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Kitchen Utensils Cutting Board and Knife That Got Me Through Year One
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items Moving into my first apartment with zero kitchen skills and a drawer full of nothing was humbling — I burned rice, cut avocados with a steak knife, and flipped eggs with a fork for longer than I care to admit. This list is for anyone standing in thei...
Sections
12
Chef's Knives That Won't Scare a Beginner
Cutting Boards That Actually Stay Put
Spatulas and Turners for Someone Who Burns Things
Wooden Spoons and Mixing Spoons Worth Keeping
Tongs and Whisks I Didn't Know I Needed
Measuring Cups and Spoons So You Stop Eyeballing
Chef's Knives That Won't Scare a Beginner
I was genuinely afraid of sharp knives until I realized dull ones are way more dangerous. Cut my thumb with a cheap blade that slipped off a tomato — these actually grip what you're slicing.
Grab this if you've never owned a real knife before — the self-sharpening sheath kept me from having to figure out whetstones my entire first year.
Farberware Edgekeeper 8-inch Chef Knife with Self
Swap out that random collection of mismatched knives from your parents' junk drawer. Color-coded handles mean you stop using the bread knife on chicken without thinking.
Cuisinart, Kitchen Knife Set, 12-Piece
Try this if your budget is tight and you just need one reliable blade — I diced onions for months with this before upgrading and honestly it held up fine.
Mainstays 8 Stainless Steel Chef Knife Handle
Picked this up after my roommate borrowed my other knife and chipped it. Balanced weight made chopping vegetables feel less like a workout for the first time.
Kitchenaid Classic Chef Knife Black with Endcap
Use this if you want something that feels professional without the professional price tag — my hands are small and the grip never slipped, even with wet palms.
Henckels International Solution 8-inch Chef's Knife
Cutting Boards That Actually Stay Put
My first cutting board slid across the counter while I was chopping carrots and I almost lost a finger. Never again — these ones stay where you put them.
Keep these stacked by the sink for quick meal prep — I used to wash one board between every ingredient like a fool before I got a set.
Farberware 3 Piece Kitchen Cutting Board Set Bamboo
Switched to bamboo after my plastic board got those deep grooves that no amount of scrubbing could clean. Looks nice enough to serve cheese on when friends come over.
Mainstays Bamboo Cutting Board Set, 3 Piece
For anyone whose counter space is basically a postage stamp — this fits perfectly next to the stove and doubles as a trivet in emergencies.
Mainstays Bamboo Cutting Board, 8.5 x 11
Toss this under whatever you're chopping if your counter is slippery tile — the rubber feet actually grip and I stopped having mini heart attacks mid-prep.
Customer reviews for Dexas Heavy Duty Grippmat
Get this before you ruin another countertop with raw chicken juice running everywhere. That little groove around the edge catches everything and cleanup takes seconds.
Royal Craft Wood Bamboo Cutting Board XXL 20x14
Spatulas and Turners for Someone Who Burns Things
I melted two plastic spatulas on a hot pan before I learned my lesson. These survived my terrible cooking habits and the pancakes eventually stopped sticking.
Try flipping eggs with this instead of that fork you've been using — thin enough to slide under without breaking the yolk, which took me embarrassingly long to achieve.
OXO SoftWorks Silicone Flexible Turner
Pair this with a nonstick pan and stop scratching up your cookware. I ruined a $40 pan with a metal spatula before someone told me that was a terrible idea.
Kitchenaid Bamboo 2-piece Turner and Spoon Set
For the person who leaves their spatula resting on the edge of a hot pan — this one won't melt or warp even when you forget about it.
Farberware Professional Nylon Kitchen Short Spatula
Snag this for anything you're frying — the slots let grease drain so your food isn't swimming in oil. My fried eggs went from soggy to crispy overnight.
Mainstays Stainless Steel Kitchen Turner, 11.81 in
Grabbed the set because I kept washing the same spatula mid-cooking like a maniac. Different sizes actually matter — small for scrambled eggs, big for stir fry.
Star Pack Ultra Flexible Silicone Rubber Turner Spatula
Wooden Spoons and Mixing Spoons Worth Keeping
Metal spoons scratch everything and plastic ones feel flimsy. Took three ruined pots before I finally bought proper wooden spoons like a functioning adult.
Use these for stirring anything on the stove — they don't conduct heat so you won't burn your hand reaching into a pot of chili like I did with a metal spoon.
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Wooden Spoon Set
Keep one by the stove at all times. Light enough that you can stir a heavy pot of soup one-handed while scrolling a recipe on your phone.
Totally Bamboo 3-Piece Bamboo Flatware Set
Perfect if you're draining pasta or fishing vegetables out of broth — I used to pour everything through a colander and lose half the good stuff down the drain.
Mainstays Nylon Slotted Spoon, Comfort Grip Handle
Ditch those utensils that came free with your apartment's junk drawer. These feel solid in your hand and they don't stain even after stirring tomato sauce all week.
Mainstays 5-Piece Bamboo Cooking Utensil Set
Try this if you like a heavier spoon that feels substantial — great for scraping the bottom of pans when you're making gravy and everything starts sticking.
Oster Acacia Wood Slotted Spoon Cooking Utensil
Tongs and Whisks I Didn't Know I Needed
Thought tongs were just for grilling and whisks were just for bakers. Turns out I was making lumpy sauces and burning my fingers flipping chicken for no reason.
Grab these before your next taco night — I used to flip chicken with two forks and it looked ridiculous. The locking feature means they actually fit in a drawer.
Oxo, Food Tongs, 12-inch, Locking Handle Stainless Steel
Swap your metal tongs for these if you have nonstick pans. Silicone tips won't scratch the coating and they grip slippery pasta way better than you'd expect.
kitchenaid silicone tipped stainless steel tongs
For anyone still stirring pancake batter with a fork and wondering why it's lumpy — thirty seconds with this and the batter is smooth every time.
Mainstays 12-inch Stainless Steel Whisk
Use this for scrambled eggs and you'll never go back to a fork. The wires actually incorporate air so eggs come out fluffy instead of flat and rubbery.
Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
Picked this up to make gravy for Thanksgiving and it saved me from serving my family a lumpy disaster. Now I use it for sauces, dressings, everything.
KitchenAid Utility Whisk - Mineral Water
Measuring Cups and Spoons So You Stop Eyeballing
Eyeballing measurements worked until I put three tablespoons of salt in a soup instead of three teaspoons. My roommate still brings it up. Measuring matters.
Get a real set and stop using coffee mugs as measuring cups. These nest together so they take up almost no space in a cramped kitchen drawer.
KitchenAid 9-Piece Plastic Stackable Measuring Cup
Try these if your plastic ones keep cracking in the dishwasher — stainless steel holds up and the engravings don't fade after three months like the cheap ones did.
Mainstays Stainless Steel 4-Piece Nesting Measuring
Snag these before you try baking anything — I used dry measuring cups for liquids for months and couldn't figure out why my recipes kept failing.
OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Measuring Cup Set Beaker Style
Keep this on your counter permanently. I use it for everything from measuring broth to microwaving butter to mixing salad dressing. It's weirdly versatile.
Pyrex, Measuring Cup, 2-Cup, Glass with Red Graphics
For anyone who can never find the right size — color coding means you grab the tablespoon instead of the teaspoon without squinting at tiny numbers.
Farberware Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
Peelers Graters and Small Tools That Save Time
Spent way too long peeling potatoes with a paring knife like it was 1850. These little tools cost almost nothing and cut my prep time in half overnight.
Ditch whatever rusty peeler came with your apartment. This one glides through potato skin so fast I actually started making homemade mashed potatoes on weeknights.
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
Use this for cheese, ginger, garlic — I was buying pre-shredded cheese for twice the price before I realized a block and a grater takes thirty seconds.
Customer reviews for Kitchenaid Stainless Steel Box Grater
For the love of everything, get a can opener before you need one at 9pm on a Tuesday. I tried opening a can of beans with a knife once and it did not end well.
Mainstays Can Opener and Knife Sharpener Black
Grab this if you hate mincing garlic by hand — my cutting board used to smell for days and my fingers were sticky. Press it, done, no residue.
Customer reviews for Farberware Soft Grips Garlic Press
Try this the next time you're making tacos or fish — fresh lime juice hits completely different and you won't get seeds in your food like when you squeeze by hand.
OXO Good Grips Citrus Squeezer,Yellow/Black
Mixing Bowls for Prep and Everything Else
I used to prep ingredients on plates and dinner bowls because I didn't own mixing bowls. Food rolled off constantly. A proper set changed how I cook entirely.
Keep these stacked in a cabinet and pull them out for literally everything — marinating chicken, tossing salads, mixing batter, holding chopped vegetables mid-cook.
Mainstays Stainless Steel Mixing and Storage Bowls Set
Snag this set if you want bowls that go from fridge to microwave without switching containers. The lids actually seal so leftover marinade doesn't leak everywhere.
Pyrex Smart Essentials 8-Piece Mixing Bowl Set
For anyone who meal preps on Sundays — having five different sizes means you can chop, mix, and store without washing the same bowl four times in a row.
Kitchenaid Set of 5 Plastic Mixing Bowls in Aqua Sky
Use these if you're clumsy like me — dropped a glass bowl my first month and spent twenty minutes picking shards out of my socks. Plastic is forgiving.
Farberware Set of 3 Nesting Plastic Mixing Bowls, Red
Get this if you want something that looks good enough to serve from at a dinner party. I brought pasta salad in one of these and people thought I was fancy.
Anchor Hocking, Mixing Bowl Set, 4-Piece, Clear Glass
Colanders and Strainers for Pasta Night
Draining pasta over the sink without a colander is a sport I played for too long. Lost half a box of spaghetti down the drain before I spent eight dollars on a fix.
Grab this before your next pasta night and stop doing that dangerous lid-tilting thing over the sink. Sturdy enough to handle a full pot without wobbling.
Farberware Soft Grips 3-Piece Strainer Colander Set
Try this if you need something lightweight that your kid or roommate won't dent — cheap enough that you won't cry if it gets stained by tomato sauce.
Mainstays Stainless Steel Colander, 5 qt, 10 in
For anyone who washes a lot of produce — the small holes keep berries and rice from slipping through, which my old colander absolutely could not handle.
OXO Softworks 5 Quart Stainless Steel Kitchen Colander
Use this if your sink is tiny — it expands to fit across the basin so you can drain hands-free. Wish someone had told me this existed six months earlier.
KitchenAid Expandable Stainless Steel Colander
Keep one of these by the stove for skimming foam off soup or draining canned beans. Way easier than pouring a whole can into a big colander for ten chickpeas.
Mainstays 8 in Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer, Silver
Kitchen Towels Pot Holders and Heat Protection
Burned myself grabbing a hot pan with a wet paper towel exactly once. That was enough motivation to buy actual pot holders and towels like a real person.
Toss a couple in your kitchen drawer right now — paper towels get expensive fast and these handle spills, drying dishes, and wiping counters without falling apart.
Mainstays 4-Pack 16”x26” Woven Kitchen Towel Set
Wear these if you've ever grabbed a baking sheet with a thin towel and felt the heat seep through immediately. Silicone actually blocks heat and the grip doesn't slip.
KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Oven Mitt 2-Pack Set
For anyone whose oven mitt is too bulky to grab a pot lid — these are flat, flexible, and thick enough that you won't feel the burn through the fabric.
Clwellge 100% Cotton Terry Quilted Pot Holders
Get the combo pack before you host anything — I scrambled to find something heat-proof when pulling a casserole out for Friendsgiving and ended up using a hoodie sleeve.
Mainstays Kitchen Set 8 Pack Absorbent Dish Towels Oven
Switch to silicone if your cloth pot holders keep getting wet and useless. Water doesn't soak through these and they dry in seconds on the counter.
OXO Good Grips Silicone Pot Holder - Red
Storage Containers So Leftovers Don't Go to Waste
Threw away so much food my first year because I stored everything in open bowls with plastic wrap that never sealed. Containers with actual lids changed my grocery bill.
Snag a big pack of these for meal prep — cheap enough that if a coworker never returns one you won't lose sleep, but they seal well enough for a week in the fridge.
Large Containers - Food Storage
Use glass if you reheat in the microwave a lot — no weird plastic smell, no warping, and you can see what's inside without opening every container hunting for Tuesday's chili.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the person who just moved in and owns literally nothing — this one purchase covers every size you'll need for at least a year. The lids actually snap on tight.
Mainstays 92PC Food Storage Container
Grab these if you're tired of lids that pop off in your bag — the latches lock down and I've carried soup to work in these without a single leak.
Pyrex® Freshlock 10-pc Glass Storage Set
Keep a few of these for sauces, dressings, and small portions. I used to wrap half an avocado in foil and find it brown the next day — these seal out the air.
Customer reviews for Ziploc® Twist 'n Loc® Small Round
Dish Racks and Cleaning Supplies to Keep It All Together
Let dishes pile up in the sink my entire first month because I had nowhere to dry them. A ten-dollar dish rack and some decent soap turned cleanup from dreaded to painless.
Get this if dishes are currently air-drying on a towel on your counter — the rack holds way more and water actually drains into the sink instead of pooling under everything.
Mainstays Large Metal Dish Drainer Rack - Chrome/Black
Keep a bottle under every sink. I tried cheaper soap and ended up using three times as much to cut through grease — Dawn works the first time, every time.
Dawn Ultra, Dishwashing Liquid, Original Scent, 18 Fl oz
Swap these in every two weeks before they start smelling funky. The non-scratch side is safe on nonstick pans so you stop ruining your cookware with steel wool.
Scotch-Brite, Cleaning Sponges, Blue
Try a brush if sponges gross you out — bristles dry faster so they don't get that sour smell, and the handle keeps your hands out of greasy dishwater.
OXO Good Grips Dish Brush, White/Black, 1EA
For anyone without counter space for a full rack — lay this down, stack your dishes, and roll it up when you're done. Saved me so much space in my tiny apartment kitchen.
Mainstays Microfiber Dish Drying Mat Black