My friend's boyfriend is a chef and he has advised me to watch videos on chopping and practice a lot of chopping, especially with onions as they are used in many dishes. I've also been cooking with my sister in law who is Chinese, as she knows a lot about Asian cooking and has worked in a few take aways in the past.

Speaking of potatoes, did you know potatoes should be stored in a cool dark spot (rather than in the fridge)? You can put them in a bin on the lowest shelf in your cupboard. Make sure it’s dry, cool and dark, and wrap them in a paper bag. Don’t store them with onions as it can encourage faster sprouting. A silicone spatula is helpful along with a few wooden spoons or heat-resistant serving spoons. A can opener is a must and a cheese grater can be very helpful as well. Now you know these top tips it’s time to move into your new home, or begin the renovation process of your first properly renovated kitchen. Be sure to keep it clean and make sure that it’s a suitable place to prepare food, and also be sure that it is child-friendly!

A Can Opener

From my own experience, it can be overwhelming to research what’s actually useful versus a waste of money so here's my list of 56 first kitchen essentials. To make things easier, I’ve even organized it into categories: Cookware, Dining, and Organization, so you can skip past the stuff you’ve inherited from your parents or old roommates and focus on what you actually need. Setting up the play kitchen was cumbersome with lots of parts and pieces, but we assembled everything in about an hour and a half by following instructions closely (in typical Ikea fashion, these have pictures only). The fiberboard and birch plywood showed no wear and tear, even with a 5-year-old slamming the doors out of excitement. MissT86 'Lovely little kitchen for my toddler, he is having fun exploring it and making me an 'egg' very small but lots of interaction to be had. Glad I brought it' Toymakers Melissa & Doug encourage kiddos to tap into their imaginations with this play kitchen. The design mimics a real kitchen with features like a stove, oven, microwave, storage space, and refrigerator with a working ice dispenser. The setup process was about average and took us about 90 minutes to complete. There were 26 steps to follow, but the company labeled all the pieces and the hardware. The only additional tools we needed to finish assembling the play kitchen were screwdrivers, a wrench, and an extra pair of hands during the early steps. Chris 'Bought this as a Christmas present for my 25 year old friend who is a chef. They're going to love it!'

A windowsill lettuce garden can be a great option, if you want to have fresh salad always at the ready, but you tend to forget about it when it’s in the fridge. You can also grow fresh herbs on your windowsill, such as dill, parsley, cilantro, thyme, chives and basil. Snipping a few sprigs to enjoy over pasta or a baked potato can make your meal taste gourmet. Caz 'Although this is a fabulous set it could do with some more pieces as there isn’t much they can do with just this set. Overall pretty good, kids seemed to enjoy it for a while.' Mobas 'I bought this for my little nephew for his 2nd birthday. His mum was so glad. He loves making pretend meals and feeding his mum.' It may seem silly, but one of the most common thing that people forget when they get their first kitchen is the appliances! Sometimes washing machines and dishwashers are already installed, but how are you going to cook without any kitchen utensils? Or how can you make a cup of tea without a kettle? Although these are small things, they’re all vital things that should be found in every kitchen. So if you don’t already have these things, we have listed down priority items and the best ones you can get.

Aro27 'Perfect little toy for my 18 month old! I wish it had more light and sound options though. He still really enjoys it though so I would definitely recommend it.' Store leftovers in the fridge for no longer than three days. All open condiments should be stored in the fridge as well. You can store butter in the freezer, along with hard cheese and herbs (freeze in cubes of veggie broth or oil). If your freezer space is limited, try to save room for full meals, veggies and frozen fruit. The cooktop of the IKEA Duktig Play Kitchen is nothing short of impressive. It has an electric stovetop with two “heat” settings (but with no actual heat) that glow red with the touch of a button. While these run on batteries, they shut off after a few minutes to conserve energy. Of course, the modern stovetop isn’t the only part of the play kitchen’s sleek design. We appreciated several other thoughtful details, like windows on the oven and microwave door, S-style hooks to hang accessories (all sold separately), a sink, and extra storage space. One of our favorite features? A three-position adjustable height so kiddos can use the kitchen as they grow.

Sam 'Space is at a premium and this table top little kitchen did not disappoint, has an electronic cooking sound and sweet little extras I was really pleased at the quality , durability and price of this. My 6 year old has loved it and I have no regrets about not buying a more expensive floor standing version' Following a month of solid use, we asked testers to make notes of any wear and tear. We also had testers clean each play kitchen to determine if that was easy or difficult. Finally, we carefully considered all other attributes compared to the price of each step stool to assess overall value. Opt for a basic set of pots and pans: a sauté or frying pan, a larger pot for pasta, and a small pot for soups and sauces. Get a sheet pan and a square glass casserole dish (which can double as a cake pan). Every kitchen needs good knives, a chef knife, a serrated knife for bread, and a paring knife. Assembly of the wooden design took only 30 to 45 minutes to complete—a fast construction time compared to other play kitchens we tested. Moreover, the entire setup felt sturdy once finished, and we appreciated the gender-neutral design for all children to enjoy.Parents and caregivers can encourage pretend play by leading by example. Dr. Ross suggests families take toys and start creating a story while encouraging a child to engage in pretend play. Naz 'Brought as a present & made a little girl very happy. Good quality and compact, so doesn't take up much space.' Buy some popping corn. If you’re a toddler, popcorn is fireworks that you eat. And I’ve discovered that pre-rolled pastry has yet to become scarce. Get your kids to cut it into squares, place a bit of bacon in the middle, fold it up, put cheese on the top and then bake until golden. It’s like Greggs is still a thing. Returning to the humble spud, the first thing I ever cooked at school was a baked potato. I took a potato to school, and gave it to the home economics teacher. She put it in the oven and then, when class started two hours later, she took it out of the oven and I ate it. If was good enough for the national curriculum in 1991, it’s good enough now. 15. None of this really matters Erin 'So cute and perfect for my nearly 2 & 3 year old. Although it was for my nearly two year old they both enjoy playing with it' Our 4-year-old kiddo used the island as a prep space before placing food in the oven, which opened like a real oven (pull down) rather than a door (to the side). With additional sounds and lights, like one in the oven to see food cooking, and easy-to-use knobs for appliances, there’s no shortage of pretend play opportunities with this play kitchen.

Xmissalexanderx 'Bought this for a friend and her daughter loves it! Spend ages playing with it and loves the music.' Lilypops 'Nice little set, makes a few different noises, comes with a couple of plates, knives and forks and a noisy thing (not sure what it's supposed to be!) there's a frying pan, egg and spatula and we've added our own plastic food to change it up a bit'

A "Schmedium Pot"

Or if you’re thinking of making your first home improvement by renovating your kitchen, this can also seem daunting. It’s essential that you take great care to keep your kitchen clean, tidy and well looked after. It needs to be hygienic and a safe place for you to prepare food for yourself, as well as friends and family. So if you’re in need of some care and preparation tips for your first kitchen, then keep reading! Make Sure You’re Equipped