How to organise your kitchen on a budget

New home kitchen essentials: a checklist

When it comes to moving into your new home, there’s loads of things you need for a kitchen that can easily be forgotten. We’ve created a checklist full of kitchen essentials that you’ll need to get cooking…

15 things you need for a new kitchen

Cookware

1. Sharp knives: a quality knife set will prevent endless blunt-knife sawing

2. Pots and pans: a mix of sizes to cater for a range of cooking needs such as boiling and frying. 

3. Baking trays and dishes: including different sizes and oven-proof casserole dishes for family-sized meals   

4. Kitchen scales: electric or manual scales will both work well

5. Mixing bowls: will be essential for baking days

6. Chopping boards: plastic or wooden chopping boards will protect your kitchen countertops – often available in multiple colours for designated veggie and meat cutting

7. Sieve or strainer: for draining pasta or rice

8. Can opener: avoid struggling to open your tinned goods mid-way through cooking 
 

Utensils

9. Spatula: a flipping useful tool 

10. Tongs: for tossing, turning and serving

11. Peeler: can be used on many things including fresh fruit, potatoes and vegetables

12. Wooden spoons: the simplest of all kitchen must-haves and possibly the most useful 

13. Garlic press: essential if you’re a garlic lover

14. Masher: a quality masher means lump-free mash potato  

15. Scissors: not always classified as a kitchen item but it’s always useful to keep a pair handy. 

What are the must-have kitchen appliances?

Kettle

Whether you need to boil water for your tea, coffee or speed up cooking, the kettle is a staple kitchen item. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen, you may consider replacing the kettle with a boiling water tap for instant hot water without the wait – plus it’ll integrate into your kitchen to save some space.
 

Toaster

The toaster is essential for many bread products from bagels to breakfast muffins. You can get 2-slot toasters to save space in smaller kitchens or 4-slots to feed the whole family.

Microwave

Microwaves are quite an important appliance that can be used for many different cooking needs. Whether you need to reheat leftovers or defrost frozen food, the microwave can do it all.

Coffee maker

More recently popular among those hoping to reduce their daily trips to coffee shops, the coffee machine is a great addition to the kitchen. Most coffee machines include multiple settings so you can make lattes, cappuccinos and more in the comfort of your home. 

Blender

Blenders are ideal for making homemade cooking sauces or smoothies. You can get standing blenders or hand-held ones that are easy to store in kitchen cupboards.

Toastie maker

This one isn't essential but comes in handy for last-minute lunches. Toastie makers mean you can make tasty grilled cheese sandwiches that are perfectly crispy every time.

Dish washer

Recently as popular as fridges and ovens, the dishwasher is another kitchen must-have. It’ll save you time and prevent the build up of dirty dishes around the sink.  

What should you consider before buying new kitchen essentials? 

Before you go on your kitchen essentials shopping spree, it’s important to think about how much will fit into your kitchen space. You may need to consider which appliances suit your small kitchen, or the best way to store your cooking tools in order to save space in the kitchen. For a less crowded set up, you may want to consider opting for compact or multi-functional appliances that can do several jobs in one.