It's graduation season! I still feel like I just graduated from college yesterday, despite the fact I could have done it all again in the time since I've been out! I thought it might be fun (and hopefully helpful!) to do a quick post with my recommendations for a starter kitchen — or what you might need as you potentially furnish your first kitchen as an adult (this goes from getting the right kitchen equipment to getting something like these trendy dining tables sets). I lucked out when I graduated from college: my mom and grandmother moved in together around that time, meaning they had two of EVERYTHING (and ten of some things). I got a lot of hand-me-downs at the perfect time in my life! Not everyone will fall into such luck — and I know setting up a kitchen can be expensive. If you're struggling with money it might be a good idea to switch energy provider. My friend saved a bunch through energy comparison. Anyway here's a list of my top ten essentials when just starting out (in no particular order — I think you need all of these!).
Some of these are relatively inexpensive, and some are investments. If it's an investment, it's something I genuinely love and think is essential in your kitchen! I've tried to keep many of them "affordable" even though, if you can spare the money, I'm a firm believer in spending a bit more for higher quality and having your items last longer! {Full disclosure: these links are affiliate links, but I 100% support and love these products and wouldn't recommend them otherwise!}
- Silicon Spatula
You really can't go wrong with a silicon spatula! I could dive deep into differing types, but for now I'll stick with a pretty Le Creuset Spatula that I love to use at home! I use this for sauces, pastas, spreading things, and (in a pinch) flipping things! - Wooden Spoon
A wooden spoon is absolutely essential for making soups and scraping flavor off the sides of pots! I didn't realize this until I started making so many soups, and then quickly deemed my wooden spoon my favorite kitchen utensil! - Cast iron frying pan
A cast iron frying pan will last you a lifetime — so if you can, buy a really good one. Treat it well! I use mine to make pancakes, sauces, fry fish, cook chicken, and pretty much everything else you can do in a frying or sauce pan! - Cuisinart Food Processor
OK, this is the one real splurge on this list, but I SWEAR IT IS THE BEST THING EVER! And it's actually only $99 right now! I use my food processor more than any appliance in the kitchen! You can use it as a blender or a mixer, grate cheese and veggies in a flash, chop veggies instantly, and do so much more! LIKE MAKE NUT BUTTERS! I actually make my pie dough in a food processor, and it takes about 45 seconds. It's ridiculously easy. If you ever have to grate a ton of cheese, the shredding attachment is your best friend (and time-saver). - Box grater
Not only is this essential if you eat a lot of cheese (like I do!), but also for grating ingredients like ginger (for everything!), carrots (carrot cake!), zucchini (zucchini fritters!), etc. I have this exact grater and absolutely love it. It's worth the few extra dollars for a sturdy one! - Good quality knife
You need to have at least one good knife, preferably a big one and a small one. Most people would recommend a chef's knife for the big knife — I'm personally more of a Santoku fan. I just find it easier to cut with — choose what you like! This is another area you can spend more to invest in a quality knife, but either way: make sure you keep it sharp! - Good quality saucepan with fitted lid
This is my favorite pot in my entire kitchen. I use it to bake bread, cook pasta, small batches of soup, sauces, caramel — it's by far the most-used pot I own. This one also comes with a lifetime warranty and a tight-fitting lid (essential for bread baking!). - Cutting board
This is a given, but can be easily overlooked! I love my wooden cutting boards, but if I had to only have ONE cutting board I'd choose plastic for sanitizing reasons. Plastic is much easier to clean and sanitize (for example, after you cut chicken and before you cut veggies), and doesn't require any upkeep. - 8x8 pyrex baking dish
This is a multi purpose dish for baking brownies, cakes, casseroles, roasting small batches of veggies or nuts, etc. With a lid, it's so easy to cover and pop in the fridge for leftovers! - Large baking sheet
This isn't just for bakers! I use my baking sheets to keep things warm in the oven (like pancakes or fish) while I finish the rest of the batch, I roast vegetables, toast nuts (for nut butters!), let bread rise, etc. It's easy to get cheap baking sheets, but they're cheap for a reason: you'll have cookies with burnt bottoms and they'll become misshapen very quickly. Get a good one {make sure it will fit in your oven, too!}!
Honorable mentions: mixing bowls, stand mixer, immersion blender, whisk, locking tongs.
Alright! Once you have everything on this list — LET ME KNOW! I spent so much time trimming this list down, I could make you ten more! Happy cooking!
Heather Hicks says
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