How To Stock a Small Kitchen With Everything You Need

Choose pots and pans. A large, aluminum-core skillet and a preseasoned cast-iron skillet cover searing, sauteing, and frying, and can go from stovetop to oven. A sturdy saucepan serves as the perfect pot for sauces, rice, and veggies, while a stockpot handles pasta and soup. For roasting and baking, pick up a jellyroll pan.

Cover the utensil basics: a wooden spoon and a heatproof spatula, a sturdy spatula for flipping, a pair of tongs, a ladle, a rasp grater, a vegetable peeler, and a whisk. A chef’s knife can handle the work of several specialty knives.

Be selective with appliances. How much do you cook, and what can you do by hand? A toaster oven takes up little space but is a great multi-tasker. If you drink coffee every morning, consider a single-cup maker.

Unless you entertain often, four settings of basic dishes, glasses, and flatware should do the trick. Save the espresso cups and oyster forks for when you get a bigger place!