Yes, splurge at least once. This is an important investment and you could have it for life, just be sure to get it professionally sharpened yearly. There are plenty of options on the market ranging from Japanese knives to German knives to everything in between. If you do not have anything decent to start with, go to your nearest restaurant supply store or Amazon.

Dexter1818 is a company that is well loved in restaurants across the country. Misen is also a very decent brand. The bottom line is that any knife will be sharp initially and bring you joy with chopping. Trust me, a dull knife is my biggest turn-off in any kitchen, therefore I tend to bring my own when traveling (yes, I'm THAT person). 

To keep your knife sharper longer:

• Do not put it in a dishwasher.

• Do not scrape the cutting board with the blade side down, but use the dull edge to scrape food off of it.

• Get it sharpened yearly by a professional.

If you believe that the flavor of a lemon is in the juice, you are mistaken. From zesting citrus to grating ginger, garlic, turmeric, etc. this little tool is essential to make your food more flavorful. These are very inexpensive. Contrary to what seems natural, hold the fruit or veg that you are zesting in your non-dominant hand and run the zester over it rather than running the item over the zester. 

To save on space and also enjoy multi-functionality in distributing food into a smaller container without effort, I'm a fan of silicone cutting boards. Yes, for presentation a wood board may be more appealing—please do not put these into a dishwasher—but they do the trick. Something along these lines, but the bigger the better to me. Small mats do not fit all the veg you will be chopping!

While silicone mats used to be all the rage, copper has become my favorite, as they can be used for high heat above 450° with ease. It cuts down drastically on your need for parchment paper, ensures even baking/roasting and for any special size pans these can be cut to fit easily with scissors.

I'm no expert, but just do some research on any forum or online you are comfortable with. Air fryers are a great addition and help in no oil cooking with easy browning and crisping up of food. Needless to say, you can now get an airfryer/pressure cooker combo! 

I grew up with the "scary" old school stove top pressure cookers that many are afraid of. While I still enjoy cooking with them, I much prefer the digital versions due to their multi-functionality, ease of use, timing and delay start buttons. It cuts longer cook times in half at least, but also makes cooking stress free. 

While I do love my Vitamix after having used a Blendtech and many other blenders, it doesn't have to be this level of high powered machine. A magic bullet or immersion blender with attachments is just as good in grinding spices or oats, or emulsifying sauces and veggies to get “creamy” results. 

One of the most essential tools if you are trying to cook without oil. From my experience, none will last forever, no matter how careful you are. So just expect to upgrade every year or two years in order to be able to cook without oil!