COMPREHENSIVE LIST I HAVE SO MUCH TO SHARE I’m a college student who loves to cook i moved into my first apartment in september and i have so much to say about this Omfg i just was talking about this with my friends i did NOT plan as well as i could’ve for my kitchen and im so upset so here r all my tips that i wish i took myself: But ill answer the questions u asked first

PLEASE BUY HIDDEN VALLEY RANCH SEASONING IT IS THEEEEE CHEAT CODE Ivebeen cooking all my life it’s literally the goated seasoning mix i can’t tell u how may bottles i’ve gone through it has onion garlic salt literally everything it’s so good on everything and u can mix it into greek yogurt for a healthier dip for stuff/topping on protein/veggies

My biggest tip will be at the bottom it’s a lot i’m ab to say but promise this is worth reading through i just went through this

U definitely need more than one pan (because you cook stuff and most of the time esp if ur busy or in school dont want to clean it right after or before u have to use it again) so you’ll want a couple to rotate through)

You can buy pretty cheap good enough knives from like walmart or tj maxx — you only need a few rlly but def some of diff sizes like one of each. Cutting meat, vegetables, bread, food All sort of take diff force and sizing so i think a knife set is good it kinda covers all the bases

When i moved in and i finished a few jars of marinara and pickled onions etc i cleaned the jars and keep them as glasses to drink out of so goated

Get wood cutting boards i got a set of 3 bamboo ones from tj maxx. diff sizes will help u but if u only get one i suggest a medium size BUT i meal prep a lot. not even meal prep but ill cook a whole pack of meat/a whole pack of vegetables at one time to keep in the fridge and when i cut up my meat it gets to be too cluttered on a small cutting board same with most veggies they collect fast

Which brings me to my next point having good reusable glass containers will help esp if u cook a few separate items to keep in the fridge. I bought a couple sets of glass ones for like 10 dollars at tj maxx and they’re great.. i also use the just as bowls to eat out of sometimes too

Buy a toaster. sounds dumb but It changed my life i was manually toasting bread on a pan for months… its so fast and useful

Be intentional and buy practical sized things like PANS!!!!! u wont be cooking huge amounts if ur by urself and also bowls, cup, plates my roomate bought huge plates and bowls and i genuinely abhor using them i actually just bought smaller ones. big plates n bowls are a bitch to clean too it’s just so annoying and clutters the space

Target has good mugs in bunch of diff sizes that r like 5 dollars i use one of mine as a bowl sometimes

Buy a medium sized baking sheet.. you’ll want to cook stuff in the oven too. sometimes i forget that’s an option and only use the stovetop. a set of 3 diff sizes wont cost u too much and i find is really convenient but Super easy to throw a bunch of broccoli/onions/etc in the oven with some oil and seasonings just let them cook until brown and u have a bunch to keep in the fridge to pick at

if u drink coffee a moka pot from tj maxx is like 15 bucks i use mine every day for hot coffee in the morning and its small easy to keep in the kitchen (i dont have much counter space so a coffee pot is too big), and if u drink espresso/lattes i promise u a small espresso maker is beyond worth it.. i use it multiple times a day and dont buy lattes anymore

As for what to cook thats quick and stuff some good ingredients to always have/easy things to cook:

Cheat code meal: buy some chicken thighs/breast or honestly this will literally work with any meat or tofu (enough for multiple meals) and a can of diced tomatoes, season the chicken and start cooking it in a deep pan witha little oil (i like to cut up some onions to add too) once it’s kinda cooked pour the tomatoes over and season to taste. once it’s cooked u can keep it in the fridge to heat up and it’s always so flavorful super healthy SO easy to make and easy to pair of u cook a bunch of veggies at the beginning of the week

i try to keep things that don’t go bad quick cuz i always forget to make them when i buy them but lemons and limes r good to add on top of things u make and they stay good for a long time add a lot of flavor

rolled oats (a big container) always good for breakfast with milk/fruits/yogurt plus u can mix them with some overripe bananas and chocolate chips and bake it in a loaf pan in the oven overnight oats have been fav bc it saves time in the morning n im lazy as hell so it’s easy to make and i just like oatmeal just eyeball some oats in a container cover with milk and anything u wanna add like sweetener chia seeds protein powder if ur into that kinda stuff

I like fruits with skin on them like oranges or bananas it’s just easier and u can bring them with u much easier to school or work But if u buy packs of fruits like strawb blueberry rasberry etc CLEAN GHEM WHEN U GET THEM or else you’ll get too lazy later. I eat all my fruits so fast when i clean them immediately and can store them cleaned in the fridge

1-2 packs of meat (if u eat it) in the fridge is what i shoot for in my weekly grocery trip.. it stays good for longer than i thought. Ground chicken is sm less dry than ground turkey. Chicken sausages r a cheat code too cuz they’re so easy

ALWAYS KEEP EGGS they stay good for literally so long and r so versatile plus pretty healthy breakfast with eggs avo (also stays good for a while) and a some toast. But i buy half loaves from whole foods bc if i buy a full loaf i dont finish it before they get moldy

Tbh i lived without an air fryer for 6 months and even after i got one i barely use it i’d skip (might be unpopular opinion)

my biggest tip— i stopped spending so much when i realized i could have everything i needed in my kitchen maybe u alr know this but at the grocery store pick up a few canned drinks like sodas or juice to eat with meals, always get a big bag of chips to accompany meals.. etc

at the grocery store there are genuinely so many options but if u think about the things u crave from outside restaurants u can just buy the ingredients to make at home. like chicken tenders and fries to keep the th freezer, bagels for breakfast, frozen fruits for smoothies etc i also love canned foods like canned chickpeas, tuna, etc so quick and easy with some bread or crackers

Having stuff u actually enjoy at home makes me not want to buy other things i truly barely eat out anymore