Starter Kitchen Tools

Basics

• Forks
• Knives
• Spoons
• Plates
• Bowls
• Mugs
• Cups

Pots & Pans

A note on pots and pans: Lots of stores will sell you a starter set, which contains all of the pots & pans listed below, plus a few extras. How much you want to spend is up to you, but keep in mind that the cheaper sets are of a lower quality and will not heat as evenly. At the low end of the scale are aluminum pots and pans – on the higher end you have cast-iron and enamel with brands like Le Crueset and Staub.

Never use metal utensils in aluminum or non-stick Teflon pots and pans. Doing so will scratch the surface and allow harmful metals and chemicals to leach into your food.

• Dutch oven or  6-quart covered stockpot (Large pot)
• Large (10-inch) skillet
• 2-3 quart covered saucepan
• Glass baking/casserole dish
• 2-3 cookie sheets

Cooking Utensils

A note on cooking utensils: unless you are working with heavy, higher-end pots and pans, do not buy any metal utensils if you will be using them to stir or scrap pans – instead, use plastic or wooden utensils.

• Can opener
• Ladle
• Slotted Spoon
• Spatula
• Corkscrew
• Cheese grater
• Vegetable Peeler
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups (dry and wet) 
• Tongs

Knives

• Serrated bread knife
• Large chef’s knife
• One or two good sharp knives for cutting meat and vegetables

Other 

• Cutting Board
• Blender
• Mixing bowls

Bags and Wraps

• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap
• Plastic bags – sandwich and gallon sizes
• Serving-size Glad-ware or other storage containers