T-Fal Stainless Steel Copper-Bottom Cookware Set

The right cookware is a necessity. No amount of training,  natural talent, or high priced ingredients will make up for cheap pots and pans. Without decent quality cookware, you will always be fighting an upword battle.
T-Fal makes some good, stainless steel cookware. They heat up evenly, cook thoroughly, and clean up easily. I've been using the same set for years now, and they still look and act close to new. The lids fit well, and are solidly built. The handles stay cool.
This set comes with pretty much everything you'll need. Three different size saucepans, and a dutch oven, two different size frying pans, a spatula and a spoon. Between the three sauce pans and the dutch oven, you have all you need for pasta, sauces, or soups. Combined with a couple iron skillets, the two included frying pans give you a complete set for stir frying and sauteing.

Kitchen tip: while non-stick cookware can be easier to cook with, the non0-stick coating can contain hazardous chemicals that leech into your food.

Kitchen Compost Pail

Composting is a great way to conserve resources and keep things out of the landfill. With a little bit of work, you can turn your kitchen scraps and yard waste into good, healthy soil.
If you want to compost your kitchen scraps, you really need to set yourself up right. First, you need a good, easy to clean, compost pail with a lid and filter. The lid and filter keep the smell and the fruit flies away. Then, you need good can liners, or bags. If you use a biodegradable bag you can just pick it up and throw it bag and all into the composter. Lastly, a good outdoor compost bin to put the scraps in to let them rot.
There are two general kinds of compost bins, a classic bin or a tumbler. A classic bin can be made homemade fairly cheaply and easily, or a decent one can be purchased. With a classic bin you will have to use a shovel or pitchfork to stir and eventually to remove the compost. A tumbling composter, while more expensive, has some real advantages. When it needs to be stirred, you just spin the bin. When it needs to be emptied, you just remove a lid and dump.

Kitchen tip: Empty your compost pail at least once a week to avoid the bag biodegrading too early.

Cast Iron Skillet

A cast iron skillet is one of the best investments you can make for your kitchen.  They take a little more effort than a standard frying pan, and cost a little more too, but a quality cast iron skillet will last a lifetime. Cooking in them is easy. They heat well and food doesn't tend to stick too much. They clean up easy, but you have to pay attention to drying them, so they don't rust. Occasionally you have to cure them, which is an easy process. In short, wipe the pan with oil and then bake in the oven. Cast iron pans may have a little learning curve, but when you get it down, you won't settle for anything else.

Kitchen tip: A little baking soda sprinkled in the pan will make a great scrub with a dishrag and soap to easily clean a baked on mess.

Stick Blender

A stick blender, also known as an immersion blender, is a must have kitchen tool. These are a quick and convenient alternative to a regular blender. The perfect tool for blending a soup or a sauce, a stick blender will allow you to blend right on the stove. I have gotten by with a cheap plastic Proctor-Silex one for years. For less than twenty bucks it wasn't a big investment. For not too much more, they are available with metal construction. The higher quality ones often feature a removable shaft to make clean-up easier. Some more expensive options feature plenty of accessories to really extend the value.

Kitchen tip: after blending, give the shaft a quick rinse in the sink to make clean-up a snap.

Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray

Again with the stainless steel. A quality stainless steel ice cube tray will make great cubes without a plasticky aftertaste. This tray, by Onyx, has two parts, the tray, and the grid. The grid has a handle to pull up and break up the ice. The handle moves very smooth and the thick, quality construction will keep this tray in your kitchen for years to come.

Kitchen tip: rather than having multiple ice cube trays, use one tray with a decent sized container for the cubes. Freeze one tray, empty into the container, and refill tray immediately.

Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

Stainless steel is the way to go anytime there is a quality, affordable option. Stainless steel will always cost more than plastic, but it will likely last longer. It is tempting to buy the cheap dollar store plastic set, but you won't regret filling your kitchen with quality tools.
These measuring cups are made from two pieces of thick, quality 18/8 stainless steel. The handles are welded on and seem very solid. I use these daily and they still look new. This is a seven piece set, starting at 1/8 cup and going to 1 cup. The size is carved into the handle so it won't wash away. they even included milliliter sizes in addition to cups.

Kitchen tip: when using the same measuring cup multiple times for the same recipe, measure oils before thicker ingredients like ketchup. The oil will keep the thicker ingredients from sticking to the measuring cup and will slide out into your mixing bowl.