How to Stock Your First Kitchen Pantry
All photos by Samantha Bolton/Yahoo Food
It’s not uncommon for people — myself included — to have fairly idyllic and grandiose images of what their first place, and first kitchen, will look like. (Especially someone who grew up watching excessive amounts of HGTV and Food Network, and read Pottery Barn catalogues like books. Hypothetically speaking, of course.)
Images of perfectly mismatched, shabby-chic dishes; brightly colored vintage aprons; KitchenAid mixers that cost half the monthly rent; and, of course, elaborate dinners among friends brimming with sophisticated, adult food fit for sophisticated adults.
Having recently moved into my first post-grad apartment in Brooklyn, my hopes for my kitchen exploits were high. However, when my boss suggested I write an article on the essentials every first apartment kitchen needs, I blushed.
See, for the first couple of weeks living in my place, just about the only things stocking our kitchen were a couple bottles of wine, a rotating carton of cherries, a Costco-sized box of Easy Mac (my roommate’s), and a jar of Nutella (mine). Not to mention: A lingering box of leftover pizza and a number of spices I hauled from my college house that were serving no present purpose.
However, there comes a time in every young woman’s life — especially one that works around food all day — that you have to face reality, and a steep grocery bill, and stock up on the essentials.
I wanted to start with the pantry essentials first — the stuff that would stay good for months, at least, and prove useful in a variety of dishes. This meant spending quite some time lingering down the aisles of the local grocery store, eyeing everything appraisingly. Luckily for you, I’ve broken down the absolute musts for your first kitchen pantry.
Let’s Get Cooking
Obviously, a lot of what goes into homemade meals is the fresh stuff — fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy. I personally like to make a trip a few times a week to the local farmer’s market (in my case, the Union Square Farmers Market) to pick up some fresh fruit and veggies. However, these pantry essentials will prove valuable in countless recipes to come:
Pasta – Pasta is a poor person’s best friend. And if you just graduated and moved into your first place, odds are you’re poor. It’s OK; we’re all in this together. Pasta is inexpensive, filling, and versatile, so stock up! Pro tip: If you’re lacking sauce, dressing noodles with olive oil, salt, pepper, a little butter, and crushed almonds (try it!) is a fairly inexpensive, but still sophisticated, way to fill up.
Rice and quinoa – On the other end of the carb spectrum from pasta are these handiest of ingredients. These are both super versatile and carry endless possibilities for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For great organic grains, I personally love Bob’s Red Mill’s products.
Oats and other grains – Classic rolled oats make for a great, filling breakfasts at a low cost. If you’ve never tried overnight oats, you must! (And obviously you’re not much of a Pinterest person, because people on Pinterest love them some overnight oats). Other good grains to have on hand are corn meal, flax, and wheat germ.
Salt and pepper – Well, duh. These two are the backbones of all seasoning. Though both kosher and sea salt will both get the job done, kosher is a little more versatile and the coarse texture makes it easy to just add a pinch. If you really want to step up your seasoning game, you can invest invest in grinders and whole peppercorns and salt. But for now, the pre-ground stuff should work just fine.
Spices – Some of the spices that are essential for your first kitchen are cinnamon, paprika, basil, thyme, cloves, cayenne pepper, allspice, garlic, chili powder, oregano, nutmeg, and parsley. Spices are the easiest way to improve not only from-scratch dishes, but also store-bought things that could use a boost. Jarred tomato sauce for your pasta? Jazz it up with some garlic, oregano, basil, etc.
Oil – Many people consider extra-virgin olive oil to be a kitchen savior — the true MVP of team savory. Some even refer to it as The Magical Golden Elixir of the Kitchen (OK, that’s just me). But whatever you call it, a big bottle of the stuff is essential. While there are many oil choices out there on the market today — coconut, almond, sunflower, corn, etc. — if you’re going for simple and delicious, olive is the move here. Unfortunately, olive oil can be a little pricey — and good oil can definitely be worth the investment if you’re willing to make it. However, if you want something cheap and quality, I like the Fairway brand olive oil, which you can buy in their New York stores or online. You’ll also want to get a big bottle of vegetable oil, which you’ll certainly need for baking (which we’ll get to later).
Vinegars – Balsamic, apple cider, red-wine, white-wine, and rice. Balsamic vinegar is great for dressing salads, marinating fruit, and the like. Apple cider will help you with your baking needs. You’ll find the others are called for in a lot of recipes.
Dried legumes – Dried beans and lentils will fill you up but not bleed you dry of your precious dollars.
Nut butter – Peanut butter (or almond butter, or hazelnut butter, or assorted nut butter of your choice) is essential to any young person’s kitchen. On bread, in smoothies, or just by the spoonful, you really can’t go wrong.
Condiments – Ketchup, mustard, mayo, salad dressing, jelly, soy sauce, salsa, hot sauce, and syrup. Enough said.
Beverages – Coffee (duh.) and tea (if you’re into it). And don’t forget the wine. Always wine.
Canned tomatoes and tomato paste – Canned tomatoes are great for making quick pasta sauces and soups. They’re inexpensive and convenient to have around in case you haven’t had time to make a run for fresh veggies.
Canned beans – Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas. Add these to salads, chilies, soups, and whatever else your heart desires. Maybe even brownies!
Canned tuna – Another low-budget essential here. There’s no faster or cheaper way to get your protein than canned tuna — and bonus! It’s healthy, too.
Let’s Get Baked
The fact of the matter is, baking is fun. Plus, it’s an easy and fairly affordable way to impress friends, romantic interests, family members, bosses, and strangers on the street (Editor’s note: We don’t recommend handing out baked goods to strangers on the street). Oh you’re having a backyard BBQ? Great — I’ll bring cookies! Office holiday party? I’ve got a killer brownie recipe you have to try.
And, one of the best things about baking is that the same ingredients can be used to make so many different, delightful things with small additions. Here’s what to stock up on:
Flour – Pretty basic. There are many options now-a-days for many different kinds of diets. If you have a gluten intolerance or another dietary restriction, look into the best kind of flour for you. (Many professionals swear by Cup4Cup’s gluten-free flour.) If not, a bag each of white and whole wheat flour will go a long way.
Baking soda – Baking soda is required in a lot of recipes, and can be used for tons of non-baking purposes. Smelly fridge? Stock up on this stuff.
Baking powder – This ingredient helps give your breads and cakes their fluff. Just don’t mix it up with baking soda while following your recipe. (Speaking from experience, unfortunately.) Also, here’s a helpful explainer on how they’re different.
Sugar – The big three are white, brown, and powdered. Buy these and your life will be much sweeter. Ha-ha, get it? Moving on…
Honey – If you’re trying to add a little sweetness to something while trying to cut back on sugar, honey is a good alternative. Plus, it’s great in tea, yogurt, and on pizza crust (trust me, and my favorite Colorado pizza joint swears by it). Runner up in the natural sweetener category: agave.
Shortening – Used in crusts, biscuits, cookies. Have this around if you’re trying to get into some serious baking action.
Chocolate – Yay, chocolate! I’m talking powder, chips, and unsweetened baking bars. Great for a variety of desserts, and also for eating at 1 a.m. when you’re having a quarter life crisis over being a, like, real adult now.
Flavorings – Vanilla and almond extract will prove essential to your baking.
Snack Time
These things aren’t 100 percent essential to your diet (OK, wine and chocolate aren’t either), but are great to have around when you need something quick and easy.
Nuts – Nuts are healthy and packed with protein. Now, if only they were just a little less expensive… I personally adore pistachios (please see my author bio), but walnuts, pecans, almonds, and roasted peanuts are also great bets here.
Dried fruits – Great for a quick, healthy, sweet snack. Keeping dried apricots, prunes, cranberries, raisins, figs, and dates nearby will keep you from reaching for the M&Ms.
Canned soup – I’m a big fan of soup year-round. I will eat soup on a 90 degree, humid NYC day happily. “Cream of” soups are great for making casseroles and other creamy dishes, while chicken and beef broths are essential to have for making your own homemade soups and stews. When I’m buying canned, I like Progresso’s Traditional soups, and for low sodium options, the Healthy Choice brand is a good way to go.
Ramen – Ramen is uber trendy right now, and for good reason. Versatile, cheap, and super quick, this classic noodle will save you time and money, and gives you the chance to get creative with toppings and combinations. There are even multiple cookbooks about it.
Crackers – Crackers are like the solid, crunchy version of ramen. A little, blank canvas for your culinary endeavors, if you will. Top ‘em with peanut butter, cheese, or that canned tuna we discussed earlier — you can’t lose.
Cereal – Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert? All viable meal options for the ultimate pantry stand-by.
Dessert mixes – If you don’t have time to use the baking necessities we went through above, quick mixes like pudding, Jell-O, and simple cake mix will help you when you need to make a dessert on the fly (or are just craving a little something sweet for yourself).
Hopefully now you’ll be all set when it comes to your first kitchen pantry, or revamping your current pantry. Is your bank account hurting a little bit? Most likely. But all will be well in the end. Now, about stocking that fridge…
More Pantry Tips:
11 Ingredients You Shouldn’t Be Refrigerating
How to Pickle Basically Everything
5 Comforting Dishes to Make With Pantry Essentials
The Only 3 Cooking Oils You Need
