I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.

Amber

"Amber" > wrote in message
news
>I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
> Amber


Amber, I know you will be getting lots of replies. But if you don't get
enough ideas, you can try the library. There are a number of books that
will list the 'least' amount of equipment you will need to furnish your
kitchen.

Depending on whether you bake and it is important to you, and if you are
just a microwave person and eat sandwiches a lot, whether you don't mind
washing dishes. There a list of your own personal life-style preferences
that will help you make your own decisions.

My decisions today would be different than they would have been even a few
years ago.

#1 -- depending on whether you want to sink money in pots and pans -- that's
a full time research job, just chosing what you might want. I've seen many
different people with lots of preferences just on that one topic alone.

Have a good time; it will be fun!

Dee Dee

Amber wrote:
> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
> Amber
>
Sorry to hear about your house fire!

Here are some links you might find helpful:

From Kansas State University Research and Extension website, an article
"Outfit Kitchen Like a Pro"

<http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2005/outfit_kitchen091405.htm>

From a social networking website, gather.com, an article, "Equipping a
New Kitchen - Back to Basics"

<http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976785564>

From the New York Times Dining & Wine section, an article "A No-Frills
Kitchen Still Cooks"

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

Hope these are helpful to you, and good luck

Amber > wrote in
news
> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
> Amber


Did the fire start in the kitchen?? ;-P


But, for the 'new' place, you *definitely* need one of these in the
kitchen..

let me introduce you to 'Max the Magnifica'..........

http://www.delonghi-espresso.com/home.htm

"Amber" > wrote in message
news
>I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
> Amber

I think the first thing I would to is make a list of all the foods that I
love to cook and then make another list to include what I needed to
cook/serve those foods.
If you love stir fry .. buy a nice wok, if you hate it pass ont he wok and
buy loaf pans for the breads that you love to bake.
And remember you don't have to buy top of the line everything ... make smart
choices. If you love coffee more than life itself, you may want a top of
the line machine ... if you never drink it you may want to pick a coffee pot
up at Walmart just so you have one for company.
but mostly ... I'm sorry about your fire ... not a fun thing to live through

Amber > wrote:
> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use.
>
> Can someone suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.


1. Fire extinguisher

"Amber" > wrote in message
news
>I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.

Well, I suppose it would help to know what kind of diet you eat. And what
kinds of foods you cook. For years, I said I would never use a food
processor. Then I finally bought one because everyone I knew had one and
said they used it all the time. The one I bought was a piece of junk. It
was too small to do dough and poorly made. I tried using it twice and both
times I had to take it all apart, I mean down to the screws and springs
inside to get it to work. I took it back.

A couple of years ago, I bought a Big Mouth food processor when I decided to
try a raw vegan diet. It is very helpful to me when I need to slice or chop
a lot of vegetables and for making certain raw recipes. It also works well
for me if I want to make a soup and need some veggies chopped in a hurry.
But other than that it doesn't get much use.

I was given a Magic Bullet. Was told it made a great salsa. It didn't.
Not for me anyway. Just made a soupy mess. What it *is* good for is
grinding flax seeds for making a raw onion bread. Which brings me to my
dehydrator. This is something I really use a lot for making raw foods. But
otherwise wouldn't use much at all.

I also have some sprouters that I use a lot for the raw diet, but otherwise
wouldn't use at all.

A lot of raw foodists use their blenders for smoothies. I hate smoothies
and never use my blender at all. I will make the occasional smoothie for my
daughter with the Magic Bullet.

Daughter bought me an ice cream maker. I hate ice cream. Always have. The
ice cream maker got very little use. The only recipe I found that my
daughter or husband found edible was made from bananas. Found out she is
allergic not only to bananas, but dairy. So no more ice cream for her.

I bought a special, expensive mixer that was purported to be the best for
gluten free bread dough. I rarely use it any more but I rarely bake any
more. Also bought a bread maker. Never use it any more. I do use my
immersion blender from time to time.

I have bought countless lemon zesters. I do like lemon zest on occasion.
The very first one I had worked. But it got lost in one of our many moves.
Since then, none of them have worked. But if I could find one that did, I
would want it. Now I make do with my hand held grater. Or my peeler.

I use vegetable peelers quite a lot. Used to use graters a lot when I ate
cheese. Now that I know I am allergic, I rarely use the grater. I do make
grated vegetables on occasion but find I can do them easily in the food
processor. If I do use a grater now, it is just a small hand held one. No
need for the box grater or the Mouli.

For utensils, I use a variety of cheap plastic large spoons and flippers. I
also have some large slotted spoons and pasta fork thingies. I have some
tongs that I use once in a while. Also use flexible scrapers.

Two things that get a lot of use in my kitchen are my Rachel Ray oval pasta
pot. I can use it not only for making pasta, but also soup, chili, stew
etc. I could do a pot roast in there if I wanted to. I also have a huge,
deep lidded skillet that I use for most of my cooking. My other pans are
the copper bottomed Revereware. They're not made as well as they used to
be, but they still last many years.

I know some people like cast iron. I don't do enough frying to warrant it.
And my big skillet works well for me.

I bought a beverage chiller which sounded like a good idea when I bought it.
It has never been used. Not even once. Other things I have bought or been
given over the years that I found totally useless were the mayonnaise
scraper (to get to the bottom of the jar), holders for slicing onions and
tomatoes, boiled egg timer, nut chopped, plastic graters, Tupperware (any
and all) and an olive grabber. Also had an electric can opener that was
more trouble than it was worth.

I do keep a few Rubbermaid or cheaper plastic containers around. I kept
trying to get rid of them all since I rarely use them but I kept getting
them back again, either as gifts or a prize for something or other. I just
finally decided there is some unknown reason out there in the universe that
I am meant to have these. So if I keep one of each size, new ones will stop
coming to me. It has worked. Mostly I store leftovers or prepped food in a
plastic bag or one of my mixing bowls with plastic wrap over it.

My mixing bowls are glass or pottery. I was given the pottery set. Used to
have metal ones but found I don't need them. They do have their uses
though. I seem to recall whipping something in a metal bowl over another
bowl of ice. I'm sure whatever that was, I am allergic to it so I no longer
make it.

I used to make a lot of chocolates and decorated cakes. I still do the
chocolates now that I know of my daughter's food allergy. Don't use the
bags and tips much any more though and really do very little baking.
Because of our food allergies, it is tough and expensive to come up with a
good finished product, so I generally buy this stuff already made when I do
need it. I do like my Airbake pans for cookies and other baking though.
Occasionally use a bundt pan and Springform pan. Also have a 9 x 13 baking
pan, a smaller biscuit pan, a couple of square and a couple of round pans.
Have a couple of pie pans but really don't use them much. Not for pies
anyway.

I have some casseroles. Some are the original cheapo Pyrex from when I got
my first apartment. They are still fine. Bought a set of Corningware when
a Woolworth's dimestore went out of business near me and marked everything
75% off. They don't get a lot of use, but they are nicer looking to take to
potlucks and the like.

Other things I use from time to time are measuring cups, both dry and wet,
measuring spoons, canning accessories and a canner, 3 sizes of crockpots and
a couple of colanders. I think that's about it.

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
news:NczTi.1981$f63.835@trndny03...
>
> Other things I use from time to time are measuring cups, both dry and wet,
> measuring spoons, canning accessories and a canner, 3 sizes of crockpots
> and a couple of colanders. I think that's about it.


You can't imagine how much I enjoyed reading your lists of 'not for
refurnishing entire kitchen' items.

I bet if we pooled our resources, we'd have a volume full -- A reverse Alton
Brown equipment book.

Dee Dee

"Dee Dee" wrote in message .
>
> "Amber" > wrote in message
....
>>I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
>> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
>> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
>> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
>> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
>> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
>
> Amber, I know you will be getting lots of replies. But if you don't get
> enough ideas, you can try the library. There are a number of books that
> will list the 'least' amount of equipment you will need to furnish your
> kitchen.

Good idea but not sure that will help all that much? They dont exactly have
books that easily describe such.


> Depending on whether you bake and it is important to you, and if you are
> just a microwave person and eat sandwiches a lot, whether you don't mind
> washing dishes. There a list of your own personal life-style preferences
> that will help you make your own decisions.

Good point DeeDee!

Amber, probably the most important thing just now is to recall what you used
the most then replace that first. If you use a microwave for example every
day, you need another. If you only use it though to heat water, a teapot on
the stove works spiffy or just a coffee pot.

If insurance is paying, have a dishwasher installed as it adds house value.

Amber wrote:
> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
> Amber

You had a kitchen. Didn't you know then what you liked or didn't like?
What you owned and used versus what you owned and never used or what you
didn't own and wished you had.
Color me confused...?

Sqwertz wrote:

> Why not fill your kitchen with the same stuff you used before,
> and don't get the stuff you didn't use?
>
> -sw

lol.. that seemed like a no brainer to me too, Sqwertz.

"Goomba38" > ha scritto nel messaggio
. ..
> Amber wrote:
>> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
>> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
>> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
>> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
>> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
>> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
>> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
>> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
>> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
>> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
>> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
>> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>>
>> Amber
>
> You had a kitchen. Didn't you know then what you liked or didn't like?
> What you owned and used versus what you owned and never used or what you
> didn't own and wished you had.
> Color me confused...?

I first thought that, too, but then realized that if my house burned down I
might have a brain freeze. Or perhaps she never felt she had it right and
would like a clean start. I did an article on kitchen equipment last year
and got all kinds of ideas from comments made.


--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

In article >,
Amber > wrote:

> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
> Amber

You know better than anyone what you need, Amber. Anything we're likely
to suggest really is a reflection of how WE cook, I think, not how YOU
cook.
What did you use when you had it? Replace that.

What didn't you use when you had it? Don't bother replacing that.

I love my Amana refrigerator-freezer with the freezer (drawer) on the
bottom.

I love my Braun Multi-Mix
http://tinyurl.com/yqkyj6

I love my U-shape vegetable peeler bought five years ago at the
Minnesota State Fair
http://tinyurl.com/25yhrl

Sharp knives that are comfortable in YOUR hand are invaluable. Be sure
to also get a steel to keep them tuned up.

I like my $20 Proctor-Silex coffeemaker.

A cast iron skillet is important to some people; I like my cast iron
round griddle for pancakes and bacon.

A $20-25 non-stick skillet (10") is good to have for some things.

I love my All-Clad MasterChef 3-quart saute pan (a 12" pan about 2"
deep).

Corelle plates don't take up much room in a stack but food cools on them
really fast.

I have to have a non-stick dutch oven and found exactly one I needed at
Ranch 99 in San Diego in February for about $20 -- it's 6-quart
capacity).

I love my Pyrex 2-quart measuring pitcher. I use it for MANY things. A
1-cup glass measure is good to have, too.

I have a one-quart saucepan (Revere Ware) and a 4-quart saucepan (Revere
Ware). I'd be lost without the 4-quart pan.

My canning equipment is important to me but might not be to you (see
first couple paragraphs).

Have fun.


--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Notes about our meals in Tuscany have been posted to
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; 10-16-2007

Goomba38 wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
> >
> > Why not fill your kitchen with the same stuff you used before,
> > and don't get the stuff you didn't use?
>
> lol.. that seemed like a no brainer to me too.

Amber. hehe

Amber wrote:
>
> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
> me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
> don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
> know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
> there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
> just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
> I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
> kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
> suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.


You had better check your insurance policy to see what type of coverage you
had. Policies usually offer replacement up to a certain limit. Major
appliances, furniture carpeting and clothing are going to eat up a large
chunk of that, and they may want an itemized list of the lost lost . Then
they may want to go to a supplier who will provide those items to get some
sort of deal, one that will usually work out in their favour.

My house was broken into about 15 years ago and the burglars took most of
my CD collection. I had to provide a list of the CDs lost, which was then
sent to a dealer who replaced them all, sometimes substituting titles that
were in their inventory rather than what I had lost. They also stole an
electric guitar that I had been trying to sell. I had already bought a new
guitar and had been planning on selling the proceeds of the sale toward the
new one. They would only pay for the replacement cost of the stolen one
minus depreciation. I had to go to the music store and get a price. I
explained the situation and pointed out that I had bought 4 guitars there
in the previous 6 years and that the last one, a Martin, was quite
expensive. They came up with a price that was almost 4 times what I had
been hoping to get for the old one, and after depreciation it still paid a
good chunk of the cost of the Martin.


My suggestion is to use the insurance money to get yourself a good set of
pots and pans, mixing bowls, kitchen knives, dinnerware, flatware, glasses
table and chairs, a good hand mixer and food processor, measuring cups and
spoons, some baking sheets and pans. The coverage should manage all that.
Then you can start replacing smaller items as the need arises.

The limit is going to be the problem. Consider the cost of your major
appliance... fridge, stove, dishwasher.... close to $3,000 right there.

Dave Smith wrote:
> Amber wrote:
>>
>> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
>> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
>> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
>> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything.
(snippage)
>
> You had better check your insurance policy to see what type of
> coverage you had. Policies usually offer replacement up to a certain
> limit. Major appliances, furniture carpeting and clothing are going
> to eat up a large chunk of that, and they may want an itemized list
> of the lost lost.

You make an excellent point, Dave. Homeowners insurance isn't going to let
you install a $50,000 kitchen (just reaching here, since the OP said no such
thing!) simply because you file a loss claim. There's a cap on these things
the insurance will pay for. The OP needs to discuss the homeowners policy
in detail with her insurance company.

Even my rental insurance made me pay extra for a (family) jewelry rider and
also a rider on the vintage clothing items I've purchased over the years.
None of this stuff could ever be replaced. Just because there was a fire
doesn't mean the claimant can get anything she ever wanted when replacing
her kitchen. Someone suggested a dishwasher. If she didn't already have a
dishwasher the insurance company isn't going to pay for her to get one now.

> My house was broken into about 15 years ago and the burglars took
> most of my CD collection. I had to provide a list of the CDs lost,

My rental insurance carrier suggested photographs including serial numbers.
With CD's that wouldn't necessarily be possible. But for electronics like a
computer, a DVD player, etc., digital photographs are a blessing. It is
simple to upload the images to a free photo-hosting site. In the event your
PC is destroyed in a fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, earthquake or
whatever, the information is still easily accessible to the underwriters.

> which was then sent to a dealer who replaced them all, sometimes
> substituting titles that were in their inventory rather than what I
> had lost. They also stole an electric guitar that I had been trying
> to sell. I had already bought a new guitar and had been planning on
> selling the proceeds of the sale toward the new one. They would only
> pay for the replacement cost of the stolen one minus depreciation. I
> had to go to the music store and get a price. I explained the
> situation and pointed out that I had bought 4 guitars there in the
> previous 6 years and that the last one, a Martin, was quite
> expensive. They came up with a price that was almost 4 times what I
> had been hoping to get for the old one, and after depreciation it
> still paid a good chunk of the cost of the Martin.
>
I'm sorry you lost your guitar. Good that they made good on your claim. My
brother's house was broken into and they stole all his electronics stuff.
Just backed up a truck, broke into the garage and pretended they were
moving. What's funny is, you know how some people throw spare change into a
jar? He tossed his into the bottom drawer of one of his night stands. They
stole the entire drawer. To this day, he's missing a drawer in his night
stand table.
>
> My suggestion is to use the insurance money to get yourself a good
> set of pots and pans, mixing bowls, kitchen knives, dinnerware,
> flatware, glasses table and chairs, a good hand mixer and food
> processor, measuring cups and spoons, some baking sheets and pans.
> The coverage should manage all that. Then you can start replacing
> smaller items as the need arises.
>
> The limit is going to be the problem. Consider the cost of your major
> appliance... fridge, stove, dishwasher.... close to $3,000 right
> there.

No joke. Even low-end appliances aren't exactly cheap. And the kitchen
doesn't address all the other items lost which, according to the OP, will
need to be replaced. Left with nothing but a shell? That means left with
nothing. This is a suspect post, at best.

Jill

Goomba38 wrote:
> Amber wrote:
>> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
>> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
>> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
>> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone
>> give me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't
>> need. I don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever
>> use and I know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well
>> OLD. I know there are new things out there that everyone but me has
>> and uses and I just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I
>> am so excited that I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't
>> want to fill my kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never
>> use. Can someone suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>>
>> Amber
>
> You had a kitchen. Didn't you know then what you liked or didn't like?
> What you owned and used versus what you owned and never used or what
> you didn't own and wished you had.
> Color me confused...?

No kidding! Did she use a food processor? If not, don't get one. A bread
machine? If not, don't get one. Just because some people have what she
thought of as "new" doesn't mean she's going to get it. The insurance
company isn't going to pay the OP to have everything she ever dreamed of.
If it wasn't a discernable loss, it's not covered.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> Goomba38 wrote:
>> Amber wrote:
>>> I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
>>> lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
>>> it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
>>> kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone
>>> give me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't
>>> need. I don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever
>>> use and I know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well
>>> OLD. I know there are new things out there that everyone but me has
>>> and uses and I just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I
>>> am so excited that I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't
>>> want to fill my kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never
>>> use. Can someone suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>>>
>>> Amber
>>
>> You had a kitchen. Didn't you know then what you liked or didn't like?
>> What you owned and used versus what you owned and never used or what
>> you didn't own and wished you had.
>> Color me confused...?
>
> No kidding! Did she use a food processor? If not, don't get one. A
> bread
> machine? If not, don't get one. Just because some people have what she
> thought of as "new" doesn't mean she's going to get it. The insurance
> company isn't going to pay the OP to have everything she ever dreamed of.
> If it wasn't a discernable loss, it's not covered.
>
> Jill
>

Perhaps she had "total replacement" or "total replacement value." There is
a difference. If I had a TRV, then there could be some court action to
decide the value of each piece. I once took a deposition of a woman whose
husband had died and her apartment was demolished by fire. She was trying to
prove the "value" of each piece. It is a sad thing trying to prove a
replacement "value."

I suppose they would give me zilch for a Sub-Zero 20 years old. How are
they going to replace that? There are all sorts of ramifications. I like
"Total Replacement."

It's best to start taking pictures or on a DVD to keep them in your car.
You'll be safe, unless your car was in the garage during the fire.

Dee Dee

jmcquown wrote:
>
> M
> > previous 6 years and that the last one, a Martin, was quite
> > expensive. They came up with a price that was almost 4 times what I
> > had been hoping to get for the old one, and after depreciation it
> > still paid a good chunk of the cost of the Martin.
> >
> I'm sorry you lost your guitar. Good that they made good on your claim. My
> brother's house was broken into and they stole all his electronics stuff.
> Just backed up a truck, broke into the garage and pretended they were
> moving. What's funny is, you know how some people throw spare change into a
> jar? He tossed his into the bottom drawer of one of his night stands. They
> stole the entire drawer. To this day, he's missing a drawer in his night
> stand table.

Don't be sorry. It was a blessing. I had spent $1400 on the new guitar and
was hoping (asking) to get $250 for the old electric one. I went back to
the store and told them the whole story, that I needed an estimate for the
replacement cost of the guitar and case, strap etc., reminding him of the
number of guitars I had bought there over the years and about how the
insurance company was only going to give me replacement value minus
depreciation. Their estimate came to about $950 and with depreciation I
got $800, way more than I would have got it if they had not stolen it.

BTW.... the burglary was done in two stages. The kids came in the afternoon
to case the place and took the guitar and CDs. They came back in the
evening to clean us out. Unfortunately for them. The cops were unto them
and new our place had been targeted. They had it under surveillance. One of
the cruisers keeping an eye on it saw the broken window. They stepped up
the surveillance, had two cops in the house and two at each of the
neighbours houses. The kids came back in the early evening. Three were
caught in the house and outside in the car. The driver made the mistake of
trying to take off when they tried to arrest him. The cops smashed the side
windows and one of them got dragged a bit. That didn't help at sentencing
time. They had to pay restitution for my deductible.





> > The limit is going to be the problem. Consider the cost of your major
> > appliance... fridge, stove, dishwasher.... close to $3,000 right
> > there.
>
> No joke. Even low-end appliances aren't exactly cheap. And the kitchen
> doesn't address all the other items lost which, according to the OP, will
> need to be replaced. Left with nothing but a shell? That means left with
> nothing. This is a suspect post, at best.

Living room and dining room furniture, bedroom furniture, clothing,
television, stereo... it adds up fast. Until a few years ago I only had
replacement value coverage and it was capped at $80,000 for contents. I
had that adjusted way up last year. My dining room set alone is worth more
than $10,000.

If I had to replace clothing it would be at close to $300 for underwear
T-shirts and socks, $6-700 for shirts, $500 for sweaters, $800 or more for
a suit. Replacing my summer jacket, two leather coats and two parkas.....
another $2000.

It may not be bad for a young person who doesn't have much furniture and
what they have isn't that valuable. We have been in this house for 30 years
and over than time, between what we have bought and what we have
inherited, we have acquired some expensive furniture, and a considerable
amount of art work.

So when it comes to the kitchen.... I would be sure to itemize every single
thing I could to make sure that I get credit for everything, but when you
have to deal with the reality of the payment cap, there are a lot of things
that I would not bother replacing in favour of major appliances and
furniture.

jmcquown wrote:
>
>
> No kidding! Did she use a food processor? If not, don't get one. A bread
> machine? If not, don't get one. Just because some people have what she
> thought of as "new" doesn't mean she's going to get it. The insurance
> company isn't going to pay the OP to have everything she ever dreamed of.
> If it wasn't a discernable loss, it's not covered.


Yard sales and garage sales always seem to have things like food processors
and bread machines. Some people buy them or get them as gifts and then
never use them. It is a shame lose out on other things in order to replace
things you don't use much. Even if you did have use for it you could always
pick one up in a yard sale for a small fraction of what they sell for in
stores.... and likely never used.

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:45:58 GMT, Amber > wrote:

>I have a dilemna and wanted your help. I have had a house fire and
>lost everything but the shell of my house. They are going to rebuild
>it but I have lost everything inside. So.. I have to refurnish my
>kitchen, I mean dishes, cookware, utensils everything. Can anyone give
>me any tips or hints or any ideas about what I need or don't need. I
>don't want to go out and buy a lot of stuff I won't ever use and I
>know that a lot of the things in my kitchen were, well OLD. I know
>there are new things out there that everyone but me has and uses and I
>just wondered if any one might help. On one hand I am so excited that
>I get all new stuff but on the other hand I don't want to fill my
>kitchen with a lot of useless stuff I will never use. Can someone
>suggest a starter list of what every kitchen needs.
>
>Amber

Make a list of the 10 things you cook the most. Then make a list of
what you'll need to make them. Including storing leftovers. Seems
pretty simple to me. You can always add on later.

Lou