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I just got my first cast iron pan a few months ago. I can't believe I lived this long without it! It's super great to use! And it wasn't expensive (I got the Lodge combo which is a 3 qt. pot and saute pan that doubles as a lid from Sears for about $50 with shipping).

Unless he already has a pot and skillet... in which case I'd go for small necessities (for me at least) tongs, wooden spoons, silicon spatula, whisk, paring knife...

How 'bout one of those microwaves that can also bake and brown things--that way, it is both a space saver and good in the summer when he doesn't want to heat up a small room?

Huh! Did I bust those links, or were they stripped? A 13pc set of Magnalite cookware is available from WalMart. You can have a look at it here. Amazon carries an eight piece set. You can have a look at it here. Other retailers carry it as well.

in my opinion a foodie needs a great knife and a good couple of good cutting boards including one for meat only.

A female foodie who knows how and likes to cook. :>)

I second the good-quality knife recommendation. And a good set of mixing bowls.

I second the toaster oven idea. I had one in grad school and it was incredibly useful for making sandwiches, french fries... So yummy.

I agree with the good knife and cutting board suggestions. A steel will help to keep a clean edge. Sur la Table used to offer a complimentary sharpening for up to 3 knives.

An 8" or 10" skillet, 2 qt saucepan, and maybe a stockpot or 6-7 qt dutch oven would be the bare minimum for pots and pans. Look for heavy bottoms. Stainless would be my preference for function and affordability. If there's a little extra money, I'd go Le Crueset for the dutch oven.

I'd say definitely either a good chefs knife or a cast iron skillet. He'll use both for almost everything he makes, and having a skillet that can go straight from stovetop to oven is a must.

I'll be totally unoriginal and add my votes for a chef's knife and a cast iron skillet. I also really love my Lodge Enamel Cast Iron dutch oven. I use it constantly. It does take up a bit of room, though. I leave it on my stove top all the time...it's red and looks pretty!

A large stock pot for soups, pasta etc... All my cheap student pots were way too small. Nesting mixing bowls are great too. I saved my money, bought a stock pot, and used it to mix cookies and other baking for years!

I agree with the knife and toaster oven ideas. How about a gift certificate for Rainbow Grocery. Great place!

If I were setting up a kitchen, I'd also like a gift certificate from World Spice in Seattle. They do mail order efficiently and spices can be a horrific investment

The basics like peppercorns and a grinder would be handy.

Gee, if you're a recent grad you don't have much green either! I'd suggest a package of tongs, non-wood cutting board, 8 and 10-inch skillets and a good chef's knife,
At K-Mart you can grab the tongs and cutting and an 8-inch non-stick (best for eggs, great inexpensive dishes) by Circulon and a better quality 10-inch but NOT non-stick with metal handle to go from stove to oven. (Cast iron is great as an addition and they have cheap ones there but the other 2 are more important pans if you're limited.) ALL of that should cost about $50 MAX. A decent chef's knife is steep but I just looked on Amazon and they are having some freaky sale (go in with friends?) the Deluxe 14-piece Wusthoff for $179!!! http://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCsthof-Gourmet-piece-Deluxe-block/dp/B0014JDQD4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243433490&sr=8-1
And although he might not want Emeril Lagasse's name on his knives, there is a very inexpensive 8-piece Emeril Wusthof set ($79!)http://www.amazon.com/Emerilware-W%C3%BCsthof-8-Piece-Block-Set/dp/B0009NMWCW/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1243433490&sr=8-15
It may say Emeril but it's still Wusthof!

You are a good friend. Congratulations and good luck with your future plans, too!

I would vote for a stock pot as an undergrad (with a kitchen) myself. Yeah it takes up space, but it's nice to be able to cook for a week or cook for your friends.

how about a slow cooker? you can cook up big inexpensive meals in them.

Of the prevalent comments above, I'd rank 1) cast iron skillet (it really is indispensable), 2) toaster over (the small space good value argument is a keen one), 3) knife (this one can easily get more expensive and can be a more personal choice).

Other things I remember needing were things in which to serve food. I had four plates and forks and knives. I had a couple pots and pans. And I typically set those pots and pans on the table for service. A couple nice serving bowls/platters and large spoons/labels, a few nice trivets, a wine bucket.

The other thought was a small wine rack/table to hold a few bottles and some nice glasses.

here's an inexpensive one that hasn't been mentioned yet: a microplane.

1 well seasoned cast iron skillet with instructions on how to care for it for making cheap foods like scrambled eggs.

1 medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan with a tight fitting lid for making cheap food like rice and beans.

What you need is to read this article by Mark Bittman on how to outfit your kitchen for under 300 bucks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html

Most definitely a nice cast-iron skillet.

A Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, and a Santoku knife.

Magic bullet blender? Doesn't take up a lot of space, a million and one uses, and makes margaritas! A George Forman grill is pretty awesome too...and how about some fun spice blends to use on the meat for the grill?

Even as a foodie, the kitchen appliance I use most is a microwave. Your friend won't be able to cook every night, and heating up leftovers is way too time consuming and pricey in the oven.

I would seriously consider a le creuset dutch oven (enameled cast iron)...

They're not cheap, but will last a lifetime and are indispensable for so many different types of culinary efforts....

A good chef's knife, a cutting board, a timer if he/she is a daydreamer-- unless they have a good sense of smell. A cheap coffee grinder is great for grinding up spice blends and won't run you much in $.
Also, you might check out if anyone in his area has any favorite co-ops, farmers' markets etc. for him to shop at.
And most of all, a "go to" list of family, friends and websites, particularly the SE community, for foodie questions, advice and of course, inspiration!

A Wok is one of the best pieces of cookware to have in a kitchen. They are so versatile. For someone who doesn't have a lot of cookware this would be a great addition and enable them to make all sorts of meals.

Well, I am a bit late to this party, but as a foodie bachelorette Music School grad back in the day, I would have killed for a good Immersion Blender, with the tiny food processor cup and blade, and a whisk attachment.. That item alone makes up for not having a blender, a food processor (for smaller items, or small batches), and a hand mixer - for the most part.

That, some good mixing bowls, and cookware - basic pyres, pots and pans, etc. Dishes, silverware and glassware are nice, too.

Congratulations and good luck!!

~ Paula

Wow, I'll bet you're sorry you asked for our comments?????
I don't have children, except for the 4-legged kind with fuzzy faces. However, I've always thought that my one good piece of advice in addition to all the rest of the good knife, frypan, toaster oven suggestions above, is............ supply him with dinnerware & casseroles, etc. that go from freezer, to oven, to microwave, to dishwasher, to table...........simply because it not only saves mucho time in cleaning, buying, storing, & saves $$$$$------if your son is anything like my husband, he washes plates, etc. by hand & refuses to use the dishwasher, it has the perfect all around usage. There's Fiesta ware, Pfaltzgraf, Corningware, & Chantal.........all great brands! I believe my suggestion will be VERY benefitial to the male species. Good luck to him...........& you as well!

A cast iron pan and knife are great but I agree with the microplane suggestion if you'd like to send something small. It's versatile and makes a real difference.

A few thoughts:

The knife (as one person said) may be a more personal purchase, but maybe not if you spend more money on it than he would!

Cast Iron skillet would usually be a good recommendation, but being in an apartment with a small kitchen, those things tend to smoke to much...and its not about controlling the heat. Its about 'seasoned' cast iron heating up.

But consider this, I bought 2 twelve inch COMMERCIAL non-stick pans from Sam's Club (because at that time they came in two AND Sams has a commercial restaurant supply section now - BUT NOT COSTCO DARN IT!) pretty cheap and they are made from thick aluminum under the non-stick coating...2 years later they still have the coating. I pulled the rubber handles (good for oven temps up to about 350) off and threw them away, cook on top, finish in oven. Works wonderful. Heavy duty, lighter, and less smokey than cast iron.

Get the kitchenaide mini processor (3 cups model) not the cuisenart. The reason being is because the 'catch' for making the motor work is a long piece of plastic protrudcing down from the lid, prone to breaking off! Kitchenaid, not so much small 'catch' on both sides of lid that doesn't protrude past the lip much, even if you manage to drop the lid on the floor and break one, you can still swivel the lid to the other.

As someone mentioned, electric hot water kettle. Starts things that need hot or boiled water much quicker.

Is he a serious tea or coffee drinker? Bodum (french press) goes good with that electric water kettle.

Small microwave as already said.

Coffee been grinder for grinding spices or coffee.

I buy bar towels in bulk from Sam's or Costco's, there just like the ones in commercial kitchens I use...and there cheap.

Immersion blender, as already said. This thing should be a must. Its terrific.

My pasta roller still comes in handy for (duh) pasta, and also: pita bread, rolling thin tortillas, flat bread...etc.

If your going to spend some money on him, buy a nice kitchen cart with storage underneath...then he can roll a 'chopping' island around to use and store these small appliances underneath when not in use.

Ok, I'll stop here...I cook professionally as well as not letting my small kitchen in my apartment keep me from cooking extensive and 'fine dining' meals at home.

You left out a huge piece of info: What's YOUR budget?

If he's perpetually broke, then he'll be cooking with economical ingredients.
If you're also broke, I echo the suggestion for a slow cooker. A lot safer, easier & cheaper than simmering or braising for hours on the stove or in the oven. But can a hungry guy stand the aroma of cooking food, knowing it is inedible for the next 2-6 hours? Also, most slow cookers can only do slow simmer or fast simmer.

Therefore, if you've got the $$, I suggest you spring for a good-quality, modern pressure cooker. Flavorful & healthful stew from cheapo meat & veg in 1/2 hour. Rice or beans in 15 minutes. A good pressure cooker pan is high quality, so it also serves as a heavy saucepan or even a dutch oven for deep frying.

Both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker come with simple recipes that a beginner can use and an experienced cook can expand & improvise with.

PS. Knives & cookbooks are pretty personal as far as picking the ONE that will work for a person. Unless you're soulmates with this guy or you can check his registery, don't do it.

You sound like a good pal. GL

I'm going to show my age here and say I graduated from college pre-microwave oven days. Now what I mean about that is that a microwave was still a very high price item, your poor college kid never even thought of owning such a thing. What saved me was the toaster oven. Now just about everyone needs a toaster, and why not get one that can do some other things as well. However, unlike your average college kid, once I got into apartments instead of dorm rooms the first things I got were a hand held mixer (great for basic baking), a blender (must have for parties as well as cooking, can take place of food processor at times) and an electric skillet. I had started cooking at the age of 14 and I was the college friend everyone came to for a home-cooked meal. I hit yard sales and stocked my first apartment kitchen. Believe it or not, I still own some of those first things from almost 30 years ago. Now also, if the poor man doesn't own them, get him a measuring cup (liquid and solid) and some measuring spoons. It's shocking the number of people in this country who don't own those basic items. This is what has happened to our country WITH the invention of the microwave and also with the loss of home-cooking and the family meal time. It's really a shame.