Introducing my must-have kitchen items list, perfect for setting up a functional and stylish kitchen. As a millennial getting into the swing of adulting, having my own apartment and now home that I’m renting has led to many store trips. I realize I need this utensil or that to cook or prepare meals. Now that I’ve had a few years to collect kitchen necessities now. So I prepared this master list of things you need in your kitchen as a first-time renter in your apartment or home so you don’t have to run to the store so many times. Let’s get into this must-have kitchen items list.
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Must Have Kitchen Utensils
1. Utensil Set
The most essential of the essentials on this kitchen items list– utensils to eat with! When I first moved into an apartment, I bought about 5 individual forks, spoons, and butter knives at Walmart. I did this to save money although I quickly realized that wasn’t going to be enough unless I wanted to be constantly doing dishes. Just buy the set, it will last you forever.
2. Knife Set
Another very important essential. And let me tell you how much it’s worth it to invest in a good set. Trust me, you don’t want dull knives squashing your tomatoes while you try to cut them. Been there, done that.
3. Cooking Utensil Set
I enjoy having an array of cooking utensils. It makes the cooking process very convenient to have something for everything. Including spoons, spatulas, pasta spoons, spoons with holes, and ladles.
4. Tongs
I mean, you’ll know when you know. You just need at least a pair of tongs.
5. Whisks
Whisks for the win for mixing dry ingredients when baking or making sauces! For whisking eggs, I personally use a fork. Lol, i don’t know why, that’s just how I was taught growing up.
Must Have Kitchen Tableware
1. Plates and Bowls
I mean, you gotta have plates and bowls to eat off of. It’s a must! Find a set that you love, something that suits your style and home, and enjoy your meals!
2. Glasses
I don’t know what my thing has been with ribbed glasses, but they are definitely in, right? I love them so much. So opt for this ribbed glass set, or a nice color set. The options are endless, here are just a couple to add to your must have kitchen items list.
3. Placemats
You can definitely survive without placemats, but they do help to keep your table clean while eating, and if you choose the right ones, it can be a nice aesthetic touch to your dining room!
Must Have Kitchen Cookware
1. Pots and Pans
Choosing the right pots and pans is essential. I don’t like my food sticking to my pans while I’m cooking so I like to make sure to get some good ones that can last me a long while.
2. Wok
Stir fry, stir fry, stir fry. We like to make stir fry in this house and my boyfriend has recently gotten a wok for this and he is absolutely obsessed with it. Plus it just looks cool when he does that little flip with the food in it. haha
3. Comal
I’m half Mexican, so you already know I’m eating everything with tortillas so a comal is just necessary for heating tortillas. I would be lying if I said I use it for anything other than tortillas. It might as well be called a tortilla pan because that is what it is for me. So If you like tortillas, don’t sleep on having a comal in your home.
Must Have Kitchen Tools
1. Strainer
Don’t forget this kitchen essential for draining your pasta or straining the oil out of ground beef. You will find this comes in handy in these moments.
2. Cutting Boards
A must have in the kitchen for cutting things up. You don’t want to be chopping on your countertops. Unless your countertops are made for that. lol So don’t forget to add cutting boards to your must have kitchen items list.
3. Measuring Cups
Measuring cups are essential to execute those recipes to their fullest potential. Don’t skip out on these.
4. Thermometer
I don’t know about you, but I’m terrified of my chicken or pork being undercooked, so the meat thermometer is a must.
5. Mixing Bowls
These come in handy in so many different ways. Making a salad? Mixing bowl. Baking? Mixing bowl. Need to store a big batch of leftovers? Mixing bowl. It’s a versatile thing to have in your kitchen.
6. Can Opener
If you don’t have any canned goods in your kitchen cabinets, my question is; how? How can you avoid it? So many things come in cans like tuna, olives, green beans, tomato paste, etc. It’s important to have this tool in your kitchen.
7. Vegetable Peeler
Everybody needs a veg peeler! Period. That’s why I added it to this must have kitchen items list.
8. Sifter
I don’t use this often, but it has come in handy a handful of times for baking moments.
9. Pizza Cutter
I love pizzzzzaaa! This is a must if you’re a pizza person. If you never have pizza at home or if you only get pre-cut pizzas, you can skip this one. But I mean, maybe not…just in case. haha
10. Musubi Mold
After visiting Hawaii and trying spam musubi for the first time, I immediately needed to know how to make this at home. This mold helps a lot in forming the musubi. If you haven’t had musubi, look it up and try it!! It’s life-changing and sooooo delicious.
11. Zester
Whether you’re baking, or making cocktails or mocktails, a zester comes in handy in many different ways. Don’t skip out on this kitchen essential.
12. Potato Masher
When I mentioned earlier that times would come up randomly where I needed something and had to run to the store; I needed a potato masher at the most inopportune time. I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner! Having to up and go while I had so many other dishes in the works was such a hassle. Thank goodness for my partner holding down the fort. I ended up finding an “avocado masher” which works the same but was just a little shorter than I needed. So save yourself from this predicament and check this off the list of kitchen essentials.
Must Have Kitchen Small Appliances
1. Air Fryer/ Toaster Oven Combo
Having an airfryer/toaster oven in my house has changed the game! I don’t even have a toaster anymore, I just use this appliance to toast everything. Even on the days I don’t feel like using my comal, I’ll throw my tortillas in there.
2. KitchenAid Mixer
I got gifted my KitchenAid mixer for Christmas when I was going through a baking phase and it made the processes soooooo much easier.
3. Food Processor
I had a food processor before I even had a blender. I needed this to blend chipotle in adobo for my chicken tinga. I still pull this out when it doesn’t make sense to pull out the blender for such a small amount.
4. Blender
Even though it took me a while to get a blender and it took a black friday sale for me to pull the trigger on buying one, i’m so glad I did. I’ve been able to make fresh salsa verde, smoothies, and I love it!!! Definitely add a blender to your must have kitchen items list!
5. Coffee Machine
I don’t know if you read my about me blurb, I’m a coffee addict. I love coffee. I go through times where I boycott getting coffee out to save some money so having a way to make coffee at home is so important.
6. Instapot
This has come in handy in so many ways. It acts as a pressure cooker that can cook chicken from frozen in like 30 minutes. The other way I use it the most is as a slow cooker to make pot roast or dishes that you want to leave slow cooking alllll day so that it falls apart in your mouth.
7. Microwave
Around my teenage years, my mom went anti-microwave so I got used to not having one. I would use my airfryer or stove top to heat up anything I needed to. But then I lived in a place with a roommate and it became evident that not everybody likes to be without a microwave. Now having one again, it does come in handy in so many different ways. Heating up a cup of coffee, nuking a pastry in 20 seconds. I do enjoy having one now.
8. Hand Held Mixer
My favorite thing to do with this is shredding chicken!!! Seeing my bf shred chicken like this for the first time was actually life-changing. I had been using two forks and spending at least 30 min shredding chicken prior so I will now always have this on hand when I need shredded chicken.
Misc Kitchen Accessories
1. Oven Mitts
Don’t burn your hands trying to pull something out of the oven yall. Get mitts, save your hands.
2. Kitchen Towels
Kitchen towels are important! You need your display towels, and then of course your hand-drying, counter-wiping towels. I’m actually kind of guilty of using my display towels for the latter.
3. Wash Rags
I get kinda OCD in the kitchen and need my space to be well kept to be able to enjoy cooking. So having wash rags is essential for wiping the counters and messes as you go.
4. Fridge Magnets
I had to add this one to the list because it’s just so fun to have fridge magnets and actually so useful! Every time I get a coupon or something I need to look at for a reminder, I just put it on the fridge!
8. Butter Dish
I love me some butter. Having softened butter is kind of a staple in this house. Butter toast is just sooooo good.
12. Storage Containers
For the left over girlies. Or the packed lunch girlies! You just need storage containers in your kitchen.
Must Have Kitchen Bakeware
1. Baking Sheets
From roasting veggies, to bacon, to cinnamon rolls. You’ll find yourself needing baking sheets in your must have kitchen items list, so definitely cop these up.
2. Casserole Dishes
I loveee making a tuna casserole. It’s a childhood staple and one of my favorite foods, so obviously having casserole dishes are essential.
3. Cupcake Pan
Cupcakes. Enough said.
