When I started cooking I need to a buy a lot of things and the worst was actually that there was so many choices! How do you know where to start and what to buy? Here is what is in my pantry after 8 years of cooking that I’ve found works for me.

Cooking Spices: salt, pepper, ginger, oregano, basil, thyme, dill, cumin, corriander, paprika, garlic, mustard, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garam masala, fennel
Baking Spices: cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, clove, star anise, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder
Fresh Herbs: mint, rosemary, chives, cilantro, parsley
Other Stuff: olive oil, rice wine, cooking sherry, hot sauces (siracha and chili lime sauce for us), tonkatsu sauce, ground korean chilis (for kimchee), fish sauce, peanut oil, chocolate chips, coconut, almonds, tomato paste, and curry paste.

Pans: cookie sheet, baking sheet with sides, sauce pan – 2qt, stock pot – 6 qt, grill pan, frying pan – small, colander – free standing, small colander, dutch oven – 3.5 qt, set of mixing bowls – 4 sizes, glass baking dishes – 3 piece set, pasta pot with strainer top (so handy), mini muffin pan, muffin tins (2), 9″ cake pans (2), bread loaf pan, and a kettle.

Appliances: stick blender, blender, crockpot – 6 qt, crockpot -2 qt, rice cooker, stand mixer, food processor – small.

Extras: 2 good quality knives for chopping, a set of 4 cutting boards, peeler, whisk, soup ladle (2), pie cutter, pizza cutter, zester, tea press, set of 3 stirring spoons, spatula, hand grater, two 6 piece sets of Tupperware of varying sizes.

I don’t think every person needs everything on this list at all of course but this is what works for me and there isn’t a thing listed that I haven’t used in the past month which feels like a good judge measure that my kitchen really is working for me. Plus there’s a small amount of things I could stand to pick up (ramekins and cooling racks come to mind).

I always wonder what other people have in their kitchen.