Tools

A tool is supposed to make your life easier right? Well surprise surprise, they're often expensive. My personal take is that they should be multi-purpose, resilient. and easy to clean. Affordable too, but that's usually up for debate.

I dislike cheap wood or certain plastics as they breakdown too easily. I like wooden cutting boards, but they can be a pain to maintain. Cast Iron adds more steps which I dislike. My go to for most is stainless steel.

I linked a few below, but you should do your research. If you're on a budget, buy cheap versions and replace them later. You also don't need everything below, it all depends on what you plan on cooking.

Click Tool Name For Direct Amazon Link

Classic Chef Knife

Pick your own choice of knife down the road, this one's pretty good for the price, especially if you maintain it. Good alternative is a cleaver knife if you plan on cutting through tough materials like bones and frozen meat. 

Straight Edge Paring Knife

This tiny knife is great for small precise cuts.

Plastic Cutting Board

Not much to explain, you need a surface to cut on.

Dutch Oven

This is a sleeper item for new cooks. You can slow-cook, braise, stew, soup, and even bake bread. Good for stovetop or oven use, giving you flexibility for one-pot meals. The downside is this is usually very expensive. 

Kitchen Towels

Something I learned early on is how versitile towels are. Drying hands, drying dishes, holding hot pots or pans, wiping up spills, and even as covers for resting dough.

Non-Stick Pans

Get these if you plan on not going for some fancy cooking techniques as they don't safely hold heat well. Benefit is they're easy to clean. I own them for simple stuff personally. Don't let them get too hot, not good for the pan or you. Don't use metal on them, it'll scratch the surface.

Stainless Steel Saute Pan

This is great for all types of cooking. Downside is that it requires a more experienced hand. Food can stick or burn very easily if you're not careful. There are tricks to cleaning them though.

Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

Great for...mixing. They're useful for holding ingredients too. I prefer them with the non-slip bottoms. 

Silicon Spatulas

Very helpful for all types of stirring. I prefer these as they can withstand heat pretty well and won't break easily like the other types. Not great for grilling or frying.

Silicon Turner Spatula

Good for flipping stuff, especially on non-stick pans. Not great for grilling or frying.

Fish Spatula

Great for flippin stuff in high heat situations, don't use on non-stick.

Measuring Items

If cooking you can get away with not having these and just estimate most measurements. If baking you better buy these along with a scale. The cups double as bowls for small ingredients.

Veggie Peeler

Unless you want to peel veggies with a knife, get a peeler. It peels.

Baking Sheets

A must for oven use, the one's linked are pricey due to their ability to withstand warping, which is when the metal bends, no bueno.

Cheese Grater

For grating cheese.

Whisks

For whiskin.

Ceramic Baking Dishes

Great for oven use; cassaroles, lasagna etc..

Meat Thermometer

Helps to check internal temperature of meat, which is an indicator of how cooked it is.

Pull-Out Digital Scale

A standard scale is fine, but the pull out version is great if you put anything large on it. When baking, you get more accurate measurements from weight. 

Pre-Cut Parchment Paper

Useful for lining baking sheets, which helps keep them clean and prevent food from sticking to surface. 

Blender

It blends, I personally find cleaning it annoying so I use it sparingly. 

Zester

For shaving lemons/limes. I use it to shave whole nutmeg.

Ricer

Great for mash potatoes, if you're super lazy just keep some instant mash potatoe flakes in stock. 

Electric Kettle

I linked a pricey version because it got a gooseneck, which is great for slow pours.

Magnetic Holder

Entirely optional but great. If you get this be sure to install it properly. 

Other items include; spoons, forks, ladles, steak knives, storage containers, plates etc.

If I were starting from scratch and could only have four of the items above it'd be; chef knife, cutting board, dutch oven, & mixing bowls. You can do a lot with just those four and a bit of creativity.

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Pantry Essentials

This is the stuff that gets used in most cooking. Start with a small handful of essentials and then experiment with different items as you continue. Don't buy a bunch of stuff you won't use. 

Neutral Cooking Oil

High-heat oil for everyday use. This can be avocado or grapeseed oil. It's called neutral because it won't affect the flavor of the meal.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Good low heat oil for flavor, dressing, marinades, etc. Don't let it get too hot as it will start to smoke. 

Butter/Ghee

Deliciousness. Good for all types of stuff. Butter is low heat fat that you can clarify to become a high heat fat called ghee. Restaurants use this in handfuls to make food delicious. 

Salt & Pepper

You can get by with just these two seasonings to start. Daimond Crystal Kosher is the go to for many chefs. Whole peppercorns are ideal. Use what's available and convenient to you.

Salt Flakes (Finishing Salt)

I discovered this when learning to bake bread and it was a game changer. This is salt you usually add at the very end as a topper. Optional.

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There's a lot I didn't list here. You'll discover what you need as you go. 

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