The Best Kitchen Must Haves That Make Cooking Much Easier
If you’ve been wondering which tools actually matter in the kitchen, you’re not alone. Finding the best kitchen must haves shouldn’t feel like a chore, especially when you’re just starting. Cooking becomes way more enjoyable when you start simple, then build your collection with tools that truly make a difference.
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There’s something so exciting about setting up a kitchen for the very first time. It’s like opening the door to a whole new world of comfort food, quick dinners, and those wow I actually made that moments. And choosing the best kitchen must haves is the part nobody warns you is going to feel emotional in the best way. Suddenly the kitchen becomes yours. Your space, your vibe.
But here’s the truth. When you’re just starting out, everyone makes it sound like you need a thousand things to cook a simple meal. You don’t. You need the basics. Just the basics. Everything else is fun, cute, helpful, and makes you feel like a mini chef, but the real foundation is so simple.
So let’s start with the first big question.
What essential kitchen tools are recommended for someone just starting to cook?
If you’re brand new to cooking or setting up a kitchen in your first home, the list of kitchen essentials for new apartment living is actually way more minimal than you think.
When I say minimal, I mean;
You need one small frying pan, one large frying pan, one sauce or rice pot, one larger pot with handles, one good knife, forks, butter knives, spoons, and a single cutting board. That’s it. Seriously!
These essentials are the foundation because you can make literally everything with them.
A small frying pan handles things like eggs, veggies, corn, beans, and sauces.
The large frying pan or skillet can handle chicken, salmon, steak, tilapia, and larger dishes without spilling over the sides.
The big pot lets you cook spaghetti, soups, stews, and one pot meals.
That medium sauce pot is perfect for rice when you want the stovetop version instead of buying a fancy rice cooker.
It may sound too simple, but that really is all you need to start! When you’re learning, simplicity saves you. Less clutter means more confidence. Once you master these basics, you can expand your collection with the fun items that make you feel like you’ve leveled up from, I’m learning to cook, to you’re not telling me I’m not a chef!?
So now that we covered the essentials, let’s get into the fun part. The extras, the upgrades. The best kitchen must haves that make cooking easier, prettier, and so much more enjoyable. This list is all about the expansion and it’s everything that makes a kitchen feel complete.
Now let’s get into the list! Not the basics, but the expansion.
This is where you start building your dream kitchen. The part where you go from having the essentials to being able to say this kitchen actually feels perfect. And because this is Host + Home Co., everything on this list combines practicality with that cozy, stylish feeling you love.
The best kitchen must haves in this section are not required for survival, but they genuinely improve the experience. They save time and they reduce stress. Honestly, they make cooking feel fun!
Now, let’s expand that kitchen and get into all the must have extras.
This post is all about the best kitchen must haves.
A large wooden cutting board
If you’ve only been using the tiny cutting boards, you don’t know the transformation waiting for you. A large wooden cutting board instantly makes your kitchen feel warm and elevated.
It gives you room to chop without things falling off the side. Tomatoes stop rolling. Herbs stay where they belong. And it doubles as countertop decor. Place it behind your stove or near your sink and it just makes the space feel intentional.
It’s one of those best kitchen must haves that feels simple but does so much.
A veggie chopper that saves you 30 minutes
Once you experience the joy of a chopper, there is no going back. This tiny tool saves you so much time that it becomes addictive. Chop onions, peppers, garlic, celery, carrots, and literally any veggie in seconds. It’s also oddly therapeutic. Pressing down the lid feels weirdly stress relieving and the cleanup is unbelievably easy.
For quick weeknight meals, this is honestly a lifesaver and one of the top 10 kitchen must haves if you love convenience.
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A food processor for sauces and perfect textures
A blender can only take you so far. A food processor creates the textures you see in restaurant level sauces, dips, and dressings. Think creamy pesto, smooth salsa, blended veggies, and homemade marinades. And if you ever made a spicy sauce in your regular blender, you already know why you need a separate machine…
This tool just gives you better consistency and better flavor payoff. For anyone wanting a more elevated cooking experience, this is one of the best kitchen tools for chefs or anyone who wants to feel like one.
A really sharp, high quality chef’s knife
This one changes everything. A sharp knife makes you feel like you know what you’re doing even if you’re just chopping a bell pepper. You glide through everything instead of forcing your way through it.
Here’s the part nobody tells you. Sharp knives are safer. When a knife is dull, you push harder and that’s where slips happen. A sharp, precise, comfortable knife is truly one of the best kitchen must haves because it improves both safety and confidence.
A deep fryer for crispy perfection
A deep fryer quietly becomes one of those tools you swear you don’t need until you have it and then you wonder how you lived without it.
It makes the best fried chicken, crispy fish, golden fries, and perfect egg rolls. It gives fast food texture without fast food across the board. The consistency? unmatched. If you love comfort food or entertaining, this one is a must.
A cast iron dutch oven that transforms every meal
Yes it’s heavy. Yes it takes up space, but once you taste a beef stew or soup from a dutch oven, there is no going back. It gives food a deeper flavor and a richer texture. Holds heat beautifully and cooks everything evenly. It’s one of those items that feels like a rite of passage when you’re building a kitchen. It’s cozy. It’s timeless. And it truly makes your meals taste better. One of the absolute best kitchen must haves if you love cooking anything slow and soulful.
A meat thermometer for perfect cooking every time
If you’ve ever wondered whether your chicken is cooked all the way through or if your steak is still too rare, this tool removes all the guesswork. You get perfect doneness every time and way more confidence in the kitchen.
It’s simple, small, affordable, and honestly, one of the best safety tools to have if you’re building your list of kitchen essentials.
A mixer for baking and effortless blending
If you love baking or even want to experiment with it, a mixer makes the experience ten times better. Whether you’re mixing cake batter, whipping heavy cream, kneading dough, or making chocolate mousse, this tool saves time and gives better results. It takes your baking from okay to wow.
An air fryer for the easiest dinners ever
The air fryer is a cultural moment for a reason. It gives you crispy textures without the oil and cuts cooking time in half. Lazy dinner nights suddenly feel like something you planned.
From chicken tenders to roasted veggies to salmon bites, an air fryer is one of the best kitchen tools you can have in the kitchen. It’s quick, simple, and honestly one of the easiest ways to build a cooking routine.
A baking rack for even cooking
If you’ve ever baked something and ended up with one soggy side, this is what you were missing…
A baking rack lets air circulate under your food so everything cooks evenly. Cookies get that perfect bottom crisp. Chicken wings come out with crunch.
It’s a tiny detail that makes a huge difference and belongs on any list of best kitchen must haves.
Conclusion
Building a kitchen doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. You start with the true basics, the pieces you absolutely need to make everyday meals. Then once you feel comfortable, you get to add the fun stuff. The upgrades. The tools that make cooking enjoyable, simple, flavorful, and honestly kind of therapeutic.
The best kitchen must haves are the ones that match your lifestyle. Maybe that means a chopper to save time, a dutch oven for cozy meals, or an air fryer for effortless dinners. Whatever your style is, building your kitchen piece by piece is part of the journey and part of the fun!
This post is all about the best kitchen must haves.
