To cook you need implements to cook with, to cut with, to cut on, and to serve. As a single guy, I learned to use just some basics. I promise I won’t go overboard with what you need.

The essentials:

Get a chef’s knife, Marshall’s sells them for $10-30, buy one.

A fry pan, your choice, stainless or non-stick.

A sauce pan 2 quart-ish, small

A pasta pot 6 quart or bigger with cover

A cutting board A strainer of some sort

A few big wooden spoons

A spatula

A Salad Bowl

A fork and spoon salad server

A big stainless fork and big stainless spoon (these are at Bed Bath and Beyond for $10 each)

A splatter screen that fits your fry pan (keeps messes down)

We’ll buy more as we progress, but we can have a good time with these.