You will need a basic inventory of quality cookware to achieve your cooking goals. You do not need fancy and very expensive utensils, but avoid cheap enameled cookware. A set of heavy gauge aluminum cookware is a good place to start.

You want to have saucepans in various sizes, certainly a one quart size and two quart size with covers. You should obtain a ten or twelve inch skillet with a lid. Depending on your favorite foods, you might want a five quart Dutch oven, and perhaps a pasta cooker. An electric fry pan with a cover and a small crock pot (slow cooker), and an electric mixer are all very useful items.

Some of the popular sizes of bake ware you should have include:

• 13x9 inch baking pan
  
• 8 inch square baking pan
  
• 9 inch pie pan
  
• 12 cup muffin pan
  
• 9x5 inch loaf pan
  
• several cookie sheets
  

With cutlery, you should obtain a set which includes at least a paring knife, butcher knife, bread knife, and French knife. Stainless steel knives retain their sharpness for along time and are a good initial choice. If you get very serious about cooking and cutlery, high quality carbon steel knives will be your choice. Carbon steel knives can be sharpened with a stone and a sharpening steel regularly. The disadvantage is carbon steel will rust if not dried after washing.

You need several measuring cups. Glass measuring cups with pouring spouts are available in one, two, and four cup sizes. You will also need a set of standard measuring spoons in sizes from one quarter teaspoon to one tablespoon.

A set of nested mixing bowls of various sizes is a must. You will need several serving platters and several oven proof bowls and dishes of various sizes.

Other items you will need include:

• Bottle opener
  
• Bread Board
  
• Can opener
  
• Cork screw
  
• Egg beater
  
• Forks, several large
  
• Grater
  
• Ladle
  
• Poultry nails
  
• Thermometer (instant read)
  
• Scrapper
  
• Strainer or colander
  
• Spatulas
  
• Slotted spoons, large
  
• String (kitchen twine)
  
• Vegetable peeler
  
• Vegetable brush
  
• Wooden spoons, various sizes

You need not obtain everything at once. However, before you begin to prepare anything check that all the ingredients are on hand. Equally important, make sure all equipment and utensils you will need are available. It is awkward on Thanksgiving morning when the recipe says, "to close the turkey body cavities use poultry nails and string", and you discover you have neither.