kitchen tools you’ll need. It can be tempting to go out and purchase all kinds of kitchen gadgets, but a space free of clutter can be far more helpful than a counter full of one-trick ponies.

Explore

Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty.

A large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid

Beans, rice, soups, pasta—all the cheap foods require a pot with a lid. The thicker the bottom of the pot, the better, as that will help you avoid scorching your food. When you’re rolling in dough, you might want to snag a good Dutch oven (a fancy term for a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid) such as one from Le Creuset or Staub.

A good knife

You will likely eat more healthfully (vegetables can’t cut themselves!) and more safely with a decent knife, such as the 8-inch, well-regarded Wüsthof pro, which is $28. The sharper your knife, ironically, the less likely you are to cut yourself with it, so this is the one item you need to be in good shape.

A cutting board

Again, buy the best one you can, but if you’re buying secondhand, don’t pick up a cutting board with deep grooves in it. (It’s not a wise move, food-safety-wise .) You can live with one cutting board, even if it’s wooden, so long as it’s in good shape.

A skillet

The nonstick versus cast-iron conundrum is a tricky one when it comes to your first skillet. If you’re a scrambled-eggs-for-breakfast person, go ahead and snap up a non-scratched nonstick pan instead of a cast-iron skillet, if you can only afford only one.

A flat-headed wooden spoon

You are going to need heat-resistant utensils for stovetop cooking. Yes, Oxo makes some great ones, as do other vendors, but I was fine for a long time with simply a flat-headed wooden spoon. You’ll use it for soft-scrambled eggs, for getting tomato sauces un-stuck from the bottom of a pot, and for keeping veggies moving so they don’t burn.

Two glasses, mugs, bowls, plates, forks, knives, and spoons

I distinctly remember owning just one of everything in my first college apartment, and learned that nothing will make people pity you like the sentence, “Don’t worry, we’ll share the fork!” So poke around yard sales, bother friends, find out who’s moving out of town, and get at least two of everything.

2. Stock your kitchen with food you would normally eat

We’re facing supply chain issues more than the loss of utilities that would result from other emergencies such as blizzard, earthquake, and hurricane. You don’t need to stock MREs. Unless you normally do.

3. Make a meal plan

The same rules apply now as they did to life-as-we-knew-it-last-month: Don’t buy food that you don’t have a plan for.

4. Focus on sale items

While you may not have a lot of choice, wherever possible focus on sale items. In my neck of the woods, I’m seeing these prices:

5. Expand your canned goods horizons

I grew up on canned foods, as did my parents. But, I tend to cook with more fresh ingredients on a regular basis. However, canned foods have an advantage.

General notes

It’s easy to spend a huge amount of money on kitchen equipment and then realize you don’t have the right tools — maybe you bought stuff you never use, and maybe you bought budget versions of items that don’t function as well as you’d like.

Cookbooks

If you are just getting started, I highly recommend finding a basic, broad, and reliable cookbook to help you out with the basics. For me, it was How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, for Mom, it was the Betty Crocker Cookbook. Your first cookbook should not be anything fancy or “gourmet;” just basic cooking using easily-available ingredients.

Dishes

Even if you are single, you should have a complete dining service for four. Everybody usually has company over at some point. For me, a “service” means small, medium, and large plates, and small bowls, cereal bowls, and salad bowls.

Flatware

I’d get at least as many complete services as you have dishes. (In this case a “service” is a knife, dinner fork, dessert fork, teaspoon, and soup spoon.) You’ll probably want extra teaspoons and dinner forks, as they get used often outside of meals. Many patterns are not “open stock”, so you’ll probably have to purchase your flatware in sets.

Prep and serving dishes

While I no longer regularly use my Corelle dishes, I kept the serving bowls and small bowls and make heavy use of them. The small bowls hold little ingredients (spices, an egg yolk or two, etc.), and the serving bowls get used for ersatz mixing bowls and bulkier ingredients.

Pots and pans

Nearly any type of pot or pan will work; as long as it’s not so thin it’ll dent if you treat it a little rough, it’ll do acceptably well. (Seriously, one of my favorite pans is literally the cheapest 8” skillet I could find when my “good” pan was mailed off for warranty replacement.)

Bakeware

Even if you don’t plan on baking things like bread or cake, I’d get an 8×8, 7×10, and 9×13 glass baking dish; many oven-based recipes will expect you to have these pans. You’ll also need a couple rimmed baking sheets; I’m still using, many years later, some cheap non-stick ones from Walmart.

Save money and cook great food with these kitchen pantry staples

How many times have you opened your kitchen pantry and wondered, "What's for dinner?" With a stocked kitchen pantry, you won't have to wonder. Make cooking and meal planning easier and save money on groceries by spotting sales on your basics.

Herbs and Spices

Paying full price for herbs and spices is expensive. Grow your own herbs or keep an eye on sales to save money. With a variety of herbs and spices on hand, you can cook savory soups, mouth-watering pot roast and season all of your favorite foods to your taste.

Baking Supplies

Whip up a batch of cookies on a moment's notice. Bake banana bread the kids will devour. Sweeten your ham or cook the best fried chicken you've ever eaten.

Liquids

Mix your own salad dressing, make marinades for your meats or keep your pork chops from burning in the skillet.

Sauces and Condiments

Homemade sauces are ideal but not always possible to make without a lot of prep time. Store-bought sauces and condiments have a long shelf life and add lots of flavor to everyday recipes.

Special Seasonings

Many foods you probably prepare from scratch are available as special seasonings. When you're in a pinch, these pouches can shave up to an hour off of the time you spend on dinner.

Cans and Jars

Canned and jarred goods make your kitchen pantry an instant source of vegetables, fruits and proteins. Busy cooks can also use canned goods for stews and casseroles .

Whole Grains and Flour

Whole grains are hearty, healthy and shelf stable for months at a time if stored properly. So, buy them in bulk, transfer in a dry, airtight container and store in your pantry or in a cool dry spot in your house. I personally buy a 10lbs. -20lbs. bag of rice, whole wheat flour and store a bulk of it in large containers.

Beans and Lentils

Beans, lentils, dal, pulses, whatever you want to call it, they are just great to stock up on. The benefits of beans are seemingly endless! Dals make a tasty and nutritious addition to any meal as they’re high in protein and low in fat.

Vegetables

When I want to store them for a longer period of time, I store vegetables in two forms:

Protein

Although beans are a great option at this time when buying meat regularly will be tough, there are other ways to stock up on various protein sources. Below are some other protein sources you can stock up on:

Pantry Items

Apart from basic grains, beans and nuts there are other pantry items that stay good for a while. In case you want to bake fresh cookies with the kids or in mood of a change flavors.

Refrigerator Items

There are quite a few food items which are not really shelf-stable but store well in the refrigerator for some time. Here are a few:

Small kitchen appliances

Even in the smallest of vacation home kitchens, guests rely on certain appliances to cook up basic meals (or simply reheat them). Here’s what we recommend stocking to make your kitchen a fully functioning space when hunger strikes.

Tableware and flatware

A general rule to follow: Provide twice the number of glasses, bowls, and plates that accommodate your vacation home’s maximum capacity. For instance, if your home sleeps 4, then provide 8 plates. This allows guests to enjoy more meals before having to run the dishwasher, while also leaving enough tableware and flatware for entertaining.

Cookware and bakeware

Cooking meals together is faster, easier, and a lot more enjoyable when you have the right vacation rental kitchen supplies. Provide your guests with a variety of pots and pans so they’ll be ready to create whatever they’re craving. But, first consider how much storage space you have.

Kitchen utensils and accessories

This is where things can get confusing for the do-it-yourself vacation rental homeowner. There are numerous kitchen tools—some vital, some optional. It all comes down to what your guests are cooking, so provide the tools that are used most often in recipes.

Outdoor cooking and dining

Whether it’s a BBQ on the deck or a poolside picnic, if your vacation home has opportunities for outdoor entertaining, arm your guests with sturdier kitchen tools and dinnerware so they won’t be tempted to use your indoor kitchen items.

Kid-friendly items

Catering to families? Then consider a child’s needs when stocking your vacation rental kitchen. After all, parents (or you) don’t want their children carrying breakable plates and glasses. Similar to your outdoor dinnerware, offer plastic or unbreakable items for the little ones.

Starter spices, condiments and pantry supplies

No guest wants to run out to buy salt or a new bottle of cooking oil, only to use a small portion and leave the rest behind. Go above and beyond to help make your guests feel at home (and not dashing off to a convenience store) by stocking on a few basic staples. It’s a major convenience that your guests will be grateful for.

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