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

@ITMA2000 - portion your butter and freeze it. Same with bread - my dad pulls out 3 slices a time.

Unless you're a competitive under eater, it's all fine.

Had a quick glance at Amazon and there are lots of 800ml and 1 litre casserole dishes.

@ITMA2000

only 2 of us and normal packets are fine, butter lasts months and bread freezes, things like fresh herbs can be chopped and frozen. Otherwise I plan a bit so ingredients are used up, eg half a pack chicken one day, other half the following and so on. Some supermarkets have small portions but they are more expensive

You're looking for problems.

I make risotto for myself in my smallest saucepan, a 16cm Le Creuset. I make risotto for 6 people in the largest one. Both work perfectly.

Im single and live alone.
I have never had a problem with cooking.
I try not to cook because i hate cooking.

14cm is pretty much the smallest you can get which is tiny to balance on a hob, that’s 1.2 litre. Just don’t fill it. I mostly use the same huge multiple purpose stockpot I used for a family plus guests just for the two of us, it’s just quite empty

Butter lasts for ages, how little are you using?

Never had an issue with this. Got a tiny saucepan that does one portion of veg and a small frying pan.

They are probably less common than the big ones, but you can still find them.

How small are you talking about?

Things like sauces and even butter last for ages and for sauces, if you're talking about mustard, ketchup etc, the use by date can be safely ignored. I'm currently working my way through a pot of Thai curry paste that is 4 years out of date, it's fine. I've got some fish sauce that has been opened years. It stinks, but it did on the day it was opened.

Butter and bread can be frozen. Loads of things can be frozen. A lot of the time I'm just catering for me because DP works away a lot and I throw away hardly anything.

Sounds like you and the OP are determined to make things difficult for yourselves by ignoring perfectly normal accommodations if something isn't available in the exact quantity for one meal. Even if I only wanted one or two of something I probably wouldn't buy it like that because the cost per item is vastly more than packs of 4, 6 etc and it's easy enough to freeze it (in my perfectly normal fridge freezer, which seems to be unattainably aspirational on MN, while at the same time I don't know anyone who doesn't have one, despite my family/friends etc being far less affluent than the typical MN demographic).

I'm veggie whilst DH eats meat so we have those small Le Creuset casseroles and I find they're ideal for single servings. Normally they're around 1/3 full. I like starting things on the stove then putting into the oven to finish so these are perfect. My older pot is nearly 30 years old.... safe to say it looks well loved and well used

I have a tiny pot that I use for boiling a small number of eggs, usually, so I don't need as much water.

Pots and cookware exist in all sizes. I think I got all mine in Ikea.

Casseroles meals are the type of meal you are meant to make more servings of. This is due to casseroles often tasting better after the sugars break down during the refrigeration process - but also because it takes so long to cook in ambulance oven.

When I was single I ate steak and vegetables or got take out as take out was often cheaper than buying all of the ingredients to only use a portion of each.

Not sure if its helpful, but this little electric pot can be used for making stews (so assuming casseroles would be ok to):
Drew & Cole Drew&Cole CleverPot - Black | Very

We can freeze it. My point is, you can't buy just little bits of stuff.

You’re throwing away bread rather than automatically putting what you can’t eat immediately into the freezer?

Heavens!

I know bread isn’t the must expensive thing, but as someone living alone most of the time it seems strange to me that people aren’t on top of maintaining a larder that works for them. I cook from scratch every day, have veg box deliveries and Ocado deliveries and eat well - with almost zero waste, ever.

What exactly are you trying to cook? I think the thing is that people tend to use these for joints or a whole chicken. You can’t get a teeny one person joint or chicken. It’s not really economical to make a stew that takes 4 hours of slow cooking or a cassoulet in one portion sizes. Because of the energy and cooking time required. Most everything else can be cooked in a baking dish and those come in all sizes.

When I packed DD off to Uni I bought her stackable saucepans with lids and removable handles. She has cheap Tower ceramic ones and seems to be able to make cakes in them (smallest is 16cm).

Would that work?

This. I often cook just for me (DP works away a lot) and there's no way on earth I'd go to the effort of making a single portion of risotto or biryani, so I make 2 or 3 portions and have it over the next day or two.

Warms up absolutely fine, often better, I can't see how it's 'not fresh'. Or your second portion of risotto can be fried up into patties with beaten egg (and cheese) - similar to arancini but way easier.

Not entirely relevant, but I get upset that there aren't small portions of everything- there are only two of us, and so much stuff goes to waste: sauces, bread, butter- we only use a bit when we want it, then it is out of date/mouldy.
We have taken to use mayonnaise instead of butter and spreads. Does anyone know where we can buy small bits of food?

One of the few things I kept from my dad’s kitchen was his smallest cast iron casserole. It’s perfect for 1-2 portions.
i think it’s from Sainsbury’s. It’s like the old Pyrex in design with the lid being like a small quiche tray and no handle so it can be used for a couple of roast potatoes too.

Not suitable for a hob at these are great for single portion desserts or pasta bake, lasagna or similar in the oven. We got one for our daughter to take with her to university and the other one is used by me if I am on my own when my husband is working away.

For things like currys, I definitely do cook two portions and then just one goes into the freezer.

www.amazon.co.uk/Stoneware-Souper-Cubes-individual-portion/dp/B09RQ7JHQN/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis?th=1

Well I've got a small frying pan and small saucepan. And a fairly small baking tray. Those are what I would use if I was just cooking one meal for me.

But I do tend to think if I'm making stew or sauce or something it's the same amount of effort to make a bigger portion so I'll just save some for the next couple of days.

Also Air fryers are ideal for single people aren't they?

When I lived alone I didn’t struggle- I had a small air fryer from Lakeland and a one person slow cooker, can’t remember where that was from though. Probably not very helpful!

So cook and eat the amount you want to? I don't see the problem here, and I am a single person.

I got some great options for single dishes and pies etc from TK Maxx