We were in desperate need of some all new kitchen essentials. You know, the things you never thought as a human you would get excited about and then your new frying pan shows up and It might as well be Christmas. Yeah, THOSE kitchen essentials. Ours were all stainless steel and under $50 from Target and came in MASSIVE sets that, let’s be honest, we never used all of.

With the exceptions of steak knives, we didn’t by ANY sets. I wanted to pick and choose different styles, sizes and brands for different things and only get exactly what we would need and use. I’m biased but…best decision EVER.

POTS & PANS

Frying Pans – We got this in two sizes, 8″ and 12″ and It is incredible. It came highly recommended from family members and did not disappoint. It is non-stick and is free of chemicals! I got the color Warm Alabaster and it’s the prettiest light grey…and don’t we all love things more when they come in pretty colors?

Cast Iron Skillet – This is one of our FAVORITE kitchen items. We cook anything we can in this because It brings out the most incredible flavors. It’s a little bit fussy to clean but 100% worth It. There are some really expensive options out there, but I promise this less than $20 is incredible quality and the best one you’ll get!

Large Pot – I’ve mentioned before but we love the Le Creuset that we found for an amazing deal at the outlet in Atlanta. We switched the knob out to be gold and she’s a stunner! Their pieces are of the utmost quality and it’s really hard to find something comparable. This Amazon option has great reviews and if you’re not wanting to buy designer cast iron, this is a good option!

*files ‘designer cast iron’ under things I never thought I would say

Small Sauce Pan – Our saucepan option was this little guy from All-Clad. I heard amazing things about this brand and we needed a smaller option for pots so this was perfect! It lives up to the hype. The quality is insane and it’s non-stick AF.

Baking Sheets – For a few of these items, I did the least. And by that I mean I went to Amazon and typed in “Gold Baking Sheet” and went with the top rated item. It’s worked out so far in this case!

DRINKS

Coffee – We all know by this point how much I love my Nespresso. It’s the coffee I never knew I needed. I like to add about half a pump of flavor (you can get these from Amazon in every flavor imaginable) and a little bit of frothed milk and voila! There are lots of Nespresso machine options but I love this one because It adds a lot of the ‘crema’ to your coffee and can do espresso and iced drinks as well! I get my pods from the Nespresso store but you can order those on Amazon as well. I love the Vanilla flavor and the Caramel! Sometimes Nathan will make pour over coffee for himself with his Chemex. He claims It makes the smoothest cup of coffee but he drinks It black…so can he really be trusted?

Drinking Glasses – This is pretty basic when It comes to drinking glasses but I thought this set was gorgeous! It reminds of some my grandmother always had at her house in the 90’s, so I think that’s why I love them so much!

Wine Glasses – I wanted an all purpose set of wine glasses and this set was super affordable (on sale for less than $30) and I think they’re v chic. I’m not super into wine so to be honest, I wasn’t about to get a set for white and a set for red. 16 wine glasses feels like a lot…for two people!

UTENSILS

Flatware – We love our flatware that we got as gifts from our wedding so we kept that and our dishes. Those were sweet gifts we got so anything with the same narrative was shipped to New York! This is the set we have from Pottery Barn.

Knives – Another item that we didn’t need to buy in a set and I’m so glad we didn’t! We got this set of really inexpensive (but great quality) steak knives. Nathan did a lot of research on the best single knives to get and this was what we came up with. These things are INCREDIBLE and work so so well! It actually makes cooking and the prep process enjoyable! ALL you need is these three: Chef knife, Utility knife and Pairing knife. Don’t waste your money, or counter space, on a big block because the chances of you actually using all of those is slim!

OTHER RANDOM-NESS

Glass Storage Containers – We found this set of glass storage and It comes with every size you need for just around $30! This was our alternative to pyrex and we like that this has a seal as well as clips, It seems to keep things fresh 2 death!

Utensils – We picked a lot of these pieces up from HomeGoods and TJMaxx! They have some great inexpensive options and they always do the trick.

Counter Accessories – You have probably seen I have the entire Bistro collection from Anthro in my kitchen! Salt & Pepper shaker, butter dish, spoon rest and canisters…too much? Not enough if you ask me. Oh, and the berry basket. I thought It was very quintessential New York with the tile pattern so I just had to!

What are your secret kitchen essentials that you can’t live without?! Leave a comment below and help a sister out!

Xx,
Anna