Knives

You can do just fine with a couple of good knives as long as you maintain them well. "Know how to sharpen a knife with a stone and to use steel," says Ochs. "If you don't know, watch a You Tube video to learn."

$400: Wusthof Classic 9-Piece Block Set 88509 includes a 3.5-inch, hollow-edge paring knife, an 8-inch bread knife, an 8-inch chef's knife, and kitchen shears -- Sur La Table

$100: To split bones, you'll need the Wusthof Classic Cleaver, 6" 4685 -- Sur La Table

Running Tally: $30,637