Is Your New Year's Resolution To Get Back Into The Kitchen? The Best Home Items To Get You Started

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It's officially a new year, and it's time to make good on all the goals you set for yourself in this fresh chapter. Committing to cooking your own meals is at the top of so many of our resolution lists, and yet it seems like such a difficult goal to keep. A lot of the time, we don't set the groundwork for an easy transition into our desired new habits. If your goal is to get back into the kitchen in the New Year, the first step is to take stock of what you have in your kitchen, purge anything taking up precious space, and bring in essential items to help you achieve and maintain your goal.

We know that cooking more at home has a myriad of benefits. It's healthier for your body and your wallet. Spending more time preparing your own food can vastly improve your daily lifestyle, too. But cooking can feel overstimulating and futile in a poorly organized, barebones kitchen. Creating optimal flow and function in your kitchen with the proper kitchen items, including a food storage set and beginner appliances, can make all the difference. Each home cook will have their own unique needs, depending on what they cook most often, so break down your cooking goals by task and find the corresponding tools. If you're looking for a jumping-off point, we compiled the 10 home items to help you prepare your kitchen, so you can achieve your New Year's resolution.

Whether you're looking to achieve some fitness goals, too, or you're simply looking to streamline your meals during the week, meal prep containers are a handy item to have around. There are plenty of options to choose from with various sizes and materials to explore. Some food storage containers have convenient compartments built in for sauces or utensils, while others keep it traditional. Find great options like these WOVOW glass snap lid containers on Amazon, or opt for Aldi's colorful 8 Piece Short Storage Bowl Set.

Navigating a cluttered, disorganized kitchen is enough to push you to give up on your New Year's cooking aspirations on week one. Get ahead of the mess by implementing clever, budget-friendly ways to organize your kitchen, such as hidden storage racks. You can hang these behind your cabinets to organize your pasta, baking essentials, or even cleaning supplies. Wayfair has two excellent options— the Albie Cabinet Door Organizer for smaller items and the Middlebrooks Cabinet Door Organizer for larger items, like cutting boards. These hidden racks are a lifesaver in smaller kitchens.

Stainless steel pans have had a flurry of bad PR since the introduction of non-stick alternatives. But the truth is, if you know how to use a stainless steel pan properly, you can prevent your food from sticking. Just preheat your pan before cooking; you'll know it's hot enough when you flick water into it, and it beads up. Stainless steel pans are also excellent for searing and browning due to their even heat distribution. There are lots of great stainless steel pans on the market, including the All-Clad Fry Pan, but you can always search the thrift for quality options, too.

Getting into the kitchen doesn't mean you have to whip up every meal like you're a pro on Top Chef–you can find quick, easy solutions to make cooking less of an ordeal. Air fryers are versatile tools that can cut cooking times in half and help make food a bit healthier. The handy little appliances combine the power of convection and radiation to circulate hot air within the cooking chamber. You have a variety of brands to choose from at different price points, including the Fritaire Self-Cleaning Glass Bowl Air Fryer and the Toshiba 7.7QT Air Fryer.

Organization is everything in achieving a seamless kitchen flow. If you're new to cooking or just getting back into it, you already have a lot on your plate. The last thing you need is a cluttered, avalanche of pots, pans, and lids to contend with every time you open your cabinets. Give yourself a leg up by using cabinet racks to keep everything in order. There are quite a few options on Wayfair, from the Heavy-Duty Kitchenware Pan Divider to the Stackable and Expandable Cabinet Shelf Organizers. Once your tools have a designated spot, navigating your kitchen becomes a breeze.

Rice is the cornerstone for so many meals. However, it can be a bit tricky to perfect or cook at a large scale if you're meal prepping. Enter the rice cooker. If you eat a lot of rice, it's absolutely worthwhile to make space for this handy gadget. It simplifies the entire process and saves you a ton of time, which you can dedicate to other cooking tasks. Rice cookers, such as the Aroma Select Stainless Rice Cooker and Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer, can also steam vegetables and cook foods, such as oatmeal or soup.

Cast iron is a kitchen staple worth investing in. There are two types: traditional and enameled. Both have incredible durability and heat retention. However, traditional cast iron is a bit sturdier, while enameled cast iron is best for cooking acidic food and has the added benefit of an attractive design. Le Creuset is famous for its beautiful enameled cast iron selection, while Lancaster crafts traditional cast iron pans built to last, such as their No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet. You can also score a quality cast iron at the thrift if you're willing to put in the work to restore it.

Working with what you have is sometimes necessary, but if you can splurge on one thing to get your New Year's cooking journey started, consider springing for a quality chef's knife. You'll be amazed at how much easier food prep is when you have a sharp, precise knife to slice through veggies and meat. These multi-purpose tools are a major asset for keeping things efficient in the kitchen. Knives, such as Miyabi Koh 8-inch Chef's Knife and Hedley & Bennett Chef's Knife, are two good options to look into.

Seasonings can devolve into a chaotic mess if you don't have a good method to keep them in line. Whether you're in a scenario where you need to organize your kitchen without a pantry or you simply need a new strategy to tackle the mess, using a dedicated spice drawer organizer, like Wayfair's Bamboo Expandable Spice Drawer Organizer, might be a great option to explore. It offers a way to display and store your seasonings for easy access and clean up. 

Last but certainly not least, be sure you have a set of cutting boards to help get your cooking aspirations off the ground this New Year. It's important to have at least two cutting boards in your kitchen–one for fruits, veggies, and bread, and another for meat–to prevent cross-contamination. Butcher block cutting boards, such as the Teakhaus Butcher Block, are popular for their knife-safe surface and natural look that blends in with most aesthetics.