Now that you’ve finally found an apartment you love, you must be ready to put down a deposit and sign a lease.

The next thing you might want to do is to add some serious upgrades to your cooking experience. It’s time to move on from taking out food from a restaurant and break in that new kitchen. The question now is, what are the first things that you need to stock in your kitchen. Here is the checklist that can help you choose the essential things you need to buy for your first kitchen.

You need to buy a small saucepot with enough volume that you can use for one meal. Make sure it small and designed for the sauce – heating your sauce in a big pot might cause too much to boil off. You also need a pasta pot, which often comes in 5-quart, 6-quart, or 8-quart varieties. Avoid using too small of a pot, as your water might overflow as the pasta cooks.

You will need to have a stockpot also, which is ideal for preparing soups, stews, and broths. These pots are usually big enough that, if you make soup with the use of an immersion blender to mix it all, it doesn’t create splatter all over the stovetop.

A frying pan is also one of the essentials that you need to have for your first kitchen. Any medium or large pan is excellent for preparing a quick meal such as eggs or any cold cuts.

A wok is also an essential item  that you need for your first kitchen. A wok that is deep and wide is perfect for stir-frying. Cooking in a wok prevents food and sauces from spilling over.

When you invest in some good flatware such as forks, knives, and spoons, it will go a long way and may last forever. You can buy silverware in sets that can be ordered online or head to your local home store to pick up the set that suits your tastes. These sets usually come with some additional serving pieces.

You also need to buy a silverware organizer to keep your pieces organized and easy to find. Without a silverware organizer, you’ll have a hard time finding the right fork, knife, or spoon, and it helps keeps track if you run out of clean silverware.

Small plates are some of the essentials that you need to have for your first kitchen. You need them at breakfast for eggs and toast, salad, or appetizers. Large plates are some of the essential things that are a must-have for lunch and dinner. You will also need to have bowls, which are great for breakfast cereal, delicious parfaits, or some hearty stews or soups.

A can opener is also an important thing to have in your kitchen as you can’t open cans without it. It is useful for opening cans of beans, tomato sauce, vegetables, and other affordable staples. Prep knives are also some of the essential things you need for your first kitchen as they can easily be used to chop vegetables, meats, and other ingredients before cooking.

You also need to have in your kitchen the following: spatulas, tongs, ladles, serving spoons, whisks, measuring cups, cutting boards, and colander. These are some of the essential things that you need to have for your first kitchen.

Some of the essential appliances that you need for your first kitchen should include a blender, toaster or toaster oven, microwave oven, kettle, blender, and rice cooker. The blender is perfect for preparing a quick smoothie or blending a soup. A toaster or toaster oven is ideal for heating bread in seconds. Toaster ovens also come with baking capabilities for smaller meals. A microwave is the most convenient way to warm up leftovers. With a kettle, you can boil water quickly, which is perfect for coffee, tea, and oatmeal. A rice cooker cooks rice easily and promptly without scalding or overcooking.

Oven mitts are also crucial for every kitchen, so you don’t burn your hands on hot baking trays. These are available as cloth gloves, cloth pads, or silicone pinch mitts. Your kitchen also needs to have a sheet pan, which is perfect for bake cooking, roasting vegetables, cooking chicken breasts, and much more. A silicone mat is also a kitchen essential that can help create a non-stick surface on your baking trays.

Food storage containers are also a must-have for your first kitchen. They are useful for storing leftovers. Your kitchen also needs to have freezer bags so you can save ingredients like fruits and vegetables. They will survive better in airtight plastic bags.

If it’s your first time renting an apartment, you should check out this checklist, as it can give you ideas on how to choose the essential things you need for your first kitchen.