> In addition to a Thermapen, I want to purchase...

Here, I saved you $80. That's the price of a mill on sale, so now you can get both.

>making himself sick with anxiety over whether some I prepared were fully cooked (spoiler alert: they were).

I was the one who was always anxious about whether meat was fully cooked... I finally bought an instant-read meat thermometer (I previously had one of those older ones with a probe and a long cord. I never really used it because it took too long to get a reading and was awkward to use) . Now I know the precise cooking temperature. I have a note on my fridge with safe cooking temperatures for each type of meat. Nobody has gotten sick and I'm no longer stressed out about some pink in the middle of my beef or pork.

​

Edited to add: This is the thermometer that I have- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HV5AL9G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ... $6 is a cheap price for peace of mind.

I'll go ahead and point out that for less than the price of a bag of beans you can buy a decent digital thermometer.

The one I use is $7

Unfortunately, no. If you’re completely new to developing and haven’t yet done black and white, there’s a bit of an initial expense. I’m going to just list off everything I use for developing. It’s actually pretty compact, I’ve thrown it all in my car on impulse and developed C41 at friends’ houses a few times. I store it all in a small cooler which I also fill with water while developing. Since the developer needs to be 102°F with moderated precision for the duration of the developing time, it helps to have a larger body of water that won’t lose temperature as quickly. So first step for me is to fill this cooler slightly upwards of 102° to put the tank in while I’m not agitating. If you’ve got a cooler, great; if not:

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• Cooler - $27.50 on Amazon
  
  
• Changing bag - $13.95 on Adorama
  
  
• Accordion bottle (x2) for developer and blix - $14.99 on Amazon
  
  
• Regular bottle is alright for stabilizer - $3.95 on Adorama
  
  
• Tank and reels - $31.77 on Amazon
  
  
• Funnel(s) to put chemicals back - $2.20 on Amazon — it helps to have a few to avoid the developer and blix coming into contact with each other
  
  
• Thermometer (ideally waterproof, digital is nice) $4.99 on Amazon
  
  ---
  
  I think that’s about it! You can definitely go cheaper if you look around. The one thing I wouldn’t cheap out on though is the tank/reels. I started with a really cheap stainless steel setup. My reels came pretty bent up and took ages to load, like half an hour at times. I’d often have film stick to itself. I tried C41 with it one time and got blix everywhere, plus it was leaking in the cooler underwater. Everyone says Patterson is the way to go, and I haven’t tried much else but it’s served me well.

I am not sure of what you already have or what you would need, I am listing a few things on top of my head:

• Crock pot
  
• Cast iron skillet
  
• Dutch oven
  
• Victorinox chef knife
  
• Microplane zester
  
• Bread maker machine
  
• Mandoline
  
• Mortar and pestle
  
• Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza
  
• Tartine bread
  
• Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
  
• Espresso maker
  
• Cookie Sheet and cooling racks
  
• Meat Thermometer

I'm dealing with lipase for the second time now. Scalding adds a step to your pumping routine but it really does work. Get an instant read thermometer to make your life easier. You can scald on the stovetop or, even better, using a bottle warmer. With a bottle warmer you're at no risk of forgetting about it and accidentally boiling it (I speak from experience), you can just set it and forget it once you figure out how much water to use. Also, the bottle warmer is good for scalding on the go if you have to do it at work/school.

And if you're not sure and don't want to drop $70+ on a nice one, there are cheaper options like this out there.

I've had this little one for almost two years now, and it gets the job done. It doesn't have any special features, you can't keep it in the meat while it is in the oven or grill, it doesn't read the temperature instantly, but it gets the job done and my steaks come out how I want them.

Sorry for the delayed response, busy week. It is funny you mention filtering your water. When I first got my fish I was buying gallons of distilled water from the grocery store and I live in Washington which has some of the best tap water in the world.

Ok so here we go:

• It sounds like you have excellent tap water. Use it with some Prime and you will be all set. No need to get different water.
  
  
• Absolutely get a non-tank thermometer. This is essential. I literally keep a 6$ standard meat thermometer sitting on my sink windowsill just for this very reason. You do not need anything fancy. Mine is like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Anpro-DT-10-Instant-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B01HV5AL9G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1487866346&sr=8-3&keywords=meat+thermometer ($8). This is essential in my opinion as temperature fluctuations are extremely stressful. Try to get it within 2 degrees and error on the side of warmer as the water will cool naturally as you transport it.
  
  When you ready to spend a bit more $$$ I highly suggest a Python water changer (https://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Python-Aquarium-Maintenance/dp/B000255NXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487866713&sr=8-1&keywords=python+water+changer). It connects to a sink faucet and uses your water pressure to syphon the tank super easily and makes it so you can refill straight from your sink tap (no carrying water anywhere). A note: when applying seachem prime to your new water when using a changer, you can just dump the dose of prime right into your tank and fill it with the tap water as Prime acts almost instantly. For good measure I generally turn my filter off for a few minutes just to avoid chlorine potentially getting in the filter somehow.
  
  
• Catfish...are a bit tricky. You need to very careful about which kind you get. Please heed my advice as I just returned one to the fish store to be adopted out because it almost trippled in size in 2 months.
  
• Do not, under any circumstances, get any type of Plecostomus. here are some pictures: (https://www.google.com/search?q=plecostomus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXq6L_0KbSAhVG4mMKHaq1A2IQ_AUICCgB&biw=1566&bih=909) Even the smaller types of Plecos should be kept in much much larger tanks. Not only will a small tank dwarf their growth which is very bad for fish, but they are extremely fast and violent with their movements. They will literally scare the crap out of your Betta sometimes. Not to mention, they are some of the crazyiest waste producers in fresh water aquariums. Since you mention "bottom feeders" Im assuming you arent really trying to replace whatever is on the bottom of your tank with more fish poo :). As I mentioned I just took one back to the pet store to be adopted out because he was so powerful and had no business in a small tank.
  
  
• DO consider getting either Corydoras Julii (http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/corydoras-julii/) or Otocinclius (http://www.aquariumcarebasics.com/freshwater-aquarium-fish/otocinclus-catfish/). I have both and they are super cute. They are also some of the best algae eaters in the game. If you are going to get some, make sure you have algae "tabs" (the food) to supplement because your tank may not have enough algae in it for them to live off of and they need more food anyway.
  
  (NOTE ON CATFISH: They are naturally schoaling fish. This means they like to be kept in groups and if they are not they will not really know how to act properly and won't be "happy". Both the Corydoras Julii and the Otocinclus will stay very small throughout their life. I would say 3 bare minimum with 4 or 5 being better if you have the space.)
  
  
• If you want "Bottom Feeders" as in workers that will "clean up" the tank I HIGHLY suggest Amano Shrimp or Nerite Snails. The snails can be a bit messy with their waste and if you get a female they like to lay tiny white eggs on stuff, but they are some of the most efficient tank cleaners in the game. Amano Shrimp are amazing and are really fun to watch. I once had a neon die and only knew because they shrimp were all bunched up in a corner going ham on its carcass -,-. Nerite snails are dirt cheap if you can find them and my local fish store sell Amano Shrimp for about $4 a pop. 3 - 5 shrimp or 3 snails would be great in a 10 gallon and they don't bother the Betta at all.
  
  
• As far as how many fish you can keep in the tank (Called Bioload), This is really more dependent on how strong your filter is and how often you want to have to clean the tank. Without live plants in the tank (this is a whole other beast) More fish = more ammonia and if the Bacteria can't handle the ammonia load they will not be able to convert everything to Nitrates. For the record, live plants create an incredible buffer for mistakes in your system. They naturally process some ammonia and they love nitrogen (nitrates). I would highly recommend looking into some easy-to-care-for low maintenance live plants when you are settled in. In my little 5g with a Tetra Whisper 10 (Pretty weak filter) at one point I had 7 tetras, 2 snails, a betta, and a plocstomus. It was very crowded, but keeping up with water changes and whatnot everyone seemed ok. Tetras are generally happier in larger schools, like 10 minimum with it being suggested to keep an odd number (I don't know why). For the time being, since you are trying to get the tank cycled and get the fish happy, don't add anymore.
  
  Finally in regards to bioload, wait to add any more fish period until you can tell that the tank has been cycled. This will simply make it easier to keep a more controlled environment and keep the stress levels down.
  
  
• Hopefully this statement will help relieve a lot of stress on your jouney: Fish, like people, have many different temperaments and one betta can spend its entire life acting completely different than the betta in a tank next to it. Some fish are just down-right lazy, and some like to eat their tails :).
  
  Further, since you are cycling the tank right now, that inevitably creates stress for your fish. Even the slightest ammonia or nitrite spike is not fun for them. Until your tank is fully cycled, he is going to be grumpy and may spend a lot of time acting differently than you did when you first got him. Once the tank is cycled then I would be more aware of monitoring his behavior.
  
  My older betta spends the ENTIRE DAY either sleeping on his plant leaves, hiding behind his filter, sitting on the thermometer or sitting in a pineapple. He is such a lazy jerk. This is also the fish that lived through like 6 months of pure neglect as I had no idea what I was doing when I got him. He was sitting in unchanged water for months at a time :( and is the whole reason I undertook trying to get better at this.
  
  
• As far as baffling your filter, is the flow adjustable? I'd love to see a GIF or a picture of how strong the current is. You have to maintain a delicate balance between too much current and maintaining enough surface agitation that there is sufficient gas exchange (how your fish get oxygen). My favorite way to slow down filter flow is to get some Polyfill (the stuff you put in pillows, sold at craft stores for DIRT cheap) and just stuff some down into the filter. Polyfill is also an awesome filter media as it has a lot of potential for bacteria to latch onto it.
  
  TL:DR - Yes, just let him rest :). Keep up on the water changes, and buy a thermometer as soon as possible. When the tank is stable, get 5 more tetras and 3-4 Corydora Julii or Otocinclius Catfish and a couple shrimp :).

Basically gonna echo most of the answers already posted, but just to pile on:

• 8" chef's knife. 10" is longer than may be comfortable and 12" is longer than necessary, but 7" may start to feel a little short if she's ever slicing large melon or squash. I'm a casual knife nerd and I have knives by Wusthof, Victorinox, Shun and Mac. My favorite.
  
  
• This Dutch oven. Enameled and cast iron just like the Le Creuset that a few other comments have mentioned, but much, much cheaper. I own two and they're both great. I also have the non-enameled version for baking bread, but I don't recommend it for general use unless you're a Boy Scout. Here's an entertaingly-written blog post comparing the Lodge vs. Le Creuset in a short rib cookoff.
  
  
• This cutting board and this cutting board conditioner. The importance of an easy and pleasant to use prep surface can't be overstated. I'm listing this third on purpose; this is one of the most important things your kitchen can have. A recipe that calls for a lot of chopping is no fun when you're fighting for counter space to do the chopping, or doing it on a shitty plastic board.
  
  
• A cheap scale and a cheap thermometer. Seriously, these are as important as the cutting board.
  
  
• Just gonna crib this one right off /u/Pobe420 and say cheapo 8–10" (I recommend 10–12" but that's my preference) nonstick skillet. One note I'd add is that pans with oven-safe handles are a bit more dual-purpose than pans with plastic or rubberized handles. You can't finish a pork chop in the oven in a skillet with a rubberized handle. But one could say you shouldn't be cooking a pork chop on a nonstick pan to begin with. The important thing is to keep this one cheap: you're going to be replacing it every couple of years, there's no getting around that. For my money $30 or less, and $30 is pretty expensive for these things.
  
  
  

• Cookbooks
  

  Nothing inspires cooking like a good cookbook collection. The great news about cookbooks is that they're often bought as gifts or souvenirs and they make their way onto the used market cheap and in great condition. Here are my suggestions for a great starter shelf:
  
  

1. The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt. I kind of hate that this is my number one recommendation, but I don't know your wife and I do know J. Kenji López-Alt. This one is brand new so you're unlikely to find it used and cheap, but as a catch-all recommendation it has to take first place. Moving on to the cheap stuff:
   
   
2. Regional French Cooking by Paul Bocuse. This is possibly the friendliest authoritative book on French food out there, and a hell of a lot easier to just dive into than Julia Child (Julia is the expert, and her book is an encyclopedia). Bocuse is the undisputed king of nouvelle cuisine and people like Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain (so maybe a generation ahead of you and I) came from him. Paul Bocuse is French food as we know it, and yet this book—an approachable, coffee-table sized thing—still has a recipe for fucking mac and cheese. It's outstanding.
   
   
3. Theory & Practice / The New James Beard by James Beard. These will completely cover your entire library of American cooking. Nothing else needed until you get region-specific. When you do, go for something like this.
   
   
4. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. When she died, the NYT ran a second obituary that was just her recipe for bolognese.
   
   
5. Christ, top five. Who gets 5th? I'm going with From Curries To Kebabs by Madhur Jaffrey. Don't get bamboozled into buying "Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible" which is the same book, repackaged and priced higher. You want the one with the hot pink dust jacket, it's unmistakeable. This is one of those end-all books that you could cook out of for the rest of your life. It covers almost every diet and almost every country that Beard and Bocuse don't.
   
   
6. Honorable mentions: Here come the downvotes. Pok Pok by Andy Ricker. If you're American and you want to cook Thai, this is the one. Ten Speed Press can go home now. The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Rosen (so close to making the list). I shouldn't need to say much about this; it's the book of diasporic Jewish food, which means it covers a lot of time and almost every possible country. It's a no-brainer. Thai Food by David Thompson (a perfect oral history of Thai food for English speakers, only it doesn't include Pok Pok's precise measurements, which in practice I've found important). Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish. Not for someone who just wants to become a baker, this book is for someone who wants to make Ken Forkish's bread. And for a casual bread baker I can't imagine a better introduction. Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham. Andrea Nguyen is out there and Andrea Nguyen is awesome, but I really like Mai Pham's book. It's accessible, reliable and regional. You don't get the dissertation-level breakdown on the origins of chicken pho that you get from Andrea, but the recipe's there, among many others, and it's fucking outstanding. Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. This vegan cookbook is dope as hell and will really expand your imagination when it comes to vegetables. This could actually have been number five.

this one :) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HV5AL9G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qahBybCN1653N