Med School Kitchen Item Recs

[ekmf27050]

(Not entirely sure where to post this... please move as appropriate!)

Hi guys-

I have about a week until my self imposed deadline to choose a medical school, and I can't decide, so I'm doing anything and everything else except for thinking about it. Just made some nice drawings this afternoon, if anyone is interested.

But, more on topic, I'm going to be keeping an eye on sales this summer for some good med school kitchen items. I'm looking for any personal recs (or warnings) for:

- pressure cooker/instant cooker
- espresso machine
- thermoses and bottles for hot/cold drinks that are very leak proof
- travel food containers that are very leak proof

I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount, but I'm willing to spend a little more for quality. Thanks for any suggestions anyone has!

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[Average guy 3]

Frozen meals and a microwave.


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[Goro]

(Not entirely sure where to post this... please move as appropriate!)

Hi guys-

I have about a week until my self imposed deadline to choose a medical school, and I can't decide, so I'm doing anything and everything else except for thinking about it. Just made some nice drawings this afternoon, if anyone is interested.

But, more on topic, I'm going to be keeping an eye on sales this summer for some good med school kitchen items. I'm looking for any personal recs (or warnings) for:

- pressure cooker/instant cooker
- espresso machine
- thermoses and bottles for hot/cold drinks that are very leak proof
- travel food containers that are very leak proof

I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount, but I'm willing to spend a little more for quality. Thanks for any suggestions anyone has!

Bread machine!

 

[curvesetter]

Aroma has a great slow cooker you can get on Amazon or B,B&B

 

[3toedsloth]

- Get a dual valve stove top pressure cooker. A cheap one like the T-Fal 6 quart one is fine.
- A rice cooker is also a good idea if you eat a lot of rice or do meal prep. You can also find some dual function rice cooker/pressure cookers.
- No idea about espresso machines
- contigo thermos is really nice for coffee...

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

A wok or other pan good for stir frying. Quick delicious meals.

 

[katie24seven]

Klean Kanteen has great thermoses. I'd also recommend the Pyrex glass storage containers, have never leaked on me and you can put them safely in the microwave and oven.

A Cusinart food processor is also not a bad idea if you do a good amount of cooking, really saves you time and energy.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Bread machine!

Yo, this is a super underrated post. Never underestimate how prime homemade bread can be.

 

[DBC03]

Embarrassing post coming ... I’ve been married over 10 years and we have a really nice slow cooker. We’ve used it once. I really, really want to get rid of it, but everyone keeps raving about theirs that we’ve kept it low these many years. We have a bunch of methods for cooking really great food really fast (like in 10 minutes), so I think I might finally give it away.

That said, get a good nonstick skillet (T-fal has a nice one on amazon - don’t spend too much because you DO have to replace this), and a few good quality pans. Also, two commercial size baking sheets.

Get a free two-week trial for America’s Test Kitchen, then look up all the recommended tools. Those will be the highest quality.


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[moggat]

- thermoses and bottles for hot/cold drinks that are very leak proof

Contigo makes THE BEST travel mugs for coffee/tea. Vacuum walled so they will keep liquids close to boiling or frozen for hours. Theyre also sealable and lockable, which is clutch for throwing it in a bag.

 

[moggat]

Also the usefulness of a good chef's knife cannot be overestimated.

You don't need anything fancy--go buy yourself an 8" chef's knife from Victorinox for $25. It's the best knife out there for everyday use (America's Test Kitchen ranked it first out of a lineup of >$100 knives) and it's made by the Swiss army knife people, so the blade is practically indestructible and the handle is dishwasher safe. I've had mine for 7 years and it's holding up great. (Get a 3" paring knife and a 7" boning knife while you're at it and you'll be set for pretty much everything) Save the shun knives for your wedding registry.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Rice cooker and skillet are my lifesavers.


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[Oso]

Contigo makes THE BEST travel mugs for coffee/tea. Vacuum walled so they will keep liquids close to boiling or frozen for hours. Theyre also sealable and lockable, which is clutch for throwing it in a bag.

I am Oso and I approve of this message.

 

[raiderette]

I have eliminated my rice cooker and slow cooker with my Instant Pot. It is also a pressure cooker.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Contigo makes THE BEST travel mugs for coffee/tea. Vacuum walled so they will keep liquids close to boiling or frozen for hours. Theyre also sealable and lockable, which is clutch for throwing it in a bag.

Can confirm.

 

[ciestar]

My instant pot functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker. It is amazing.
I also have two slow cookers and a rice cooker.

Basically, easy appliances for easy, hands off meals are a safe bet.

 

[DBC03]

We purchased a Soux vide and it has been fabulous. I also highly recommend finding a non-medical student SO who loves to cook (i kid ... kind of). My husband loves to cook, so he does one big meal on the weekends and we do leftovers most of the week.

My family uses the contigo flasks, but we like the HydroFlask brand ourselves. It has been a life changer this year.


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[dr_kateb]

I’d pick the one that has a dining hall.

 

[It's lupus!]

For good small affordable espresso maker see below. Saves my time and my life everyday haha

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[Chibucks15]

(Not entirely sure where to post this... please move as appropriate!)

Hi guys-

I have about a week until my self imposed deadline to choose a medical school, and I can't decide, so I'm doing anything and everything else except for thinking about it. Just made some nice drawings this afternoon, if anyone is interested.

But, more on topic, I'm going to be keeping an eye on sales this summer for some good med school kitchen items. I'm looking for any personal recs (or warnings) for:

- pressure cooker/instant cooker
- espresso machine
- thermoses and bottles for hot/cold drinks that are very leak proof
- travel food containers that are very leak proof

I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount, but I'm willing to spend a little more for quality. Thanks for any suggestions anyone has!

I have a big YETI water bottle and coffee mug. They're absolute lifesavers. When I was working at the hospital during my gap year I could put ice in my water bottle at the beginning of the shift and it would still be frozen close to 8 hours later. The coffee mug is more useful now with the slider lid. Literally keeps my coffee hot all day and has saved me a bunch in buying new cups because I have 20 oz all day.

Other than that also highly recommend a george foreman grill type thing. Super easy to throw chicken on there, and I use mine to make paninis/other sandwiches all the time.
I'm fortunate that my fiancee loves to cook so dinners are always delicious but whenever I'm on my own I revert back to my college cooking lifestyle of chicken and frozen veggies

 

[The Unburnt]

My coworker has been raving about his Instant Pot so much that I'm planning on getting one for med school. It's basically a combination of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker so I think it's the best option since it's so versatile (you can cook chicken/steak in like 10 minutes which is crazy to me).

I have a keurig and will probably just keep it instead of getting an expresso maker. I buy compostable k cups so I'm not trashing the environment if that's a concern to you.

I have a Swell water bottle which is insulated and keeps stuff really hot/cold for I think 24 hours, it has a screw top so it's really leak proof. I got it at target on sale if you end up wanting one!

I definitely plan on getting a couple non-stick pans as well!

 

[bobeanie95]

Look into a personal sized blender, such as Nutribullet or Magicbullet. You can make quick, on-the-go shakes and smoothies. It would be perfect for breakfast or between classes.

A bonus is that you can always use frozen fruit and vegetables, making it cheaper and convenient.

 

[3toedsloth]

My coworker has been raving about his Instant Pot so much that I'm planning on getting one for med school. It's basically a combination of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker so I think it's the best option since it's so versatile (you can cook chicken/steak in like 10 minutes which is crazy to me).

All pressure cookers are pressure/slow/rice cookers tho.....? For slow cooking, open the safety valve so air is released while it cooks. For pressure cooking, close the valve. For rice, close valve and cook for 3 min. Why do people prefer the insta-pot? ...... is it less of a b*tch to clean???

For good small affordable espresso maker see below. Saves my time and my life everyday hahaView attachment 231847

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This looks great. I love to drink lattes and have been thinking about getting an espresso maker for forever. Do you think it's important to have a milk frothing option on your espresso maker, or do you just heat it stove-top and then manually whisk it?

 

[libertyyne]

Costco Membership- They have some decent priced instant food buys that are good in a pinch.

 

[mcloaf]

- Instant pot. Can make all kinds of stuff very quickly. I originally had a slow cooker but ended up never using it because who tf wants to spend a bunch of time doing food prep in the morning before you leave for work? Plus as mentioned above you can use it for rice, yogurt, etc., and you can saute in the pot which is clutch.

- Coffee maker with a timer. Doesn't matter that much M1/M2, but waking up and having coffee ready to go at 430 AM when you're an M3 on surgery is a life saver.

- A lot of people like the contigo travel mugs, but for my money zojirushi is way better.

 

[It's lupus!]

All pressure cookers are pressure/slow/rice cookers tho.....? For slow cooking, open the safety valve so air is released while it cooks. For pressure cooking, close the valve. For rice, close valve and cook for 3 min. Why do people prefer the insta-pot? ...... is it less of a b*tch to clean???



This looks great. I love to drink lattes and have been thinking about getting an espresso maker for forever. Do you think it's important to have a milk frothing option on your espresso maker, or do you just heat it stove-top and then manually whisk it?

So much better with a frother. Mine has it and costs like 100 bucks

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[The Unburnt]

All pressure cookers are pressure/slow/rice cookers tho.....? For slow cooking, open the safety valve so air is released while it cooks. For pressure cooking, close the valve. For rice, close valve and cook for 3 min. Why do people prefer the insta-pot? ...... is it less of a b*tch to clean???



This looks great. I love to drink lattes and have been thinking about getting an espresso maker for forever. Do you think it's important to have a milk frothing option on your espresso maker, or do you just heat it stove-top and then manually whisk it?

I think it's just because it already has all of the settings programmed for each thing (pressure, slow, rice, etc) so it's pretty mindless, all you have to do is put the stuff in and click the button! I've also heard it's super easy to clean because it's stainless steel and you can just take it out and wash it. I don't have one yet so that's all I really know haha

 

[ekmf27050]

Thanks for the suggestions all! Some follow-ups below
To add some context, I've been out of school and cooking for a few years now. However, understandably, all of my first kitchen stuff I bought was very much "starter set" value and is now on its last legs. I'm also moving cross country for school, so I'm tossing a lot of the beat-up lower quality stuff and looking to spend a little more (though not too much) to get some nicer, more sturdy kitchen staples.

Bread machine!

My mom has one from wayyyyyy back so not a lot of experience with these- any particular brands you've found to be good value?

A wok or other pan good for stir frying. Quick delicious meals.

Rice cooker and skillet are my lifesavers.
Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

For woks and skillets, same question- any reliable brands you like to go with?

I have eliminated my rice cooker and slow cooker with my Instant Pot. It is also a pressure cooker.

My instant pot functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker. It is amazing.
I also have two slow cookers and a rice cooker.
Basically, easy appliances for easy, hands off meals are a safe bet.

Instant Pot seems to be the consensus for a pressure cooker- not sure if it's just due to brand/name recognition, but people seem to like using it?? Easy cleaning and not accidentally blowing up my kitchen are features I'm looking for.

Look into a personal sized blender, such as Nutribullet or Magicbullet. You can make quick, on-the-go shakes and smoothies. It would be perfect for breakfast or between classes.
A bonus is that you can always use frozen fruit and vegetables, making it cheaper and convenient.

I'm actually a big fan of mason jar smoothies- you just fill a glass mason jar with your smoothie ingredients, screw on the blender attachments, and voila. I bought plastic mason jar lids so they're easy to cover and stick in the fridge. My next big step in meal prepping for those is I want to make premade frozen "ice cubes" of the blended fruits and veggies, so I just have to add those to the jar plus liquid and blend. The front end effort has deterred me, but the back end laziness is appealing.

((Also, as a side note to advice from @DBC03 , @OrthoTraumaMD , @Chibucks15 --- I am strongly interested in a husband who can cook and take care of multiple dogs. Bonus if he enjoys vacuuming. I figure marrying someone like a famous author or inventor with those qualities will mean he has time to stay home with the puppies and we can pool our income to build him a great kitchen. I feel that these expectations are very realistic and I'm waiting for him to appear on my doorstep one day in medical school))

 

[ciestar]

Thanks for the suggestions all! Some follow-ups below
To add some context, I've been out of school and cooking for a few years now. However, understandably, all of my first kitchen stuff I bought was very much "starter set" value and is now on its last legs. I'm also moving cross country for school, so I'm tossing a lot of the beat-up lower quality stuff and looking to spend a little more (though not too much) to get some nicer, more sturdy kitchen staples.


My mom has one from wayyyyyy back so not a lot of experience with these- any particular brands you've found to be good value?




For woks and skillets, same question- any reliable brands you like to go with?



Instant Pot seems to be the consensus for a pressure cooker- not sure if it's just due to brand/name recognition, but people seem to like using it?? Easy cleaning and not accidentally blowing up my kitchen are features I'm looking for.


I'm actually a big fan of mason jar smoothies- you just fill a glass mason jar with your smoothie ingredients, screw on the blender attachments, and voila. I bought plastic mason jar lids so they're easy to cover and stick in the fridge. My next big step in meal prepping for those is I want to make premade frozen "ice cubes" of the blended fruits and veggies, so I just have to add those to the jar plus liquid and blend. The front end effort has deterred me, but the back end laziness is appealing.

((Also, as a side note to advice from @DBC03 , @OrthoTraumaMD , @Chibucks15 --- I am strongly interested in a husband who can cook and take care of multiple dogs. Bonus if he enjoys vacuuming. I figure marrying someone like a famous author or inventor with those qualities will mean he has time to stay home with the puppies and we can pool our income to build him a great kitchen. I feel that these expectations are very realistic and I'm waiting for him to appear on my doorstep one day in medical school))

Truth be told, i think most people call their pressure cookers an Instant Pot whether it is that brand or not. I have an IP and ive been very satisfied. Super easy cleaning and no, I am not afraid of it blowing up! (Still get intimidated by that steam valve, though)

 

[libertyyne]

Instapot does everything. Pressure cook, rice cook, slow cook, pan fry. inside is dishwasher safe.

 

[ekmf27050]

Instapot does everything. Pressure cook, rice cook, slow cook, pan fry. inside is dishwasher safe.

Ohhhhhh I like that. My current crockpot interior is so heavy I think it would crush my dishwasher even if I tried to put it there, and if I don't clean it right away I spend like 30 mins scrubbing it out

 

[ciestar]

The inside of my IP went through the dishwasher last night!

 

[Oso]

Yo, this is a super underrated post. Never underestimate how prime homemade bread can be.

That is a cool expression, I think I will start using it in real life. I need to expand my vocabulary from just 'awesome', 'sick', and 'legit'.

 

[precisiongraphic]

Instapot does everything. Pressure cook, rice cook, slow cook, pan fry. inside is dishwasher safe.

Instant pot is my favorite thing other than my dogs. Stove top pressure cookers don't come close and are scary. One night I used the instant pot four times to make hard boiled eggs (always perfect in 8 minutes, peel with one hand), dinner (pasta sauce with meat and veggies) then rice for the week and then yogurt overnight.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Less than specific items, just get good at cooking things in your oven.

It’s miraculous- just pop something in and in 45 minutes it’s done! Use the interim to do flash cards, watch a lecture video, etc

 

[libertyyne]

An electric Kettle.

 

[Medic741]

Espresso machines are an enormous standard of living upgrade. You make coffee *so good* you don't have to go to Starbucks/wherever and after you have nothing to clean! Oh and 2am capuccinos.

Anyhoo, I asked my parents for all the "Bed Bath and Beyond" coupons they had that wouldn't be used before moving out. Saved *a few hundred bucks* on sheets/towels etc. BBB was having a sale on espresso machines so picked one up for $70. Doesn't need to be anything fancy, but the BBB coupons are the way to go.

 

[DBC03]

An electric Kettle.

I drink tea and have a kettle with different temperature settings. This has been one of the best things I have ever purchased.


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[ekmf27050]

Less than specific items, just get good at cooking things in your oven.
It’s miraculous- just pop something in and in 45 minutes it’s done! Use the interim to do flash cards, watch a lecture video, etc

I actually do cook quite a bit in the oven, especially sheet pan dinners because they're so easy. But these apartment ovens don't have the best seal, and the window air conditioners only do so much, so during the hot months I would also be roasting myself Crockpot as a nice alternative for some things but occ difficult to time. I'm hoping my next apartment might have central air and then I can get really wild.

An electric Kettle.

I drink tea and have a kettle with different temperature settings. This has been one of the best things I have ever purchased.
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I'll have to look into those! I've always just heated water in a glass cup in my microwave for two minutes (because I heat everything in my microwave for two minutes) and used that for tea. At work I've been spoiled by the water cooler with the hot water setting.

 

[okdna]

Ohhhhhh I like that. My current crockpot interior is so heavy I think it would crush my dishwasher even if I tried to put it there, and if I don't clean it right away I spend like 30 mins scrubbing it out

Crock pot liners will change your life, my friend

 

[21Rush12]

Espresso machine may quickly become a white elephant — electric kettle and a Melitta pour over will go a long way for coffee.

Travel lunch containers are a Marshall’s find — I like the Sistema ones but really any ones with clip on lids are the best.
I have a Contigo cup that I got for $8 at Target and I trust it enough to keep filled in my bag next to my books and iPad.

 

[LizzyM]

I love 2 cup mason jars for mason jar salads. There are a zillion recipes online but once you get the hang of it you can make your own combinations. Layering is key with the things that taste better after marinating in salad dressing going in the bottom, protein and starch in the middle and leafy greens on the top. You can make a half dozen salads at one go and keep them in the fridge to eat during the week. The mason jars are also great for storing soup, cooked (or canned) beans, nuts (store nuts in the freeezer) and other items and they are cheap if you buy them by the dozen.

 

[ekmf27050]

Crock pot liners will change your life, my friend

After a quick google search, I am simultaneously SO MAD that I didn't know those existed and SO HAPPY that those exist. Making pulled pork will never be the same again.

I love 2 cup mason jars for mason jar salads. There are a zillion recipes online but once you get the hang of it you can make your own combinations. Layering is key with the things that taste better after marinating in salad dressing going in the bottom, protein and starch in the middle and leafy greens on the top. You can make a half dozen salads at one go and keep them in the fridge to eat during the week. The mason jars are also great for storing soup, cooked (or canned) beans, nuts (store nuts in the freeezer) and other items and they are cheap if you buy them by the dozen.

I really do need to get better at those. My salads right now are literally just lettuce and dressing and they're very sad