Kitchen Equipment Checklist

Plain and simple: if you want to eat at home, there are a few non-negotiables. These include:

• Plates
• Bowls
• Forks
• Spoons
• Dish detergent
• Sponge/rag/brush and towel (if no dishwasher)

If you’re going to prepare your own food rather than order it ready-made, start with:

• A knife and cutting board. I use a 5-inch Santoku knife and prefer wooden boards. I also have one plastic board for meat, because it can go in the dishwasher.
• A mixing bowl and mixing spoon. Buy the largest bowl you can manage. Nothing is worse than worrying about whether your salad/pancake batter/cookie dough is going to fly across the room as you mix.
  

You need less equipment to use your stovetop than your oven–plus, most people are already comfortable scrambling an egg or throwing pasta in some water. When shopping, bear in mind…

• You need a way to get your food from the pan to the plate. Food that needs flipping requires a spatula. Non-stick skillets need non-metal spatulas. Saucepans can be tended with wooden spoons but you’ll need something else (a ladle, a pasta strainer, a spider) to serve your dinner.
• You’ll need at least one pan. Start here if you aren’t sure what to buy.
• If you’re planning to make pancakes, you’ll also need to check the list of baking items below.

Start with:

• An oven mitt. No point using your oven if you can’t remove hot food without third-degree burns.
• An ovenproof pan to hold your casserole/veggies/Thanksgiving turkey. The size of this pan should depend upon whether you are cooking for one or more people and on whether you like leftovers. Things cooked in the oven don’t do well in pans that are too big.
• Cookie sheet(s). Useful if you want to make homemade pizza or just toast some bruschetta.
• Whatever you’re going to use to flip or rotate food while it is still hot. Spatula? Tongs? Fork?

If you want to bake, there are a few extra items you’ll want:

• A second mixing bowl. Most recipes call for liquid ingredients to be mixed separately from dry ones.
• Rubber spatula. Not needed for bread, but important for cupcakes and muffins.
• Measuring spoons and cups
• If your budget allows it, buy a whisk. For when you want to whip your eggs back and forth.
  
• Consider what you’re baking. Certain items require specialized equipment such as pie or bread pans, cooling racks, muffin tins, or a rolling pin.

Other items that will make your life much easier include:

• Salad spinner, because drying lettuce with paper towels just sucks.
• Cheese grater, unless you are sold on using only pre-grated or crumbly cheese.
• Can opener
  
• Meat thermometer
• Paring (smaller) knife
• Large spoons (think serving spoons)
• Storage containers for the fridge. Buy more small ones than you think you need—canning jars work well if you’re trying to cut costs.
• Glass storage containers, if you plan to reheat individual portions in the microwave.
• Toaster oven. See Appliances.
• Crock pot. See Appliances.
• Blender. See Appliances.
• Hand mixer. Necessary for cookie and cake batters.