The most important thing to remember when stocking up on items for your kitchen is not to go wild the first time you hit up Bed, Bath & Beyond -- you don’t want to wind up with tons of random items that will just end up sitting unused in the back of your junk drawer.
So where should you start? Think about what you like to cook. What types of meals do you prepare on a regular basis, and what do you do in the kitchen in general that leaves you reaching for certain things and not others? (In other words, a hard-boiled-egg peeler might be a must for you, but not for someone else.) For the average cook, here’s a cheat sheet of must-haves when it comes to stocking your kitchen toolbox:
Knife Set (plus a sharpener)
Cutting Board
Can Opener
Bottle Opener
Mixing Spoons (in multiple sizes, plastic or wooden)
Vegetable Peeler
Potato Peeler
Spatulas
Strainer (with a handle)
Colander (strainer for pasta)
Ladle
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Tongs
Meat Tenderizer
Whisk
Meat Thermometer
Scissors
Grater
Granny Fork
Set of Measuring Cups
Set of Measuring Spoons
Potato Masher
Rolling Pin
Ice Cream Scoop
Don’t feel like spending forever searching through the housewares aisle for all of those items? Check out these kitchen tool sets that cover most of the basics at an affordable price:
KitchenAid Cook’s Series 17-Piece Starter Tool and Gadget Set ($37, Amazon.com)
Farberware 14-Piece Professional Tool and Gadget Set ($20, Walmart.com)
Oxo Good Grips 15-Piece Kitchen Tool Set ($100, BedBathandBeyond.com)
Searching for the perfect knife set? Click here [link to our story on how to buy a knife set based on the nest magazine article how to make the cut.] to find out what you need to know before you start shopping.
And here are some tried-and-true sets worth looking into:
Ginsu 4827 14-Piece Stainless Steel Knife Block Set ($53, Amazon.com)
Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Collection 14-Piece Cutlery Set ($180, BedBathandBeyond.com)
Culinary Institute of America Masters Collection Hyde Park Cutlery 16-Piece Knife Set with Block ($500, Distinctive-Decor.com)
-- The Nest Editors
Dec 17, 2010