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Move-in week brings a long list of things to buy, and the kitchen is the part where money gets spent quickly on things that were not needed. This page sets out what to check before you buy, a short list of what a first kitchen needs, and how to put it against the money you will have for the term.
Check what the accommodation supplies
Halls and shared houses vary. Some have a fully equipped kitchen, some have a hob and a fridge and nothing else, and some ask you to bring everything. Before you buy:
- Ask the accommodation provider what is supplied, and read the inventory in the tenancy agreement for a private house.
- Find out what the hob is, because pans have to suit the type. Induction hobs, for example, need pans with a magnetic base, and the product description usually says whether a pan is suitable.
- Check whether there is an oven, a microwave, a kettle and a toaster, and how much fridge and cupboard space each person gets.
- Ask your housemates what they are bringing.
If you are sharing a kitchen, agree what is communal before you arrive. A shared set of pans is cheaper than four sets, and it is simpler to decide on a quiet night in September than after the first argument about whose frying pan was left in the sink.
What the loan has to cover
Maintenance Loan figures for students from England for the 2026/27 academic year, from GOV.UK, are up to £9,118 if you live with your parents, up to £10,830 if you live away from your parents outside London, and up to £14,135 if you live away in London. The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term. These are maximums. The amount you get depends on where you study and on household income.
Say you live away from home outside London, and you receive the maximum, £10,830. Split evenly across three terms, that is £3,610 a term. This is an illustration, not a promise of the payment amounts, so check the figures on your own award notice. Rent, food, travel, books and everything else comes from the same sum.
If you set aside £100 for the kitchen, that is under 3% of one term's payment. A £250 kitchen would be around 7%. Putting a number on the kitchen before you buy anything gives you a limit to hold the list to.
The loan is repayable. GOV.UK says you are charged interest from the day you take the loan out, and that the size of your monthly repayments depends on how much you earn, not what you owe. You do not repay while studying. The earliest you start repaying is the April after you leave your course, and only when your income is over the threshold for your plan. An undergraduate from England who started on or after 1 August 2023 is on Plan 5, where the threshold is £25,000 a year and you repay 9% of income over it. Students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are on other plans. The loan guide sets out the other plans, and the Plan 5 article covers what changed for 2023 starters.
A short list for a first kitchen
The list assumes you cook for yourself most days. Take away anything your accommodation supplies.
Cooking
- A frying pan with a lid. A non-stick pan of around 24 to 28 cm covers most meals. Ad A non-stick frying pan with a lid is a good start if your hob is induction, as the description will say.
- A saucepan set. Two or three sizes nest and store compactly. Ad A stackable saucepan set with lids saves cupboard space in a shared kitchen.
- A baking tray. It is used for roast vegetables and oven meals, so a single sturdy Ad baking tray is better than a thin pair.
Preparing food
- A sharp knife and a chopping board. One good Ad cook's knife does more than a block of mediocre ones. Add a Ad chopping board that is large enough to work on.
- A few utensils. A wooden spoon, a spatula, a ladle, a peeler, a tin opener and a colander cover nearly everything. An all-in-one Ad kitchen utensil set is cheaper than buying them one at a time.
Storing and carrying food
- Containers. Batch cooking only works if you have somewhere to put it. Ad Stackable food storage containers with lids fit in a shared fridge and carry lunch to a lecture. Check the label before reheating in a microwave.
What can wait
- A kettle, a toaster or a microwave, unless the kitchen lacks one and nobody else in the household is bringing one.
- Specialist gadgets such as a blender, a slow cooker or a rice cooker. Add them if you find yourself wanting one after a month.
- Large sets of plates, bowls and cutlery. One or two of each per person is enough, and a shared kitchen needs a clear rule on washing up.
Cooking for one, and for the house
A shared kitchen has more equipment than one person needs and less cupboard space than anyone wants. Two habits help.
First, cook in batches. A large pan of something you can portion up uses the hob once and gives you meals for several days. That depends on having containers and fridge space, which is why the storage items are on the list above.
Second, keep your own supplies identifiable. Shared fridges fill quickly. Writing your name on containers and keeping your food on one shelf cuts down on mix-ups. Agree with the household who buys the cleaning products, the bin bags and the washing-up liquid, or they will be bought four times or not at all.
Buying sensibly
- Make a list from what the accommodation supplies, and add only what is missing.
- Ask older students or housemates whether they have spare equipment before you buy.
- Buy the pan, the knife and the containers first. They are used every day.
- Label what is yours. A strip of tape or a marker pen on the underside of a pan or the lid of a container saves arguments.
- Keep receipts for the larger items until you know they fit the hob and the cupboard.
If you want to see how the borrowing looks against future pay, the repayment calculator shows what a given salary repays each month on your plan.