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As someone who has been married for 12 years, I love helping my friends with their wedding registries! There’s always an excitement around it but no one ever really know what to include on it. So that’s why I’m sharing my modern day kitchen wedding registry list. This is a great jumping off point for what you’ll need to start your lives off cooking and enjoying lots of meals together as your family grows.
8 Tips For Creating A Modern Kitchen Registry
- Register at two different price point stores. For instance, we registered for our fine china and some specialty items at a higher end store and then for the more basic items we registered at a more mainstream (easier access) store. It helps to give people options – just make sure you don’t register for the same thing in two different places or you’ll end up with doubles of items you don’t need.
- You’ll probably hear me say this a lot, but include the items that you currently use a lot – not just the ones you think you will. Just because you’re getting married, it doesn’t mean you’re going to change overnight of who you are. Evaluate the items that you used currently and add those to the list. If there’s a couple items that you’ve always dreamed of having, of course, add them. But for the most part, stick to what you’re already using.
- When selecting a china pattern, always opt for a classic look. White, clear, etc are great options because they don’t show their age. For my own registry, I opted for a simple white china plate with a silver rim and I still love it to this day. I remember my parents’ china as well that has tacky orange 70’s flowers on it – just terrible!
- Get good quality mixing bowls, knives, cutting boards, spatulas, pots and pans, and skillets. These are the items that will be used the most in your home.
- I always recommend 12 place settings and more for flatware. Somehow, flatware always ends up in the garbage and you end up missing some years later (though I’m still not exactly sure how that happens). It’s harder to find matching pieces later on, so always opt for 12 place settings up front.
- Splurge on the items that you will use a lot or ones that have multiple uses.
- A lot of couples go into their registries thinking that they should register for the most expensive items or everything that the store guide tells them to. What you should really register for is what you use on an everyday basis – along with a few items that you’d use for entertaining or around the holidays. Your registry should reflect what items you’re going to use on a consistent basis and definitely not those “fad” items that are in style but totally impractical.
- Skip registering for the small appliances like panini presses and quesadilla makers. They’re fun once, but that’s about it. You’ll more than likely push them to the back of the cabinet and they’ll never gets used because they’re more hassle than they’re worth to get them out and make something with them.
- Think of how much space you have in your home together. If you don’t have enough room for 5 different appliances to stay on the counter, you probably shouldn’t get them. Calphalon® actually has some great new pots and pans with lids that actually nest inside one another and fit together in the cabinet. No more hunting down lids or having everything come crashing down when you’re trying to get the pan on bottom out!
- Include items of all different price points in your registry! You never know if a group will go together and get a big item for you or if someone wants to just get you a little something. It always helps to give people options.
As I stated above, it’s a good idea to invest in a higher quality product when it’s something like cookware that you’ll use everyday. The Calphalon® Premier™ Space Saving Cookware Set at Bed Bath & Beyond is the perfect set to buy because it fits a lot of cookware in a small space and everything stacks together so nicely! The pieces can stack and nest in any order and saves 30% more space than non-stacking Calphalon® Cookware items when stacked with like diameter Premier™ Space Saving items. The set has sturdy stainless steel handles and my favorite part is that the covered cookware pieces feature space-saving flat glass lids.
This quality cookware is available at Bed Bath & Beyond in store and online, so it’s easy to add to a registry and even easier for your wedding shower guests or relatives who live further away to gift them to you!
Hover over the image below to start shopping for your Calphalon® Premier™ Space Saving Cookware Set.
With your purchase of $299.99 worth of Calphalon® products (excludes kitchen electrics) from bedbathandbeyond.com (during one online transaction) you are entitled to a $50 Bed Bath & Beyond Gift Card! It’s a terrific way to add to, build or complete that cookware set of your dreams! The Gift Cards are redeemable for the merchandise of your choice either online or in any Bed Bath & Beyond stores nationwide. Limit one $50 gift card per person. Valid through 12/31/19. You can learn more about this cookware set and deal here.
A Complete Modern Kitchen Registry Checklist for Your Wedding
Everything on this list is optional. I would say that we use most everything on this list at least once per year. Some things are definitely used daily, whereas others are only pulled out on holidays and special occasions. But I encourage your to talk with your fiance and see what’s best for you!
Cookware
- Toaster Oven
- Stock Pot
- Non-Stick Skillet
- Stainless steel skillet
- Stainless steel sauce pan
- Saute Pan
- Dutch Oven
- Griddle
- Cast iron Skillet
- Strainer
Bakeware
- Baking Sheets
- Cooling Racks
- Cupcake/Muffin Tin
- 13×9 Pan
- 9×9 pan
- Pie pan
- Round cake pan
- Stand Mixer
Kitchen Tools
- Spatula
- Scoops
- Cheese Grater
- Microplane
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Ladle
- Peeler
- Can Opener
- Ice Cream Scoop
- Cutting Board
- Knife Set (Bread/Serrated, 8” chef’s, paring knife, kitchen shears, steak knives)
- Food Processor
- Slow Cooker
- Large Spoon
- Wooden Spoons
- Mandoline Slicer
- Prep bowls
- Large bowl w/ handle
- Oven Mitt
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Kitchen towels
- Trivet
- Salt pig
- Pizza cutter
- Melon baller
- Trash Can
Tableware
- Dinner Plate
- Salad Plate
- Cereal Bowl
- Pasta Bowl
- Rectangular Serving Tray
- Serving Bowl
- Mugs
- Flatware
- Serving Spoons
- Glassware
- Pie Server
- Tablecloth
- Cloth Napkins
- Placemats
- Pitcher
- Salad bowl with utensils
- Cake stand
- Salt and pepper shakers
- Coasters
Barware
- Corkscrew (even if you don’t drink and you have zero interest in having a bar, get this. I guarantee you will need it one day)
- Shaker
- Jigger
- Muddler
- Mixing Glass
- Bar Spoon
- Hawthorne Strainer
- Cone strainer
- White wine glasses
- Red wine glasses
- Champagne glasses
- Coffee Pot
To test out this cookware, I’ll be making savory barbecue chicken over garlic and cheese grits. Ancho chili, molasses, and cinnamon slowly cook the chicken in one pan while continuously whisking grits, sour cream, garlic, and pepper jack cheese in another. This combination of tangy chicken with the creamy grits is electric!
Garlic Cheese Grits
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups regular grits
- 16 ounces Cheddar cubed
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup (1 sticunsalted butter
- 8 ounces grated sharp white Cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Grease a 4-quart casserole dish.
- Bring the broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in the grits and whisk until completely combined. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grits are thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cubed Cheddar and milk and stir. Gradually stir in the eggs and butter, stirring until all are combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the white Cheddar and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.
Ancho Chile & Molasses Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
- 1 smallish onion coarsely chopped (preferably a Spanish or other sweet onion)
- 3 small cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or substitute sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 canned chipotle en adobo chopped (note that this is 1 chipotle pepper from a can of peppers, not 1 can of chipotle peppers)
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika pimentón
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until warm and shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup and water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle chile, ancho chile powder, paprika, brown sugar, honey, and molasses to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Scrape the barbecue sauce into a food processor or blender and purée until either smooth or the desired consistency. The sauce will be quite, quite thick. Let cool to room temperature. Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. You can start using it right away, but if you wait overnight the flavor is a little better. (You can cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using.)
- Marinate the chicken in this sauce for at least one hour in the fridge. Cook the chicken on the grill or skillet until done and then give it another brush of the sauce before serving.
If you’d like to see more tips or recipes like this, follow me on Pinterest!
