Emma’s Kitchen Must-Haves!

For anyone putting together their kitchen for the first time, shopping for a friend who’s about to get married or moving into a new house (or just loves cooking), this list is for you!

These are the most-used items in my kitchen that I love. If I had to start from scratch with nothing in my kitchen, this is what I would buy first (beyond major appliances).

And after you see what’s on my most-loved/most-used list, I’d love to know what’s on yours! Leave me a comment with your most-used kitchen items.

If you don’t already have an immersion blender, then you don’t know what you are missing!!

If you’ve ever tried to blend a piping hot soup in a blender, then you know that an immersion blender is worth it, even just to avoid that potential burn hazard.

This handheld immersion blender is perfect for soups, smoothies, and sauces. And you can froth, whip, and blend food and beverages quickly and easily.

The slim design also allows you to reach it into small cups and bowls and the detachable blending wand is dishwasher safe as well.

Use your immersion blender to make these delicious soups!

• Potato and Cream Cheese Soup
• Cafe-Style Tomato Soup
• Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup
• Curried Lentil Soup

Having a good knife set with options is a key to making cooking easier.

This set includes a chef knife, slicing knife, santoku knife, utility knife, paring knife, bird’s beak paring knife, steak knives for eating, a sharpening steel to keep blades sharp, and all-purpose household shears.

And if you haven’t had a pair of kitchen scissors before, they are a great tool to easily cut up food and super helpful to cut things like pizza into bites for smaller kiddos.

This classic mixer is a classic for a good reason!

Besides the coated flat beater, wire whip, C dough hook, and pouring shield that the beater comes with, you can get lots of other attachments from pasta rollers and cutters to grinders and ice cream mixers, as well.

Whether you are making cookies, bread, or pasta, this mixer will stand the test of time (and all the color options mean it will look cute while doing it!).

This 5-blade chopper makes cooking and breaking up things like cooked ground meat a snap, and you can use it to mix and mash softer cooked foods, like potatoes, yams, pumpkin and squash.

It’s dishwasher safe as well, so you can throw it in with the rest of the dishes after dinner.

Besides the 10 trendy colors you can choose from, this Always Pan is a team favorite, and we love the ease of use, the spot on the handle to hold your included wooden spatula, and the nested steamer basket that it comes with.

If you are a dumpling type of household, you can also add the bamboo steamer that cooks dumplings, fish, and veggies to perfection.

When it comes to storing leftovers, using glass storage containers is the way to go.

Hot food can be transferred to them right away, and you don’t have to worry about chemicals in plastics leaking into your food.

These glass containers are dishwasher safe, and when you see all these cute containers lined up in your fridge, you’ll feel like you have one of those celebrity kitchens.

Food processors can be your new kitchen’s best friend to help you make dips, soups, dressings, and sauces.

If you are cooking for a lot of people, most of the time you may want a larger model, but even smaller ones like this 3.5 cup version will get most jobs done, and take up less space on your counter, too.

Here’s a mini version for even smaller households.

Having a coffee grinder is a must, but getting one with a removable bowl so that you can wash it out properly (this one is dishwasher safe) means that you can also use it for spices, herbs, grains, and nuts!

Freshly popped popcorn is just one of those movie night treats that can’t be beat!

Make the ultimate snack a snap with this cute popcorn popper (it will even melt the butter for you on the little tray above the popcorn).

If you love a cold drink, then your next beer or LaCroix is going to love being in one of these insulated can coozies.

Made of stainless steel, just slide your can into the metal sleeve, and your drink will be as chill as you are. Not to mention, they are also so pretty!

No joke, this is currently my most used kitchen item! If you haven’t used one yet, then you truly don’t know what you are missing.

This this double one with two frying baskets is my go-to for larger recipes, but I also love the smaller size, sleek look and the color options. It also comes in a double size!.

Need some ideas? Check out our favorite air fryer recipes!

• Air Fried Okra
• Basic Crispy Air Fried Wings
• Air Fried Breakfast Potatoes
• Air Fried Pickles
• Crispy Air Fried Brussels Sprouts

I love these stackable drinking glasses, as they are everyday enough for a glass of water, but cute enough to hold your wine or iced coffee.

The color choices (we love the sunset and sunrise colors) and shape add a little retro flair to your table and your guests are sure to ask “where do you get those?” They have tableware as well!

If you have a silverware drawer full of mismatched items, it’s time to up your game and snag a matching set for your dinner table.

And, you don’t have to be throwing fancy dinner parties for cute silverware—they even make weekend brunch at home feel more special!

While it can be fun to have some specialty dinnerware (Christmas tree plates, etc.), having a modern, yet timeless everyday plate set is a must.

And when it’s a classic like this set, they will also fit right in at a fancy dinner party.

This collection also comes with a smaller salad plate and a dinner bowl so you can match all the way through each meal of the day and they are dishwasher, microwave and oven safe (up to 350 degrees).

There you have it—all my must-have kitchen items. What’s on your list?! xo. Emma