What to buy first for a small apartment kitchen

Start with the tools that replace a job you do with your hands every week: a hand mixer, an electric can opener, a jar opener and a good peeler. Together they cost under $165, fit in one drawer and cover most of what a first kitchen does. Skip the stand mixer, the food processor and anything that needs its own shelf until you know you will use it.

What is worth buying before anything else?

Buy in the order you cook. If you make pasta and canned soups, the can opener goes first. If you bake, the hand mixer goes first. If you have wrist or grip problems, the jar opener goes first. The peeler is cheap enough to add to any of those orders.

What can wait: a stand mixer, a blender, a food processor. Each one takes counter space you do not have in a small kitchen, and a hand mixer does most of the same work for a fraction of the size.

Do you need a stand mixer in a small kitchen?

No. A hand mixer handles cake batter, whipped cream, mashed potatoes and cookie dough, and it goes back in a drawer when you are done. The 5 Speed Hand Mixer ($53.99) has a 150W motor, five speeds, stainless steel beaters and dough hooks, and the attachments are dishwasher safe. Use the lowest speed to start so flour does not fly, and switch to the dough hooks for anything stiffer than cookie dough.

Which can opener works when you have no counter space?

An electric one that stands upright. The Electric Can Opener 3 in 1 ($54.99) is tall enough for large cans, shuts off on its own when the lid is cut, and has a bottle opener and a knife sharpener built in, so it replaces three drawer tools with one that sits in a corner. The cutting head detaches for washing and the cord stores inside the base.

How do you open a jar that will not budge?

Stop using a towel and a hot water trick. A gripping opener gives you leverage the lid cannot resist. The 6 in 1 Jar Opener ($32.99) opens jars, bottles, cans and sealed caps with a non-slip rubber grip, and it is dishwasher safe. It is the tool to buy for anyone with arthritis or limited hand strength, and it fits in a drawer next to the peeler.

What makes a peeler worth $20?

Blades you can swap. The Multi-Function Vegetable Peeler ($19.99) comes with three stainless steel blades for different cuts, a swivel head that follows the curve of a potato or a carrot, and a handle that works for right and left hands. A single fixed-blade peeler does one job; this one covers julienne and thin peels too, which means one less gadget in the drawer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the total cost of these four tools?

$161.96 at current prices: hand mixer $53.99, can opener $54.99, jar opener $32.99, peeler $19.99.

Are the hand mixer attachments dishwasher safe?

Yes. The beaters and dough hooks go in the dishwasher. The motor body wipes clean with a damp cloth.

Does the electric can opener work on pull-tab cans?

It is built for standard cans with a rim. Pull-tab cans open by hand and do not need it.

Where can I see the full kitchen range?

All 23 kitchen products are in the Kitchen category, including choppers, a vacuum sealer and a portable espresso machine.