Invest More Money In The Kitchen To Save Money

I could quite easily spend all of my money on kitchen gadgets. There’s this store in my hometown, full to bursting with dough hooks, bread trays and piping sets. I’ve had to develop strict rules about how frequently I am allowed in there, else my budget would be in tatters.

Buying new gadgets for the kitchen is appealing, but it can be a huge drain of money. If you’re looking at revamping your kitchen, or setting one up for the first time, what’s worth investing money in and what can you save money on?

 

Invest Item: Knives

Any cook will tell you; knives can make or break a cooking experience. Invest in a high quality set, whatever your budget will allow. There are some stalwart brand names- Wusthof, Sabatier or Kasumi- but what is most important is how it feels in your hand. Does it feel balanced, and reasonably light? It’s a big call, but investing in at least one knife that is top quality is generally a frugal decision. Other essentials when it comes to knives are, for me, a knife sharpener (and someone to show you how best to use it) and a couple of great quality paring knives. Generally, paring knives don’t come in blocks and they are an absolute essential as far as I am concerned.

Invest Item: Pans

Without decent, heavy-bottomed pans, the chances of a lot of success coming out of your kitchen is seriously undermined. Spend the money, or ask for a decent set for a big birthday or wedding present. It’s a kitchen essential.

Invest Item: Replacement Parts

Chances are your parents and grandparents have an assortment of food processors and mixers, and it can be tempting to write them off as outdated. There is a significant saving to be made by using these hand-me-downs and replacing the outdated parts (broken bowls, the right mixers). I recently replaced the bowl on a food processor, which cost me $50 as opposed to the $700 I would need to find to replace the good quality processor.

Save Your Money On…

There is no end to what we could purchase for our kitchens. Yet space and budget needs must be taken into account. I tend to try and do everything as simply as possible, like our grandparents would have. Money on a bread machine can easily be saved by making the dough ourselves. A baking stone would be the only investment necessary. An ice-cream machine is redundant if we have an electric mixer. Check out old cookbooks and online commentary about the best way to make kitchen staples the old-fashioned way, you’ll save an incredible amount of money.

Keeping your kitchen relatively sparse, except for good quality items, will save you a lot of money and improve your cooking experience.