19 things you need to cook a romantic dinner at home for Valentine’s Day

Anyone can be taken out to dinner. It happens every day, all over the world. But spending all of the hours necessary to find a good recipe, do the grocery shopping, prep all the food, cook it and finally serve it to your waiting love on Valentine’s Day is a true act of service. One that won’t soon be forgotten.

Whether you want to try your hand at a complex dish such as a souffle or keep it simple with a trusty pasta recipe, you’ll need some high-quality gear.

In this article: Cuisinart Knife Set, Rachael Ray Pots and Pans Set and Regiller Mixing Bowls.

The necessities

Depending on what you want to cook, you could need any number of items, but there are four basic items every home chef needs. 

• Knives to cut and prepare ingredients.
• Pots and pans to do most of the cooking.
• Mixing bowls not just for mixing, but also for storage and organization.
• Utensils of various kinds, depending on the recipe.

Best knives

Calphalon Knife Set

This 15-piece set includes a 4.5-inch paring knife, a 6-inch serrated utility knife, a 6-inch utility knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, kitchen scissors, eight steak knives and a sharpening knife block.

Sold by Amazon, Target and Wayfair

Cuisinart Knife Set

This 15-piece set includes an 8-inch slicing knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife, a 5.5-inch serrated utility knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, a 2.75-inch bird’s beak paring knife, six 4.5-inch steak knives, kitchen scissors, an 8-inch sharpening steel and a knife block.

Sold by Amazon, Target and Wayfair

Randalfy Knife Set

This seven-piece set includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, an 8-inch bread knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, a 5-inch utility knife, a 3.5-inch paring knife, kitchen scissors and a knife block.

Sold by Amazon

Wusthof Knife Set

This 16-piece set includes a 2.75-inch trimming knife, a 2.75-inch paring knife, a 3-inch spear point paring knife, a 2.25-inch peeling knife, a 5-inch serrated knife, a 5-inch spreader, a 6-inch cook’s knife, six 4.25-inch steak knives, a 9-inch honing steel, kitchen scissors and a knife block.

Sold by Amazon

Yatoshi Knife Set

This nine-piece set includes an 8-inch chef’s knife, a bread knife, a 7-inch santoku knife, a slicing knife, a 5-inch santoku knife, a utility knife, a paring knife, scissors and a knife block.

Sold by Amazon

Best pots and pans

Carote Pots and Pans Set

This 10-piece set includes a 9.5- and 11-inch frying pan, a 2.3-quart saucepan with a lid and steamer, a 4.3-quart casserole pot with a lid, a 4.5-quart saute pan with a lid and a silicone turner.

Sold by Amazon

Clockitchen Pots and Pans Set

This six-piece set includes 8.7- and 10.3-inch frying pans, a 1.25-quart saucepan with a lid and a 4.5-quart stockpot with a lid. It comes in blue or copper.

Sold by Amazon

Ecolution Pots and Pans Set

This 20-piece set includes a 5.5-, 8- and 10-inch frying pan, a 10-inch square griddle, a 5-quart casserole pot with a lid, 1-, 2- and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 5-quart saute pan with a lid, a 9-by-12.5-inch sheet pan and five bamboo tools.

Sold by Amazon

Goodful Pots and Pans Set

This 12-piece set includes 8- and 10-inch fry pans, a 10-inch square griddle, a 5-quart Dutch oven with a lid, a 4-quart saute pan with a lid, a 2-quart saucepan with a lid, a stainless steel steamer basket and two bamboo utensils.

Sold by Amazon

Rachael Ray Pots and Pans Set

This 13-piece set includes a 1.5-inch saucepan with a lid, two 3-quart pans with lids, a 6-quart stockpot with a lid, 8.5- and 10.25-inch frying pans, a 9-by-13-inch cookie pan and a turner.

Sold by Amazon, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Wayfair

Best mixing bowls

Glad Mixing Bowls

This three-piece set includes 1.2-, 1.9- and 3.6-quart bowls made of plastic that are dishwasher- and freezer-safe. They come in five colors, including purple and red.

Sold by Amazon

Regiller Mixing Bowls

This five-piece set includes 1.5-, 2-, 2.5-, 3.5- and 7-quart mixing bowls that have measurement lines on the inside. They also have nonslip bottoms that are either blue or multicolored.

Sold by Amazon

Rottay Mixing Bowls

This 26-piece set includes six bowls with matching lids that hold 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 7 quarts, three grater lids, six measuring spoons and five utensils, including a whisk.

Sold by Amazon

Umite Chef Mixing Bowls

This 18-piece set includes six bowls with matching lids that hold three-tenths, seven-tenths, 1.27, 2.22, 3.59 and 5.28 quarts. It also includes four measuring spoons and two utensils.

Sold by Amazon

Wildone Mixing Bowls

This set includes five mixing bowls that hold 5-, 3-, 2-, 1.5- and two-thirds of a quart, plus airtight lids for each one. It also includes three grater lids.

Sold by Amazon

Best utensils

Fungun Utensil Set

This 26-piece set includes a whisk, tongs, various types of spatulas, a pizza cutter, measuring spoons and a big cup to hold them. It comes in five colors.

Sold by Amazon

Glad Utensil Set

This seven-piece set includes a turner, a slotted turner, a spoon, a slotted spoon, a ladle, a skimmer and a spaghetti server. It comes in gray or blue.

Sold by Amazon

Kaluns Utensil Set

This 24-piece set includes a grater, measuring cups and spoons, a bottle opener, a potato masher, a whisk, a slotted spatula and spoon and a can opener.

Sold by Amazon

Kikcoin Utensil Set

This 33-piece set includes tongs, a whisk, measuring spoons and cups, a basting brush, hooks for storage or display and a big cup to hold them.

Sold by Amazon

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Jordan C. Woika writes for FranksWaffle. FranksWaffle has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

FranksWaffle spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.