This is Starter Kit, a series where our editors share the food, drink, and kitchen essentials they recommend when you’re setting up from scratch. Here, we chat with experts on how to outfit a first-apartment. Whether you’re a new grad or moving out for the first time, this renter-friendly checklist will make your new kitchen feel like home.
There comes a moment in every recent grad’s life when they realize adulthood is, unfortunately, not just vibes. Suddenly you’re standing in the kitchen section of Target wondering whether you need a Dutch oven and if owning three mismatched forks technically counts as “fully furnished.” Somehow, you’re expected to build a functional kitchen from scratch—with approximately 14 square inches of cabinet space and whatever money left from your security deposit.
The good news: You do not need a 12-piece cookware set and a fancy espresso machine that costs as much as your paycheck. The best first-apartment kitchens are built slowly and strategically with hardworking tools that earn their keep in small spaces. We tapped experts for the essentials worth investing in now—from the multitasking pans to the tiny-space storage upgrades that’ll make your kitchen feel slightly less like a dorm room with a stove.
Your First Apartment Starter Kit
Don't panic—it's less complicated than you think. This is basically everything you need to outfit your new kitchen.
✓ Cooking basics
✓ Kitchen utensils you’ll actually use
✓ Appliances that earn their counter space
✓ Pantry staples
✓ Hosting and dining essentials
✓ Small-space organization upgrades (if you need ’em)
Start with the basics
A sheet pan, a chef’s knife, a cook-anything-and-everything pan—these are the cooking essentials every first “real” kitchen needs.
Emily Ziemski, food writer, recipe developer, and the author of the culinary Substack, More or Less, recommends starting with a small lineup of dependable essentials instead of buying a massive cookware set right away. “There are some tried-and-true basics you’ll want—a chef’s knife, a good quality cutting board, a stainless-steel pot, a skillet of some kind,” she says. Beyond that, she encourages recent grads to think about how they actually cook before adding more gear. Are you still in your sourdough era? Get a Dutch oven. Love slurping on soup? A nice stockpot might be more useful than a second skillet.
Ziemski warns against falling into the trap of buying a full “set” of anything just because it feels grown-up. And if you want to splurge, do it on your cookware. “Cheap pans can have coatings that flake off easily or materials that damage and warp quickly, so you’ll end up replacing them sooner rather than later,” she says. It will mean a bigger chunk of change upfront, but it also means a longer life expectancy (and, y’know, no toxic flakes in your food.) “For a skillet, I try to find a carbon-steel or titanium-coated one, as those have more durable nonstick than, say, Teflon.”
Kitchen tools you’ll actually use
A zillion wooden spoons and a fancy garlic press can be tempting, but here’s what you should really prioritize.
Beginner cooks should focus less on gadgets and more on simple tools that make everyday cooking easier. Ziemski's ideal starter setup includes basics like a spatula, whisk, spoon, Microplane, and—perhaps most important—a colander. “You will be making pastas,” she says. She also recommends an instant-read thermometer, especially for newer cooks still building confidence in the kitchen. “Undercooking proteins is a big woe for novice cooks,” she explains, noting that a thermometer takes the guesswork out of cooking meat and helps people learn what properly cooked food actually looks like.
Smart, multiuse appliances
In a small apartment kitchen, every appliance has to earn its footprint.
This is where you have to get picky. Shamika Lynch, founder and principal designer of Maximizing Tiny, a small-space-focused interior design firm in New Jersey, famously does not like single-use appliances ("They take up too much space.”) Instead, she’s a fan of multiuse appliances that can do more than just one thing.
For something that works as well to roast tonight’s dinner or reheat last night’s the BA product testing team loves the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact.
High powered blenders can be expensive and counter hogs, but an immersion blender can whip up smoothies and soups at a lower price with a smaller footprint.
The one single-use appliance we’ll make an exception for is your coffee maker. Just be sure to save the four-digit espresso machine for your next place—the petite (in size and price) Zojirushi Zutto gets the job done.
Dining and hosting essentials
Pro tip: Leave Grandma’s fine china at your parents until you get more space.
Focus on versatile essentials you’ll actually use instead of overbuying formal dinnerware or giant matching sets. “We really have to be the gatekeepers of our own home and take inventory of what we use,” Lynch says. A few sturdy plates, bowls, glasses, and everyday serving pieces will go much further in a small space than specialty items that only come out twice a year. She also encourages renters to think critically about sentimental hand-me-downs: If you use your grandmother’s silver every morning, keep it—but if it’s taking up half your cabinet space for one holiday dinner annually, it may be better stored elsewhere until you have more room.
Oh, and don’t forget to have cleaning supplies handy. After a gathering, a drying rack and a Scrub Daddy will be your BFFs, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher.
Pantry staples
When in doubt, pasta.
A thoughtfully stocked pantry can make even the sparsest first apartment kitchen feel usable. Ziemski recommends starting with essentials like kosher salt, cracked black pepper, vinegar, and a few versatile spices or spice blends. “Good quality olive oil, always,” she says, adding that you don’t need to splurge on fancy packaging: Decanting a larger bottle into an inexpensive squeeze bottle works just as well.
She also recommends keeping easy proteins on hand, like canned beans or tinned fish, which can quickly turn pantry odds and ends into a real meal. Combined with basics like pasta, rice, or grains, these staples make it easier to throw together simple dinners without relying entirely on takeout.
Small-space organization upgrades
The stuff you need to put all your other stuff away (relatively) nicely.
When you’re working with limited cabinet space, organization matters almost as much as the gear itself. Lynch says using your walls can free up valuable storage space, pointing to wall-mounted pot racks as one of her favorite solutions (just make sure they go into the studs on the wall because they can get heavy). She’s also a fan of under-sink organizers, cabinet risers, and plate stackers, which help maximize every inch of valuable space.
For kitchens that simply don’t have enough counters or storage to begin with, Lynch recommends adding stand-alone furniture pieces that function like built-ins. “If your kitchen doesn’t have enough counter space, I love bringing in a stand-alone island or bar cart,” she says, noting that even a slim cart against a blank wall can create extra room for pantry items, small appliances, or coffee supplies. And for the dozens of spices you’re sure to rack up over time? Ziemski insists on a spice rack. “If those spices aren’t out and easily accessible, they will be forgotten about,” she says.
Choose your first-apartment fighters
- The best, non-toxic nonstick cookware, even if you're on a tight budget
- Instant Pots that make whipping up a weeknight dinner easier than ever
- More editor-approved pantry essentials if you still have absolutely no idea where to start