10 Kitchen Tools Every Beginner Cook Needs

You don’t need a fully stocked professional kitchen to cook well at home. A handful of solid, well-chosen tools will get you through almost every recipe on this site.

1. A good chef’s knife — the single most-used tool in any kitchen
2. A sturdy cutting board — wood or plastic, just make sure it doesn’t slide around
3. A heavy-bottomed pot — for soups, stews, curries, and pasta
4. A good non-stick or cast iron pan — for everything from eggs to seared proteins
5. Measuring cups and spoons — especially important for baking
6. A digital kitchen scale — more accurate than cups for many baking recipes
7. Mixing bowls in a few sizes — you’ll reach for these constantly
8. Tongs — safer and more precise than a fork for flipping and serving
9. A fine-mesh strainer — for draining pasta, rinsing rice, or sifting flour
10. A meat thermometer — takes the guesswork out of knowing when meat is done

What You Don’t Need Yet

Single-purpose gadgets — avocado slicers, egg separators, garlic presses — are nice to have eventually, but they’re not essential when you’re starting out. Master the basics above first, and expand from there as you find what you actually reach for.

Once your kitchen’s stocked, put it to use — check out our Recipe Courses page to find something to cook tonight.