What "Must-Have" Sufficient Kitchen appliances do you recommend?

[so lucky]

Wow! Thanks so much for every one's replies. So many good ideas here. Savingdogs, I do have chickens as of this spring, and I agree that they are about the most useful critter....I wish I could have been more SS with building the coop and run, but DH kept vetoing my ideas for recycled stuff. He did most of the building, and it took forever since he is a perfectionist, but it did get done. I also have a garden, small this year but definitely expanding next year.
Freemotion, a goat does sound like a really good idea. I actually had a goat years ago, mostly to eat weeds and trim back the encroaching woods. That was a billy, tho, and not multi-functional like a nanny would be. I'm afraid I can't make that committment right now. It is difficult when your partner does not share your enthusiasm. I would like to find a dependable source for raw milk; just haven't applied my self to it yet. I like the idea of a food dehydrator, a food mill, a wood cook stove. I love to bake bread but not in this heat! The suggestion for good hand tools, and non-electric kitchen tools is a good one too.
Ohiofarmgirl, I have never even heard of a power converter, but it sounds worth looking into. Now to make DH think it is his idea....Heh Heh..
I plan on getting a pressure canner, but it may not be this year. I dont want have to buy all new canning jars, and I haven't looked at enough yard sales this year to pick up any used ones. I may have to go "borrow" them back from my son. And those Tattle lids sounds like a great idea. I went to Goodwill earlier this week, finding nothing that I needed there. The search will go on. Again,thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Thoughtful replies.

 

[Britesea]

this looked like a pretty good dehydrator you could make yourself... and save more of the $1000 for other things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B2DGXPOk4Q&feature=related

 

[miss_thenorth]

My most used kitchen appliances are:1. breadmaker--I use it to knead my sandwich bread dough, but bake it in the oven. 2. A stand mixer--I have a kitchenaid HD, but I am on my third ( or 4th )one, since I do very thick doughs, such as english muffin dough. Thankfully I bought it as costco, so I can return it whenever it crashes. If there is a better on out there, I would get that. 3. Pressure canner and all the accessories. A must have for a frugal SS type. I also have a steam canner, but you don't need that, you can use the pressure canner with out sealing the lid.. 4. dehydrator--get a good one--excaliber is good, I have a country harvest, and I love it. I also use my youghurt make quite frequently, and food processor, coffe maker and coffee grinder. I don;'t use the coffe grinder for coffe though, mostly grinding herbs or seed etc.. We also have a blendtech and use it quite alot.

 

[Leta]

If we are talking about true blue, SHTF stuff, I would not get anything electric, except for a freezer.

Wood Stove
At least three Enamel Basins
Hobo Style cutlery/dishes
Cloth napkins and cleaning rags
Picnic coolers of varying sizes
Ice cube trays and ice block molds (freezer + block mold = ice block + cooler = fridge)
Homebuilt solar dehydrator
Homebuilt solar cooker, built to fit a
Lodge Dutch Oven
Lodge Skillet
4 identical loaf pans
Metal bowls from cereal bowl size up to gallon size
3 qt saucepan
Stock pot
Two large wooden cutting boards
Santoku chef's knife, offset serrated bread knife, pointed tip paring knife
Manual grain mill
Food Mill
Strainer
Floursack towels
Hot water bath canner
Pressure canner (if you can only pick one, get the pressure canner)
Glass jars with lids, from 4 oz to gallon
Rings
Tattler reusable canning lids
Regular and canning funnels
Regular and canning tongs
Thermometer (old school, no batteries)
Flint lighter, like what they use in chemistry labs
Barrel (for vinegar making)
Crocks (for lacto fermenting)
Terra cotta container for sourdough
Several 5 gallon pails with gamma seal lids- a dozen, maybe?
A *good* recipe book
A chest freezer with an inverter and a solar panel ($400 + $30 + $200) and probably a couple deep cell batteries ($200)

That's all I've got right now... I'm sure more will come to me, but I think this would be a helluva start.

 

[framing fowl]

Leta,
That is a very comprehensive and helpful list. I love the ice block mold idea!

 

[freemotion]

Why not just freeze some plastic bottles filled with water? We do that to keep the freezer full as we empty it since it works better full. Any type of bottle will do.

 

[Leta]

Oh, a bottle would be a fine mold. I have a couple of those myself, to cool milk during yogurt making.

 

[Leta]

Oh, oh, oh!

A WATER FILTER!

Duh-uh.

 

[so lucky]

What a great list, Leta! I am going to keep this, as a general shopping list, for when I check out garage sales. And the water filter/purifier: we need something anyway; our water is really not fit to drink. I have been carrying home drinking water in gallon jugs from an artesian well since April; getting kinda tired of that but it is really good water and it's free! You know how you can get a glass of city water to drink, and take a swig after it sits out for a while? Blech!! Water from the artesian well can sit open for days, and still taste fine when you take a sip. (I don't normally do that--flies & stuff might get in, but it does happen on occasion) Anyway, I talked to my DH today about a power inverter for our frequent power outtages here. He agreed it "might" be a good idea. I guess I am more concerned with short term crises, like up to a month or so without power, transportation or being able to buy supplies. I can do that. I don't think I can get stocked up to last for years without grocery stores or gasoline, etc. Having to store seed to grow grain, make my own soap from ashes, etc. If it comes to a forever SHTF scenario, maybe somebody will just kindly shoot me and make good use of my stuff to keep their family alive. That's not to say I don't care about learning all these SS crafts and skills, because I do, and am learning all I can. Being retired gives me time to work on things like gardening, canning, herbal medicines and keeping chickens. But being retirement age also makes me realize I am not going to be able to do this nearly as long as I would like to. My own mortality smacks me in the face pretty often. Ah well, I still have lots of things I want to try, so I will get crackin' on it!

 

[NurseNettie]

What a great list, Leta! I am going to keep this, as a general shopping list, for when I check out garage sales. And the water filter/purifier: we need something anyway; our water is really not fit to drink. I have been carrying home drinking water in gallon jugs from an artesian well since April; getting kinda tired of that but it is really good water and it's free! You know how you can get a glass of city water to drink, and take a swig after it sits out for a while? Blech!! Water from the artesian well can sit open for days, and still taste fine when you take a sip. (I don't normally do that--flies & stuff might get in, but it does happen on occasion) Anyway, I talked to my DH today about a power inverter for our frequent power outtages here. He agreed it "might" be a good idea. I guess I am more concerned with short term crises, like up to a month or so without power, transportation or being able to buy supplies. I can do that. I don't think I can get stocked up to last for years without grocery stores or gasoline, etc. Having to store seed to grow grain, make my own soap from ashes, etc. If it comes to a forever SHTF scenario, maybe somebody will just kindly shoot me and make good use of my stuff to keep their family alive. That's not to say I don't care about learning all these SS crafts and skills, because I do, and am learning all I can. Being retired gives me time to work on things like gardening, canning, herbal medicines and keeping chickens. But being retirement age also makes me realize I am not going to be able to do this nearly as long as I would like to. My own mortality smacks me in the face pretty often. Ah well, I still have lots of things I want to try, so I will get crackin' on it!

Well, you've got a great list to work from. Pick the ideas that appeal to you, that are "do-able" for you, and might be "fun". We all have to pick and choose the parts of SS that we are willing and able to do. Little steps make for big progress.

DH and I are in our mid to late 40's. Not retirement age yet, though he's semi-retired. We left the "city" 3 1/2 years ago. Commuting long distances, big grocery stores, take out or restaurants most evenings, renting our house, car payments-- the whole hamster-wheel. In that short time, he's stopped working outside the home (my job brings in more cash per hour, and he's more fit and in shape and enjoys physical labor) in order to make things happen here.

In the 3 1/2 years since we moved-- We raise chickens for eggs. We have eaten our own meat chickens and turkeys, but are still getting used to the flavor changes- so we aren't quite "there" yet-- but know how to slaughter and butcher them. We are learning the ups and downs of gardening, and seed saving. I've learned to make bread- and it's the only bread we eat. We have bought all the canning supplies we need, and have been canning and using our garden treasures. We are (as budget allows) buying more "tools" of self sufficiency. We're working on establishing our perennial veggie and fruit plants. (asparagus patch was started before we got here, and some small fruit trees- though we need to expand). Establishing hops vines for home-brew use (will be harvesting our first big batch soon!) We heat with wood, and our wood-shed is over a year ahead in our wood supply- with a goal of 2 to 3 years stockpile (since we have no land to cut wood from at this point). We prepare all our meals at home-- no take out, no restaurants ( mostly due to inavailability) so our food expenses are down. Our root cellar is 80 percent built (would be complete but hubby worked night shifts for the first 2 years we were here- and his efforts kept collapsing due to time constraints and heavy rains). Learning more and more about how to make, build, and grow what we need. Driving older, paid for vehicles (4 wheel drive trucks, for getting thru the snow, and carrying our loads). Researching other farm animals for meat and milk.

So-- small steps work. There's lots more, but since it's integrated into our every day life, I'm missing a lot. Many of these steps are also new-- since we were delayed while hubby was working. Right now, while things aren't perfect- we have the skills to survive much longer in a SHTF scenario than 4 years ago-- and that's wonderful as far as I'm concerned!

Pick what you like and want to do- and take baby steps. Any progress towards being "more" self sufficient is a step in the right direction