to think cookware for single people just doesn't exist?

@ITMA2000 I genuinely feel sad for you if you didn’t learn how to run a kitchen during your childhood and youth.

The things you’re describing - wanting tiny sachets of pre-made sauce because you’d otherwise use a small bottle once … It’s extraordinary to me. As pp has suggested - did it never occur to you that you might make other meals that are nice with that sauce?

And again with the wastage of bread. If you buy good quality bread it genuinely will still be lovely after being frozen.

This thread is making me feel incredibly old.

Have you tried googling 'small cast iron cocotte' rather than casserrole? A lot of them are the tiny oven to table ones, but some are just big enough to cook in. They're what you'd use for baked eggs or get served a single potion of casserole in and are what I'd search for in French.

Ive just started to use psyllium husk and thought I would buy a small amount of it, because the cupobards are bulging with this bag or that bag of things and I dont really like bags of powdery stuff, ripe for an accident in the cupboard

So there is a refillable place near me, all organicky, brown paper bag, overpriced vegan brownie type place. The psyllium husk in there is £7 per 100g thats £70 per kilo!!!!!

Its obviously much much much cheaper to buy it in a bigger bag but I dont want a bigger bag. I only have a teaspoon a day.

All good stuff here, I'm learning stuff I should have known years ago! It's not the cost, it is the waste that gets me- and not just the food contents, the package or bottle that goes into landfill! It must have been wonderful in the 1940s, 50s and 60s before plastic was invented and became the go-to for every product ever produced.

I have a narrower but taller pot that works for some things (I remove oven shelves to make it fit), which might be an option? So it’s still bigger capacity but more functional for what you want?

I even freeze half bags of fresh spinach, it goes like crackled brittle glass and I just throw it in a stew or something

Me, too. I do make copious use of 1 litre Pyrex casseroles, though. My 16, 18 and 20cm metal pans can go in the oven.

Yes baked beans freeze fine and if nothing else you can just chuck them in a chili.

Frozen bread is fine for toast. Tbh, apart from salad, most things are fine frozen. I'm not keen on potatoes or mushrooms after they've been frozen but that could just be me.

Ketchup keeps for years. We're a brown sauce household but sometimes have Ketchup on the go if we've run out of stolen sachets but even if a bottle takes forever to use it doesn't go off.

Check out Pyrex. I've got quite a few one portion dishes, different shapes, some with lids.

Another thing I sometimes do when I cook is to freeze a tiny portion, then have it a week later. It’s amazing what random things freeze really well. I just had some gravy that had been cluttering up my freezer for over a year.

Weirdly - apparently baked beans freeze well.

I have a cast iron fondue pot that has been used more as a small stewpot than its original purpose. About 15cm across, induction compatible, I just added a glass lid.
You could look in a charity shop for one.

Not once in my life have I ever cooked, and eaten it all. There is always something left, whether I’ve cooked for 3 or for 1.

The only exception is if I’m doing one huge amount of something eg for a party, then somehow everything gets eaten.

Plus, for things with spices, or stews, or lasagna, that kind of thing, they always seem to taste better the next day. And cold for breakfast is heavenly!

God bless Morrisons, honestly. They sell small packets of quite a lot of things. You can buy quite small waxed flavoured cheeses there. Their meat and cheese counters will sell you tiny portions.

@Womaninhouse17 Sainsburys (and I'm sure not just them) does a net of mixed individual portions of cheeses - Jarlesberg, Mexicana, Brie, Danish Blue and some others that I forget.

Cathedral city does a net of 6 individual portions of cheddar, and bags of "nibbles" (tiny cubes of cheese - meant for children's lunchboxes but I like them for my snacks and portion control!). You can find them in Sainsburys and Morissons, and I'm pretty sure the same or equivalent in Tesco and Asda too. Aldi does their own brand version.

Oh thats another thing I discovered last year that you can freeze pate quite well.

It really isnt. I make my own and its gorgeous, better from frozen for some reason, dont know why.

However we only eat bread sporadically. Theres some in the freezer now but that was from a couple of months ago.

I get not wanting to eat the same thing every day for a week, but do you not decide on your meals based on what you have in that you know needs using up?

For your ketchup example, I'd have that nice bit of cod and chips, then the following week I'd have egg and chips (with the ketchup). Then as others have mentioned, seafood sauce is easy to make from ketchup mixed with mayo, so that saves you from having the seafood sauce jar to need to use up. Then on week 3 I'd probably feel like fish fingers and chips, with the ketchup again. I'd maybe use a little of it mixed with tomato puree to make the tomato sauce for a pizza.

Also, specifically on the subject of ketchup, I bet it would happily freeze in an ice cube tray. I'd probably invest in some ice cube bags because I think ketchup would stain and taint a plastic tray, but decant your bottle of ketchup into an ice cube bag et voila! You have a load of sachets of tomato sauce that you can defrost one or two of at room temperature within 20 minutes, or in the microwave in 10 seconds. I wouldn't think it would work with mayonnaise based sauces though.

Liver sausage definitely freezes okay. And obviously bread does too.

Parting thought - You can buy sachets of sauce in small quantities online. Or pop into a chippy, they sell them. They're not cost effective in the slightest, but..

Mixed pack of 20, £5.99
Lichfields Single Individual Sauce Sachets Portion Essential Condiment Mini Pack | eBay UK

6 of the same flavour, £3.99
Heinz Sauce Sachets - Mix & Match Flavour Packs - Ketchup HP Mayo BBQ Tartare + | eBay UK

An ebay shop that specialises in selling sachets and sticks
Items for sale by sachetandsticks | eBay

An ebay shop where you can buy a single sachet of pretty much any condiment including branston pickle! for 99p posted
wholesale-motion | eBay UK Stores

As I say, they work out a lot more expensive than buying a jar, but if you really would only use it once, you can get your single sachets online :)

Quite. Genuinely - no need to chuck ketchup after 6 months! And the rest - I’ve never bought seafood sauce, always just make it if I want it. You can buy loose tomatoes, freeze meats - plenty of people buy large packs of meat and freeze in smaller portions, whatever the size of their household.

One good small portion that I’ve recently discovered though - Morrisons deli section sells tiny little packs of pate for 75p each. About 7x5 cm little slice in a few variants - I really like them as it’s only me who really eats it and I never get through the bigger packs.

Bread that's been frozen is horrible

Tomato sauce keeps forever, I wouldnt throw that after 6 months

You could 'obtain' sachets if you frequent the right sort of eating establishments....

Seafood sauce is just mayo and tomato sauce, lemon juice, bit of worcestershire and cayenne if you so fancy, and ditto mayo keeping forever. I keep it in the cupboard not even the fridge. sits there quite happily

Bread, freeze it

Garlic sausage, try to freeze it in slices. I freeze ham slices but never tried slightly more processed meats, worth a try.

People here have posted some fabulous ideas, but it does not address:
I buy a reduced cod in batter from a supermarket (£2.50 instead of £6), oven chips and a bit of tomato sauce. I can't buy a sachet of sauce, so I buy a small bottle which is unused for six months and then is thrown. Same with seafood sauce when I fancy prawns, and loaves of bread etc. I like garlic sausage, tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches. But not every day for a week! I hate waste! I just so wish we could buy small quantities of stuff!

Cheaper than some

https://amzn.eu/d/08MYEcrZ

IKEA has an online store that delivers at home or at a nearby collection point (obviously not for furniture!). I regularly buy stuff for local collection, it’s £2 for orders over £15.

And a glass 800ml one

https://amzn.eu/d/084X8h7X

Here’s a 750ml casserole pot.

amzn.eu/d/06gNteMU

Found one that looks perfect.

suitable for induction and oven, have a lid and is a lot cheaper than the Staub one,

https://www.cookwarestore.co.uk/cooking-pot-wmf-mini-low-12-cm

I’ve had this brand before and the stuff was good.

edit to add Amazon link with quicker delivery times. https://www.amazon.co.uk/WMF-Stackable-Cromargan%C2%AE-Stainless-Dishwasher-Safe/dp/B000295WKC/ref=asc_df_B000295Y3C?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80264555646117&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=133303&hvtargid=pla-4583864021248149&msclkid=bf4033cc96e51f5518db5a6ba993d4ea&th=1