There comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to stop eating meals straight out of a saucepan and feebly cutting everything that needs cutting with a dull butter knife.
This time is known as adulthood.
It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to kitchen implements. As a college student, you definitely don’t need the full complement of gadgets, but it’s nice to have a kitchen that you can actually cook in. I’ve had my own modestly-outfitted kitchen for quite a while, and have made everything from ramen to boeuf bourguignon to fudge cheesecake. Here’s my list of essentials. Each piece can be bought at a thrift store or inexpensive kitchen supply store such as Ikea, and can be used for more than one purpose.
Either a blender or a food processor. I know they’re not technically interchangeable, but either will work in a pinch. Almost all appliances are mere conveniences–you can toast bread under the burner, or warm leftovers on the stove, but there’s really nothing else that will fulfill all of your getting-things-really-tiny-and-smooth needs.
And that’s about it. There’s no need to fill your cabinets with redundant or single-use materials, but you also don’t have to resign yourself to uselessness. All of these tools are widely available, inexpensive, and will send you well on your way to kitchen mastery.