Hey there champ.

Did you just move out of your mom’s basement?

Congratulations on finally leaving the nest and taking your first step into the real world! Now you have to pay for rent, your Netflix account, and oh, what’s this? You need to start cooking on your own.

Yes, that’s right, you’re taking your first steps into the real world, which means your parent’s won’t be cooking for you every day. Or if you did cook while at home, it means relying less on boxed mac and cheese. Sure, you could order delivery or takeout every day, but that’s going to hurt your wallet.

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re probably a millennial or zoomer (Gen Z) and have no idea where to start or what to buy for your kitchen pantry. Fear not! We have meticulously compiled a list of pantry staples you should keep stocked. Seriously, we argued over this for like an hour and half. So go on, guilt trip your mom into taking you to the grocery store as we present to you: The Mediocre Chef’s List of Pantry Essentials for the New Chef. (A mouthful, isn’t it?)

Flavourtown

Salt

Black Peppercorns

Dried Herbs

Spices

Better Than Bouillon

Salt and pepper makes the world go ‘round — everything tastes better with it. The dried herbs and spices you buy to start out are ultimately up to you and what kind of food you want to cook. We won’t lie to you and tell you that you absolutely must have paprika in your spice rack, when really you’ll only ever use it to make deviled eggs look good. (More seriously, smoked paprika is awesome.)

That being said, a short list of spices and dried herbs we’d recommend, gun to our heads, are: oregano, basil, cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. We also recommend having a bottle of garlic powder and onion powder on hand — they're great for rubs and spice mixes, and can be used in a pinch when a recipe calls for the fresh stuff but you don’t have it. (Fresh garlic and onion are items we always try to have on hand too!)