If you are only beginning to cook or you moved into a new apartment and found an empty kitchen, you definitely need a shopping list! It’s sometimes hard to remember every single kitchen tool that you might need when preparing meals. If you went to kitchen tool shopping unprepared, chances are you’d have to return to the market couple of times more. There is nothing worse than when you’re in the middle of the preparation of your meal, and you realize you’re missing a tool to finish it.

This is why we created this list of the most essential kitchen tools that will help you get started in no time!

1. A Saucepan

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This is probably the most obvious item on this list. A good saucepan can aid you in preparing numerous meals, and no kitchen is a kitchen without it. You can make some pasta, soup, cook vegetables, and deep-fry anything you want with it. Never underestimate the power of a good saucepan!

Of course, always look for high-quality saucepans since they are something that should always be available in your kitchen.

2. Pots

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Pots are so important to have in your kitchen. So many different recipes require you to have a pot. They come in different sizes as well, so what to choose depends on your cooking needs. You can prepare soup, stew, pasta, and many different meals with a good pot.

3. A Peeler

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Having a peeler is essential to every kitchen. Peeling vegetables or fruit manually can be such a hassle, not to mention it’s incredibly time-consuming. It also takes skill to peel some specific vegetables with a knife, so you could easily get hurt. This is why having a good peeler is crucial, no matter if you’re a beginner or expert cook. They are small, so they won’t take up much space in your kitchen and are generally very affordable.

4. A Colander

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If you are a pasta-loving person, having a colander is a must for you. Draining pasta without one is very tricky! Even if you managed to do it, you’d probably leave some water behind, which could affect your complete meal! Also, how would you wash your fruits and veggies without a colander? Putting them directly in the sink is not a good idea, and washing them in a bowl takes more work.

It’s not very expensive either, so you should place it on your shopping list.

5. Measuring cups

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If you are only just beginning to cook, you’ll probably be following cookbooks and online recipes. Getting the measures right without any tools takes time and experience. Even if you do have experience in cooking, there are times you’d want to make sure you got your measures correctly.

This is why having measuring cups or spoons can be an extremely important item to have. You won’t have to worry about measures at all, which will make the cooking process so much easier.

6. Food containers/silicone lids

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You should always have food containers in your kitchen. They are great for storing leftovers, keeping food fresh and protected. You can use them to carry your lunch to work or bring some of those cookies you baked to a get-together with friends.

All in all, it’s absolutely essential that you have these in your kitchen, and they will make storing food so much easier. Other than that, if you already have a few bowls, you want to use as food containers you can buy lids for them too. To find some stretchable lids you should visit this site.

7. Knives

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Having a good set of knives can save you so much trouble when it comes to meal prep. You should invest in high-quality knives. Those can be a bit pricey, but they are absolutely worth it! In the long run, having good knives will actually save you some money. Buying new knives every time they get dull is not something that you want.

When buying knives, the best choice of action is to buy a set. It’s cheaper, and you’ll have a knife for every occasion.

8. A blender

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Okay, a blender may not be that essential, but it’s still a pretty useful addition to your kitchen. A blender can be used for so much more than just smoothies! It could assist you with your meal prep in so many different ways!

Getting a blender could end up being a bit costly, so it shouldn’t be that high on your priority list if you have a tight budget.

9. Cutting board

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A cutting board is a very important item to have for your kitchen. The best idea is to have separate cutting boards when it comes to vegetables and meat. You don’t want any bacteria from raw meat to get onto your veggies. Washing it thoroughly should be enough, but if you want to be 100% sure, getting two cutting boards can be the best way to achieve that.

10. Spatula

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A spatula is everything you need when it comes to flipping and tossing your food in the pan. Making pancakes or crepes is almost impossible without a good spatula. If you try to flip them with a butter knife, as many people do for some reason, you could end up damaging the pan.

It’s definitely an essential item, and it’s not that pricey either. There are a couple of different types of spatula, but the best one is the fish spatula. Metal ones are the best since they can handle a lot of heat without being damaged.

11. Can opener

You will most certainly need a good can opener. Some products are impossible to open without it, and you don’t want to be forced to change the whole recipe because you don’t have it in your kitchen.

It’s not expensive and there are extremely small ones which won’t take up any kitchen space.

12. Mixer

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If you are planning to get into baking, then getting a mixer is of utmost importance. Depending on what your plans are, you can choose between the stand mixer or hand mixer. Stand mixers are more powerful, but they also take up a lot of space and are more expensive.