first timer...your opinion matters!!!!?

Question

i am 18 and just getting started on my feet.
could someone give me the scoop on a few things...
-aluminum vs stainless steel (which one rusts)
-generic vs name brand items (which things are worth the name brand and what can i get by buying the cheapier items)
-what pots and pans should i buy that will last a long time
any thing else i'm missing? anything will help from anyone

Answer 1

Getting your first place way to go! First of all learn the value of coupons. I know is sounds stupid but, they save money and that will always help! At the grocery store you can save a bundle!
I would go with stainless I really like it easy to use and clean. You really only need a few good pots to start. Be sure you have a Large pan to boil noodles and stuff in (Stock Pot). You will also want a medium and a small sauce pan. It is also good to invest in a nice frying pan which can be used for all kinds of things. You will also need at least one baking sheet/cookie sheet, you need this for garlic bread, pizza rolls ect.. Nice to have. Also be sure to get at least one size glass baking dish. They really come in handy the easiest way to cook is to throw some chicken cheese and soup in the dish and bake cheap dinner and easy. Be sure to ask mom, grandma ect for easy reciepes, big help here trust me! You will get tired of fast food and it cost a lot! You will also want to plan on getting cleaning supplies. A lot of people forget this but when you are moving in it is good to have paper towels (go cheap and generic), a mop, broom and some all purpose cleaner! Don't forget dish soap and a sponge!
I buy generic on a lot of things, cleaners, paper towels, the store brand of the cereal you will find that a lot of the major companies make the generic brands rule of thumb save where you can. Another thing I learned in my first place was turn the stuff off if you are not using the light shut it off and if you are leaving turn the heat down and air up! You can save a fortune by doing this!
Hope this helps good luck on your new place!

Answer 2

Ok, I understand what you are saying. You are setting up housekeeping. There are so many products out on the market I know it can be confusing.

First off, dont buy aluminum pans. These dont rust but it has be shown that acidy fruits and vegetables can make the aluminum leech( go into ) the food you are cooking. Scientists have shown that aluminum is not good for the stomach.

Second, if I were just starting out, I would buy a set of the waterless cookware which is advertised in store, or online. Waterless cookware does use a little water to cook with, but so very little that you dont have vegetables sitting in so much water when they are cooking. Nutritionalists have shown that vegetables will lose their vitamins if they are cooked in too much water.

Third, i would get some book s written by different homemakers who make their living giving advice on how to cook, clean house, etc. Heloise is a good author to start with.

Hope you find these ideas helpful. And if you are married, let the husband help cook and clean when he can. This will make housekeeping easier on both of you.

Answer 3

Cheap 'stainless' from China rusts, it's a joke. If it says "Made in China" it's cheap crappy and WILL rust and fall apart. Aluminum is better. Stainless steel from India is GOOD and won't rust.

Generic is usually almost as good if not the same, check the ingredients sometimes they are IDENTICAL (and you pay for the packaging and advertising of name brands). Not always the same quality, depends.
Generic pop tarts are good.

Any pots and pans NOT MADE IN CHINA will last. Check out flea markets and garage sales for older pots and pans, sometimes they are still good and last. Calphon is a good brand but pricey.

Also if you live near a college or university, after the semesters are over, go dumpster diving! Great place to get free stuff. Just make sure the cops don't see you.

Answer 4

I'm going to assume that your money is a little tight. So here's a few ideas that will save you some big bucks.

If you don't need everything to match in your kitchen, go to auctions and rummage sale. You can buy new stuff in a couple of years when you have more money.

Go to estate auctions, the ones where older people have passed away, and their families don't need most of the stuff. You can buy boxes of glasses, plates, silverware, post and pans for a few bucks each.

Or watch the store ads, almost every week they have something on sale. You can usually get a decent set of cookware between $50-$80, sets that have an every day price of $100-$150, only buy cookware on sale, never pay regular price. If you go to a store like Penney's or Kohl's, tell an employee what your budget is, and ask them if they have any close-outs. The better stores only carry quality merchandise.

If you want a nice set of plates & bowls that are hard to break, buy Corellware. I dropped a few over the years, and they almost bounce.

Answer 5

ALL stainless will rust, no matter how amazing great it is if it is treated wrong. Thats a pure myth, and im more than willing to prove it to (i work in a cutlery store, mostly with outdoor products that tend to be even higher grade that domestic products, as well as im the retail manager and crew foreman for a Pool and Spa construction company in the summer...i get exposed to lots of metals.) As far as cooking, id go stainless all the way at first. its easy to keep clean and cooks fairly well. Id never replace my cast iron for the fact that it cooks the best, but itsa pain to keep clean. Honestly, generic doesnt really matter, just get something with a thick bottom (and if possible a layered pot with copper sheathed in stainless for better heat distribution) As far as what to buy, just a fry pan, stock pot, and a sauce pan is all you need. 3 pans, plus a chef knife, paring knife or two, and a good serrated knife (all stainless or ceramic, i prefer ceramic but their expensive and fairly easy to break) plus a few standard utensils.

Answer 6

You can't beat cast iron. What you look for in cooking wares are heavy pots and pans. They will all ways cook better than thin. Aluminum or stainless it doesn't matter, though I prefer stainless, cast iron cooks the best but is hand wash only the others can be put in a washer. It is also helpful to have a Teflon griddle for grilled cheese and pan cakes. Good luck.

Answer 7

#1- Stainless steel is better in pots.
#2-Generic can be good depending on what it is. If its dish soap, sure. But use your discretion. The only way you can truly know is if you test it out. Try visiting your local 99 cents store to see what you can use.
#3- Don't worry right now about name brand products. When first starting out, dont be shy with comparing prices, get stuff only on sale, use lots of coupons, visit consignment sales, garage sales and even Goodwill. Sometimes you will find furniture-GOOD QUALITY for under 10 dollars!! I once saw a baby dresser for 3 bucks and it was adorable.
#4- Always pay bills first and even if its a bit extra, thats great.
#5- Most people don't know this but in credit card bills, there is a small clause, if you are late with any utilities, this may cause your credit card bills to go higher!!! So pay all of your bills on time.
#6- Avoid using credit cards unless its an emergency or for establishing credit. If just establishing credit, avoid store credit cards. The APR-(Annual Percentage Rate) is VERY high. Go for a smaller credit card like Premier Credit Card.
#7- Use cash on everything to avoid credit cards
#8-Buy foods that you can stretch--ex: Use ground turkey to make hamburgers,sloppy joes and meatballs for spagetti.
#9-Dont go out to buy food. It gets too expensive!!Bring your lunch to work.
#10-ENJOY!!

Answer 8

stainless steel (aluminum has a shorter life and dents)

generic everything...youre 18..target brands are cheap and last a long time, walmart sucks for generic

t-fal is a good cheap great-quality pan set and you can get em at walmart and target

basically, anything you get from target is a step up in quality from walmart. go to walmart for things that you throw away after use, like toilet paper. DONT buy towels or bedding at walmart...its tempting cause of the price (they still get me to buy them every couple of years), but after a few washings theyre trash and all the color and padding is gone

Answer 9

A quality pan is heavy and a cheap one is light. Aluminum is what chefs use, never stainless. Burn a couple of things in a stainless and everything will stick no matter how much Pam you spray on it. I use cast iron, mostly.

Answer 10

aluminum is like throwing your money away.
Generics are very good most of the time, especially when it comes to cleaning products.
About foods, you can get store brands for baking goods, juices, frozen vegetables, anything that you are going to combine with other ingredients as part of a recipe or a dish.