We Gave 2 Chefs £100 to Buy Basic Kitchen Equipment...
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2023
- Today we are challenging our two chefs, Ben and Kush, to see what kitchen equipment they would buy with £100!!
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Kush is a phenomenal addition to the on screen team.
I disagree ben but better than just 3 of 'em
I agree with you, I've been wanting him to officially join the on-screen team for so long and I'm so glad he's finally becoming a regular! Slater is also awesome, I loved his sub-10 burger and all the shorts he's done.
Kush is the goat! Love him!
Hear hear
Definitely better then that other guy with the sloth face who looks like he is way into spice
Ben getting a cork screw as an essential kitchen gadget is just so on brand. 😂
It really is 🤣
@@SortedFood Classic ebbers😅😅😅😅
Actually Gin is normally a screw top lol
He isn’t wrong
@@SortedFood ok, now have the normals repeat this challenge (collectively perhaps, as though they're college roommates working together) and see if Jamie gets a bottle opener or just thinks to buy twist-off.
As much as we're enjoying and loving the fact that Kush is showing up more and more on videos, I just wanted to remind Ben that we still love and appreciate him and his precision, his bathtub, his garden, (and plenty more) !!!😂❤
Don't forget his maroon shorts 😉
Don't forget Tyrone
Its like when you get a new pet and you have to make sure the old one doesn't get jealous.
I can relate more to Ben’s purchases and his thought processes on where and why he purchased them.
Bens flat must be a step into the wilderness 😂😂 his bathtub is a home gin distillery, his living room a vegetable patch, his bedroom surely must be like a greenhouse and his kitchen is the laboratory that takes bits and bobs from all places to create his produce
Kush's chaotic energy is just wonderful guys. Having another normal style personality with all the nerd-skills of a chef is a magic combo.
He's the Sorted Avatar. The bridge between both worlds
"Never know when a knife comes in handy."
Ben’s suggestion to check charity shops is brilliant. Can often be a great place to find cookware.
And you are wasting way less resources as the things have already been produced. ❤
Especially things that aren’t made any more
@@yoshitoshi98 one problem no parts if it breaks
@@2xtreem4u I generally stay away from electronic items in shops for this reason. Cookware/dishes are generally fine - it may have just been replaced by the previous owner and they donated it.
Not just cookware. I bought a set of plates (dinner, side, bowls) for $6 NZD (around £3). They were in great condition and lasted me ages.
Now we need a comparison challenge of the normals buying what they think they need in the kitchen compared to the chef's
should have been the other way around. ^^
Have the normals go first (or do it simultaniously) and bumble their way through it and then have the chefs show what they would do. ^^
With the chefs telling them why they're wrong!
Barry will spend £100 on a kettle. 😂
@@MusingsFromTheDen He'd spend like 99.95 quid on a multi-cooker.
Two normals could pool their money and buy a £200 pepper mill. 🤩
This is probably your best video in a long time - it's cool seeing the normals cook, or various challenges, but seeing really experienced chefs demonstrate what you can do with really basic equipment is so useful for so many people! Really hope you do more of this type of content!
Agree.
Love seeing Ben and Kush together on screen.
Also, I feel like this episode shows how good Mike is at leading the discussion throughout the structure of the episode.
Really agree. Mike made a great Compère and I loved the way Ben and Kush interreacted. Felt nice to see them not directly competing (or not being too competitive).
Yes! I thought Mike did an excellent job hosting and asking questions.
He did used to be a teacher, and you can't teach someone if you can't bring out their thoughts and understanding through conversations.
Bringing Kush on camera was a much better option than bringing an external chef into the channel because Ben and Kush still have that natural chemistry together like he and James had because they’ve been friends and worked together for years which is one of the best things about this channel, every interaction we see is completely natural and unscripted because they are all friends before they’re colleagues so it’s just a group of friends working together so they have that natural chemistry and connection that a group of random colleagues making the same video wouldn’t be able to replicate
Awesome video, now we need a 100£ battle on what ingredients, spices and cubboard stuff the Chefs would recommend for a new kitchen. What would last, where to safe money and what more expensive versions are worth the money in a new kitchen
Great idea!
GENUIS
I'm pretty sure that's just the theme to Premium vs Budget and Pretentious or Not series.
Yesss
Pantry and Dry goods essentials would be amazing.
Ben's cutting board can also extend counter space when put over a sink, etc. - often an issue in a starter kitchen
Do they say what brand that board is?
@@Troubadour313 don't think so but he did say that he spent a lot of his budget at IKEA, so it might be from there
@@Troubadour313it looks like Ikea Lämplig
Can't believe it's taken this long to get Kush on camera this much. So glad you have now. He talks so much sense, in an entertaining way.
I loved how calm and informative both Kush and Ben were. It was like just having a casual chat while they were cooking up lunch.
It was more of a feast than a lunch with so many different dishes.
Would love to see something like an Equipment Roulette. Kush and Ben draw out of a hat and get 5 random pieces of gear each and have to cook with it.
Great Idea!
Completely agree that IKEA is a sound starting point for a lot of basic equipment - what was supposed to be a quick fix is still working and as good as new 15 years later… special mention for the pots, the steel tray and the garlic press!
Their larger roasting tray is PERFECT for everything. Chicken, brownies, beef - it’s amazing!
IKEA also sells woks! Seriously, they could do away with some of the pans/pots if they got a wok instead. So much more versatile!
@@sharraleigh Give the design of woks (round bottom intended to be used over a large open flame from either wood or gas), woks aren't going to work very well on the hobs they're using. You'd need something with a flat bottom, and flat bottom woks just aren't.
@@sharraleigh wok is mostly useless unless you have gas stove top
@@AbiGail-ok7fchave you guys not seen the woks IKEA sells? The bottom is flat.
I have to say that I lucked out massively when buying stuff for my first place; I managed to get a Le Creuset cast iron casserole dish with lid for £5 in the local boot fair and I do 99% of my cooking in it 😄
I am green with envy. I am looking for a good frying pan for my son. so far no success. but earlier I found a crepe pan and a saute pan. I haunt the charity shops but you have to check they are not wobley.
Oh, very well done.
gotta love a good wee Le Creuset
We've had a small Le Creuset pan, like 7-8in, since my mum was my age. It's had about 30 years of seasoning and is the best thing ever for steak and burgers
Stop it! That's fantastic 🙏🏻
Wow!
Love Kush‘s advice to not spend all but add the stuff when you get the feel of what you really need. I was lucky enough to get baseline equipment from my parents when I started but my first apartment didn’t have a kitchen at all. Would like to see your approach on basic appliances when you don’t have a stove top and a oven at all.
I love my counter-top induction unit. I can cook anywhere with that thing. Even outside if there is electricity. I do love making bread which I have learned to steam in pot -- on the induction unit.
It would be interesting to see a “one of each” type challenge. So the chefs can use one item that has power, one knife, one mixing utensil, one bowl, one cooking vessel, one cooking method. Kind of like a one-pot style dish but taken up a notch. I’d be curious what they rank as their “most important” items.
You could probably get away with 5 items: Stove, Knife, Cutting board, wooden spoon, big pot and we're making potato-leek dumpling soup.
I agreeee
I would love to see them do this again with £20. I found Kush's pepper grinder and reusing packaging money-saving tricks great. It would be fun to see how far they can push that
I the US most Jar pasta 🫙 sauces come in a mason style jar with a measurements on the side like a measuring cup
Plastic tubs of ice cream have always been great tupperware to store left overs or freeze soups and such.
@@alishaparr577 Yeah it's great for reuse but also helps when measuring for cooking to a recipe. I am unsure if it was intended for reuse? But it works great.
I used the strainer from a kg of ricotta for months until I bought a colander. Worked fine and I figure at least that plastic got a bit more use before going into the recycling bin.
@@alishaparr577 this is really clever! I often eyeball measurements for stock/water using an empty tin if I’m cooking with tinned tomatoes or chickpeas or similar. But it would be great to have accurate measurements!
On can openers: It's not just that when you think you've got all ring-pull cans, but when you pull the ring pull, which promptly goes Ping! and comes off in your can, top-of-lid remaining firmly sealed.
In my less-fortunate times as a student I recall having used the woefully slow mechanism of the can opener on my swiss-army knife because I was hungry, and without can opener.
I would love to see this become a series, Kush and Ben cooking different dishes with these groups of equipment. Great tips from this, though the guys were clearly buying with a particular dish(es) in mind. Making this into a series will show how great their decisions are.
As how they both presented their equipments..
Ebbers: going into quality with the basics and with touch of cheap additional equipment and already settling stage of life.
Kush: pretty much practical and I love he has prioritized a hand blender with his set...
I feel SO validated by what Ben said about peelers! My mother always said they were only for children and mocked me for still using one as an adult.
You don't need validation from others. You're mother is a horrible person and should be ignored.
Unless you spend time as a prep cook peeling a thousand things with a knife, safer to use a peeler.
@@OldManYellsAtClouds I know they type. "Ugh that's for children and you're an adult." Yea go die in a hole alone Karen and leave me to be happy. Gotta cut the negativity out of ones life.
I know how to use a knife for peeling. I've done it quite often for a while but just a simpler peeler is so much more comfortable. And they are so cheap that it's a worthy investment even if you use it only once a month or so.
@@mortisCZ Thank you! When I try to peel things with a knife, the peels come out much thicker, wasting food. And I'm very likely to nick myself.
I cannot stress enough how right Ben is to check charity shops first. Second hand, thrift, hell A Flea Market-! People donate the strangest stuff and don't know what gems they give up. I do think Kush's idea of making a comprehensive list is a very good idea, it helps a lot narrowing down what you need to look for, but going for second hand items that have already been seasoned and gotten thrashed and SURVIVED- You get a lot more wiggle room to figure out your personal style of cooking, what you need for the dishes you make most, what you like to handle and what you dislike.
For me personally, I cannot have a kitchen without chopsticks. There's cooking specific chopsticks and those are nice, but any old bamboo chopsticks saved from a bit of takeout works wonders in whipping up stir fry, ramen, scrambled eggs, flipping bacon- Sky is the limit!
I once found a Kitchen Aid stand mixer sitting at the curb on junk day in a nice neighborhood. When my husband and I were dating and he saw it on the counter, he told me it was something he noted as a bonus if we were to ever get married 😂
I would love to see this with a slightly different take - higher budget but limited items.
Would be really interesting to see what they would choose to outfit a really small kitchen and which of those things are actually worth spending good money on.
I have an image of Kush opening his front door to the postman with his knives in his pockets now 😂
That’s hilarious! Thanks for sharing the image. 😂
🤣 we're sure it's not the worst thing that has happened.
@@SortedFood it sure wasnt 😅😅😅😅
I'll repost this idea in the next pass it on, but just to avoid forgetting it: Invite James and Poppy and have a pass it on only chefs with Ben, Ksuh and Slater, with some crazy curve ball as the category and order them by something chefy like how fast can they dice an onion or most expensive dish cooked. And the normals just sit and watch the caos unfold.
I would like a pro pass it on where they for example cook a dish only consisting of different kinds of onions (and cupboard stapels).
Kush getting more screen time is great. A note to bachelors, people right out of university-charity shop stainless steel pans are cheap and if you use them right, functionally nonstick. I’ve found so many excellent pans that, even though I’m in my 30s and have the resources to buy new stuff, I’m still using these stainless steel pans.
I like the way Kush thinks. A nice heavy non-stick stock pot is my standard wedding gift. Useful and versatile. The ones with metal, as opposed to plastic, handles can be used in the oven as a casserole as well as on the stove top. I myself own three of them.
For a long time, I used Ben's approach and took advantage of what I could find in local charity shops to build out my kitchen. It was only about six months ago that I finally let myself get a proper set of bespoke pots and pans and I'm quite happy with the purchase.
That said, my last foray back to the charity shops got me some new utensils and a pair of perfect salt/pepper grinders for next to nothing, so the frugal approach always works!
As perfect as the pepper cannon? ;)
@@nickipedia1 Nothing is that perfect, and as I have a small kitchen, I'd be coating my walls in pepper if you gave me one of those. :-P
I have 3 sets of Le Crueset for this exact reason ... one set was brand new being gotten rid of cos was too heavy for the lady and inc an oval casserole and the frying pan!
@@Psylaine64 I once got a Le Creuset griddle pan for less than $10USD. Wound up selling it for quite a bit more than that and using the money to buy a couple smaller pans, but while I had it, it felt so decadent!
@@Psylaine64 o my that must be a dream. if treated well. the grand children of your grand children could still use them.
I love the different approaches that still overlap. Chefs think alike!
i wonder if some of that overlap is more from there time in school or later on working in the same production kitchen under a head chef
their overlap and production speaks of life long friendship and knowledge, both in the kichen and of each other I am sure!
I absolutely adore Ben, his entire personality is relatable and enthralling to watch. He’s professional all the way around to the point he isn’t which is only something that happens when someone has a true passion for their job. Kush is an amazing personality to counter and balance him, as much as he is an insanely talented cook he takes to the briefings with a lot of “normal” mentality (IE shopping around for cheapest and replacing it later). He’s all the skill none of the need to behave like it.
Together they are the duality of man and I love it.
I LOVE having Kush in videos.
He's got such great on-camera charisma!
I would love to see a similar challenge but instead of 1 batch of items they have to slowly build up their equipment list between multiple dishes. It would great to see how the chefs prioritize different tools and then go on to round out the kitchen.
I’ve always had really tiny kitchens so size has been a consideration for work surface space and storage. So, while budget is always a consideration, I’ve kept my tools simple for the space reason and I’ve never not been able to cook what I want with the limited tools that I have.
I like the balance that comes with having two chefs on the team - plus Kush is great! I hope he's comfortable with being in lots of videos to come
For me it's a 10" cast iron skillet and a 6" chef's knife. I use both of those items nearly daily. They're incredibly versatile and I'd be lost without them. ❤
I'm not quite as minimal as that, but close, I would have an 8" chef's knife instead and also a bread knife both from Victorinox to get something decent but also remain under the $100 budget, and I would get myself a chopping board and one saucepan with lid for boiling noodles/rice/pasta/soup etc. I also would need either a wooden spoon or egg flipper. The above would get me to around $80 I think, so $20 left over, so then the first additional $8 I get I would get myself a 10" carbon steel wok with lid and then the next $9 would be the wok turner/spatula for it. Then some convenience tools like a peeler and grater. At that point my kitchen would look similar to how it looks right now (except with less saucepans and frying pans and no kettle, toaster or $1500 stand mixer which would be quite a future investment if I am poor enough I only have $100 to spend on all my kitchen gear initially)
The thing in my kitchen that I cannot live without would 100% be my rice cooker! Years ago I bought a Zojirushi rice cooker, which was indeed quite expensive, but I use it several times a week. I have never gotten so much use out of an appliance aside maybe a toaster oven.
I use a rice cooker almost daily and I wish I had a zojirushi
My Target special rice cooker is knocking around in my kitchen, and I used it daily while I was in a small kitchen. Now that I have a larger one, I just boil rice, but I still have it for those days I CBATC
I get perfect rice out of a microwave. Since I started doing that, I've ignored my pans for cooking rice. So simple. rinse the rice, 1:2 ratio of rice and water, a little salt, 14 minutes in the microwave. Leave it alone for a few minutes. Fluff with a fork. Done. Works every time. I get some affordable but good quality Basmati rice from a local Pakistani store. Five or ten kilo bags of it. Can't go wrong with it.
Baby Elephant?
Fridge is the best appliance. then stove/burner, rice cooker, air fryer, microwave.
Toaster oven is just a meh air fryer. I literally only use my full size oven on holidays now for turkeys and cookies.
Rebuying though i'd trade out a rice cooker for a multi thing like an instapot. Works faster and also does slow cooking and yoghurt.
I love all the guys at sorted but it's always special when Kush come out to play. He's hilarious😂❤
So glad you enjoyed this vid and Kush!
Regarding Ben's anti-plastic cutting board thing: he maybe wasn't considering the really good feature of plastic cutting boards, which is that you can put them in the dishwasher to fully sanitize them (which would make the wooden ones warp). Having a small/medium sized plastic cutting board with rubber no-slip feet on it lets you do things with raw meat and then fully sanitize them to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
That is true,I love my heavy wooden boards but I also have two plastic middle one ,especially when I ´ m cutting meat, I ´ ll automatically grab that
You don't need to sanitize wood cutting boards. Washing with soap and drying is enough. The structure of the wood desiccates and kills bacteria as it dries. There have been a number of laboratory tests that have concluded that wood cutting boards are more sanitary than plastic/glass due to this property.
@@colbunkmust I would ask that you cite your sources, because the idea that wood drying magically kills bacteria seems pretty silly (saying "desiccates" instead of "dries" doesn't make them not synonyms).
@@Zelmel It's actually just a common belief that doesn't have any conclusive evidence. There have been a few studies by Universities that show plastic cutting boards can have the potential to be more unsanitary, but not that they actually are. They are pretty much the same when it comes to cleanliness.
I think the most important thing when it comes to wood vs plastic though: Wood looks way more nice, plastic looks cheap and tacky. 100x more important than whatever one stops cross contamination.
@@ori-yorudan Okay, but it still stands: are there sources saying that about the sanitation? Because common sense would say if you can heat something at high temperatures for an extended period, is should sanitize it better than soap an water. See also: literally everything in the medical field and bio labs and many other places.
one thing I would always buy again is my microplane
it's such good quality and makes grating stuff so much easier than using cheap graters.
I also love a set of good serrated knifes (I love the Victorinox ones) with a 11cm blade. you can use them for tomatos, bread rolls, steak, dried stuff and so on.
my grandparents have thrown them into the dishwater for years on end and they are always sharp as hell :D
I can also recommend buying a big sturdy soup pot for cooking big batches. they last forever and they forgive a lot of clumsy mishaps
I also agree with ben on the topic of kitchen tongs. makes everything so much easier
Love both approaches to what to buy, but I think Ebbers has the better way of thinking about it -- hit up charity/secondhand shops for essentials on a budget, and fill in from there. I do like that he didn't cheap out on the knives; I'd argue that's the one thing that you should NEVER buy the cheapest you can find, as it's the thing in the kitchen that's most likely to hurt you as you use it, especially if it gets worn, dull, or breaks. With a little luck in a secondhand store, you can find someone's knife set that'll last you years (even if really you just need a paring, carving, and chef's knife set), and a decent sharpener, maybe even a block to keep them sharp and safe.
Now with Kush showing up so often we need James and Chef vs Chef vs Chef challenge
Add Slater, and a normal, for a '4 chefs and a normal' pass-it-on.
@@DysonParkes imsgine the carnage or... 3 chefs vs 3 normals
Really useful to hear what the chefs think you need as absolute basics. I'd love to see what they'd expand our to if they had more budget.
I'd also be really interested to see what they would choose if they did a similar exercise but with a limited budget to buy spices/herbs/other stock cupboard basics when moving into a new kitchen. There could even be a challenge to see how they use those basics with the same set of fresh ingredients.
I hope Kush is a permanent addition to on screen seeing Ben have someone who understands the sins of the normals is something I have sorely missed. Great work! I love the 2 chef format
I love how competitive Kush got to justify his purchases lol. All the food looked amazing!
Love the ideas! :D Altough I'm with Ben on this one - when you have a budget, but know from experience that something will last a longer time, and its not that expensive - buy it. Because even if we say we will buy better or new ones, usually people will not bother to replace something until it's irreparably broken. :P P.S.: Kush is a marvel to watch. :) Thank you guys!
Love the "capsule kitchen" idea. Maybe more like this to even help someone with too much clutter to downsize to the essentials? Also, I think I couldn't live without a decent chefs knife & a Dutch oven. Those are the foundational pieces for me!
Great concept. Yes, do it again.
I've been camping all my life, and have had to put together ways to cook without a lot of cookware. Perhaps a travel cooking set with everything having to fit in a certain size container and within a certain weight limit might be fun.
The fact that Chef Kush and Chef Ben S have wowed us in previous videos means we need more of them in videos.
Happy Sunday to SortedFood HQ and the Community.
I love that we are getting more from the chefs of the food team. More awesome personalities.
Friday’s video of Slater cooking his burger and simultaneously battling Kush was excellent!
A decent chef's knife, a 10 inch cast iron pan, and cheap tongs. I took like 95% of everything with just those. Also Ben and Kush are a great team. Love the addition.
There's only one thing that every single kitchen cannot be without... Red wine, I rest my case 😂❤
9:10 Ben really went in cheap there! Only 1/4! 😂😂😂😂😂😂
I love this. I’m curious how they would outfit their apartment kitchens if the budget was slightly higher say £250.00 or £500.00. Ps, second hand shops are great, also yard sales/garage sales/rummage sales for finding useful items. Gotta agree a nice sharp knife a a couple of good cutting boards (separate ones for proteins) are a must, plus a good cast iron pan
or maybe a follow up with "£50 replacement for the cheap item that broke"?
I have to say that I really loved the £100 challenge idea 👍 buying second hand from charity shops, boot sales or even online is very thrifty 😊
One thing I can't live without in my kitchen is a saute pan. If I need to fry a burger patty, I take out my saute pan. If i'm making a one pot, I take out my saute pan. I got it as a christmas gift a few years ago and it is by far my most used gift ever. And as it is stainless steel and non-stick I know that it will last me forever basically. Cannot recomend one enough!
Would love to see a pass it on battle with a limited budget on equipment to use! Give them two options of decent and poorer quality of the same item and see what they choose!
This was different, and interesting, loved it. As a now 3-decade something person that has been in the kitchen since I was 6, I would say a good knife will change your cooking experience. I have good knives at my home, went over to someone else's house with less good knives and as Ben said all that downward force you use goes from the knife into the hand. In my case cutting a carrot with a cheap knife, took of the tippy top of my finger. So good knives, best you can afford.
100% here. It's fine to cheap out on the mixing bowls, measuring cups, even a few pots and pans (though you can have my 12" cast iron skillet when you pry it from my cold, dead hand), but the one thing you shouldn't scrimp on is the knives you use; it's the kitchen item that's most likely to hurt you if it gets worn, dull, or breaks. Much better to spend decent money on one or two good knives and a sharpener that will last you and be balanced to cook with, than a dozen cheap knives that will dull up and be miserable to use.
I own a few decent knives gifted by my parents over the years and every freaking time I cook somewhere with less good knives I curse up a storm. Same with my stick blender. One of the last presents from my father before his passing last year was a really good professional quality stickblender (as in about a 150€ for one) and I know it will last me 10 to 15 years if not longer~
Absolutely! My father in law has cheap IKEA knives that are bendy and blunt. Every time I make something I worry I'm about to hack a finger off. I bought my mother in law a very fancy knife one birthday and she loves it; prior to that she had claimed that a blunt knife was better because you'd not cut yourself. Glad I saved her!
i'd love to see a "charity" shop challenge where you gave each chef a £30-50 budget for both the ingredients and w/e they wanted to use to cook it with.
And yes, the more we see Kush cook the better the channel has been lately.
Kush needs to be a permanent addition to the screen team! brings such a good dynamic to the show
That's such an interesting video! I'd be curious to see what the normals would buy with the same budget!
Kush just showing us his big brain moves and unhinged energy is the best thing ever
I appreciate the cooking more than stressful situations that have timeframes and hard constraints. It's about the food.
A slow cooker would be near the top of my list. Soups, stews, curries, etc. can be placed in it in the morning (with some prep the evening before), and a nice dinner is ready-to-go when I get home. Also great for pot luck events, etc.
YEEEEEES! More of best boy kush clashing with ebbers! Love him so much!❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊
Haha they're such a duo.
@@SortedFood Yessir they are!❤🎉🎉🎉
At college, I had hand me down kit a couple of old pans, odd plates , knife and spoon. First pay day after college I went and bought some proper pans, one decent knife and a chopping board.Still have them all, many years later
I'd love to see a series based on this where every episode they have a budget for food and equipment and have to build their equipment up over time.
Would be a nice way to see the options each bit of equipment opens up and potentially see if they regret spending less on something to get it sooner.
It’s soooo interesting to see what was prioritised and what I wouldn’t ever have considered. I still don’t have mixing bowls, a pot can double as a pan if need be, and I’m so used to using a normal eating spoon to cook with, even if a spatula would have been way easier 🤣 I personally love Ben’s approach with the thrifting and then supplementing! My only concern with Kush’s approach is, you end up creating a lot of waste with cheap broken tools then buying more and I while I totally understand the “get a cheap one and see if it’s for you” I don’t know how to reconcile the feeling of creating more rubbish. Good quality stuff I have a hope of donating but the cheap stuff likely will just go to landfill…
Edit: minor spelling mistake 🤦🏻♀️
I've always had mixing bowls. They're needed for mixing cookies, cakes or salads.
Last year we got some as a free gift. A set of 3 aluminum bowls with plastic lids. So nice.
@@christinebenson518 I guess my family never really was big on making either cookies, cakes or salads! On my own I never make big batches only small so in all cases a normal everyday bowl can serve al mixing needs (like I can just layer my salad, I don’t need to mix it all up).
Such a big YES to the tin opener. I once bought tinned chopped tomato at sale. Couple of weeks later pulled one out to discover that they don't have a pull-ring.
A cheap knife I didn't care about, a hammer and some pliers later I got it open 😂
As someone in Canada, nothing I buy in cans comes with ring pulls. So a tin/can opener would be essential for me. I realize that's probably a regional difference in how cans are manufactured.
2:17 Holy shit did not expect such a savage joke from Mike lmao
When I first started out, a saucepan, frying pan, and baking tray were my essentials. Spent like $10 on a cheap pack of bowls and measuring cups. Kush has the right idea- go cheap with your first things, then slowly replace with quality versions once you know what you commonly use. Them wearing out at different times from use also lets you stagger purchases while you're still struggling. First thing to replace being the knifes. those $40 blocks of knifes are ok as a starter, but give it a few years and they start to dull and snap. but at that point you get quality ones.
Honestly I still do basically all my cooking in saucepan, frying pan, baking try. I just have an extra few in different sizes/materials.
Really good video! Its a shame there are no charity shops in my country, when I lived in UK and worked as a waiter for the summer, I loved to browse and get things for cheap. There are some amazing stuff for literally pennies there.
I think the most essential is a good peeler, a good grater, a good knife and a big (at least 26-28 cm) good quality non stick. If you just start cooking, you can start with stir fries, pasta sauces etc. You can even cook paste in a non stick pan, no problem. Then you can upgrade get some boiling and sauce pans to broaden your options and if you have a good oven the cheapest aluminium sheet pan. With that you can basically cook almost anything you would want as a beginner, then it will be obvious what you need as you will have some experience in your own kitchen.
Love the idea of having the chefs showcase where to spend your money when you need to buy a new set of kitchen equipment.
My strategy is to just buy everything cheap AF and then replace it with something proper and durable when it inevitably breaks.
That was the strategy that Kush's used too, so it seems like a good one 👍
@@SortedFood Man, Kush is truly Best boy 💯💯💯🤘🤘🤘
@@SortedFood it also makes you learn surprising facts. Like that the measuring jug I bought 18 years ago for 1 euro, is still functioning. 😂
This was my strategy 20 years ago when I was setting up my first apartment. It is interesting what has never been replaced (the pot that literally is only ever used to boil water for pasta, etc) and what was replaced pretty quickly with a quality version (skillet and chef's knife). I think I bought that exact set of knives Kush had, and they lost their edge in a month. 😂
No one will ever replace James, but I'm glad they have actually started to do so with Kush. The channel works better with 3 vs 2, 3 vs 1 felt off, it just did.
Kush is great too, like really great, love his personality, warmth and cheekiness.
I own that cheap as chips knife set that Kush got, and I can say that I am genuinely amazed by how good they are and how good they've remained. We got a set for Christmas, and we've used them pretty much every day, and it still surprises me how well they still cut.
I have some of these knives and they also re-sharp very well; had them for 10+ years and they're still great for the little stuff.
This is pretty validating! I moved across country a couple of years ago with only three suitcases. Had to be very selective with what I brought with me, but the things that made the cut were high quality items like a copper based saucepan and frying pan, and my chef’s knife (plus my wooden spoons but they were purely sentimental). The first thing I ordered when I arrived was a stick blender with a chopper attachment. I survived a few weeks without a grater by blitzing cheese in the chopper, and there were some memorable moments trying to open a can with a Swiss Army knife. It was an interesting lesson in learning what was actually essential in the kitchen for me.
I live in a vacation home temporarily because my apartment is undergoing a major renovation. I brought some essentials to make cooking a bit easier and I thought I could manage without my grater for those 6 weeks. Turns out I use that thing a lot more than I thought. Unfortunately I also left the chopping attachment of my stick blender at home.
Wow...all the dishes both chefs made look delicious!! I am amazed Kush knocked out 4 dishes in one go...fried rice topped with a fried egg, a pea soup, a fried chicken sandwich and a gnocchi pizza...YUM!! Both chefs had great tips on what kitchen equipment was needed and buying at a charity store (or thrift shop) for discounted equipment was a brilliant idea---kudos Ebbers! I do miss chef James...but wow...chef Kush is also amazing and his crazy personality and chefy tips are great!!
Two of the best buys I got is - 1) a pair of scissors from ikea with tines(?) on the inside of the handles, making it so much easier when I got stubborn corks/stoppers! No worry about sweaty hands or weak fingers, instead using the whole hand on the scissors. 2) A bottleopener that got other smart smaller functions to it, the best one a thing that help the air get into stubborn jar lids. No using a knife on those lids, feeling like abusing those poor knifes. It makes them so easy to open afterwards.
They're really small things but when I face a stubborn stopper in a bottle or a jar with an impossible lid on it I'm always so grateful to have those.
This is something I was hoping to see from the channel eventually. I agree with some of the other comments I've seen: a mid-range version of this to see what they feel is the best to pump extra money into would be wonderful.
The salter frying pan regularly ends up for £6 or so at supermarkets. I actually got 2 for £2.50 each on a "clearances" deal.
In fact that is my top tip. Thinking of starting your own home? Starting getting bargains like that 12+ months in advance.
This was such a good episode! It was extremely useful to see how two different chefs each put together an awesome set of kitchen equipment in two different ways. This gives people more options to consider as they pull their kitchens together verses if both chefs just collaborated together on what is best. Well done Sorted! Love you guys! 🍳🥄🔪🥣
I love that Kush heated up some water in a pan on the stove. Electric kettles are a very useful "luxury". I never had one until I started watching Sorted years ago and saw how versatile they can be. I use mine to heat up water for my pour over coffee in the morning and pasta water almost daily as it is so much quicker than a pan on the stove.... but if a kettle isn't in your budget, you can live w/o one.... Just treat yourself when you have a little extra $. Thankfully they aren't that expensive.
When I first got out on my own, I had one skillet, one small saucepan, one tray pan, two knives, two spoons, two forks, two glasses, two plates, and two bowls. All my pans were nonstick as they were given to me by older relatives. I was able to make most things. The first things I actually purchased to add to this collection was a nonstick frying pan, a bigger boiler, a deep roasing pan, cooking utensils, and a cutting board. I was previously cutting on a plate (vegetables) or in a clean sink (meat). I just made sure to sanitze after. It's amazing what you can do when your're broke!
I see Kush getting more comfortable each episode he's on.
Love this type of video, as someone on a really really tight budget it helps alot. Also would love to see more chef vs chef battles or Kush vs normal. Kush is a natural in front of the camera.
The number one thing in our kitchen is our multi-pot. We lived in one room in a commercial share house for about 5 years, but even in a house with a proper kitchen that we can use whenever we want, we still need our multi-pot. We have gone through a couple of these pots and they have been an absolute blessing. It's a pressure cooker, rice cooker, and saute pan. The next essentials are a microwave and an electric kettle.
I got my cast iron fry pan as a family hand me down over 40 years ago. Fast fry, or toss in an ice cube, then cover to steam. Slow cook, bake, or roast, . I can't live without it!
I was surprised how inexpensive Ben's cutting board was. Even the cheap ones here that are wood would be twice that for something that size. I check the goodwill here for cookware fairly often, but it's difficult to find things that are quality and in good repair. And if they are, sometimes they want as much for them as the new ones. I recently restarted my life, so I went through this process recently. 😕
Pretty sure it's from IKEA, if that helps. :)
Restarting is so hard ❤ Rock on, hun! I also have a suggestion! Chop meat on a bit of cardboard (like the slightly shiny stuff is best, like a pizza box) give it a wipe, chop the meat and then just chuck it in the bin. Yes, not great for the environment but saves worrying about raw meat touching things and buying a second chopping board
@@marko1395 it is, you can see the branding 4:50
@@hannahbul That's not a bad idea if it was waste cardboard anyway. I picked up a couple of the thin plastic ones.
Basically did this challenge before I came to uni (just finishing my first year) so this was fun to see! I have 2 saucepans and the same frying pan Ebbers got, would have bought stainless steel but way too pricey unfortunately. Luckily I already had two nice Mercer knives so brought one of them, got a 3" IKEA paring knife and a couple of cheap chopping boards which do the job. I've got some Tupperware which I use for freezing/fridging stuff but also use as prep containers so they're a great multi-use item. A couple of wooden spoons, some tongues and a cheap grater (I'll get a Microplane eventually!) I cooked at home for a good few years daily before coming so I knew what I needed which helped!
About 30 years ago I was in a small cooking class with a Jacques Pepin trained chef. I asked about pots and pans and took her recommendation. I still have the pots and pans I bought after speaking with her and they will be with me until I die. They are still in good shape.
Two of the best buys I got is - 1) a pair of scissors from ikea with tines(?) on the inside of the handles, making it so much easier when I got stubborn corks/stoppers! 2) A bottleopener that got other smart smaller functions to it, the best one a thing that help the air get into stubborn jar lids. No using a knife on those lids, feeling like abusing those poor knifes. It makes them so easy to open afterwards.
I absolutely loved Ben's approach to this challenge. I'd never realised how much good quality, durable stuff you can find in charity shops. And I recognise that brilliant large chopping board from Ikea, as I bought 2 and use them as chopping boards on one side, then turn them over after cooking as a faux wooden counter top...
I think it would be cool to see them take this £100 Kitchen set and give then another £25-£50 to see what they’d buy next or upgrade.
I'm going to recommend Ikea mixing bowls and roasting trays. We've had 2 trays, 2 large mixing bowls and 2 medium ones for about 28 years and they just keep on going.
Great video and I'll give a +1 to Ben's comment, that Kush is a great addition to the team.
Kush just continues to be more and more enjoyable with each passing video. Very well meshed with the team and with a vast knowledge to add. 👏👏👏👏
Can you do a knife skill test between Kush & Ebbers ? Ebbers has been the lone chef for far too long he might need some competition to stay sharp :p
As a new student, this is incredibly helpful!
No 1 thing I can't live without? For the past year I've been living in SE Asia in various AirBnBs. The standards of equipment and kitchen vary but there is always a rice cooker. Even a cheap one will let you saute, fry, make casseroles, biryani's and one pot meals. That was a real eye opener
It’s fascinating to see how Kush and Ebbers came at this challenge. I’d love to see more videos like this! It would be awesome to see how the normals do this!
Edit: I’d really like to see the chefs do this challenge, but for baking!
Loving the ebbers and kush combo can we have more chef battles 😊
Definitely!