First Home Kit
Setting up your first rental as a Jewish family. This checklist covers the kosher kitchen, Shabbos, mezuzos, and all the general household items you'll need. Items marked ★ are essentials for day one.
Before You Move In
- ★ Sign and read your lease carefully — note what the landlord covers vs. what you cover
- ★ Get renter's insurance — many landlords require it, and it's cheap protection
- ★ Set up utilities in your name (electric, gas, water) before move-in day
- ★ Schedule internet/cable installation — appointments can take weeks
- Document the apartment's existing condition with photos/video on move-in day (protects your security deposit)
- Forward your mail with USPS
- Update your address with bank, employer, DMV, and any subscriptions
Kosher Kitchen
Setting up a kosher kitchen means keeping meat (fleishig) and dairy (milchig) completely separate — separate dishes, utensils, cookware, and even sponges. Many families also have pareve (neither meat nor dairy) items.
Dishes & Utensils
- ★ Meat plates
- ★ Meat bowls
- ★ Meat cups
- ★ Dairy plates
- ★ Dairy bowls
- ★ Dairy cups
- Pareve plates (optional but useful — for fish, salads, neutral foods)
- Pareve bowls
- Pareve cups
- ★ Meat silverware
- ★ Dairy silverware
- ★ Meat serving spoons
- ★ Meat ladles
- ★ Meat tongs
- ★ Dairy serving spoons
- ★ Dairy ladles
- ★ Dairy tongs
- ★ Shabbos plates (nicer set for Shabbos and Yom Tov)
- ★ Shabbos bowls
- ★ Shabbos cups
- ★ Shabbos cutlery
- Disposable plates (useful for Shabbos and large meals)
- Disposable cutlery
- Disposable cups
Cookware
- ★ Meat pots (variety of sizes)
- ★ Dairy pots
- ★ Meat frying pans
- ★ Dairy frying pans
- ★ Meat baking sheets
- ★ Meat roasting pans
- Dairy baking pans (cakes, lasagna, etc.)
- Pareve pots (very useful — used for foods that go with either meal)
- Pareve pans
- Meat Pyrex / oven-safe glass dishes
- Dairy Pyrex / oven-safe glass dishes
- Soup pot (large — for Shabbos chicken soup and cholent)
Kitchen Tools
- ★ Meat cutting boards
- ★ Dairy cutting boards
- ★ Meat chef's knife
- ★ Meat paring knife
- ★ Dairy chef's knife
- ★ Dairy paring knife
- ★ Meat mixing bowls (color-coded or labeled helps)
- ★ Dairy mixing bowls
- Meat measuring cups and spoons
- Dairy measuring cups and spoons
- Meat colander
- Dairy colander
- Meat can opener
- Dairy can opener
- Meat peeler
- Dairy peeler
- Meat grater
- Dairy grater
- Meat whisk
- Dairy whisk
- Meat spatulas
- Dairy spatulas
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Food processor
- Extra food processor blades (optional)
- Blender
Sink, Counter & Cleanup
- ★ Meat sink insert/rack
- ★ Dairy sink insert/rack
- ★ Meat sponges (color-coded — red is common)
- ★ Dairy sponges (color-coded — blue is common)
- ★ Meat dish drying rack
- ★ Dairy dish drying rack
- ★ Meat dish towels
- ★ Dairy dish towels
Pantry & Storage
- Airtight containers (for flour, sugar, rice, etc.)
- Spice rack
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cinnamon
- Paprika
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Ziploc bags
- Trash bags
- Kitchen garbage can with lid
Shabbos
Friday Night & Shabbos Meals
- ★ Shabbos candlesticks
- ★ Shabbos candles (buy in bulk)
- ★ Kiddush cup (for the husband — silver or any non-disposable cup)
- ★ Challah board
- ★ Challah knife
- ★ Challah cover
- ★ Shabbos tablecloth (nicer than weekday)
- Bentchers
- Netilas yadayim cup / washing cup (used both for washing before bread and for negel vaser in the morning)
Shabbos Practical Setup
- ★ Hot water urn
- ★ Hot plate or blech
- ★ Shabbos timers
- Slow cooker
Mezuzos
You'll need one mezuzah per doorway that needs one. Count yours before buying.
- ★ Kosher mezuzah scrolls (one per doorway) — buy from a reputable sofer or Judaica store, not Amazon
- ★ Mezuzah cases (one per scroll)
- Mezuzah installation kit (small nails, hammer, double-sided tape for backup)
Sefarim & Tefillah
- ★ Siddur (prayer book — match your nusach: Ashkenaz, Sefard, Edot HaMizrach)
- ★ Chumash
- Tehillim (Psalms)
- Tzedakah box (pushka)
- Bookshelf for sefarim (sefarim shouldn't go on low shelves or under non-sefarim books)
Bedroom
- ★ Bed frame
- ★ Mattress
- ★ Mattress protector
- ★ Pillows
- ★ Sheets (2 sets minimum so you can wash one)
- ★ Comforter or duvet
- Extra blankets (for winter)
- Dresser
- Closet organizers
- Nightstand
- Bedside lamp
- Alarm clock
- Hangers
- Hamper
- Curtains or blinds (for privacy)
Bathroom
- ★ Bath towels
- ★ Hand towels
- ★ Washcloths
- ★ Shower curtain
- ★ Shower curtain liner
- ★ Bath mat
- ★ Toilet paper (stock up)
- ★ Soap
- ★ Shampoo
- ★ Toothpaste
- ★ Toothbrushes
- ★ Deodorant
- Plunger
- Toilet brush
- Bathroom trash can
- Cup for netilas yadayim (kept by the bed or bathroom, for negel vaser)
- Band-aids
- Antiseptic
- Pain relievers
- Thermometer
- Bathroom cleaning supplies
Living Room & General Furniture
- ★ Couch or seating
- ★ Dining table
- ★ Dining chairs
- Coffee table
- Side tables
- Floor lamp
- Table lamp
- Bookshelf (especially for sefarim)
- Rug (warmth, sound, looks)
- Wall art
- Mizrach indicator
Cleaning & Maintenance
- ★ Vacuum cleaner
- ★ Broom and dustpan
- ★ Mop
- ★ Bucket
- ★ All-purpose cleaner
- ★ Glass cleaner
- ★ Bathroom cleaner
- ★ Laundry detergent
- Dryer sheets
- Stain remover
- Drying rack (useful for delicates)
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Kitchen garbage bags
- Bathroom garbage bags
- Outdoor garbage bags
Tools & Safety
- ★ Hammer
- ★ Screwdriver set
- ★ Pliers
- ★ Measuring tape
- ★ Level
- Cordless drill
- Flashlight
- Extra batteries
- ★ Smoke detectors
- ★ Carbon monoxide detector
- Fire extinguisher (kitchen-rated)
- Extension cords
- Power strips
- Lightbulbs (note what bases your fixtures take)
- Step stool or small ladder
A Few Final Thoughts
You don't need to buy everything on this list before you move in. The essentials (marked ★) are what you need day one. The rest can fill in over weeks and months. Borrow from family, buy used, or accept hand-me-downs — building a home doesn't have to be a single Amazon order.