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I really do. I have too much time on my hands, and the one activity (if it can be called that) I’ve found to fill my time is researching items for our registry. Yes, yes, I know it’s self-serving, consumerist and kinda lame. But it’s raining, I’m bored, and I can’t drive on the left side of the road. I have fears, like, what if I register for the wrong food processor and it breaks after the warranty and is suddenly possessed then attacks the cat? I think about this, and equally bizarre things fueled by Amazon.com reviews.
Another plus (minus?) to an Amazon.com registry is that you can see what other couples in your area registered for, what couples with similar items registered for, the top registered items, etc. The lists go on and on and on. Do all these couples know something that I don’t know? Why is a Le Creuset Dutch oven considered the Holy Grail? I thought the KitchenAid was it!
Not to mention, this Bed Bath and Beyond registry check list is HUGE, but it only leaves me with more questions! How can we possibly register for bathroom items or towels when we don’t even have a bathroom yet? Does anyone really want to buy us curtains? What pots do I need to have a decent kitchen? Do we really need an ice cream maker? (I’m thinking no…)
In an effort to educate myself I turned to the most reliable of sources (wikipedia) to find out what exactly a Dutch oven is and to find out if we need a slow cooker.
As it turns out, most of the same things can be made in each - do I need a Dutch oven AND a slow cooker? What on earth is a pressure cooker? I’m out of my depth here and my non-existent kitchen is becoming very confused.
What advice can you offer this kitchen novice as far as registry items? Are you overwhelmed by these checklists (and feeling like they’re just trying to get you to register for stuff you don’t actually need)?
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If you don’t know what it is, you definately don’t need it!
A slow cooker is just a dutch oven with its own heating element. I like the slow cooker because I can start something and I feel safe walking away from it (unlike the stove). Honestly, no, you don’t need an ice cream maker.
Here is an easy registry tip: for 2 weeks write down EVERYTHING you use in the kitchen, bath, etc. Then just register for nicer versions of those things. If you don’t use a rice cooker on a regular basis, you shouldn’t register for one because you won’t use it.
**One caveat: If you like to entertain or expect to be cooking Thanksgiving dinner every year, you’ll have to factor in those events into your registry. You may not need a 20 inch serving platter for everyday use but it helps for those hors d’oeuvres!
@snmcdowell: LOL! Probably spot on!
We are renting, and won’t be here forever, so we’ve had a hard time picking out bathroom stuff too. We ended up going with a pretty light gray color for our neutral towels, and a blue green for the fun towels. 
I’m with snmcdowell. I think the registry suggestions are useful but I don’t think you need everything on them. I’m having lots of trouble registering!
Throw away that checklist girl. It’s BB&B’s way of getting business and that whole register 3 items per guest is baloney! You guys go there and register for what you use or need to use. Most of the things on the checklist are used day-to-day, but if you have no idea, don’t register for it! LOL
People will give you gift cards too, so if you do forget something later on in the year, you can get it taken care of!
There are a lot of things I feel silly registering for, but the one thing I can’t live without (and didn’t know I wanted until I got one) is a slow cooker/crock pot. It makes cooking so much easier when you can put everything in the crock pot in the morning, turn it on, and voila! Dinner is ready when you get home that evening. I couldn’t imagine life without one (mostly because I don’t particularly like to make anything that consumes a large part of my evening)
Canegirls’ suggestion is great. Also ask your friends who have a similar lifestyle to yours (not a foodie? Don’t ask someone who loves to cook really difficult dishes. Love to cook? Ask someone who loves to cook) what they can’t live without in the kitchen. Upgrade your basics (get a new set of pots and pans, a nicer toaster that didn’t live through the college years, real knives, and a real set of dishtowels and pot holders) and register for a few things that you like but might not necessarily buy yourself.
Good luck!
We didn’t have our own place until recently. We’ve been living with the in-laws. Register for kitchen stuff b/c that’s come in quite handy. Appliances and things that you’ll use - toasters, blenders, hand mixers, pots, utensils, plates, cutlery, drinkware, etc… I registered for bathroom stuff for the heck of it, but once we moved into our home, I returned it all… play it safe - you can register for gift cards too…
Hi guys. A mom here. I find most ‘gadgets’ i.e. appliances specific to one task, to take up more space than they are worth. The way to start the pots and pans in kitchen IMO is this;
1 large, 1 smaller heavy Le Creuset pots. These are for soups and stews and anything braised. They are worth it, very forgiving of weird burners etc.
1 large stainless steel All-Clad saute pan. With a lid.
1 medium/large cast iron frying pan. I don’t like non-stick except where absolutely necessary, and cast iron is a good replacement.
1 Small non-stick (absolutely necessary) omelette sized pan.
1 large and one small Revereware. Yeah, that’s right, what your mom had. Lots of times you want to just boil water or heat something, and the All Clad stuff is HEAVY!
1 wok. If you do high heat sauteing/stir frying you don’t want to wreck your saute pan and woks are made for this.
1 rice cooker. These things are killer. Never mess up your rice again.
Not to mention mixing bowls, baking sheets, pie pans, roasting pans, salad spinners, food processors, knives, spoons, peelers and the like:).
If you haven’t bought a house yet, don’t worry about the curtains or the towels or the rugs or the bedspreads. Go for more common use items in the kitchen. If you’re not much of a cook (and don’t plan to be) then I’d register for other things that you would use (workout equipment, camping/hiking gear etc). I don’t know how to use a pressure cooker and I don’t want to know. I want my gortex multi-functional camping backpack with optional sleeping bag rack, LOL! The great thing about registering with Amazon is you can order almost anything!!
I am having a hard time with the crystal and china. Part of me thinks it is a royal waste (and we could use cash since we don’t even have a house yet….) but part of me knows I won’t be running out to buy any china or crystal for the next 15 years. So, I should probably get it now? Some people get really jazzed about this stuff, but, I get more jazzed about kitchen gagets (and having a kitchen that has actual space to cook, which we don’t have!)
Here’s something I did…. ask yourself, “what would I make all the time *if it were easy*?” Right now I do a lot of stirfry & pasta b/c it’s what I can make with my equipment, but I wish I could make more bread, and more soups - so I registered for what I needed for that (a Kitchenaid mixer, an immersion blender, a big soup pot, etc.)
My mom had a pressure cooker and used it all the time - pressure makes things cook faster, so it’s especially good for cooking dry beans. That’s not something I could imagine using, so I’m skipping it.
I registered for a Le Creuset dutch oven - I like it because it’s beautiful, lasts for decades (apparently), and can go from stovetop to oven to table.
I know this is totally an faux pas, but we took my mom to register for all of our kitchen things. I’m finishing college and fiance is just out, so we want to start fresh. (Not the 15 year old hand-me-down boilers that we have). However, we’ll be in a (very) tiny apartment in DC, and we didn’t want a bunch of “stuff.” She was able to tell us the things she uses on a daily basis, to make my favorite meals, etc., and it was very helpful. Plus, in this economy we felt very guilty about registering for a lot of things. She encouraged us to register for a few things that we probably wouldn’t buy for ourselves, to provide a large price range, and to forgo a few of the things we could pick up anytime (like measuring spoons). It was nice to have a veteran in wedding gift purchasing to help out!
I had trouble too! It’s nice to see I wasn’t alone.
I registered mostly for kitchen stuff (with some nice new sheets, picture frames and towels added in the mix).
We choose nice pots and pans because I LOVE to cook, I just don’t have a lot of room 
We also chose some gadgets- such as a rice cooker, deep fryer and Kitchen Aid mixer.
We didn’t go for a ton of random stuff. We looked at what we used, what we normal ate, and what we knew we needed (like lots more spatulas and serving/stirring spoons and stuff.
Honestly, if you don’t know what it is, or don’t think you’ll need it- don’t register for it!
I LOVE my slow cooker. I use it at least once a week, if not more, especially during the cold months of the year. It helps for all the times no one is going to be home during the day, it’s so lovely to come home at 6pm to an already cooked meal. I have a three quart slow cooker, which is a good size for the two of us, gives us 2-3 meals each time. I would totally recommend it!
My mother thinks I’m crazy (most of all for not wanting to change my horribly complicated last name) because I do not want to register for china or crystal. PLEASE! We need furniture, a car that is less than 12 years old, a grill, …even a new wok (not the one that came in the $19.99 Target package with 20 other pieces when I was in college) before we need luxury items.
However, I know the exact china and the crystal I would register for…
I totally agree with the first comment - if you don’t know what it is you don’t need it!
It’s hard when you don’t know how much space you will have and appliances take up a heck of a lot of room! If you don’t know how much cooking.baking you will do you definitely don’t need a slow cooker plus a pressure cooker plus a dutch over. And most of the time a good knife or blender will do what a food processor does (I love my food processor, but rarely use it - and I cook a lot!).
If you’re concerned about too many big ticket items, a hand mixer works just find and costs a heck of a lot less than a stand mixer.
And don’t forget things that are typical everyday items - coffee maker/tea pot, toaster, microwave!
Making a list of your favorite things to make is a great idea - what tools do you need to make them? Don’t register for something just because it’s the hot item - it’ll likely just end up taking valuable space in your kitchen!
Forget the checklist!!! It is designed sell items.
I love my slowcooker. It really helps simplify life!
Items I reallllllly recommend: If you love to bake, then a Kitchenaid mixer is a MUST. I love love love mine! Also good bakeware pans (I found a cute tea cake pan from BBB - it makes many little mini bundt cakes). I also recommend the Cuisinart Griddler. I find it to be much better than the Foreman Grills and it cooks really fast, but doesn’t dry out meat and clean up is easy as the plates are removable.
Good knives are important wherever you live. Whichever you prefer, Henckels, Wusthof, Shun or other good quality knives (I personally have Henckels Professional knives and I have had them several years)
Don’t forget to register for some stuff for your fiance. He may not be psyched for bed sheets, but maybe he likes to grill and some nice grilling tools would be good or electronics that you could both use and enjoy.
Nothing, I mean NOTHING, beats Le Creuset. It’s the most amazing cookware ever. It’s very heavy but it’s just got the best materials which make your food taste better than any other cookware.
I think if you don’t know what it is, its pretty safe that you don’t need it, unless you aren’t the cook then ask your fi, if they cook. But for most part get the things you know you will use. We didn’t register for china because we won’t use it and we just don’t have the space for it. But we did get things like the Kitchen Aid mixer because if I had it I would be able to bake more. If you can’t see yourself using it then just put down the scanner and step away.
First: Throw out the check list.
Next: Make up your own list. Think of what you are lacking, but also what you have that could be replaced. Like pp, don’t forget the little things, like sturdy utensils. Think about how you live and how you see you and FI living in a couple of years. Do you entertain and need serving plates? Do you cook and need cookware and bakeware? Do you primarily do ready-to-eat or take-out and need bedding instead?
Then research. Ask your friends and family. I also highly recommend Cooks Illustrated reviews and Alton Brown’s “Gear For Your Kitchen.” It sounds like you need to start with a briefer on kitchen basics (no, a dutch oven is not the same as a crockpot), so I’d recommend starting with Alton’s book and marking items that you know how to use or know (right now) that you want to learn to use. Don’t bother registering for something that you won’t use.
I agree with peachypear - I just threw away the list because we don’t have our apartment yet and I didn’t understand a ton of things. If I don’t understand it and haven’t used it thus far.. I figure I didn’t need it.
Since we won’t be living together until after the wedding - we registered for things we knew we’d need kitchen wear, silver wear and some linens. I know I should register for a ton more but I’m just lost.
It is hard especially when your not sure what you need. You don’t need to use the registry checklist like everyone has said. You need what you will use. Definitely get your dutch oven, your pots and pans, one easy way is to just get a whole set, Or see what is in a set then register for them one by one since they are pricey. Get the multi pot that has a removable colander. Get your slow cooker as well as your dutch oven meatball appetizers and queso dip for the big game anyone?
Get some towels and bath items and bedding items, they don’t need to match or fit into what you have now but your going to use them who doesn’t use towels and sheets? My fmil told me to register for everything and anything. I am not doing that, instead I am registering for things I know I will use and if there isn’t enough gifts for people they can get a gift card or give monetary gifts. I am splurging on some extra things like electric tea kettle and deep fryer, and panini press, but I know I won’t even touch a wok so I am not getting one. But if I did I would get the breville electric wok. I think I know way too much about registries…
I ignored the checklist. We’ve lived together for two years, and I know what we need and don’t need.
What we don’t need is fancy glassware - because I’ll break it. My friends already give me the ikea glassware when I eat at their house for fancy occasions, and everyone else gets the fancy Vera Wang wine glasses. I’m not insulted at all - it’s very smart for them.
What we did want was Le Creuset and TONS of it. I’m sure this has been answered, but Le Creuset is enameled cast iron cookware - it gets to fabulously high temperatures, gives stuff great brown color, and can go from oven to stove to table (because it’s beautiful!). It’s also not in my everyday budget, so my registry is packed full of it.
We didn’t register for towels or sheets because we don’t see them as long term investments. I’m really using it as an opportunity to get some “dream” kitchen items - instead of simply to outfit my kitchen from scratch.
I think the main difference between a Dutch Oven and a Slow Cooker is the time you have to cook. I wouldn’t feel safe leaving a Dutch Oven to cook while I’m out of the house, but I’ve left my Slow Cooker and had no problems. My Fiance and I tend to spend two-three days out of the work week away from home for the majority of the day with only brief hour to hour and a half breaks at home. By the time we make it home for good, it’s far too late to start a complicated meal. In this respect the Slow Cooker has been invaluable to us as it saves us from eating fast food and there’s something really nice about coming home to an apartment that smells like a warm home cooked meal.
I still registered for a Dutch Oven, it’s something that will be great for weekend meals and the food comes out with a different taste. Also, I LOVE my KitchenAide Stand Mixer. It’s invaluable at Christmas time (it’ll even cream butter with Peanut Butter) and I use it for everyday things like Mashed Potatoes and mixing up everything for meat loaf.
Ignore all the checklist given out at the stores!! I feel like they are just another way for the stores to make money. I agree with earlier comments.
First make of list of want you NEED
Then make a list of things you would LIKE TO HAVE
Finally add a couple of totally frivolous “I only get to do this once and I would never buy it for myself otherwise” things like this
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku4845186/index.cfm?pkey=cspecialty%2Delectrics
crepes ..yum
Start there.
Also Real Simple Weddings has a very user friendly and pratical checklist designed for you not for the stores.
They are trying to get you to register for stuff you don’t need. Don’t buy into it. It will only contribute to consumerism and clutter.
I’m so with you! Regsitering has been fun, but at the same time, a headache in itself! My FI and I started collecting things for our soon to be purchased home about a year ago-We love to cook and are in LOVE with all-clad and Le Crueset. So we picked up a few items here and there because they are pricey (but DEF WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN!)
We have been going back and forth on towels and sheets and those stupid lists they gave us at each store-we came to the conclusion while we love nice pots and pands we aren’t so concerned with the fine china and $150 each wine glass route. It honestly has to do with each couple-everyone is unique and you should really see what it is you enjoy most and not what your “expected” to register for. (we figured that out after my hours on end on our registry site..ughh! haha)
As far as towels go, we registered for several awesome bold colors and a curtain that pulled them all together. We’ll figure out wall color when we get there!
Definitely throw out the checklist, at least the first time around. Once you’re pretty satisfied with what you’ve got, then you can go back to the checklist and see if there’s anything that still seems like a good idea that you missed. It is a helpful tool, but totally not worth the stress the first time around!
I’m right there with you, Miss D. There are WAY too many options out there in the registry world!!!
You should only go with things you know you will use. So if you don’t know what it is, chances are you don’t need it.
I agree that you should be getting some Le Creuset pots, they really are amazing and last forever (and the color choice is great!)
Good luck! Have fun
A dutch oven is just a big, big pot with a lid that can transition from oven to stove top to table top. I know Le Cruest lasts forever, ’cause my parents have been married for 30 years and their dutch oven is going strong. My mom uses it for applesauce, beans, big pots of soup or stew…
Lots of people have raved about their slow cookers, but I have to admit, mine’s the biggest waste of space in my kitchen. If you’re not a big meat eater (or, like me, not a meat eater at all) a slow cooker isn’t great for that much.
I think a good registry is all about knowing your lifestyle!
Mr. MagPie and I both LOVE to cook, so we’re hoping to fill our kitchen with All-Clad pots and pans, and Wusthot knives.
But, we have a simple rule: If we already have something — even if it’s not the best brand or quality — it doesn’t go on the registry (like measuring cups) and is something we’ll get ourselves down the road.
I really like my slow-cooker for days when I know we’ll both be at the office late. Then we come home and the house smells homey and we eat right away!
We’re never going to have 10 guests over so I’ve ignored the 12-of-everything rule. Those checklists seem like overkill to me.
I bought this book, and it’s great for telling you what you actually do and don’t need in a kitvhen if you plan on seriously cooking!
http://www.amazon.com/Alton-Browns-Gear-Your-Kitchen/dp/1584792965
I actually kind of liked using the checklists but only because I knew that I was only going to register for exactly what would be helpful. It allowed me to see the universe of things out there but also made me realize that there was a lot that I didn’t need. I don’t need casual china, formal china AND everyday plates, etc. We didn’t register for china at all. I suggest thinking about what you do on a regular basis or need (we needed baking stuff..well actually I needed baking stuff) and working from there.
We are also registered on amazon.com - it’s definitely been fun. But I need to know - where are the lists that show top registered items? I’m so curious!
We registered for some Le Creuset stuff - we listened to a spiel by a guy who worked at a Le Creuset store and we were sold. I’m hoping we’ll have it for a LOOOOOONG time!
The registry is so vast and confusing and overwhelming to me, but I have to admit that your post made me go and update mine with a few items I’ve been meaning to add! It’s a sickness, I tell you!
we’re not setting up a registry until we’re more settled in a place (like you, we end up dividing our time between 2 countries too).
definitely don’t get stuff you didn’t realize you “need”. there shouldn’t be a list of ’standard’ registry items because everyone’s different and their lifestyles vary too!
@Caroline: Thats a great idea, I’ll ask my mom to come with me when I get back. @peachypear: @LauraJerry: Thanks I just added it to my wish list to get when I get back! @piggs2002: Heres the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/wedding/add-items/ref=cm_wed_hp_ai but watch out, it’s addictive!
I’m definitely registering for Le Creuset items now, they really do receive rave reviews! Good knives are a huge priority for Mr.D and I, we house sat a friend’s house and they had Wusthof knives - we fell in loooooove. Thank you so so so much for all your suggestions!
overwhelmed, yes! my first (and only) registry experience was at crate & barrel, and I was clueless. i need to do homework, like you, and read up on some of these gadgets to determine to whether or not they truly are a necessity. i dunno if i’d ever get used to driving on the left side of the road!
A friend of a friend sent me this link - how handy! http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/tools/2008/04/the_well_stocked_kitchen
the simplest thing i can tell you (besides the fact that registering is a bi…) is that you have a year after your wedding date to purchase and return and add more things to your registry. As you come to settle in you will learn what it is you need and don’t need. BBB you can get cash back returns and buy other things you might need. We are happy w/ all of our final purchases except for like a handful of items. we have both a Creuset dutch oven AND slow cooker. we use both.
2. don’t regard too much on those suggested lists. it’s just wayyyy too much. do what u guys need and like to do.
I started off with a registry that had 15 items — the things I really really wanted, one of which was a slowcooker!
Then my bridesmaid told me “GIRL You better beef that up! You don’t have enough for your guest to pick from.”
Right. So I added a bunch more. And haven’t heard anymore feedback
Slow cookers are marvelous.
Fancy china is really not my thing so I left that off.
Big pasta or salad bowls are very good to have around the house. I went with a wooden set. They match everything.
If you have the time, take everything you guys own out of your cabinets and do an inventory. What would you throw away? What don’t you have? It’s easier to do with it all spread on a dining room table.
I In regards to the three per guest thing- You do really want nearly that many. Mister SisterDorsay and I might have been the first of our friends to get married off, but in the last couple years it feels like almost everyone else has joined us:) And I can tell you, people will use the registry for wedding shower gifts, people will get more than one, and people you don’t even know ( but your parents do) will send you a gift. So have more than one per guest, to be nice to the procrastinators so they don’t call other people you know at 1 am asking for advice about what to get you, because your registry is all bought.
Holy crap you totally need a slow cooker, nothing ever turns out less than perfectly amazingly cooked and you will have to spend like ten minutes stuffing thing in the pot. Plus, when you get home in the evening, your kitchen smells amazing and dinner is hot and ready.
I could not live without mine!
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Mrs. D'orsay, Baltimore/Lancaster UK
Age and Occupation: 24, Stay at home fiance (formerly in nonprofit communications)
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Web site developer and designer; co-owner of men's skincare shop
Engagement Date: August 10, 2008
Wedding Date: August, 2009
Venue: Oakland Manor
About Me: I'm a Maryland raised environmental policy wonk/activist/organizer and communications aficionado. In the past year I've lived in Baltimore, MD, Tucson, AZ, Miami, FL and Lancaster, England. In my not so spare time I enjoy planning trips with Mr. D' Orsay, visiting friends and family and crafting like a mo-fo. I also enjoy modern dance classes, rugby and soccer but have been banned by my mother, MOHs, and Mr. D' Orsay from playing till after the wedding. I have an unnatural addiction to cheese and shoes, but love Mr. D' Orsay more than either and can't wait to become Mrs. D' Orsay!
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