Unlike his freshman year, when the college sent us a list of every possible thing a student might need, there existed no such list, forcing my husband and myself to think back to our youth and figure out what all he might need.
Here would be my recommendations:
2 dinner plates, 2 bowls and 2 mugs (or 4 depending on your budget)
2 forks, 2 spoons (or more depending on budget)
2 glasses (but I would recommend plastic not real glass)
List detour - When my husband and I were dating, he wanted to impress me by having a matching set of dishes, flatware and glassware, it was like 80 pieces. Anyway, it was cheap and did the trick and NO, we don't have it anymore.
2 dish towels, 1 set of sponges and 1 dish-wand that holds dish soap., Dish soap
1 set of disinfecting wipes
That should take care of the basic eating & cleaning essentials. Now what to cook with....
1 Stock pot (8 quart)
1 either 2 or 4 quart pot
1 Skillet (8" or 10")
1 Spatula, 2 large spoons - 1 slotted, 1 set of tongs (depending on your cookware, you may need plastic or wood)
1 large knife, 1 serrated knife, 1 small knife, 1 knife sharpener
1 Pyrex measuring glass (2 cup should cover most needs)
1 set of measuring spoons (I don't ever use these for cooking but if I'm baking they are a must!)
Can opener (I prefer the hand held to the electric but that's a personal choice)
1 set of cheap Tupperware (for extras and left overs)
Other kitchen things that would be nice to have but not a necessity
Coffee maker
Blender
Immersion blender (I know this may seem really frivolous but I got mine as a "smoothie" blender and rarely use it for that. Another bonus is that they are cheaper than a regular blender and take up much less space).
Hand mixer
Rice cooker
Toaster
Spices - Here is my list of must have spices but if you have certain spices you love, then adjust accordingly.
Salt and Pepper (I like the mill's, and many stores sell them this way now.)
Cumin (ground)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Italian mix
Cayenne
Smoked paprika
Curry powder (pick your color - I like yellow)
Cinnamon
Olive Oil
And while these are not spices, I also recommend flour and sugar.
So this is a rough list and it may or may not complete your kitchen needs but it will certainly get you a great start. I would love to hear from college students out there that had something that they used regularly that I may have left out.
Super cheap and easy red sauce
Oh and here's a recipe: Back story - as a single mom, one of my quick, easy, cheap go to meals was pasta and sauce. I wasn't too particular about sauce brands and bought whatever was on sale. It worked for us until I got married to my super picky eater of a husband (love you honey). He WILL NOT eat chunky tomatoes so his solution to this was 1 can tomato puree and 1 can of tomato paste.
Directions: Mix and heat in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the spices you like; oregano, thyme, garlic, S&P, onion powder or chop up an onion and saute it, then add the sauce. Or cook up some hamburger, then add the sauce. Super easy, super cheap. Great with pastas, as a pizza sauce or on meatball subs....you name it.
Again, these are Trader Joe's prices
Tomato sauce $1.49
Tomato paste $.89
Onion $.69
Spices - vary in prices and amounts
$3.07 is what the sauce with onion comes to and it can easily be used for 2 meals or 1 large pasta meal with left overs.
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