Cooking in Tokyo on one burner and a small fridge

Before your first food shop, have a look in the fridge and cupboards. If storage is tight, start with enough for a day or two. Check the pans and appliances as well; it's easier to plan dinner once you know what you've got.

A single burner takes a little planning, especially if you're used to cooking several things at once. You can make it easier by choosing meals that use one pan, or by letting a rice cooker or microwave handle part of dinner if the apartment has one.

Check the kitchen before buying ingredients

Open the cupboards and look for a saucepan, frying pan, chopping board, knife and something to stir with. Check how much room you have to prepare food. A large bag of groceries on the only clear patch of counter gets annoying quite quickly.

Then check the appliances. Does the fridge have a separate freezer, and how much fits inside? Is there a rice cooker? Is the microwave also an oven, or just a microwave? Furnished apartments vary, so check the listing or ask the host if you're planning before arrival.

If the hob uses induction, marked IH, check the pan before buying a meal that depends on it. Panasonic's tabletop IH guide specifies a flat base and, for the appliances it covers, a base diameter of 12–26cm; it warns that some stainless-steel pans may not heat properly. Those limits are model-specific, so use your hob's instructions. A small saucepan that fits neatly in the cupboard can still be unsuitable for the burner. If you need a replacement, take the model number and required base size to the shop.

Look for basics such as oil, salt and washing-up liquid too. Buying small amounts of whatever is missing will save you having to interrupt dinner for another trip out.

Start with a small food shop

Choose two meals with some ingredients in common. Mushrooms and greens could go into noodles one evening and a rice bowl the next. That gives you a useful shopping list without needing a full week's menu.

Look for smaller packs and cut portions of vegetables. Half a cabbage may be enough; you don't need to find a use for a whole one just because it costs less per gram. Leave some fridge space for drinks, opened packets and anything you bring home later.

How often you shop is up to you. If there's a supermarket on your way home, buying fresh ingredients every couple of days can work well. If shopping is a detour, plan around the space you have and keep a few cupboard meals available. There's no need to make it a daily errand.

Meals that work with one burner

These are straightforward starting points:

• Rice with vegetables and tofu. If you have a rice cooker, start the rice first and use the burner for the topping. Microwave rice is another option if there's a microwave.
• Noodles with vegetables. Choose noodles that can be cooked in the same pan as the rest of the meal, following the packet instructions. Check this before buying; some need to be boiled separately.
• Soup with bread. A pot of vegetable soup keeps the cooking to one burner, and the bread needs no extra pan.

A prepared side dish can help, too. If you're cooking the main part of dinner, buying a salad or another side means less chopping and washing up.

Where to shop

Start with the nearest supermarket and check its opening hours. For example, Maruetsu's store finder lets you search by address. A shop you can easily reach after work is useful even if another has a wider selection.

If there's a Gyomu Super nearby, compare the pack sizes before stocking up. Its range includes frozen vegetables, but a large bag is only useful if it fits in your freezer. Buy a small amount first when you're trying something unfamiliar, and check individual stores for availability.

For prepared meals, a department-store food hall is another option. These basement floors are called depachika (デパ地下). Isetan Shinjuku's main building has one on B1, with ready-made food, groceries and fresh ingredients. Check prices as you go; it's easy to turn a quick dinner purchase into several purchases.

If you spot discount stickers while shopping, 値引き (nebiki) means a price reduction and 半額 (hangaku) means half price. On a label, 50円引 means ¥50 off; 50%引 means 50% off. On an item priced at ¥300 before the reduction, those would give ¥250 and ¥150 respectively. Check the symbol as well as the number before deciding whether to buy another pack.