Kitchen Basics

This list is not intended to be completely comprehensive, as it represents my kitchen. For example: I don’t own cookie cutters, because I don’t have kids. I never saw the point of a breadmaker, and I use my food processor instead of a blender. If you make a lot of mixed drinks or smoothies, a blender will be more useful for you. I use an egg separator, because I’m no good at separating them by hand. I also have a lot of specialty devices (deep fryer, ice cream maker) that other people may not find nearly as useful. So adapt as you see fit.

A really, really good set of knives – I have the Shun Ken Onion set. You can’t pay too much for knives.
KitchenAid stand mixer (I have the pasta making attachments as well)
Coffee maker
Espresso machine
Microwave
Toaster oven
Food processor
Crock pot
Deep fryer
Ice cream maker
Waffle iron
Coffee grinder
Immersion blender (a.k.a. stick blender)

Pots and Pans
Cast iron skillet (various sizes)
One good big all-purpose skillet
Saucepans, with lids, of various sizes
Large stockpot
Large Dutch oven
Teakettle

For baking
Lasagna pan (this doubles as a roasting pan, with removable roasting rack
Casserole dishes of various sizes
Griddle
Crepe pan
Cookie sheets/baking sheets, various sizes
Tart pan
Pie pans (2)
Cake pans (3)
Soufflé pan
Pizza stones (2)
Springform pan
Muffin pan
Ramekins (12)
Bundt pan (fluted and plain)

The little stuff
Baster and a basting brush
Bottle opener
Butter dish
Cake server
Can opener
Champagne stopper
Chopsticks
Coasters
Colander(s)
Corkscrew
Corn holders
Creamer and sugar dishes
Crème brulee torch
Cutting boards, various sizes
Decorative pie cutters
Egg separator
Extra squeeze bottles
Flour sifter
Funnel
Gnocchi paddle
Gravy boat
Icing palette
Instant thermometer
Kitchen scissors
Kitchen towels and washcloths
Measuring cups and spoons
Meat tenderizer
Melon baller
Metal skewers
Microplane, hand grater, six-sided stand grater
Mixing bowls of various sizes
Nutcracker
Pasta cutter
Pastry bags and tips
Pastry wheel
Pie weights
Pitcher
Pizza wheel
Pot holders
Potato masher and potato ricer
Rolling pin
Rubber spatulas of various sizes
Salad tongs
Salt and pepper grinders (or a salt pig)
Serving trays, olive tray
Spatulas of various sizes, and a fish spatula
Steak knives
Tea ball
Tongs of various sizes
Trivets
Tupperware (lots and lots)
Vase
Vegetable peeler
Whisks, flat whisk
Wooden spoons and serving spoons of various sizes