I have a couple of stainless roasting trays and mine have had burnt on oil since day one. I figure if it's fine to have on a cast iron pan it's fine on roasting trays too, I just scrub them out with a stainless scrubbing ball and it gets most stuff off with some work.
Just went through my whole kitchen and could only think of three things you might be missing: A whisk, a can opener, and a mortar and pestle (or something to grind spices).You did a great job on this.
I wanted my mortar and pestle, but the weight was a big issue. The chopsticks won't get me stiff peaks, but are pretty useful for whisking! Might have to get a can opener though...
@@EthanChlebowski yeah, when looking at my mortar and pestle, first thing I thought of was weight, so maybe a small one. Or how about a small electric coffee grinder? As far as the whisk was concerned, I just couldn't imagine making French sauces in France without one 😂
@@EthanChlebowski or you can get ones that are used in the Caribbean made of wood. They dont carry much weight and get the job done just fine in most cases.
Can opener and bottle opener (and cork screw, but I don’t drink wine). Oven mitts. Whisk. (I’ve moved 30 times in 67 yrs. Thinking of my most recent move, six months ago, and what was essential for me.)
I really enjoyed this set up for a traveling chef, thanks for sharing. My partner & I are building our kit for car camping, I didn’t even think of a strainer! A collapsible one would be super handy too. He thinks I’m ridiculous for packing a chef, bread & paring knife, but alas- if we don’t have indoor plumbing, we’re having some darn good food in the woods.
I'm an American and I spent 6 months in France. For my kitchen capsule I brought: - 2.5qt steel dutch oven - 6-inch chef knife - bread knife - cutting board - tea strainer - microplane grater - Y-peeler - 2 pot holders - linen napkins - stainless steel insulated water bottle - stainless steel lunch container - 2 reusable silicone sandwich bags - 2 small jars of tea I used everything I brought heavily, and added to the stuff included in the place I was staying, I was in pretty good shape. The only things I regretted not bringing: Measuring cups and spoons! I thought I could buy some and convert metric to US measurements if needed, but no, they apparently don't exist in France! C'est la vie, I suppose. ;P
Definitely a great source of kitchen essentials for those who are budget limited. I'm interested to see how you get by without your MASSIVE flat-top griddle. Hype to see how you experiment and have fun with French cuisine!
This video is very helpful to be minimal. I work at a place where we house homeless. We provide a small apartment with bedroom, Bathroom and a kitchenette. I’m thinking of creating a kit if they decide to eat in their own, then they will need few essential items.
One thing missing is a casserole dish/pan with higher sides for oven cooking. I suppose you can use a pan for the same use. Perhaps a lid for you pans as well, for melting or steaming.
Over two years ago, I assembled my first true travel kitchen using a Pacsafe Travel Duffel Bag. It contained some of the following items: Induction cooktop, Matfer CS fry pan (11 7/8"), Misen NS fry pan (10"), Brandless "All You Can Eat" combo (saute pan w/lid, 4 & 2 qt. saucepans w/lids and 10" SS fry pan), Hercules 4 qt. Cast Aluminum Dutch Oven, Knife Bag with low cost Henckel knives (8" chef, 10" bread, 5" serrated utility, 3 1/2" paring knives and honing rod), manual knife sharpener, compact steel bowl set w/lids, various kitchen utensils, 15 amp extension cord and a surge protector. Initially, I used this between México, the United States and Colombia. Now that I have cookware in México and Colombia, my new travel kitchen complements both kitchens and is smaller and lighter. Chao. Retired Vietnam era veteran expatriate living abroad permanently.
Great set up! There’s already a lot of great suggestions, my only one is on the baking sheets. Not all ovens are created equal, and a half-sheet might end up being too big for some. I’d double up on the quarter sheet (and accompanying rack) pans just in case. You can always keep the half sheet for draining foods if you encounter a smaller oven.
Yeah I’d be interested if he finds the European ovens much smaller, always see American cooks with these massive baking sheets, but I can’t find an oven big enough (in Ireland).
Thank you so much for this video. Good to know that I'm not crazy, thinking of moving with my high quality kitchen gadgets abroad. I just dont see the need to get rid of them just to buy others which may not even be avaible or be of good quality. I'm moving with them, regardless of weight/cost.
France has so many cool thrift stores and flea markets. Look for truly unique things that can be used for something else, or those one of a kind items with special patina and their own memories that will remind you of France: some pottery, a wooden bowl, or salt cellar, etc.
Their is one great tool which you are missing that comes to mind. It's not easy to transport, but is very versatile nonetheless. That would be a big stainless steel mixing bowl. I find them super useful for several reasons: - Mixing up bread and cake batters - Putting chopped fruits and vegetables in it before cooking - Marinating meat in it - Washing salads/ vegetables/ fruit - Melting chocolate for cake/ deserts
This!! I can't imagine myself not having stainless steel bowls. In fact, I think having one in multiple sizes is a must since one could use them in so many different applications in the kitchen.
When I had to buy kitchen stuff for my kitchen, I couldn’t afford the stainless steel bowl set, I had to go with plastic. I remember my mom’s set, I would bet money they were still decent and she got rid of them. I would have happily taken them.
I love this. I’m a fellow cook and totally minimize my knife kit when I travel home. Just the essentials and nothing else. It’s amazing what you can do with the minimums. It also inspires as you do your food without carrying unnecessary stuff. I’m a minimalist in life and in cooking, it brings satisfaction to the projects I’m involved in. Great video!
I'd be really interested in a video of how you chose to stock your French kitchen, especially as it sounds like a relatively short term move - months, not years. Especially to know what spices you considered essential.
Not sure how practical, size wise, it would be especially if you plan on traveling but I would just get a fine mesh sive/strainer instead of the silicon colander. Pretty versatile in its application, and definitely good for straining out pasta. I don't think I even own a colander anymore.
Great video and exactly what I needed to see. I am in the middle of a camping build. I wanted a kit that would cover the vast majority of the kitchen tasks when I am camping, hunting, or fishing. The people making videos for camping aren’t great because they don’t put a high emphasis on making great food, or because they are traveling in RV then weight is zero consideration (bring on every cast iron option available,lol). This looks like a great option and it appears that there is still plenty of room that I can put in things like spices, oils, and kitchen disposables……as I don’t need it to be exactly under 50 pounds.
A tea strainer, or a small coffee/tea brewing funnel, or some muslin bags. I like tea, but these are also useful for straining thin liquids or steeping stuff. The muslin bags can also be used for herb/seasoning sachets.
this is perfect for me. i work in NYC for 10 months of the year, but 2 months at a summer camp. being able to pack everything up and store is really important. definitely will be taking notes.
I imagine giving up the little sauce pot and some of the knives, and getting a less beefy case would let you keep the whole kit under 50 lbs. Some of the foam padding could be reduced by using the kitchen towels as padding. More space efficient so you'd be able to slim down the case even more. Very cool video. This could also be clutch for people that have summer or winter houses, and for van life. And as another person commented, for people that are homeless or hop from one rental to the next a lot. I did that for a while at the end of college and wound up spending a lot of money eating out because I didn't have any cookware worth a darn to use.
I love this concept because it makes me wonder how much do I really need for my daily cooking needs (Indian vegetarian) clearly I can make use of a lot less stuff than I currently have.
Great vid! I think a paring knife, microplane, and whisk may be useful to include. All super light and relatively small. Curious to hear if you have a specific reason for not carrying smaller knives. I find them particularly useful for trimming strawberries and other work off the cutting board.
I would have packed a pairing knife over a 2nd chef knife. My guess is he will use his Honesuki for those items. I have a whisk that stores flat but rotates to be round, it would be handy in this kit.
To anyone looking for knives: the ~$80 tojiro dp (the 8 inch chef knife / gyuto he has) can be more or less had for $30 in the boulsterless model that they offer. Same blade, same vg-10 steel, less nice handle. If paying in th $100s I would go for either G3/silver 3 or R2. If fine with carbon steels, some good knives with blue and white paper steels can be found for as low as $40. Tojiro hairline & ibuki blanks come to mind. Side note on kitchen shears: tojiro > wusthof/other brands hands down.
A splatter screen, a fine mesh strainer (can fit inside a pot), a couple lids (1 small and 1 large, both flat). If you need a domed lid you can invert a pot, but the flat lids will seal better when needed.
Thank you for sharing! I've been looking into getting a small travel kitchen set, since I've been on the road since summer began. You'd be surprised how many places don't have some or another super basic item. (One place didn't have a cutting board, the palce I'm at now didn't have a can opener, ect)
Cool setup! Just a few additions/changes that came to my mind as I was watching: 1. Ditch the whetstone for a honing rod. Unless you're making restaurant quantities of food a hone every now and then will keep your knives sharp for months. 2. Can opener+bottle opener (or a swiss army knife/leatherman with one built in) 3. Whisk 4. Citrus juicer (the 2-piece plastic oxo one is super light and doubles as a liquid measure) 5. Small quantities of basic seasonings, i.e. kosher salt, small pepper grinder, cayenne, herbes de provence, harissa. Doesn't need to be a lot, just enough to get you through an emergency 6. A cheap plastic-handled paring knife or a dependable pocket knife.. The kuhn-rikon and zyliss ones are great for quick tasks or if you don't want to beat up your fancy knives. 7. Pastry brush 8. If you can afford the weight, small 4-8oz squeeze bottle of EVOO and/or neutral oil. Readily available in stores everywhere but it's nice to not have to buy a whole bottle every time you need to cook in a new spot.
I think there are a lot of things that are essential for certain cooks, but will never be used by others. You might use a pasta machine weekly, or you might never use it. You might get regular use out of a rice cooker, or it might just take up space. One appliance that I do think is useful in any kitchen is a stand mixer or food processor. Hand blenders are nice for certain soups and sauces, but they cannot replace the versatility of a quality blender.
I buy my pasta dry, it’s easier than ever. If I want gourmet ones, I make my own using just a rolling pin on a countertop. Easy! EDIT: Of course, a sharp clever for cutting thin strips and corn flour dor dusting.
First of all I would need a corkscrew lol but also a citrus press! They are so big and heavy but I was a bartender for a long time and am really attached to mine, makes salad dressings and anything else involving citrus so quick and easy. I would say it is my one creature comfort item that I would include, cause of course could just use a fork and squeeze but I don't want to. Super informative video! :)
You've reinvigorated my range of cooking in the kitchen. My weekly cooking rotation has never been broader. Can't wait for you to hit A Mili subscribers before summer!
I would love a video on knives because I think it’s important to know care is far more important than price. I know some people that have some low tier wüsthof knives and toss them in the sink and dishwasher and are now dulled and barely usable. My $30 Mercer knives are now a year old and still cutting paper thin tomato slices and all I do is wash them by hand and use a honing rod regularly.
I just moved from the Netherlands to London and used your notion table and this video as a check list for must take items. Great content as always, thanks Ethan!
I love a good cast iron skillet and it pains me to see a kitchen without one, but damn they're heavy and I totally understand why you didn't bring one.
Salutations from Oaxaca. Enjoy Paris. You'll soon discover that the quality of basic ingredients is off the charts. I wish you and your brother all the best in your new adventure . JIM
Where did you pack the lids? Also i highly highly recommend A Garlic press and a lemon juicer; Can you wash rice in that colander? If not, id recommend a classic metal wire strainer... U can push the metal in while it travels Also they make collapsible whisks that dont take up space... That could work
I use pretty the same basics. But instead of baking pans, I buy disposal aluminum pans. (the city won’t let me recycle them.) I don’t use a scale but maybe I should. I use only two knives but also a cleaver. I employ simple paper plates to chop. No board. I have a hand mixer, but I’ve never used it.
Couple of things that you may find you need. Firstly non slip mats which you can put between cutting boards, bowls, etc and the surface they are resting on. These are really handy when you are travelling as they turn any surface into a useable one and they mean you won't mistakenly slice off a digit if something wanders on a slippery surface when pressure is applied Secondly . They are relatively light and roll up quite small. Next (while you tend to get your mayo from a jar) my knife roll always has room for a professional grade whisk. Whether it's a slaw, sandwich or that insane chocolate sauce created by Herve, a whisk opens the door to next level satisfaction across the board. And being in France, you must try that chocolate sauce created by Herve. Don't go too high in the cocoa % as a word of advice. Small airtight containers are a must. Herbs and spices need a home. You can either pay more to buy small quantities in glass containers in a supermarket, or find a good shop which sells the raw ingredients without added salts and sugars. You don't have your well laid out spice draw anymore. Small sealable containers and a marker pen will make do. Finally, and this is personal preference, I would have slipped a paring knife into that knife roll. Small, light and able to remove blemishes, hulling strawberries, decore pears easily. It's a must have for me. All the best.
I just bought some prep bowls. Some people think that it’s a waste when you have to clean more utensils but I don’t care, there’s something about them that’s special.
First thought was can opener, I have a whisk from pampered chef that I use for everything, it’s very small on the bottom which makes it easy to store and keeps things from getting caught in it. I also love using a small coffee grinder for herbs and spices for my cooking- we use stuff we dry out straight from the garden which smells amazing every time! What do you do for utensils?
This would be so helpful to emulate when I need to move. Trying to be more minimalist during my 20's for mobility sake. I will miss my dutch oven though.
What I would need that you don’t have: bench scraper, can opener, corkscrew, mortar and pestle, spider, fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth, twine, silicone trivets, whisk, cheese grater and I’d want a set of measuring spoons even though I use a scale. I also would throw in my pair of hot gloves even though towels work. What I’d miss most: enameled Dutch oven. Just not practical to travel with.
One thing that I would add is a whisk - good for making polenta or other baked goods. You can use chopsticks for eggs but a whisk comes in handy Elespecially when needed with thicker mixtures.
Maybe a whisk? One of those flat ones rather than a balloon one so it's small light and compact. Excellent video Ethan. Makes me realise how much unnecessary kit I have in my own kitchen!
I much prefer the flat pasta strainers you can put directly onto the pot and pour through, much less space and much easier to use. Would personally recommend that over one of those colanders.
You're missing a rolling pin for doughs, but you could use a beer bottle from which you removed the label with hot water, if in a pinch. Oh, and a julienne peeler, since you only have a normal peeler, to get consistent vegetable strips without a mandolin.
A strainer is super useful, but not necessarily for pasta. It's time consuming, but between the tongs and a spider (see below) you can just pull the pasta straight from the water into your saucepan (bonus, this method often drags along an appropriate amount of pasta water with it). However, washing and drying vegetables without a colander sucks. WIth the above in mind, the only tools I would have added to your kit is a cheap bamboo spider strainer, and a longer set of cooking chopsticks (amazing how much more useful they are than eating chopsticks in the kitchen). Both are dirt cheap, weigh next to nothing, and are infinitely useful. Not sure what your stance on coffee is, but I probably would have also brought a hand grinder and aeropress (or moka pot, or melita wave) because even though the spots on your itinerary have amazing coffee... sometimes you just want a homemade cup that tastes the way you want it (pre ground coffee is meh, and cafes get expensive over the long haul... this is advice from a traveling musician with 12 years experience on cruise ships).
As for the deli containers. I live in the Netherlands and I did buy them for when I move out (soon). I saw them on several amazon pages but for extremely high prices. Just bought them from amazon com. Little bit of waiting, but far cheapers ;). For anyone that is wondering where to buy them your self :)
Looking for something just like this. I do food trade shows, so starting to put together a kitchen in a box. A few adjustments, but this looks like a good start! Thanks
You say a collider is what your missing but you could get by with a slotted spoon. It takes a bit more time but it is smaller than even a collapsible collider. It also would fit nicely in your case and it weighs almost nothing.
The King 1000/6000 combo stone has done a pretty good job in my kitchen. It's not splash and go, but it gets the job done for around 50 dollars and is generally avaliable on Amazon.
I would miss: cheese grater (I own a nice flat one, you don't need the box shape). Strainer - not just a colander - rice or quinoa slips through the holes too easily in a colander, and I like rinsing either of those prior to cooking. Paring knife. Can opener. Corkscrew (its France, after all!) Lemon juicer. A lid for that sauce pan. I understand the weight limits, but I would sorely miss a rice cooker and that mortar and pestle. (Oh, while I own a couple of whisks - regular and "tiny" whisk - I never use them. A fork is just as functional to my mind!)
The best thing i did is i was minimalist in my meals making ,three or four meals that has all nutritional value so I don’t need to clean or buy so much
I love all your gear. especially your pans and chef swords. everything you picked are absolute essentials for me. the battery powered hand blender was smart. I personally cant live without a garlic press. I cant go back to peeling and mincing my garlic. not even in a place as beautiful as France. thanks for the content. please keep the videos coming. I wanna know what you know chef!
Lid for at least one of the pots, a nice pepper mill, whisk, defenitly a second size microplane, maybe a small pestle and mortar, cheese cloth. I would considder cutting out some of the pots. Rentals have shitty frying pans, but with pots the quality is less important to me And i would defenitly chuck any spices you buy in the suitcase for future travels.
I'd unironically love a video on cleaning and maintaining some of these tools. I'm amazed your sheet pans are so shinny!
Parchment paper + scrub with baking soda / barkeeper's friend :)
I have a couple of stainless roasting trays and mine have had burnt on oil since day one. I figure if it's fine to have on a cast iron pan it's fine on roasting trays too, I just scrub them out with a stainless scrubbing ball and it gets most stuff off with some work.
How’s that unironic
@@Kakakakakakakakakakakaka684 don’t be that guy..
@@dcassis3051 I’m him
Just went through my whole kitchen and could only think of three things you might be missing: A whisk, a can opener, and a mortar and pestle (or something to grind spices).You did a great job on this.
Did i miss the part where he showed forks and spoons? Because that must be pretty essential
@@3peopleinaroom50 probably safe to assume where he stays will already have them or he can cheaply buy them where he’s at.
I wanted my mortar and pestle, but the weight was a big issue. The chopsticks won't get me stiff peaks, but are pretty useful for whisking! Might have to get a can opener though...
@@EthanChlebowski yeah, when looking at my mortar and pestle, first thing I thought of was weight, so maybe a small one. Or how about a small electric coffee grinder? As far as the whisk was concerned, I just couldn't imagine making French sauces in France without one 😂
@@EthanChlebowski or you can get ones that are used in the Caribbean made of wood. They dont carry much weight and get the job done just fine in most cases.
Can opener and bottle opener (and cork screw, but I don’t drink wine). Oven mitts. Whisk. (I’ve moved 30 times in 67 yrs. Thinking of my most recent move, six months ago, and what was essential for me.)
I really enjoyed this set up for a traveling chef, thanks for sharing. My partner & I are building our kit for car camping, I didn’t even think of a strainer! A collapsible one would be super handy too. He thinks I’m ridiculous for packing a chef, bread & paring knife, but alas- if we don’t have indoor plumbing, we’re having some darn good food in the woods.
I also forgot a strainer when I moved to Spain. It have been almost a year and I hardly miss it, you learn to live without it
Kitchen twine. For tying stuff, but can also use to tie a towel on as an apron.
A Bamix together with all the blades and the processor attachment, and you have most of your large kitchen appliances replaced.
are you going to do a tour of your new french apartment? I'd also like to see that vid on measuring by weight!
Totally fantastic solution for ‘glamping’ ❤
I'm an American and I spent 6 months in France. For my kitchen capsule I brought:
- 2.5qt steel dutch oven
- 6-inch chef knife
- bread knife
- cutting board
- tea strainer
- microplane grater
- Y-peeler
- 2 pot holders
- linen napkins
- stainless steel insulated water bottle
- stainless steel lunch container
- 2 reusable silicone sandwich bags
- 2 small jars of tea
I used everything I brought heavily, and added to the stuff included in the place I was staying, I was in pretty good shape. The only things I regretted not bringing: Measuring cups and spoons! I thought I could buy some and convert metric to US measurements if needed, but no, they apparently don't exist in France! C'est la vie, I suppose. ;P
Definitely a great source of kitchen essentials for those who are budget limited. I'm interested to see how you get by without your MASSIVE flat-top griddle. Hype to see how you experiment and have fun with French cuisine!
This video is very helpful to be minimal. I work at a place where we house homeless. We provide a small apartment with bedroom, Bathroom and a kitchenette. I’m thinking of creating a kit if they decide to eat in their own, then they will need few essential items.
One thing missing is a casserole dish/pan with higher sides for oven cooking. I suppose you can use a pan for the same use. Perhaps a lid for you pans as well, for melting or steaming.
Good point...it just hit me that ethan doesnt make any family style casseroles or things like lasagne
the sheet pans could work for casseroles, or the saucier pan. Or pick one up in charity shop cheap.
His pans can go in the oven
Over two years ago, I assembled my first true travel kitchen using a Pacsafe Travel Duffel Bag. It contained some of the following items:
Induction cooktop, Matfer CS fry pan (11 7/8"), Misen NS fry pan (10"), Brandless "All You Can Eat" combo (saute pan w/lid, 4 & 2 qt. saucepans w/lids and 10" SS fry pan), Hercules 4 qt. Cast Aluminum Dutch Oven, Knife Bag with low cost Henckel knives (8" chef, 10" bread, 5" serrated utility, 3 1/2" paring knives and honing rod), manual knife sharpener, compact steel bowl set w/lids, various kitchen utensils, 15 amp extension cord and a surge protector.
Initially, I used this between México, the United States and Colombia.
Now that I have cookware in México and Colombia, my new travel kitchen complements both kitchens and is smaller and lighter.
Chao.
Retired Vietnam era veteran expatriate living abroad permanently.
Great set up!
There’s already a lot of great suggestions, my only one is on the baking sheets.
Not all ovens are created equal, and a half-sheet might end up being too big for some. I’d double up on the quarter sheet (and accompanying rack) pans just in case. You can always keep the half sheet for draining foods if you encounter a smaller oven.
Yeah I’d be interested if he finds the European ovens much smaller, always see American cooks with these massive baking sheets, but I can’t find an oven big enough (in Ireland).
There are* a lot of suggestions ...
I’ll be using this for my truck overland camping kitchen set up. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video. Good to know that I'm not crazy, thinking of moving with my high quality kitchen gadgets abroad. I just dont see the need to get rid of them just to buy others which may not even be avaible or be of good quality. I'm moving with them, regardless of weight/cost.
France has so many cool thrift stores and flea markets. Look for truly unique things that can be used for something else, or those one of a kind items with special patina and their own memories that will remind you of France: some pottery, a wooden bowl, or salt cellar, etc.
Their is one great tool which you are missing that comes to mind. It's not easy to transport, but is very versatile nonetheless.
That would be a big stainless steel mixing bowl.
I find them super useful for several reasons:
- Mixing up bread and cake batters
- Putting chopped fruits and vegetables in it before cooking
- Marinating meat in it
- Washing salads/ vegetables/ fruit
- Melting chocolate for cake/ deserts
This!! I can't imagine myself not having stainless steel bowls. In fact, I think having one in multiple sizes is a must since one could use them in so many different applications in the kitchen.
My first thought as well. Really an essential for baking.
Yup this is one I was sad I couldn't fit into the case. Just one big ass steel bowl is so useful.
When I had to buy kitchen stuff for my kitchen, I couldn’t afford the stainless steel bowl set, I had to go with plastic. I remember my mom’s set, I would bet money they were still decent and she got rid of them. I would have happily taken them.
@@EthanChlebowski Try to find one that's just a tiny bit smaller than your wok. Should fit neatly that way.
Looks like you made quite a good list. How have you dealt with the lack of a well stocked spice cabinet?
I love this. I’m a fellow cook and totally minimize my knife kit when I travel home. Just the essentials and nothing else. It’s amazing what you can do with the minimums. It also inspires as you do your food without carrying unnecessary stuff. I’m a minimalist in life and in cooking, it brings satisfaction to the projects I’m involved in. Great video!
If I could reasonably bring cast iron I would but realistically it’s just a carbon steel pan and my general purpose knives and some containers
Thanks for this super niche video. Planning mobile living and this is a great starting spot.
Hey Ethan, Welcome to the EU !!! I wish you every possible success here .. Best wishes from Ireland 👍👌
I'd be really interested in a video of how you chose to stock your French kitchen, especially as it sounds like a relatively short term move - months, not years. Especially to know what spices you considered essential.
Not sure how practical, size wise, it would be especially if you plan on traveling but I would just get a fine mesh sive/strainer instead of the silicon colander. Pretty versatile in its application, and definitely good for straining out pasta. I don't think I even own a colander anymore.
It skims stews better too…
Great video and exactly what I needed to see. I am in the middle of a camping build. I wanted a kit that would cover the vast majority of the kitchen tasks when I am camping, hunting, or fishing. The people making videos for camping aren’t great because they don’t put a high emphasis on making great food, or because they are traveling in RV then weight is zero consideration (bring on every cast iron option available,lol). This looks like a great option and it appears that there is still plenty of room that I can put in things like spices, oils, and kitchen disposables……as I don’t need it to be exactly under 50 pounds.
A tea strainer, or a small coffee/tea brewing funnel, or some muslin bags. I like tea, but these are also useful for straining thin liquids or steeping stuff. The muslin bags can also be used for herb/seasoning sachets.
This is actually very useful advice for sailboat & RV living as well
Very cool idea of pairing down your kitchen to its essentials. I love a good minimalist video and this one did not disappoint. Well done. Thanks!
When your three months are up you have to do a "what did I actually use" video. Your cooking style might have changed with the cultural influence
Really appreciate you matching the wall at 0:28
little glass bowls make me feel like I'm hosting my own cooking show
this is perfect for me. i work in NYC for 10 months of the year, but 2 months at a summer camp. being able to pack everything up and store is really important. definitely will be taking notes.
I imagine giving up the little sauce pot and some of the knives, and getting a less beefy case would let you keep the whole kit under 50 lbs. Some of the foam padding could be reduced by using the kitchen towels as padding. More space efficient so you'd be able to slim down the case even more.
Very cool video. This could also be clutch for people that have summer or winter houses, and for van life. And as another person commented, for people that are homeless or hop from one rental to the next a lot. I did that for a while at the end of college and wound up spending a lot of money eating out because I didn't have any cookware worth a darn to use.
I love this concept because it makes me wonder how much do I really need for my daily cooking needs (Indian vegetarian) clearly I can make use of a lot less stuff than I currently have.
Great vid! I think a paring knife, microplane, and whisk may be useful to include. All super light and relatively small. Curious to hear if you have a specific reason for not carrying smaller knives. I find them particularly useful for trimming strawberries and other work off the cutting board.
+1 for parking knife! Could not do without one. And they make flat whisks now that work well, since I think that was his issue.
I would have packed a pairing knife over a 2nd chef knife. My guess is he will use his Honesuki for those items. I have a whisk that stores flat but rotates to be round, it would be handy in this kit.
Thank you so much! I travel for work and I have been looking for some ideas. This video definitely helped me. Thanks again!
This channel is fantastic for simplifying cooking down to what you realistically need, rather than promoting stupid gimmicky single purpose items.
Thank you for this. I’m simplifying my kitchen dramatically and appreciate your take.
To anyone looking for knives: the ~$80 tojiro dp (the 8 inch chef knife / gyuto he has) can be more or less had for $30 in the boulsterless model that they offer. Same blade, same vg-10 steel, less nice handle.
If paying in th $100s I would go for either G3/silver 3 or R2. If fine with carbon steels, some good knives with blue and white paper steels can be found for as low as $40. Tojiro hairline & ibuki blanks come to mind.
Side note on kitchen shears: tojiro > wusthof/other brands hands down.
A splatter screen, a fine mesh strainer (can fit inside a pot), a couple lids (1 small and 1 large, both flat). If you need a domed lid you can invert a pot, but the flat lids will seal better when needed.
Thank you for sharing! I've been looking into getting a small travel kitchen set, since I've been on the road since summer began. You'd be surprised how many places don't have some or another super basic item. (One place didn't have a cutting board, the palce I'm at now didn't have a can opener, ect)
Cool setup! Just a few additions/changes that came to my mind as I was watching:
1. Ditch the whetstone for a honing rod. Unless you're making restaurant quantities of food a hone every now and then will keep your knives sharp for months.
2. Can opener+bottle opener (or a swiss army knife/leatherman with one built in)
3. Whisk
4. Citrus juicer (the 2-piece plastic oxo one is super light and doubles as a liquid measure)
5. Small quantities of basic seasonings, i.e. kosher salt, small pepper grinder, cayenne, herbes de provence, harissa. Doesn't need to be a lot, just enough to get you through an emergency
6. A cheap plastic-handled paring knife or a dependable pocket knife.. The kuhn-rikon and zyliss ones are great for quick tasks or if you don't want to beat up your fancy knives.
7. Pastry brush
8. If you can afford the weight, small 4-8oz squeeze bottle of EVOO and/or neutral oil. Readily available in stores everywhere but it's nice to not have to buy a whole bottle every time you need to cook in a new spot.
I think there are a lot of things that are essential for certain cooks, but will never be used by others. You might use a pasta machine weekly, or you might never use it. You might get regular use out of a rice cooker, or it might just take up space. One appliance that I do think is useful in any kitchen is a stand mixer or food processor. Hand blenders are nice for certain soups and sauces, but they cannot replace the versatility of a quality blender.
I buy my pasta dry, it’s easier than ever. If I want gourmet ones, I make my own using just a rolling pin on a countertop. Easy!
EDIT: Of course, a sharp clever for cutting thin strips and corn flour dor dusting.
The move to Paris has brought a lot of excitement to this channel. Can't wait to see what's coming next
I cannot wait for your French recipes! Have fun Ethan!
This is a great idea because I travel all the time for work.
First of all I would need a corkscrew lol but also a citrus press! They are so big and heavy but I was a bartender for a long time and am really attached to mine, makes salad dressings and anything else involving citrus so quick and easy. I would say it is my one creature comfort item that I would include, cause of course could just use a fork and squeeze but I don't want to. Super informative video! :)
You've reinvigorated my range of cooking in the kitchen. My weekly cooking rotation has never been broader.
Can't wait for you to hit A Mili subscribers before summer!
I would love a video on knives because I think it’s important to know care is far more important than price. I know some people that have some low tier wüsthof knives and toss them in the sink and dishwasher and are now dulled and barely usable. My $30 Mercer knives are now a year old and still cutting paper thin tomato slices and all I do is wash them by hand and use a honing rod regularly.
Cool video, thanks! Been watching a couple from you now and really enjoy them.
I think I’m going to really enjoy where you are taking the channel. Can’t wait for the next episode.
I just moved from the Netherlands to London and used your notion table and this video as a check list for must take items. Great content as always, thanks Ethan!
I love a good cast iron skillet and it pains me to see a kitchen without one, but damn they're heavy and I totally understand why you didn't bring one.
Salutations from Oaxaca. Enjoy Paris. You'll soon discover that the quality of basic ingredients is off the charts. I wish you and your brother all the best in your new adventure . JIM
I wish you had shown about the sauce pans but thank you for showing the other items.
Where did you pack the lids?
Also i highly highly recommend
A Garlic press and a lemon juicer;
Can you wash rice in that colander?
If not, id recommend a classic metal wire strainer... U can push the metal in while it travels
Also they make collapsible whisks that dont take up space... That could work
I use pretty the same basics. But instead of baking pans, I buy disposal aluminum pans. (the city won’t let me recycle them.) I don’t use a scale but maybe I should. I use only two knives but also a cleaver. I employ simple paper plates to chop. No board. I have a hand mixer, but I’ve never used it.
Couple of things that you may find you need. Firstly non slip mats which you can put between cutting boards, bowls, etc and the surface they are resting on. These are really handy when you are travelling as they turn any surface into a useable one and they mean you won't mistakenly slice off a digit if something wanders on a slippery surface when pressure is applied Secondly . They are relatively light and roll up quite small. Next (while you tend to get your mayo from a jar) my knife roll always has room for a professional grade whisk. Whether it's a slaw, sandwich or that insane chocolate sauce created by Herve, a whisk opens the door to next level satisfaction across the board. And being in France, you must try that chocolate sauce created by Herve. Don't go too high in the cocoa % as a word of advice. Small airtight containers are a must. Herbs and spices need a home. You can either pay more to buy small quantities in glass containers in a supermarket, or find a good shop which sells the raw ingredients without added salts and sugars. You don't have your well laid out spice draw anymore. Small sealable containers and a marker pen will make do. Finally, and this is personal preference, I would have slipped a paring knife into that knife roll. Small, light and able to remove blemishes, hulling strawberries, decore pears easily. It's a must have for me. All the best.
I just bought some prep bowls. Some people think that it’s a waste when you have to clean more utensils but I don’t care, there’s something about them that’s special.
Hey Ethan, you might wanna put some protection over your scissors, so they don’t damage the fabric. Great kit!
On the journey to 1 mill!!!!!!
Easy to find flat silicone (lightweight) “lid” for pot/pans.
Ethan with his little glass bowls is like the Marge Simpson meme "I just think they're neat"
great timing, ive been looking for info online for my apartment kitchen
I NEED a set up like this! ❤
First thought was can opener, I have a whisk from pampered chef that I use for everything, it’s very small on the bottom which makes it easy to store and keeps things from getting caught in it. I also love using a small coffee grinder for herbs and spices for my cooking- we use stuff we dry out straight from the garden which smells amazing every time! What do you do for utensils?
My rankings :::
Stainless steel saucier.. 10"
Stainless steel saucepan 10"
Baking pans sizes
Kitchen scale
Thermometers
Aluminium pizza screen
Plastic containers, Glass prep bowls,
Carbon steel wok
Carbon steel frying pan
Utensils :
Cleaver
8 inch chef knife// canvas kitchen roll holder
Composite cutting board..
Silicone serving spoon.. Ladle?Chopsticks
Kitchen towels
Silicone tong
Wireless hand blender
Silicone colander collapsible //strainer
Silicone spatula all-purpose
Micro grater/plane
Vegetable peeler
Metal fish spatula
Flat metal spatula
You're missing your diy butcher block. You love that thing.
A can opener and a paring knife would've been great additions. But overall, extremely solid my dude!
I think the big Chlebowski should explore French kitchen knives while in France.
This would be so helpful to emulate when I need to move. Trying to be more minimalist during my 20's for mobility sake.
I will miss my dutch oven though.
What I would need that you don’t have: bench scraper, can opener, corkscrew, mortar and pestle, spider, fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth, twine, silicone trivets, whisk, cheese grater and I’d want a set of measuring spoons even though I use a scale. I also would throw in my pair of hot gloves even though towels work. What I’d miss most: enameled Dutch oven. Just not practical to travel with.
One thing that I would add is a whisk - good for making polenta or other baked goods. You can use chopsticks for eggs but a whisk comes in handy Elespecially when needed with thicker mixtures.
Maybe a whisk? One of those flat ones rather than a balloon one so it's small light and compact. Excellent video Ethan. Makes me realise how much unnecessary kit I have in my own kitchen!
Incredibly interesting Thank You
I much prefer the flat pasta strainers you can put directly onto the pot and pour through, much less space and much easier to use. Would personally recommend that over one of those colanders.
Link?
@@mberlinger3 I can't link for spam reasons but you should be able to find them if you search for "pot strainer" or similar terms.
I think it would be more versatile. besides straining liquid, the collapsible colander could be used to help rinse lettuce, fruits and veg.
I find that the mesh splash guards also work really well and the you have one item for 2 uses
Why not just use the pizza screen he packed?
You're missing a rolling pin for doughs, but you could use a beer bottle from which you removed the label with hot water, if in a pinch. Oh, and a julienne peeler, since you only have a normal peeler, to get consistent vegetable strips without a mandolin.
A strainer is super useful, but not necessarily for pasta. It's time consuming, but between the tongs and a spider (see below) you can just pull the pasta straight from the water into your saucepan (bonus, this method often drags along an appropriate amount of pasta water with it). However, washing and drying vegetables without a colander sucks.
WIth the above in mind, the only tools I would have added to your kit is a cheap bamboo spider strainer, and a longer set of cooking chopsticks (amazing how much more useful they are than eating chopsticks in the kitchen). Both are dirt cheap, weigh next to nothing, and are infinitely useful.
Not sure what your stance on coffee is, but I probably would have also brought a hand grinder and aeropress (or moka pot, or melita wave) because even though the spots on your itinerary have amazing coffee... sometimes you just want a homemade cup that tastes the way you want it (pre ground coffee is meh, and cafes get expensive over the long haul... this is advice from a traveling musician with 12 years experience on cruise ships).
As for the deli containers. I live in the Netherlands and I did buy them for when I move out (soon). I saw them on several amazon pages but for extremely high prices. Just bought them from amazon com. Little bit of waiting, but far cheapers ;). For anyone that is wondering where to buy them your self :)
Looking for something just like this. I do food trade shows, so starting to put together a kitchen in a box. A few adjustments, but this looks like a good start! Thanks
So happy to see you on this journey which I assume was a move to maximize happiness. Looking forward to the Parisian videos.
It would have been cool to see videos of you buying kitchen essentials in Paris.
Unique content. All the best ✅
You say a collider is what your missing but you could get by with a slotted spoon. It takes a bit more time but it is smaller than even a collapsible collider. It also would fit nicely in your case and it weighs almost nothing.
The King 1000/6000 combo stone has done a pretty good job in my kitchen. It's not splash and go, but it gets the job done for around 50 dollars and is generally avaliable on Amazon.
I would miss: cheese grater (I own a nice flat one, you don't need the box shape). Strainer - not just a colander - rice or quinoa slips through the holes too easily in a colander, and I like rinsing either of those prior to cooking. Paring knife. Can opener. Corkscrew (its France, after all!) Lemon juicer. A lid for that sauce pan.
I understand the weight limits, but I would sorely miss a rice cooker and that mortar and pestle.
(Oh, while I own a couple of whisks - regular and "tiny" whisk - I never use them. A fork is just as functional to my mind!)
Can you make a pantry version of this? Like a minimal or essential pantry for small spaces.
Excellent video!!!
The best thing i did is i was minimalist in my meals making ,three or four meals that has all nutritional value so I don’t need to clean or buy so much
I love all your gear. especially your pans and chef swords. everything you picked are absolute essentials for me. the battery powered hand blender was smart. I personally cant live without a garlic press. I cant go back to peeling and mincing my garlic. not even in a place as beautiful as France. thanks for the content. please keep the videos coming. I wanna know what you know chef!
Very creative, I would struggle choosing what to bring. Awesome job👏🏾
Lid for at least one of the pots, a nice pepper mill, whisk, defenitly a second size microplane, maybe a small pestle and mortar, cheese cloth.
I would considder cutting out some of the pots. Rentals have shitty frying pans, but with pots the quality is less important to me
And i would defenitly chuck any spices you buy in the suitcase for future travels.
Cant wait for the french food vids
My starter set of knives was a $250 rocking santuko and a paring knife. My best knife in my collection... $50 Victorinix pressed blade.
Yes. I would love a video on scale usage in the kitchen.
Take this, for bread water should be half the weight of the flour, for pizza dough(Neapolitan) water should be 65% the weight of the flour…
Love the Damascus steel cleavers and cutlery!!
Can you do a setup video for your filming equipment? Great vid btw
like the selection.
Bringing cookware to Paris has a coals to Newcastle kinda vibe. I’ll say it again, Dehillerin.