This year, as I was looking through advertisements for college-student furniture and home supplies, there was one category that seemed distinctly smaller than others: the kitchen. Having the coolest bathroom gadgets and funkiest bedspread is so important, so why is no one worried about having the sharpest set of knives?

Being as food-inclined as I am, I spent more money on kitchen supplies than textbooks this fall. While my kitchen is now more decked out than a restaurant, you don't need to spend a lot to have a good arsenal of kitchen supplies.

Having Le Creuset pots or Global knives might make your food turn out a little better, but what most people don't know is that their favorite fancy restaurant doesn't use any of that stuff. More often you'll find kitchens full of old battered and blackened pots and pans. It's the way you use your cooking supplies that makes the meal, and if you know how to use them, you can make some pretty good food.

Most people get a set of pots and pans, and some utensils that cover the basics, but there are a few things in particular one should have that can be used for a number of recipes.

When baking, a cookie sheet can be pretty versatile, but buying a baking pan that's a few inches deep is a great investment. It can be used to make things like cakes or brownies, but it can also be used to roast meat. Roasting meat in the oven is a great technique, because it's nearly impossible to mess up (just be careful not to overcook), and the results will be delicious.

On the stove, it's important to know how to use your pots. Most sets come with a few different sizes—and not just for novelty. The smaller ones are great for reheating things or cooking canned or boxed foods. Bigger pots are perfect for cooking things like pasta or anything else that needs a lot of water. Most packages of pasta call for six to eight cups of water, and the taste will really improve if you don't try to jam it all into a small amount of water.

Just as important as the things you cook in are the gadgets and utensils that you use to cook.

One of the most used items in my kitchen is a spatula. It's one of the most versatile utensils; in a pinch it can take the place of almost any other utensil, and it makes things like spreading and folding a lot easier.

A fine mesh strainer also comes in very handy, allowing you to drain water or wash any number of things without spilling them all into the sink.

One area where you should splurge a little is with knives. A really sharp knife will make preparing food a lot easier, and a seven- or eight-inch knife will do pretty much everything. A good place to look for these is Chinatown, where you can find lots of very sharp knives for about $10.

But the most important thing is to not think of cooking as something difficult or out of your reach. Experiment with what you have, and you'll realize that old overused, bent frying pan is probably the best thing in your kitchen.

Reach Intermission columnist Jeremy Konick at jeremykonick@thedaily.washington.edu.