You've signed the lease and moved into your new place. Now, it's time to outfit your kitchen and learn how to cook. For such relatively small spaces, kitchens are packed full of gadgets that make life easier. But where do you start, and what exactly do you need? Relax! Whether you're going to warm up soup or teach yourself to make eggplant parmesan, your kitchen doesn't have to look like your grandma's cluttered cabinets. You don’t need a lot of complicated utensils or bulky machines to get started.
In fact, putting together the essentials doesn't have to break the bank, take up a lot of space, or stamp out your personality. Add any of these fun, modern tools, and you'll be hosting dinner parties before you know it. Anyone who drops by for a meal will be impressed with how well you’ve pulled it all together!
All the products listed on this page were handpicked by our talented writers with our readers in mind. To be completely transparent, we may receive a small compensation if the links provided are used to purchase a product. We hope you enjoy our recommendations as much as we enjoyed finding them for you.
Amazon
1. Handle those hot pans.
One of the most important things you can add to your kitchen is a pair of oven mitts. Don't waste your time or the expense of an E.R. bill on old-school cloth oven mitts. They burn easily, they stain easily, and they frequently need to be replaced. Instead, reach for a pair of heat-resistant silicone mitts in any adorable style you choose.
What we're obsessed with:
QTECLOR Puppy Oven Mitts on Amazon
Amazon
2. Don't get crabby, get a spoon rest.
Spoon rests are one of the most overlooked items in a kitchen, but they have an important job. Namely, they can save you a lot of time. It's easy to leave your stirring spoon laying around on the oven top or the counter, but it's not so easy to scrub the residue they leave behind —and heaven forbid you accidentally put it in the sink! Keep your sanity intact and give yourself the gift of a spoon holder.
What we're obsessed with:
OTOTO's Red Crab Spoon Holder and Steam Releaser on Amazon
Amazon
3. Add a little Zen to the kitchen sink.
Even if you're lucky enough to have a dishwasher, you're still going to need to use a little elbow grease from time to time. With the right holder, you'll lengthen your scrub sponge's life. You'll also stop any germs from spreading all over the counter or sink.
What we're obsessed with:
Peleg Design Yogi Sponge Holder on Amazon
Amazon
4. Save space with collapsible cups.
Even the simplest of recipes require the use of measuring cups and spoons. You might think that something so essential would be easy to store. But the fact is, they rarely ever fit in a drawer and often end up all over the cupboards. Thanks to the invention of silicone, you can now buy sets that collapse and fit with ease. They also snap together so you won't lose them.
What's we're obsessed with:
Yaya Gifts Collapsible Measuring Cups and Spoons on Amazon
Amazon
5. Splash out on cookware.
There's no doubt you know that you need pots, pans, and utensils, but there are a couple of things you should remember. You'll not only replace cheap cookware within a matter of months, you'll also run the risk of burning your food on shoddy surfaces. Cookware can run into the thousands, but you can find a reliable starter set for under $100. After that, you can start purchasing a lifetime collection one piece at a time.
What we're obsessed with:
Amazon's GreenLife Ceramic Nonstick Cookware in Turquoise
Amazon
6. Go bananas with a quality vegetable peeler.
Whatever you do when stocking your new kitchen, don't buy things like can openers and vegetable peelers from your local discount store. They are boring, and they are made of the cheapest possible material. Get more bang for your Benjamin with a sturdy vegetable peeler you'll still have when you buy your retirement home.
What we're obsessed with:
Boston Warehouse Monkey Vegetable Peeler on Amazon
Amazon
7. A cheese grater can make you a gladiator gourmet.
One of the most overlooked kitchen tools is the lowly cheese grater. With a good grater, you can save money by avoiding the overpriced, pre-shredded cheese found in supermarkets. Plus, you'll get a fresher taste when you buy a less expensive block. Your guests will totally be impressed when you add a last-minute garnish with your very own grater.
What we're obsessed with:
Peleg Design Gratiator Sword Shaped Cheese Grater on Amazon
Amazon
8. Dish up monster helpings of pasta.
Like everyone first living on their own, you're going to make a lot of pasta. Pasta is an economic choice, and it's easy to make. Because you're going to be making it quite often, make sure your pasta serving essentials are on point. Invest in a fun pair of pasta serves and a colander to match!
What we're obsessed with:
OTOTOs Pasta Monster Salad Servers
and matching
Monster Colander on Amazon
Amazon
9. Make your Mama proud with a clean microwave.
If there's anything you'll be doing in the kitchen more than making pasta, it's microwaving. Over time, all that leftover pizza and spaghetti can leave a funky mess behind — a mess that's almost impossible to scrub off. Stay on top of it with a microwave steam cleaner, and you'll impress your toughest of houseguests.
What we're obsessed with:
Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner on Amazon
Amazon
10. That pizza isn't going to cut itself.
Whether you make pizza from scratch or bring home one of those pizza for dummies kits, you're going to need a pizza cutter. Like a lot of kitchen essentials on our list, you should buy a quality pizza cutter instead of an inferior design. You'll get the perfect slice every time!
What we're obsessed with:
Kitchy Pizza Cutter on Amazon
Amazon
11. Your vampire friends might object, but you'll love it.
Garlic is one of those things that can be a little intimidating for new cooks, but it doesn't have to be that way. Add a garlic twister or crusher to your kitchen, and your recipes will shine like never before. The added bonus is that your fingers won't smell.
What we're obsessed with:
Gracula Vampire Garlic Twist Crusher on Amazon
Amazon
12. An avocado a day keeps the junk food away.
Everyone loves avocados, but they can be difficult to cut into perfect slices. Save your fingertips from an accidental slip and add a specially designed slicer to your utensil drawer. If you choose wisely, you can grab a multifunctional one for under $10.
What we're obsessed with:
OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer on Amazon
Amazon
13. Separate from the fear of cooking with egg whites.
As you get comfortable with the chicken...I mean kitchen, a lot of the recipes you'll try will ask you to separate the egg yolk from the egg white. It's not an easy task for even the most experienced of cooks! Unless you're up for a lot of frustrating trial and error, treat your new kitchen to an egg separator.
What we're obsessed with:
Amazon's FOYO Chicken Shaped Egg Separator
Amazon
14. Pass the salt and pepper, please.
You're an adult, so don't make Gordon Ramsey call you a donut by living without proper salt and pepper shakers. It's classier than using them out of the box, and you'll have better portion control. There's an adorable array of them on the market, so you don't have to grow up all that much to make a mature impression.
What we're obsessed with:
Boston Warehouse Llama Salt and Pepper Shakers on Amazon
Amazon
15. Don't forget ye bottle opener, matey!
The cornerstone of any well-equipped kitchen is the bottle opener. You're in your own place, and you never know when you'll get guests. Make sure you're ready to pop the top on any bottle with a quirky opener that your friend will talk about for years.
What we're obsessed with:
Legless Pirate Corkscrew and Bottle Opener
