If it’s your first time stocking your kitchen or shopping for a new apartment, it can be overwhelming to realize how much there is to buy. When I started cooking in college, I wished there was a resource that just told me what I need to buy. Just the essentials, and nothing more. I always try to keep my supplies minimal– it saves money, saves space, and most of the time, I simply don’t want to be washing a lot of supplies when I’m done cooking.
Getting yourself set up can be a bit of an investment if you’re buying all your basics at once, but there are many ways to save money on these items. TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and even Nordstrom Rack have great kitchen supplies at a discounted price. It’s also important to keep in mind what might be worth spending more money on, and what you can buy the inexpensive version of. For example, sharp knives are a really worthwhile investment to me (also which come at a huge range of prices), while mixing bowls and utensils can be inexpensive.
I’ve included hyperlinks to products that I recommend. This list can also just serve as a jumping off point, especially if you’ve already had your own kitchen for awhile. No matter if you are just starting to cook, or have been for years, having the right supplies for you makes the job so much easier. I hope this helpful!
- Small pot. ($16, good for heating up leftovers, making a few servings of soup, stew, or rice, or making pasta. great to have a small pot if you’re usually just cooking for yourself)
2. Small nonstick frying pan. ($30, perfect for making eggs, heating things up, good for making 1-2 servings, easy to clean)
3. Deep, nonstick skillet with lid. ($30, for making large portions like stir-fry, pasta dishes, or shakshuka, good for stirring things around without it spilling over the edge)
4. Large stock pot. ($40, for soups, stew, chilli, boiling water for pasta or potatoes, good for one-pot dishes with volume)
5. Knives. (knives are available at a huuuuge price range, and I have pretty limited knowledge about the world of knives. I recommend starting with a solid basic knife like a chef’s knife/all purpose knife. you can also buy knives in sets or in a knife block, but if you’re not ready to invest in a set, I would just get one sharp one and try to keep it sharp. the knife I use and like I just learned is called a Santoku knife, so I’ll link that one here, and a standard chef’s knife here)
6. Nesting mixing bowls. ($10, I use these all the time for preparing recipes and putting things aside, using a bowl for food scraps, and of course, mixing)
7. Cutting board. ($10, the bigger the cutting board the better, having a good workspace makes cooking much easier)
8. Wooden spoon. ($4, perfect all-purpose cooking spoon)
9. Can opener. ($13, easy to forget about this one, I use a lot of canned products)
10. Tongs. ($1.50, perfect for flipping roasted vegetables, moving things around in a pan)
11. Food storage set. ($40, buying in a set is most convenient, having good food storage makes life easier, the glass is good because it’s very food-safe and helps you see what’s in your fridge)
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