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C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
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R E G I S T R Y & F I R S T H O M E
Selecting kitchen items for a wedding registry is not the
time to go overboard. And it’s easy not to. Just ask two
questions before potentially scanning each item:
1. Do I know how to use it?
2. Do I have someplace to put it?
If you answer yes to both, go ahead and register for it. If
not, maybe pump the brakes a bit. No one wants items they
don’t use (read: wish they never registered for) taking up
valuable kitchen space.
Instead, focus on a few simple items that offer quality and
functionality, without cluttering the kitchen. It’s easier than
you think.
MULTIFUNCTION PANS
A first kitchen in a first home can be a pretty constrained
space, is small homes aren’t big, so pieces that offer plenty
of function without taking up a ton of space are ideal, such
as a workhorse cast iron skillet.
A cast iron skillet will sear and roast meats in place of a
grill and is a must-have come the weekend breakfast rush
— bacon, eggs, pancakes, etc. There really isn’t much it
cannot do, and it will work just as good decades from now
as it does today. There isn’t a more versatile pan you can
have in the kitchen.
NO-NONSENSE KNIVES
There’s no need to an complete knife set if you’re not going
to use most of them (or even know what they do?).
Rather, select a starter block that comes just with kitchen
shears and a knife sharpener, then build your knife
collection to suit your needs.
A great Chef ’s or Japanese-style Santoku knife is a great
go-to, but a Nakiri knife is the best of both worlds, offering
the all-around versatility of a Chef ’s knife with the slice ‘n’
dice quickness of a scalloped-blade Santoku. As you find
yourself needing specific-need knives, go for ’em. You’ll
have about a dozen knife slots to fill, after all, and you’ll
probably have some gift cards from the wedding to help
with the purchase.
NAME RECOGNITION
These days, it’s tough not to find cookware that doesn’t
have some type of celebrity-chef endorsement, and that’s
not a bad thing. For one, there should be some assurance
of quality (the chef lent their name to it). Also, like their
cooking shows, they’re made to help the masses put meals
on the table.
Going back to multifunctionality, there’s nearly limitless
possibilities on what you can do with a piece, whether it’s
a grill pan, roasting pan or dutch oven. And many have a
nice, clean aesthetic for oven-to-table serving.
© CTW Features
A pan, a pot, a knife, and
some bakeware, and you’re
well on your way to mastering
your kitchen
By Timothy R. Schulte
Kitchen Registry Essentials