One thing that does get enough attention is a good board. You use it more than you think. I have a huge block end butchers board. It used every day. (Separate Plastic boards for fish/Chicken are nice too). More on reddit.com

One cast iron pan, one nonstick pan, one sauce pan with a lid, one small pot with a lid, one cookie sheet. One spatula, one set of tongs, one slotted spoon, one unslotted spoon, one wooden spoon, one medium size whisk. A can opener, a grill lighter, a meat thermometer. A cutting board, a chef’s knife, a paring knife. Get your knives sharpened every 4-6 months even if you think they cut ok. There’s a shop that sharpens knives for like $4 a knife here. It’s a good deal. That’s all I can think of atm If you’re a beginner you’re probably going to destroy most of these items within the next few years. Don’t focus on buying quality brands or items. Focus on buying okish things and learning to take care of them. For instance don’t heat your nonstick pan on high heat. Use a cast iron for high heat, nonstick for medium and low heat. Don’t ever put your hot pans in water, it can warp them. Don’t leave plastic utensils like spatulas sitting in a hot pan - they’ll melt. Stuff like that. More on reddit.com

Tongs (all sizes) Bench scraper Mini food processor More on reddit.com

Check out my spreadsheet of kitchen essentials, it will help you get started. The items marked as mandatory are the ones you should prioritize. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nKkPjKHh9D9jBHzBDXbXRO54vdX41jdDCbr8L7j_omU/edit?usp=sharing More on reddit.com