What do you actually need in a kitchen?
You are surrounded by RELENTLESS marketing telling you that you NEED this kitchen gadget or “this kitchen gadget will change your life”. Ignore them.
Also you do not need 4 duplicates of the same thing. You just don’t.
This list is coming from someone who cooks 95% of my meals in my own kitchen (with the capability to cook 100% but I do eat out at restaurants or enjoy meals at friend's houses occasionally).
Preparing food
Knives - My advice: steer clear of knife sets. I recommend investing in a few good knives rather than buy a mediocre knife set containing knives I don’t even use. I own 6 knives. All of the knives are the Victorinox Brand with which I’ve had great experiences.
1 good chef knife - I’ve had this one for over a decade and I love it!
4 great paring knives - not expensive but GREAT! I also like to have a serrated one.
Cutting boards - I have 4 and that seems like a good amount to get me through prepping several meals a day. I have the cheap plastic ones like these. Nothing fancy.
Peeler - i’ve tried many peelers and this is the best and only one you need.
Strainers - I have these and they are well designed and the sizes are helpful.
Measuring cups/spoons - I prefer stainless steel for longevity. My prefernce is that they stack well.I’ve had the same set for nearly 13 years and they still look practically new. I have 2 sets of spoons and 2 sets of cups.
Digital kitchen scale - I use mine a lot for baking and cooking and I use fewer measuring cups/spoons throughout the day.
Blender (immersion + mini food processor) - this is the only blender we’ve had for the past 7 years and we really like it. I would say we use it daily and I use the mini food processor a lot to chop onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers and other hard vegetables.
Glass bowls with lids (set) - I’ve had these for 15 years and they are still going strong. Great for prep, storage and serving!
Can opener
Ice cream scoop - this is the best. Only drawback is that it is handwash only but still worth it to me.
Cookware - I prefer stainless steel clad because they last a long time and can be safely washed in the dishwasher. Most of the pieces I own are from the brand Made In and one is an All-Clad. Any high-quality stainless steel pans will do. Whatever you do, try to steer clear of cookware sets. You almost always end up with items you don’t need or want. To me it’s not worth the “savings”.
Saucepan - 2qt and 4qt - if I had to pick one I would pick the 4qt (I personally have a 2qt saucepan and a 3qt saucier and enjoy it but wished I had the 4qt in lieu of the saucier)
Skillet - 1-2 - 10 inch and 12 inch - if I had to pick one I would pick the 12 inch
Stock pot - I have an 8qt.
Cooking utensils - I’m not incredibly particular. A few wood spoons for stirring. A ladle. I really LOVE this spatula for eggs, crepes and fish (and actually everything!).
Toaster - we are still using my husband’s from college and it’s going on almost 20 years
Microwave - we found our countertop microwave second hand for $40 and love it. I once read that all microwaves parts are virtually identical and so performance is nearly identical? That tracks based on my experience. As long as it’s not a tiny, low power model it seems to do the job.
Instant pot - I actually have 2. I had one that I used and loved for many years and then I won one…..through a monthly contest at my dentist office :) I actually use them simultaneously quite a bit!
Coffee maker - I don’t personally drink coffee but for my friends and family who do, this is an essential part of their kitchen.
Sheet pan (2) - something like this is great!
Storing food - I prefer glass so you can see what is in the container. I also feel like glass washes more thoroughly and doesn’t give off the plastic/silicone taste in your food.
Storage Containers - For leftovers or taking food on the go. I have the plastic version of these but wish I had the glass. If I buy them again in my life I would opt for glass.
Jars for storage - I reuse glass food jars (like from salsa or pepperoncini) and use them to store homemade dressings or sauces (or a multitude of other things)
Dinnerware/Serveware/Flatware - what are you going to eat your meals on/with? I really love Corelle!! No chipping. Hard to break. So compact for storage and cleaning. So light!
Plates/Bowls - We have and love this service for 12. We use each type of piece in our daily lives. This set also comes with 2 bowls for serving salad or sides which we also use frequently. We also have 12 of these entree bowls to round out our set and LOVE them.
Serveware - beyond a good salad bowl or 2 plus a few bowls for sides (see Pyrex glass bowls for prep mentioned above) I’m not sure what else you need. I do have this platter and use it and like it but my Serveware collection is quite small.
Drinkware - we have 12 of these from ikea.
Flatware - whatever you fancy but I recommend service for at least 12. My kids go through spoons like you wouldn’t believe.
Steak knives - if you feel like you need them.
Hot pad for serving - I really like the one’s like this that you can sometimes buy at trader joes. Alternatively, you could fold up a kitchen towel and it could function very similarly.
Cloth napkins - the napkins we currently use are homemade from scrap material. These aren’t a necessity but they do cut down on paper towel use and are generally a better experience in my opinion when compared with a paper napkin.
Baking - only if you actually bake are these useful
Stand mixer - I have my grandma’s old Bosch that is still going strong. I’m sure it’s at least 30 years old. I would say if you don’t bake a lot, don’t invest in a stand mixer.
Oven mitts - I got some similar to these as a gift many years ago and they do their job well.
Bakeware - like a 9x13, an 8x8 pan, pie plate if you make pie and loaf pans if you make bread
Rolling pin
Muffin tin (1) - if you bake muffins. Any tin will do.
Cleaning up:
Hand Towels - I’ve used a few packs of these for years and they’re great.
Dishrags - I like these and I’ve used them for a very long time. In addition to my laundry detergent I occasionally add a bit of borax to towel wash and wash in hot water. It seems to help keep them fresh and clean. My best advice is to use a new one each day and make sure the towel is dry before putting it in the hamper.
Scrubbies - I bought some very similar to these from a local farm and I love them and they last forever.
