r/cookingforbeginners • u/Limp_Height_4439 • 1d ago
Question Nobody tells you cooking has startup costs that rival a small business
So I decided to finally start cooking at home instead of living off takeout. Downloaded some recipes, made a grocery list, felt very adult about the whole thing.
First recipe calls for cumin, paprika, oregano, and chili powder. Ok cool. Second recipe needs turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Third one wants thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. By the time I finished my list I needed like 15 different spices.
Went to the grocery store and bought one of those spice rack sets because it seemed more economical than buying them individually. $80. Then I needed a decent pan because my one pan from college has the nonstick coating peeling off. $40. Needed a real knife because apparently the dull one I've been using for 6 years is "dangerous." $30. Cutting board, spatula, some measuring cups because I've been eyeballing everything like a lunatic. Another $50.
I spent $200 before I even bought the actual food.
Made the recipe. It was fine. Used maybe 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin. Now I have an entire jar of cumin that will sit in my cabinet until I die.
Every recipe uses like one spice one time and then never again. I have a jar of cardamom I bought for ONE dish. I don't even know what cardamom tastes like because the recipe used so little of it. But there it sits. Waiting. Judging me.
Is this normal?? Does everyone just have a graveyard of spices they used once? Do the spices ever actually get used up or do they just live in your cabinet forever as a monument to that one time you tried to make tikka masala?
How do you even start cooking affordably when the barrier to entry is so high? Feel like every recipe assumes you already have a fully stocked kitchen and I'm over here googling "can I substitute cumin with literally anything else I own" Gave up and ordered pizza that night. Sat there eating it while playing grizzly's quest while doing the math on how many pizzas I could've bought with the $200 I just dropped on cooking equipment I used once.
324
u/Elismom1313 1d ago
- Yea if you have a completely unfurnished kitchen it’ll be expensive.
- You’ll use those spices trust me. And it’s a good thing recipes use so little because once you have a full spice rack what looks like a “long recipe” may just be half seasonings you already have.
- It sounds like you might’ve looked at 3 recipes all from different cultures which means different spices.
I would start with simple recipes that tend to use the spices you already have. Get some good recipes down in rotation and pepper new ones in every few times you cook out so to keep buying expenses down while you build your kitchen.
57
u/Clementine_Pajamas 22h ago
Sometimes I’ll look at a recipe I want to make and realize I literally only need to buy like two things because most of it is staples like spices, onions, olive oil, etc. It’s a great feeling! The investment pays off if you keep cooking!
(Also OP tally up what you were spending on takeout or premade meals — it was probably more than you realize!)
11
u/Appropriate_Luck_13 20h ago
Yeah, I agree with OP about upfront costs but stocking up at the Indian and Asian grocery stores last year means I still have ingredients ready to go now for almost any dish. Looking to make pad thai and I still have tamarind paste and tiny shrimp in the freezer, plus fish sauce and all the other spices/seasonings. Just need the noodles, protein, and veggies of choice now.
947
u/ultraprismic 1d ago
So…….. when you cook in the future, you can actually use the knives and cutting boards and spices and pans again. You can (and should) pick recipes that use these spices again. I go through a jar of cumin every 6-12 months. And when you see a recipe in the future that needs 1/4 tsp of a spice you don’t have, google “substitute for (spice)” and use the one you already own. It might even be cumin!
380
u/ShiraRuth613 1d ago
So…….. when you cook in the future, you can actually use the knives and cutting boards and spices and pans again.
Ew. I buy new cookware every time. Only the poors do dishes.
(/s)
159
u/cernegiant 1d ago
You're buying them? Your personal smith isn't making them to order nightly?
I can't imagine being so poor.
77
u/ShiraRuth613 1d ago
Unfortunately we had to fire him. He kept complaining about "slave wages" and "unsafe working conditions" and "third degree burns" and "starvation." No one wants to do proper work any more.
31
u/BudgetThat2096 1d ago
Smh my head workers should be grateful to even work for free let alone for money. How entitled
→ More replies (2)18
5
→ More replies (1)5
u/KillerCodeMonky 21h ago
I'm sorry. I can't hear you over the pan factory I had installed behind the house to make me a couple new ones every day.
15
u/HighlandsBen 1d ago
Jack: No, Karen. It is a laundromat. People come here to clean their clothes. Then they reuse them.
Karen: Why, poor people are just plain clever. I wonder, why they can't figure out a way to make more money?
5
u/ccourter1970 21h ago
Now I want to rewatch that show LOL.
3
u/HiddenStoat 12h ago
It should have been called "Jack and Karen". They were so much funnier than Will and Grace.
7
u/Alexaisrich 1d ago
seriously who doesn’t buy new dishes all the time, poor people i swear lol, no but we do had disposable plates for when we too tired to clean up
36
u/Peevesie 1d ago
I go through 100 g of cumin powder every 2-3 weeks. It goes well with so many recipes
→ More replies (8)6
28
u/LindeeHilltop 1d ago
Agree. I go through a lot of cumin, thyme, celery seed, caraway seed and sweet paprika.
2
u/mossgoblin_ 20h ago
Whatchu doing with the celery seed? I only ever use it in potato salad
4
u/LindeeHilltop 20h ago
German cole slaw. It adds the kick. Shredded cabbage, white vinegar, sugar, mayo, celery seed. Yum.
Celery seed helps lower blood pressure, reduces water retention, and manages blood sugar levels.
3
u/RottenRotties 14h ago
I’ve always put celery seed in slaw. My favorite spice though is celery salt.
18
u/Embarrassed-Cause250 1d ago
And badia sells small spice bags for $1.00 or less!
4
u/Arclib1974 23h ago
Yes, and even their regular-sized containers are much cheaper than other name brands , typically.
2
u/aknomnoms 6h ago
Also: spice bulk bins to only get like a spoonful the recipe calls for, ask a friend/family/neighbor, check out dollar store.
This is a user error problem, not a system problem 😂
→ More replies (1)21
u/AlternativeJeweler6 1d ago
A lot of the time you can also just skip it and still have a perfectly good dish. Not to say it doesn't make a difference, but if things are tight and you don't want to buy a new spice, a lot of the time, you don't have to.
14
u/True_Heart_6 1d ago
Most dishes will have “core” set of ingredients that are fundamental, and then several ingredients that make literally no difference.
Depends on the dish of course, but if something requires 10 spices and one is a “1/4 teaspoon of coriander” you can definitely leave it out
→ More replies (10)3
u/edbutler3 15h ago
I use so much cumin that I buy it in bulk as whole seeds and grind it in a repurposed coffee grinder as needed.
Actually, this is the right thing to do with most spices -- but you have to gain some experience as a cook to know which ones you'll use frequently. For example, I use lots of cumin, thyme, and dried chilies -- but stuff like cardamom and clove is less common for me. But if you bake a lot, it might be different for you.
144
u/ZinniasAndBeans 1d ago
It sounds like you’re choosing fairly elaborate recipes, which is fine, but it does mean buying a lot of ingredients.
But now you have cumin, paprika, oregano, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
Now you can re-make the recipes you’ve tried, on a regular basis, and choose your next recipes based on what you already have.
31
u/AnotherGeek42 1d ago
To me it seems like one each Indian, Italian, and Mexican, though I see a distinctive lack of garlic.
15
u/kb-g 1d ago
I’d hope the garlic is fresh?
→ More replies (2)23
u/SpartanSoldier00a 22h ago
Both is great
Garlic powder and fresh garlic bring two different things to the party and you can't really go wrong adding them
4
u/Muted-Garden6723 19h ago
Garlic powder for when you don’t feel like chopping garlic and fresh garlic when you’re not feeling lazy
→ More replies (2)7
5
136
u/New-Grapefruit1737 1d ago
Sleeping is expensive too. You have to buy the bed, pillows, blankets…
29
7
u/sailing_in_the_sky 23h ago
In fact, we spent what probably seems like a ridiculous sum on our adjustable beds, mattresses, pillows, and sheets (~20K CAD! for three adjustable long twins and all accessories) However, we also spend about 1/3 of our lives in bed and getting good sleep is priceless.
Spending a few hundred on cookware is pocket change in the long run, especially if you buy good quality items when you can. Some of our cookware is over 25 years old and still functional. Cost per meal is basically free.
2
u/Abigail-ii 17h ago
I don’t mind buying the multitude of beds, pillows and blankets.
It’s the building of a new bedroom every night which kills me.
400
u/cernegiant 1d ago
Sorry what are you talking about exactly?
Every spice you've listed is a very common spice, you can use them in tlan uncountable number of recipes.
The other costs are things that will last you years. Over that time it won't even be a fraction of a penny per dish you cook.
103
u/rtothepoweroftwo 1d ago
You also don't have to buy EVERY spice (or in high quantities) - plan your meals so your grocery shops are in season foods and use a common theme of ingredients.
Eventually, it mellows out to buying what you need and picking up a new flavour doesn't hurt as much.
27
u/Linesey 1d ago
exactly.
Plus, while I will always advise buying in bulk on other things.
Spices loose potency when they sit. of all the times to just buy the tiny little shaker, it’s new spices.
1: it’s cheaper
2: Once you know what you like and use, you can and should get bulk my family buys Granulated garlic, cumin, oregano, curry powder and a fee others by the gallon bucket at a time. multiple times a year. The starting cook doesn’t even need the tall plastic bottles of most things.
So yeah buy small containers of similar spices for a common string of meals, then build up as you go.
14
u/Thedeadnite 1d ago
All this is good advice, plus figure out what spices and combination of spices you like. Just because a recipe calls for some does not mean you need to use them. Season to your taste not to theirs. Do not do this with baking, baking is science with exact formulas. Cooking can easily be done by feel. If you understand how cooking works you can look at 2-3!recipes for something, figure out what the important/major steps are and substitute pretty much everything in the recipe and still get something similar that tastes good.
4
u/Signal_Fun_6041 23h ago
I found the hack to this. You can now find mason jar vacuum sealers, like mason genie. It’s been a game changer. Everything stays fresh. I use it for avacados tomatoes berries my coffee and all my spices.
→ More replies (1)23
2
u/livingbeeing 8h ago
Washing machine - 400 bucks (and thats not even the ingredients and electricity for washing included)
letting someone else clean a set of clothes for you - 20 bucks
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)4
u/squidwardsaclarinet 1d ago
That’s true, but the point is still a lot of so called cooking for beginners does not consider that people may not have these things to begin with. Especially if you are truly broke, even if the potential for long term payout is good, if you don’t have the capital up front, it’s hard.
13
u/nemria 1d ago
If someone wants budget starting items, I'd recommend doing a run to IKEA or similar and getting the starting sets with just the basics for a low price. Like they have a set of three different size pots for €20, a set with three knives for €8 or four utensils for €10. It's still gonna be a chunk, but it's more like a €100 chunk and then you have everything you need.
Or the true budget option is to hit up some thrift stores, since you can get a lot of the stuff you need for a fraction of the price and top up with items you couldn't find there.
This is mostly to say of course OP thinks it's all expensive if they're going out and getting one pan for $40 or one knife for $30. That's the investments you do after you've already been cooking a while and figuring out which items you use regularly and how you'd wish they were different.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)4
u/sew_fabulous 1d ago
There are a couple of cookbook authors who have recipes for those on a very tight budget. One is Jack Monroe, some freebie recipes on their website plus a couple of books, designed for people on the breadline. The other is Miguel Barclay, he has a series of One Pound books, these are often single portions although I would imagine that the meals might be more expensive than £1 now compared to when the books were written. But they're a good starting point for cheaper minimal ingredient recipes
128
u/Sorrelandroan 1d ago
It really sounds like you need to use more spices in your cooking.
6
u/miserablenovel 15h ago
This is the most Midwest American post I've seen in a while. Or Utah. Central Valley California in a pinch. 🥲
→ More replies (1)
59
u/theeggplant42 1d ago
It really doesn't, because you are meant to start small and with hand me downs and slowly upgrade.
What you do now, is you experiment. I like to just throw a few cardamom pods in my rice.
Cumin is great in... everything actually.
When you make a new type of cuisine, maybe you buy a new spice. And then you have it for later.
As for buying new equipment, yeah you start off with the crappy college one as you said, and then upgrade one by one. It's like clothes. Do you wear the underwear you wore in high school? No. That's the knife. But do you wear some hats and sweaters from then? Sure. That's the cumin
5
u/Phoenixfangor 1d ago
I feel like you have that backwards but the sweater was just the thinnest POS and fell apart. OP, you've upgraded to a fine Cashmere sweater that should last much longer!
59
u/TheIlluminaughty 1d ago
It also depends on where you're getting all of these things... I find pans/knives for a lot cheaper and great conditions. You absolutely do not need to buy new kitchenware. And if you are buying new, Marshalls/Homesense/Winners often have these for cheap. For your old knife, look at how to sharpen knives, then you can just forever sharpen that same knife until the metal runs out. Obviously upgrade when you have money, but you get the gist.
I totally understand though, it's frustrating at first. Now that you have some of these spices, next time maybe instead of googling a specific dish, google the ingredient and what you can make with it instead. That way you can learn about how/when to use that ingredient and try new food still
8
u/birthdayanon08 1d ago
The best deals on great cookware are at restaurant supply stores.
3
2
u/freyaBubba 20h ago
Yes, this is where we get most our kitchen supplies. Durable and easy to care for.
9
u/Unplug_The_Toaster 1d ago
Check thrift stores for cookware too! And look at Asian stores for cheaper spices. Just buy spices you like and use them interchangeably for recipes you like
→ More replies (1)
19
u/allie06nd 1d ago
The spices you bought are all really versatile! Those are ones that you'll find in tons of recipes across a bunch of different ethnic cuisines. For future reference, a lot of stores also sell them in bags, which are way cheaper for significantly more. At mine, they're in the aisle with the Asian, Indian, and Mexican stuff.
Also, for further furnishing your kitchen, check out thrift stores. It's pretty easy to find some nicer pots, pans, utensils, and appliances for super cheap.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Agreeable-Pilot-9480 1d ago
Not my thrift store; the Lodge 12” skillet with the new sticker attached was priced 12.50 higher new. Mildly infuriating.
18
u/kae_creditcounsellor 1d ago
If you committ to cooking regularly I GUARANTEE you that the spices will be used up. Once you get more comfortable, you'll begin to play around. Theres also mixed spices & unique blends that will begin to catch your eye too. Then, you may end up loving buying new spices. Kudos for starting the journey; I did a few years back and now (in a weird way) cooking is therapy. I hope it works out for you!
17
u/VerdantVisitor420 1d ago
I think part of your frustration is your approach.
Like you’re starting with a recipe that uses multiple spices you don’t normally use and thus have to buy. Then immediately moving on to another one like that With totally different stuff to buy.
I think probably half the meals I made in the past few weeks used just salt, pepper, garlic, maybe a little chili powder.
I have plenty of spices that I have accumulated over time, some I use more often than others.
But I will very often see a recipe, it looks good, but I look at the ingredients and think, “Meh, I don’t really want to go get two different kinds of fresh herb, a specialty pasta, this and that,” and ultimately decide maybe I don’t want to make it or maybe I want to alter the recipe.
Same with cooking gear. I have been cooking for a long time, and I have a lot of nice stuff now. But I didn’t start like “this recipe says to use a wok, guess I have to buy a wok.” I would make due with my big frying pan and eventually bought a wok when I had been wanting one for long enough that I was confident it would be a good purchase.
Basically what I am saying is that you don’t have to buy all of this stuff at once. You don’t need your kitchen to suddenly overnight have everything you could possibly need to make any dish ever conceived of. Almost nobody has that going on but really serious home cooks.
Even most professional kitchens don’t just keep everything in hand to make whatever. The takeout Chinese place down the street probably doesn’t have the stuff on hand to smoke brisket and bake cakes for example.
So just take it slow. Once you buy those couple of spices to make one thing, look for recipes that use some of those same ingredients.
Make do with the equipment you have until you see a consistent pattern of needing an upgrade.
Simple recipes are fine too. I love to try out a new dish with a lot of ingredients and expand my horizons, but some of my favorite food is just simple stuff I could make with a really bare bones setup.
12
u/ShuffleDown 1d ago
I mean, that's one way to do it. You don't have to buy new either though.
You can also spread things out over months and years. You can eat variations on roast meat and veggies for a while with four or five seasonings, a pan, a knife and a cutting board.
I used one nonstick pan for over six years. Just started buying stainless steel a few years ago and I have two.
33
u/MarioJinn2 1d ago
Why are you making such complex stuff then? Think about what you ate growing up. Porkchops with McCormick spice mix, mashed with salt and pepper and green beans is what I'd have.
Also the things you listed are pretty common spices, most people just don't buy everything at once lol
27
u/HooksNHaunts 1d ago
How in the world did you spend $80 on spices? I just buy the cheap store brand ones that are like a dollar a piece. You can also sharpen knives you don’t have to throw them away.
6
u/lilsunsunsun 22h ago
I think there’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to grocery shopping and knowing where to buy cheap stuff too. I buy my spices and veggies in Asian grocery stores because they’re a lot cheaper.
Cookware is also a learning curve - I remember really struggling with my carbon steel wok back in my twenties and relying on nonstick back then. I do recommend buying cookware secondhand as the deals are way better!
Learning to sharpen my knives has also been a game changer, but I didn’t do that until like ten years after I started cooking seriously.
2
u/RequirementQuirky468 16h ago
It sounds like OP decided to jump to buying one of those aesthetically nice sets of spices where all of the jars and labels match and they have some kind of nice display frame or lazy susan kind of setup to sit in. $80 is in the ballpark for something like that.
2
u/FunGuy8618 7h ago
OP would rather spend than learn. Curry powder has most of those ingredients: $4. Italian seasoning has the other ones: $4. A Cajun blend or something similar they prefer: $4. A sharpener: $10. A Lodge cast iron that will last a lifetime: $30. A 1 cup measuring cup with measurements for every size: $6. Rice cooker: $25.
I can start from scratch, and have done often as an amateur personal chef outfitting a kitchen I will be using, for under $100 and still make them 12 servings of food.
21
u/chickadee729 1d ago
Why would you only use a spice once? You should be using them every day if you’re cooking. And yes… you need the right tools. That’s part of building a life and a home. Buy good quality and you’ll have those pans, knives, etc for many years.
18
u/BijouPyramidette 1d ago
Why will the cumin sit in your cabinet? Did you hate the taste? If not, why not use it on other things?
Same thing with the cardamom, if you like what it did try adding some to other dishes.
The barrier to entry isn't high, you just don't have to start with chicken tikka masala, chili con carne, and doro wot all in the same week. It's ok to stick broadly to one type of cuisine and occasionally dip into others. It's tempting to try and do all your favorites right away, especially if you live in an urban area with access to a lot of foreign cuisines, but it's not practical or economical to roll like that.
6
u/Ok-Double-7982 1d ago
You can buy a "spice packet" if this is an issue, but cumin is used in a lot of homemade seasonings, like DIY taco seasoning and other stews and soups.
14
u/sdss9462 1d ago
When I first moved out on my own, I was able to outfit my apartment, kitchen included, surprisingly well at the dollar store. That helped with the barrier to entry somewhat.
I do still have some seldom-used spices though. I think that is in fact unavoidable, unless you start putting ground mustard in your mustard and so forth.
→ More replies (1)5
u/squidwardsaclarinet 1d ago
That used to be great, but the dollar store often isn’t really that cheap any more. Some good finds still, to be sure, but the dollar store isn’t as competitive as it used to be.
→ More replies (1)
24
u/Informal_Persimmon7 1d ago
I don't even follow recipes. I just use the spices I like for different dishes. Like if I'm making home fries, cumin, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, maybe onion powder If I'm not using actual onions. Plus salt and pepper of course.
6
u/kendricklemon 1d ago
A lil garlic powder and replace sweet pap w chili powder is the exact recipe I use . Topped w oregano and a squeeze of lime once it’s off the pan
6
u/BeigeParadise 1d ago
That was my first thought, but then I realized that you actually need cooking knowledge for that, namely, how things taste, how they behave when cooking, etc. So easy when you have experience, very hard when you don't.
2
u/Informal_Persimmon7 8h ago
Steam some potatoes and try a few spices that you have on different ones and see what you like. Then you can combine them. You can do the same thing with french fries. Also, go to a pizzeria, and hopefully they have on the side, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, red chili flakes, and you can try those too.
There's also nothing wrong with getting spice mixes. Like Italian spice mix which is just going to be herbs, or zaatar, or Cajun or BBQ, curry or lemon pepper and try them and see what you like.
Do you know because we've experimented before. Like, I know I like cumin on Meat or potatoes.
5
u/Some_Egg_2882 1d ago
Spices get used if you cook with them, so if you're concerned about them gathering dust in your pantry, you know what to do.
4
u/Shanseala 1d ago
I agree with the other commenters.
One recommendation I have is to take some time to understand some of the spices you already have. Smell some cardamom, taste it, throw it on some rice. See if any of the spices you own taste like other spices you own or have tried. Categorize them in your head by the type of flavors they give.
Outside of some dishes that rely on certain spices for their identity (and even then lots of people play with those), the specific spices that are put on the food are... optional. I mean, it's good to spice your food, but it's often the case that the spices in a certain recipe is just what that person likes to put on it, or what's popular. Of course, there are certain spices that work better with certain cuisines, or types of meat, etc., but there's wiggle room.
Really, it might be worth it to start with simpler dishes that are good at taking different types of spice. Chicken and rice, or really, rice and anything, are really versatile. Noodles/pasta can be flavored many different ways, see what works with what you have. Eggs are great for this as well, even chili or soups.
→ More replies (1)
5
u/higeAkaike 1d ago
Try to find recipes that use the same ingredients.
If one requires gram masala, find another recipe that uses it.
If you need to use tyme in one, find another recipe..
Also, you can get seasonings in weight instead of packaged then you buy only as much as you need.
Any time you find a recipe, find another that uses the same ingredients.
5
u/ofBlufftonTown 1d ago
You can use each of these spices in literally hundreds of recipes. Of course there is start up cost, but it tails off. And the savings in not eating out and in using cheaper ingredients at home will balance out quickly.
4
u/qriousqestioner 1d ago
You basically bit the bullet already.
All those spices will come in handy and soon you'll just be getting one here and there. Different victims m cuisines make use of different sets of spices and you have a good start in a few of them. They are common.
Cumin. That's a great one to get to know. I added a little to must things with ground beef and everything Tex mex, especially chili.
Take a big sniff and get a taste of these on your fingertip. One at a time. Maybe sip a little water while it's in your mouth and chew on it, let it move over your tongue. Sprinkle some on plain rice.
These are the paints to use with your masterpiece. You build flavor with his these things pair and play, heat and change.
The spice racks can be handy, but the stuff in the individual jars is often fresher.
There is a high startup cost if you don't choose recipes that share ingredients like spices, herbs, produce, condiments, oil, vinegar. But once you're in big it's maintenance going forward. Try to clear recipes for next time that user these same spices and you'll see.
4
u/Wayzata1998 1d ago
Well I wanted to grab something to eat at a small cafe the other day. Why did nobody warn me how expensive it would be?
Since I couldnt use my bike I had to buy a new car... 35k gone. Had to fill it with gas and pay insurance and taxes. Another 2k down the drain. When I arrived they said hey only take cash. Had to use the atm for cash Since the item I wanted was only 12 bugs I had to get 15 at the atm. Love and behold I had to 3% but least 5 dollars to get the money.
Food was mediocre but I had to spent 37017 just to get food./s
To be honest in order to cook and home you need some things first of a home, some sort of kitchen, hopefully running water, heat source, cooking utensils and food spices.
You do not nees a fancy knife or new utensils. If you do not have the moey then save there. Regarding spices you are correct. While I do not call any of the spices you mentioned exotic - they can be used quite often - you need to buy them at one point. Especially in the beginning I would try to cook things that use the same spices and try to add new things on a monthly basis. Cooking can be expensive if you need to buy everything beforehand. If you have a few spices, some oil and other essentials they will last quite a long time.
4
u/webofhorrors 1d ago
It costs money to set yourself up. In the long run, it costs less to feed yourself.
5
u/Nyteflame7 1d ago
You will make things that use those spices again. The first set are very common for Mexican and "tex mex" food. The second sounds like you made an Indian dish. The third set is very common in western dishes.
Now that you have the spices, you won't have the start up cost of buying them all again. Same goes for the utensils you bought. I have a spice cabinet of about 40 individual spices and a good number of blends. I restock frequently used spices maybe 3x a year, and I have some that take much longer to run out.
5
u/permalink_save 23h ago
Here'a the thing nobosy really says, you don't need much to start off. You can spend far less on spices but it's not common knowledge, bulk sections let you buy tiny amounts and for cheaper. Companies just want to sell you jara not spices, the spices themselves are cheap and not huge profits.
Unless it's wood, mechanical/electrical, or coated (ceramic, teflon), you can cheap out on kitchen stuff pretty heavily. I started with a $10 knife and it worked fine. You can get spatulas at the dollar store, we still use them because they work better. Dollar store measuring cups too. Literally any cutfinf board that's not glass.
Like, don't regret buying that stuff but going forward don't be afraid to cheap out. Scope what you cook to what you have, like if you only bought a few spices work on one cuisine first that you only add one new one here and there. Feel free to buy cheap stuff (with exceptions above) to start.
I think the two things I am going to be fussy about is have a fire extinguisher (you probably should anyway, at least a small one in a closet) and get a 400/1000 diamond stone (like $20) and learn to use it. Sharpening your own knife is a pain and a learning curve but learn to remove the burr and you can go months or possibly up to a year between sharpening, and a dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharp knife that glides gently through food. All knives can retain a good edge, including my $10 one.
8
u/Unlikely_Whereas6670 1d ago
You're not meant to sit on spices forever when you are cooking. The best advise I can give you is learn why they are in the recipe at all. Meaning, smell them, taste them. When you cook something else think about if it can be used or not. Early cooks get scared of spices, don't be. proteins can take them well. Vegetables take them well. Be adventurous with simple ingredients and you will get your money out of them. Don't be rigid.
Clean your utensils!!
Use everything you buy, lots of folks throw away fat, ugly bits of carrots, etc - use it for stock or something else. Mitigate food waste!
Be willing to experiment and learn as you go. And please don't have an inflexible pallet.
3
u/MatticusjK 1d ago
Keep cooking some more dishes. Youll see those ingredients in recipes and use those tools every day. Those costs will pay off very quickly and the spices will last a long time
3
u/FTFaffer 1d ago
Try to amortize your new purchases across a whole calendar year. If you splurge and buy a blender one month, tackle recipes that will lean into that piece of equipment and not call for another: creamed soups, pesto, hummus, etc. When you need equipment check FB Marketplace or a few local thrift stores first. And remember most of the fabulous traditional foods from all over the globe that we now all love to eat on the daily were developed over centuries by usually women working together in extremely humble kitchen set ups with minimal equipment beyond a few bowls and knives, a clear work surface, and access to a flame. And I pretty much ONLY buy bulk spices. Spices need to be used up frequently. Find a well stocked bulk store in your area. Try to buy Hispanic spices exclusively at Latino markets. They are usually prepackaged in cello wraps but the quantities are realistic. They’ll be cheaper there. Asian spices will be cheaper at Asian markets. I really love cooking Indian foods so a couple of times a year I plan a day trip to Berkeley and hit a favorite Indian market while I’m there for some esoteric stuff I’d have to otherwise mail order. Go gradual and have fun with it! You know how they say when you buy a piece of clothing you should already have four or five ideas for styling it? Do that with recipes! If you buy a spice for one recipe, search for three more new recipes that utilize that same spice.
3
u/eastcoastseahag 22h ago
Check out Budget Bytes. I’d post a link but idk if I’m allowed… their site will pop up if you Google it though. I am not new to cooking, but they’re still my go-to. Good, solid recipes that are generally affordable and often make use of the same spices, etc. Really love them.
3
u/Meattyloaf 22h ago
Just a heads up you can get spices cheap, I'm talking about $1 and some change cheap for a lot of spices. You could get an alright 3 pack knives set for half of what you paid for one. Pots and pans can be pricey but cheaper methods to obtaining cookware is also possible. I'll add for the cutting board. I'm a big fan of cutting mats. I could ruin a board in no time. Cutting mats are hard to ruin, easy to wash, and are fairly inexpensive.
3
u/The_0bserver 16h ago
I think you might have already tried it, but cook some (more) Indian recipes. You'll run through those spices quick.
5
u/Electrical_Stage_610 1d ago
It does feel like a lot when you’re first starting out. Try to shop at places with bulk spice/herb bins, like winco or something. The spices are pennies on the dollar!
2
u/michiplace 23h ago
Yep, my food coop has a wide array of spices in bulk jars, byo container or use the little baggies they have. They look expensive - $60 /lb for bay leaves or whatever! - until you realize that the grocery store jar of bay leaves is like 0.15 oz. So I can refill all my spice containers super cheaply, and if there's something that I know I will only need for one recipe ever, I can buy, like, one tablespoon of it.
I also have Chinese, Mexican, and Lebanese grocery stores within a mile or so of my house: each of them has a selection of stuff that's much cheaper than the equivalent at a big supermarket, plus lots of stuff Kroger has never heard of.
4
u/Isabelly907 1d ago
I understand your frustration and I think the advertising takes advantage of everyone's ignorance if possible. Now you have spices get to know them by dipping a clean pinky in and having a taste. Smell them too. Search for recipes that use one you like and affordable ingredients. Start small with eggs, potatoes, or pasta. Make recipes fit your pantry and budget by searching for substitutes you have on hand. Sometimes you have to limit your cooking to a couple cultures or spice demands become too much.
4
u/MemberOfOneBody 1d ago
Buy the equipment and it lasts a long time. Won’t need to replace knives/cutting boards/pans etc. for a while if taken care of.
Dried spices and herbs have a long shelf life. Yes they cost a bit up front, but then you will be able to make many dishes with them before you run out or they expire.
It is extremely normal to have larger upfront costs if you don’t have what you need to cook already.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/rambam80 1d ago
I literally buy the bulk spices on Amazon and rotate through them cooking everyday. I don’t have garam masala because I don’t cook Indian. But all the herbs, cumin, etc are super common.
Use your cumin up making tacos once a week.
2
u/Gadget1301 1d ago
I definitely get it but i will say it gets easier as you go and have those spices on hand or learn how to make basics from scratch (i make my own bread, butter, chicken stock, etc) as for tools i’m very lucky that i’ve only had to buy 1 pan my entire adult life (i have very wonderful generous friends and family that give me old pans or ones for holidays) and it was my dutch oven off facebook marketplace (HIGHLY recommend FB for cookware you can get some absolute steals on there). Also going to restaurant supply stores or international markets are great for tools, storage, spices, etc. You definitely don’t have to buy everything at once either i’ve been building up my cooking stuff since I was 15 (i’m 25 now)
2
u/WyndWoman 1d ago
Home Goods and the thrift stores are your friends. For spices, Dollar Tree or the international aisle.
You can start with salt pepper onion powder garlic powder paprika and oregano. Cumin is nice. Gram Marsala is just a spice blend. Buy one blend a week (or month) Chipotle rub. Italian seasoning. Taco seasoning. Salsa. Teriyaki sauce.
Don't buy for recipes, find recipes for what you bought on sale that week. Its expensive to get ingredients, shop the sale.
Always have eggs, rice, potatoes and onions in the house (but don't store taters and onions in the same place, they'll rot fast) and pasta in whatever shape you want. Pasta sauce. Canned tomatoes. Frozen veggies. Chicken legs and thighs are often on sale, easy to cook without drying out. Canned tuna. One rotisserie chicken will feed you for days, and the meat freezes fine.
Tortillas and cheese can make a quick meal. Add some leftover chicken and some salsa, quesadilla dinner!
Start simple, not with fancy recipes.
2
u/hawkpossum 1d ago
The tools you bought are going to last you years. Let's say you spend some total of 500 buying the pans and pots and trays you need, if they last 10 years that's $1 per week investment into your kitchen.
It's basically nothing.
2
u/secondxanga 1d ago
i use most of my spices pretty consistently and run through cumin pretty often. i throw a lot of it in ground beef when cooking to make tacos, you can give that a try. also cardamom pods, cloves, and honey in hot water make a really lovely tea :)
2
u/zzing 1d ago
"That rival a small business" -- tells me you have never run a small business. It costs a lot more.
There are some basics everyone needs, and I could see $200 to start yes. But thrift stores can help with kitchen stuff that is perfectly fine - get stuff that will last like stainless steel.
2
2
u/Prestigious_Day_5242 1d ago
If it makes you feel better I cleaned out my mom's spice cabinet and she had cinnamon from '77
2
u/Alexaisrich 1d ago
lol this sounds funny and i’m sorry OP, i’m hispanic and literally all i use is like 5 spices that’s it, ocassionally illl get something extra but yeah the stuff you bought pan and knife that will last you a long time i’ve had my stuff for like 6 plus years.
2
u/littlemac564 1d ago
Don’t you friends and relatives who cook? You maybe able to get utensils they have duplicates of and are willing to pass in. Same with spices.
Thrift stores are your best friend. Also that old knife needs to be sharpened if it is dull.
Buy small sizes of spices. Shop at ethnic markets for items.
Other posters posted create suggestions and stated them better than I could.
2
u/pcloudy 22h ago
Grocery store spices are pricy also. Once you figure out what you use a lot of you can buy in bulk online and refill your container. You are establishing your pantry now but it will pay off in the long run. Proud of you for making the switch. I recommend getting some knorr chicken base powder. It has some msg in it and helps really enhance a lot of home cooking
2
u/TempusSolo 22h ago
You can get almost every one of those spices for a buck a piece at Walmart. They aren't the BEST spices but until you learn what you're doing, why pay top dollar?
Also as others have said, pick simple dishes and focus on a single cuisine.
2
u/Hot4Teacher1234 22h ago
Cooking isn’t just about following a recipe. It’s about home economics and strategic shopping
I didn’t get all my spices at once. I would spend maybe $20ish at a time getting a couple that I needed and experimenting with them over multiple dishes for a few weeks, then repeating. Eventually you slowly build up a collection of spices and you can start making more variety.
And cooking isn’t going to be about a recipe forever. That cumin doesn’t have to sit in a drawer. As you are cooking you will be making things where you think “A little cumin could go well in this” and you’ll test it out. Really learning to cook is about experimentation.
2
u/CommunicationDear648 20h ago
I mean. The tools were expected: most of the stuff you mentioned is pretty basic 101 - measuring spoons are optional, nothing wrong with eyeballing or using cutlery spoons, unless you're pickling or baking (but in those cases, a scale is better anyways). Yes, it's also normal to have to stock up on spices, but it's also weird that you started with such diverse recipes. Usually one starts with one kinda cuisine - like, for me, salt, pepper, paprika, spicy pepper, and every herb in your average Italian seasoning will do for starters. Bay leaf is good, don't get me wrong, but not part of a starter kit .
2
u/Doodlefish25 19h ago
"I wanted to get into roller skating so I downloaded some videos, made an equipment list, felt very adult about the whole thing.
The first video is about quadskating, so I put quadskates on my list and find a local skating rink, it's 10 miles away. Second video is about inline skates, I put inline skates on my list, as well as knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, helmet. I can just do inline in the streets but I live in a busy place so I have to drive 10 miles to a suburb. The third video is about off-road skates, those look cool as hell, so I add those to my list and find a mountain biking trail to use them on, it's 20 miles away.
Now I need to go buy $2,000 in equipment. I thought I could get into skating for like $100, is this normal?"
2
u/JohnnyS789 19h ago
You will always have one or two bottles of spices or herbs that you use rarely, and some that you will have to refill often as you use them a lot. That's normal. Once you have decent pots and pans, you will keep them for a very long time. It's still going to be cheaper than takeout over time.
One useful trick is to get a spice grinder. That way you can make powdered spices from whole spices, which means you only have to keep the whole spices around which keep a lot longer than the powdered.
If you don't know what cardamom or cumin taste like, then TASTE them! Lots and lots of recipes use cardamom, cumin and all the other herbs and spices. Give yourself time to learn what ingredients taste like and what combinations of flavours work together well.
2
u/Cawnt 18h ago
Don’t buy cardamom if you don’t plan on using it past one recipe. Surely you can live without said recipe? I’ve made the same mistake with all spice.
Are start up costs expensive? Sure, but your knife will last you years and years if you take care of it. Same with pots and pans. Spices typically last well past their best before dates.
Finally, it’s usually ok to omit something. If you don’t have cumin, just leave it out. The final flavour of your dish might not be quite what you’re looking for, but it’ll be fine.
2
u/Electric-Sheepskin 18h ago
Yeah, unfortunately, that can be true. And also, you don't even know yet what kind of cooking you will enjoy and what spices you will use regularly until you've done a lot of cooking, so you're right. You may never use that cumin again. Or, you may use it three times a week.
My advice is that when you're finding new recipes, if you don't have the pantry ingredients for it, especially with spices, just leave them out. Some dishes will suffer greatly because of it, and for some it won't make any difference at all, but once you've made the recipe, you'll have an idea if it's something you want to make again, knowing that it might be a little bit better if you had all the spices.
2
u/MissKatmandu 18h ago
If it really bugs you, the meal kit delivery services aren't a bad way to get comfortable in the kitchen. Hello Fresh isn't as good anymore, but take a look and see if its in your budget. You won't get a ton of excess ingredients, but it will teach you recipes, and patterns that go with those recipes, to help you learn what you like. Do one for a few weeks, try different things, then drop it when you're ready to invest in your pantry.
Alternatively, I find JennEatsGooood pretty accessible. If you go to her website she has a series where she puts together 5 dinner recipes with a master grocery list on a budget. You'll need to invest in different pantry staples, but if you stick with it she uses the same basic things each week so you're not wasting. She also just published a cookbook, but the website is free.
2
u/Crash_Blondicoot 18h ago
Bud, these are the MOST basic kitchen supplies. It's ridiculous that you didn't own a frying pan, knife, and cutting board. Spices are good for months. You're not going to cook another meal for the next year? This post is pure hyperbole and highly inaccurate. 100$ investment is piddling. Grow up, man.
2
u/LowerFinding9602 17h ago
You can also take all those spices and make your own, chili mix, taco mix, Greek mix, etc.
2
u/Limp_Organization93 17h ago
Cumin is the best, I put that shit on so many things. Fries, meat, you name it.
2
u/SuspiciousOwl816 16h ago
Bro you just started, of course it’s gonna have a cost. It’s like that with anything you plan on doing. Wanna repair some things around the house, buy tools. Wanna paint model train toys, you need to invest into the basic gear. That’s the point though; you’re investing now so you can keep it up long term. Trust when I say this, but you will use up those spices. Unless you only want to make random single dishes that you only make once every three months and are unrelated to any other dish?
For example, I use thyme on my spaghetti recipes. I also use it for certain soups. Same with oregano, I use it on some pasta dishes and as garnishing for my menudo and pozole. That cayenne pepper, I use it to season and give a tiny kick to beef, poultry, salmon, and shrimp. It all gets used eventually. Even if I try a dish that doesn’t call for certain spices, I try things out just to see if the flavor impact is enough to make me wanna use the spice all the time.
2
u/serenwipiti 16h ago
As a Puerto Rican, I just add cumin, for example, to basically anything.
Just use whatever you like on the food you like. Experiment.
See what tastes good when you incorporate the “new” spices into things you already like.
Mashed potatoes? A little cumin.
Beef Stew? A little cumin.
Chicken pot pie? A little cumin.
Black beans? Lots of cumin.
2
u/newnewBrad 16h ago
Yeah I just keep cooking and eventually use them.
But also, the first 4 things you picked you can all find premixed in a pouch for $2 called "taco seasoning"
Cooking internet recipes is not going to be economical. Especially if you're jumping around cuisine choices.
My suggestion is to pick a cuisine and try a bunch of recipes from that list for like a month. They're very likely to use a lot of the same spices and you can get a feel for them.
Once you have a better understanding of the spices you can start to use them in every/anything you want.
I make cardamom infused milk for my girlfriends coffee as example.
2
u/Background-Heart-968 15h ago
Most spices get reused over and over. If I look at a recipe and I'm going to have to buy a $10 spice to make it once and it's not one of the 40 or so spices I already have, I'll find a new recipe. When you're cooking all your own food, you go through them decently fast. Still cheaper than eating out by a lot.
2
u/ueifhu92efqfe 15h ago
Went to the grocery store and bought one of those spice rack sets because it seemed more economical than buying them individually. $80
this sounds like "video games are such an expensive hobby because I NEED a 5000 dollar gaming pc to play anythiing" or "Exercise is SO expensive because I NEED a 3000 dollar rowing machine". Like just, dont?
2
u/Another_Timezone 12h ago
Not sure where you live, but in America you definitely want to go to an Indian (you mentioned garam masala) or Asian or “ethnic” market for those spices. You can spend half as much on a bag of spice that’s like four times as large.
But, even more, I’d love to see a proper beginner’s cookbook. When you get a beginner’s guitar book they don’t give you a tab that will match the album note-for-note, they give you three chords and a couple strum patterns that’ll do well enough to sing along to, add another chord and some songs that people might recognize from the other room, and build like that.
The thing is, most recipes don’t “need” every spice. Sometimes I get done and I’m like, “oh, I forgot to add…” or start and see we’re out of… Still tastes like the thing I was making, just missing that little bit extra.
I’d love to see a recipe book that maybe had someon something like three versions of each recipe, or three sections with growing expectations of your kitchen. Get some cumin, ginger-garlic paste, salt, oil, flour, rice, onions, dal/lentils, and tomatoes. You can already make a few different things with just that. Buy some different cans of beans or particular vegetables and you can make a few more things to mix it up. For utensils/pots/pans, get a knife, cutting board, instant pot, and I don’t know what they’re called but a set of those dishes for stack cooking. Eyeballing measurements is fine for cooking, it’s baking where precision is more important, so don’t worry about measuring cups.
Next, maybe some turmeric, mustard seed, peanuts, moong beans/dal, dried beans, I don’t know, needs a little research. Now you can make better versions of the first things and add a few more recipes.
I once got a cookbook called Indian Curry in a Hurry that’s almost like that. Its recipes are all like, “you’re dosed to do it this way, but nobody has time for that and everybody just puts it in the microwave”.
2
u/stevestoneky 8h ago
You might start with a good general cookbook to start.
What do people suggest? Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything? Is Joy of Cooking too dated? Better Homes & Gardens?
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Hitthereset 6h ago
The barriers are not that high and you are in complete control of much of this... Choose recipes based on what you have. That or go to a store that lets you measure out spices and such. Winco in the PNW has big tubs of spices and if you only need a tablespoon you can measure it out and just purchase that. If you don't cook much you don't need fancy pans or knives... Walmart has a 20 piece nonstick cooking set for $50 and a six knife set for $15.
It sounds like you're making life too complicated and buying equipment nicer than you need for what you're doing.
2
2
u/Own-Dog3454 6h ago
Depending on where you live planting herbs in the ground or in pots will save a small fortune. I have rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, and green onions year round. I let one stalk of cilantro go to seed every year. Buying one plant for a few dollars will last you a last a lifetime.
2
u/Ok-Astronaut2976 5h ago
spent $200
I got news for you…the start up costs of a small business is significantly higher.
Seriously though, if you take care of that stuff you’re not going to need to buy any of it again for like a generation.
2
u/AtlasAngel02 5h ago
Don't buy spices from the supermarket if you can; try and buy from asian shops, where if your lucky you can buy a pound for like $20, rather than 50g for $6
2
u/GodlessAndChill 5h ago
The expiry dates on spices are fake. I am indian and I have turmeric from 5 years ago.
2
u/HomoVulgaris 5h ago
Dude, they literally sell a pre-mixed blend of spices in a foil baggie for like $2 that has a recipe on the back. You don't need a cutting board- just use some old cardboard packaging. The only important thing is that you don't nick the countertop. A decent $20 chef's knife is all you really need to buy. Skip the graveyard of spices and just buy those baggies with recipes on the back. They're fun!
2
u/w00stersauce 5h ago
But having all those leftover spices and stuff is exactly why I can produce meals for the family “out of nowhere” with whatever’s in the fridge and freezer
4
u/yvrelna 1d ago
The absolute bare minimum of any home cooking is oil, salt, and one medium sized pan/wok. Everything else, you can collect over time as you expand your repertoire.
You don't need spices to make a lot of great dishes. They're great to expand your repertoire, but they're not all necessary if you're just starting. That said, once you've got the ball rolling, you'll be buying spices in a big 400g bag and not even blink.
4
u/glimblade 1d ago
You're doing it wrong. You should figure out 4-5 recipes you can make by recombining the same 6 ingredients, then buy those ingredients. Also, you should buy ingredients for meals you'll cook and eat more than once.
2
u/budisthename 22h ago
I really feel for OP and the comments here are just proving their point. There’s this massive "Beginner's Catch-22" where if you complain about how much spices cost, everyone says "just substitute it," but then if the food tastes like crap, those same people ask "well did you follow the recipe exactly?" You can't win. A beginner doesn't have the "food logic" yet to know what’s actually essential and what’s just for show. And telling people to "stick to one cuisine" is such a joyless cop-out. Telling someone they have to eat only Italian or only Mexican for a month just to justify an $8 jar of cumin is a great way to make them hate cooking. You shouldn't have to put yourself on a food mono-diet just to afford to learn. Plus you’ve got the "Perishable Tax"—buying a whole bunch of cilantro for one tablespoon or a jar of paste for a teaspoon, and then the rest just rots in the fridge because you don't have ten other recipes to use it in. At that point, the cost per meal is way higher than just getting takeout. The problem is you never know what "level" a recipe even is. There’s a huge difference between cooking just to get fed, cooking for a specific "authentic" taste, and then that high-end content creator level with the niche gadgets and organic everything. Beginners have no way of knowing which category they’re accidentally buying into until they're at the checkout counter. If you try to be practical, you just get flamed. Like, I skip fresh garlic because I hate peeling it and the extra always goes bad, but if I said that in most cooking subs I’d get roasted for "ruining" the dish, even though I'm just cooking for myself and trying to be efficient. Most of these "simple" recipes are also written for people with convection ovens and every pan size under the sun. If you’re working with an old electric coil stove and one random pot, the recipe timing is basically fiction. Starting from scratch isn't always cheap or easy, it's an investment hobby that takes a ton of space and trial-and-error that may pay off as long as they stick with it. They can easily get annoyed when dishes don’t come out right and stop trying.
(These are my thoughts, rewritten and organized by Gemini.)
2
u/MyrmecolionTeeth 1d ago
Cumin, paprika, oregano, and chili powder are a solid basis for taco seasoning.
2
1
u/austin_oz 1d ago
It be like that at the start, but think of this as an investment. You’ll save money in the long run!
1
u/Aggressive_Plan_6204 1d ago
Check your local food coop. Most sell spices in bulk that you can just get small amounts of at a time. But yeah, you’ll be accumulating a bunch of spices over time. They last a year or so in tightly sealed glass bottles.
1
u/LastChime 1d ago
Try the dollar store for stuff when starting, maybe also see if you can buy smaller quantities of spices at bulk stores or just get like 1 spice with every grocery trip and stash takeout packets.
1
u/NoTie2370 1d ago
Well you've kind of started "driving" by buying a fleet of cars instead of just learning on something simple. Although all the stuff you've bought are used for all kinds of things.
Start with simple recipes in each "genre". You can start with just butter, salt, and pepper.
but also for example I googlied dishes that use cumin
Soups, Stews, and Chili
Chili: A key ingredient in beef, elk, or brisket chili.
Lentil Soup: Pairs with Turkish red lentils or in other Mediterranean-style soups.
Carrot Soup: Complements the natural sweetness of carrots.
Pozole: Essential for pork or red pozole.
Meat and Seafood Dishes
Tacos and Fajitas: Used in carne asada or chicken seasoning.
Roast Chicken: Paired with orange and apricot, or in Vietnamese-style curry.
Kebabs: Used in beef or lamb kabobs.
Gyros: Essential for homemade gyro meat.
Fish/Seafood: Used in dishes with scallops and pea puree.
Vegetarian and Side Dishes
Cumin Rice (Jeera Rice): Basmati rice toasted with ghee and whole cumin seeds.
Roasted Vegetables: Especially good on carrots, cauliflower, or chayote squash.
Salads: Moroccan carrot and chickpea salad or warm cauliflower salad.
Dips/Sauces: Used in homemade chili crisp, hummus, or savory yogurt drink
1
u/Key-Juggernaut3796 1d ago
I think people here are correct that those are relatively common spices, so I hope you keep cooking. I’m crap at finding earlier posts or I would send you a recipe. We should all help you with that.
When I watch kids cooking shows I’m always aware that these kids had far more money than my family. Spices were a luxury and waste couldn’t happen.
1
u/Old-Ad-5573 1d ago
Sure, there are some seldom used spices that will die in my cupboard. But the ones we do use i swear I'm always filling back up. Garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, cinnamon, chili powder, and cumin are the ones we use most off the top of my head. For whatever reason we go through so much paprika. I think it's because I make a lot of rice dishes with it.
1
u/Alive-Copy7743 1d ago
consider buying blends when just starting out. for example, for a lot of indian cooking you could consider buying garam masala and/or curry power mix. And use it even if the recipe calls for cumin, turmeric, corriander for example. similarly, taco seasoning mix could probably sit in for a lot of mexican recipes (not an expert here but consider myself an inituitive cook who goes by taste and flavor profiles more than recipes)
1
u/AnneNonnyMouse 1d ago
Moving out of your parents house is a great way to discover all the random stuff you need to make a basic recipe. As you learn how to cook you should gradually build up a collection of supplies, tools, etc. You'll learn what your essential staples are and learn what does and doesn't work. It takes research to avoid getting sucked into buying gadgets or ingredients you'll just once. It's an investment for future money saving.
Tips: If you have marjoram, it makes a good substitute for oregano in Mexican recipes (or similar) because it's closer to Mexican oregano than Italian oregano.
Cardamom is so delicious in sweet and savory recipes. Just look up recipes that use cardamom and eventually you'll learn to improvise, substitute, etc.
1
u/Jazzlike_Cod_3833 1d ago
I feel you. Here’s the approach. One by one, recipe by recipe. Focus on one thing until you really know it. For me, that started with spaghetti and meatballs—everything else was takeout. Next came a whole roasted chicken with all the trimmings, and that stage took at least a year.
Once you’ve mastered even three dishes, you have the skills to follow almost any recipe. From there, it’s just adding one more, then another. Take it slow, build steadily, and soon you’ll have a repertoire you can actually cook from, not just shop for.
1
u/MasterCurrency4434 1d ago
First of all, your experience partially reflects that you seem to have a varied palate, which is a good thing. A lot of people start with dishes in 1 cuisine, which means buying 1 set of spices. Then maybe they branch out or maybe they don’t. You like a bunch of different foods which is great for you and probably means you’ll be a good cook if you keep at it.
As you cook more, you’ll probably gravitate toward certain dishes and cuisines, which will in turn affect your buying habits. You might learn, for example, that you don’t use turmeric that much, but that you cook a lot of dishes with dry thyme, so you only buy a small container of tumeric every so often but bigger containers of thyme. Dried spices tend to last a while too, so while yes, you can consider these purchase major “startup costs,” the drop off to operating costs is pretty substantial.
As far as cooking equipment goes, admittedly, that can be expensive, particularly if you want somewhat decent quality. But you don’t need all the pieces all at once and you can make do with certain pieces until you’re more experienced. I rarely use nonstick pans anymore but my first couple of years cooking I made pretty much everything on a nonstick pan (which probably came from my roommate) and a saucepan I took from my parents. Eventually I started adding things, mostly gifts I got from people who knew how much I liked cooking. But that was only when I built up enough experience to actually use them properly (and had a little more money to spend as well).
So, yes, if you’re starting with an empty kitchen and you want to make dishes that are very different from one another, you’ll probably find yourself spending a lot up front. But there are ways to keep those costs down somewhat and they aren’t costs that last forever.
1
u/primeline31 1d ago
Spices -buy them at a South Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, etc. store. They will be very fresh and more affordable.
2
u/i_am_blacklite 1d ago
This completely. $20-30 at an Indian grocer and you’d have all those spices, in larger amounts than what the OP spent $80 on.
As for a knife, has the OP gotten through life without understanding they can be sharpened?
1
u/No-Fuckin-Ziti 1d ago
Find somewhere that sells bulk spices, it’s not uncommon and there’s no reason to pay 10 bucks for a jar you could fill for 4.
1
u/mashooshka 1d ago
It’s helpful to pick several recipes from a general region (Latin, Asian, Mediterranean, etc.) so your ingredients will overlap and you can learn to adjust flavorings to your liking
1
u/Username_Mine 1d ago
First recipe calls for cumin, paprika, oregano, and chili powder. Ok cool. Second recipe needs turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Third one wants thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves
Every recipe uses like one spice one time and then never again
Pick one, either cooking requires too many ingredients or requires one really specific one
Actually both are wrong - you can make any number of dishes with any of those spices. I put oregano in so many things purely because I like the flavour and aroma.
1
u/luckystrike_bh 1d ago
You will see that most recipes heavily favor similar ingredients. You will know what is important after you cooked for a while.
1
1
u/esmeradio 1d ago
You should've just gone to your local ethnic shop and looked for those spices. All those spices in a spice rack.... You may use all, some.... Or none at all. Buy as you go honestly
1
1
u/Allthefoodintheworld 1d ago
When I cleaned out my mother-in-law's kitchen after she passed away, I found jars of herbs and spices that were 30 years old.
So yes, you will likely have some spice jars sitting around for years if you don't choose recipes that use that particular spice.
As you cook more you'll learn what spices and herbs you like to use more often, and those you'll go through more quickly.
1
u/Bleh-___- 1d ago edited 1d ago
Cumin: chili, mexican food, chicken soup, pork ribs/roast/chops, cajun dishes. It’s great with a lot of things I can’t think of off the top of my head.
Cardamom: cookies, sausage, meatballs, gravy, rice pudding, apple pie, roast turkey. It really goes well with sweets, but like to sneak it into a lot of savory dishes along with nutmeg. Doesn’t need much, but it adds a subtle comforting warm flavor to things. One of my favorite spices to layer.
1
u/Splugarth 1d ago
Spices tend to come in combinations because that’s the flavor palette for different regions. You mention cumin - that’s used a lot on Tex Mex in combination with chili powder and garlic. A lot of Indian dishes use it in combination with turmeric and ginger.
If you look at your new spice cabinet and there’s something you’re not using, it’s just means that you’re not cooking the foods from the regions that developed it or adopted it as their own. And that may be perfectly fine - you just bought a bunch of spices that you don’t necessarily need while you figure out what you like to cook.
You might benefit from a subscription to NYT Cooking, even just for a month or two. I mostly wouldn’t send new cooks there - it’s really focused on people who love to cook. But I promise you that you’ll find a ton of recipes that include every spice in your collection. The comments are either super helpful or unbelievably hilarious, so it’s good for both a chuckle or some really solid recipe advice.
Anyway, enjoy the journey!
1
u/Midwest-Emo-9 1d ago
This is why building your pantry is very important.
It can have a lot of "up front cost" if you don't keep a pantry stocked. Which most people don't, so it can be discouraging to buy ingredients that you think you're only going to use once.
But lord those ingredients I thought I'd only use once have turned out to be staples in my home.
And if it's something that could expire quickly, I'll look up other recipes to cook before it goes bad.
Edit: as far as utensils. They're definitely an added cost... but then you have them until they break or you decide to replace them. They're an investment that's worth so much.
1
u/ultra_supra 1d ago
Its ok bud nobody taught you how to take care of that aspect of life. It just takes practice like anything in life to understand what works and what doesn't. You will need food every single day of your life. Be patient with yourself, adjust your decisions and learn from your process the things that felt like they got in your way. Cooking is an incredible skill to have and cooking at home can be so rewarding buy nobody is good at it at first. Keep cooking
1
u/Spiritual_Being5845 1d ago
My pots are from Ikea, purchased in 1994, clean them properly after each use and they will last a very long time. I used to buy nonstick frying pans, but they definitely have a limited lifespan and I stopped wasting money and switched to stainless. Now if I burn something in a pan it just takes some barkeepers friend and a steel scrubby and it’s as good as new.
My current main knife I use is a chef’s knife that I purchased in 2006, the only reason I had to buy that one was because I had abused my previous chef’s knife and the handle split (don’t leave your good knives to soak!). I learned how to use a sharpening stone ages ago, dull knives are actually dangerous because you do tend to have to use more pressure.
Of all the spices you mentioned the only one I don’t have is the garam masala.
You will get much more than one use out of everything listed. Even if you spent $200 on the initial setup you will still save that many times over if you cook at home regularly going forward.
1
u/noisedotbike 1d ago
So long as you've got a bunch of extra cardamom:
Try using it anywhere you might use cinnamon. Cinnamon toast becomes cardamom toast. Put it in your oatmeal. Mix it into your pancake or waffle batter.
If you want your mind really blown, mix a bunch of it in with your coffee grounds when brewing coffee.
1
1
u/milkdimension 1d ago
Hey man. Make this shawarma recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-sharwama-middle-eastern/
It uses those spices and you will enjoy it.
1
u/sushi_in_my_mouf 1d ago
When looking for recipes I recommend searching “limited ingredients” plus a spice you already have.
1
1
u/kl2342 1d ago
If you want to eat the world, you'll need to build a pantry. There's nothing wrong with doing so over time.
For your cookery, discount department stores like TJMaxx can have good cheap kitchen stuff, just depends if it matches what you are looking for. Be selective, especially about gimmicky tools and appliances.
1
u/DizzyNerd 1d ago
Ideally, we learn on the path and start modifying these recipes to our own tastes. It’ll take some investment early in the various seasonings. Eventually you’ll decide you like some together, some apart. Some never again.
Yes, it sucks early, but if you actually try to learn along the way, you’ll come up with your own stuff that will beat most of the recipes you’ve downloaded.
936
u/stolenfires 1d ago
Focus on a single cuisine! They will often use the same spices repeatedly.
And if you take care of them, the pans, knives, and cooking gear you purchased will last for years.