When I first moved into my apartment, I was bewildered by the thought of having to buy everything necessary to cook in my own place. My mom always had a crazy amount of cooking supplies in her kitchen, as we did, at one time, have a family restaurant in San Diego. So, in case you are wondering what makes a "basic kitchen", here are my two cents:
Cookware:
fry pan
sauce pan
saute pan
stock pot
Recommended: Stainless steel or stainless with copper bottom, with good weight (read: heavy)
Cutlery
Chef's knife
Bread knife (serrated)
Paring knife
Optional: Flexible deboning knife
Recommended: High end knives like Henckels or Wusthof, as they have good weight and balance, and can be sharpened back to perfection; you can also spring for a Santoku knife, which is a really handy choice
Cooks' Tools
Can opener
Vegetable peeler
Wire whisk
Grater
Wooden spoons
Heat resistent spatula (silicone)
Ladle, slotted spoon, pasta fork
Corkscrew
Measuring cups & spoons
Tongs
Other supplies
Pyrex/glass mixing bowls
Colander (I prefer metal)
Cutting board (I prefer wood)
Oven pans/baking dishes (depends on what you intend on cooking, but get a good roasting pan as a start)
Pot holders
Electrics
Blender/hand blender
Microwave
Toaster/toaster oven
Recommendation: If you're on a budget, just go to somewhere like Target and buy cheapies. However, if you plan on some serious cooking, you may want to invest in a little more expensive electrics, like a more powerful blender or a microwave with higher wattage, cause really, you get what you pay for.
Getting fancy: The more advanced your cooking is, the more tools you will need (well, actually, you will want). Serious kitchen aficionados will buy Cuisinarts and electric mixers - I am hoping to get a Kitchen Aid when I have the money and space - and expand your pan collection by getting specialty pans (I have a well seasoned paella pan as well as a brand new crepe pan). I also got myself a George Foreman grill, for quick and easy indoor grilling, when I don't want to use my grill pan. Once you get into cooking, it's pretty much guaranteed that you will begin to visit kitchenware stores and work yourself into a frenzy over all the available options out there.
Hope that this is helpful to someone out there! Buon apetito!
