All, Kitchen + Bar, Living

The Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Your Kitchen

By Casa de Suna

Published Jul 26

After college, we found ourselves moving around almost every year or so. New leases. New apartments. New cities.

And, while our mom (shoutout to Andrea) always shared the importance of hacking a well-stocked kitchen, we didn’t always get it together in time.

But, there are few things more frustrating than getting halfway through a recipe before realizing you don’t have a key ingredient or essential tool. And, so, we made it our mission to follow our mom’s example by stocking up on all the necessities. We’ll break it down for you.

Pack the Pantry

If you’re anything like us, your weekday schedule is probably packed. It’s not always easy to find time to go grocery shopping and prepare meals every night. (That’s why we’re a big fan of meal prep.) But, there’s plenty you can do if your pantry is well stocked with nonperishables. Here are a few of our favorites:

Oats
Flour
Sugar
Coffee and/or tea
Lentils
Canned and/or dried beans
Quinoa
Rice
Dried pasta (Anna loves the Jovial brand for a gluten-free swap)
Nuts
Granola
Peanut or almond butter
Jelly and/or jam
Honey
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Canned tuna

After you pack the pantry, it’s time to stock the spice cabinet. Start with the essentials:

Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
Chili powder
Paprika
Cumin
Cinnamon

If you’re really starting from scratch, then you may need some cooking and baking essentials. To start, focus on the fundamentals. (Don’t you wish you could have a registry every time you move? We know we do.)