Moving into a rental with a bare kitchen is a specific kind of overwhelming. Some rentals come with a stovetop and not much else; others barely have that. The temptation is to buy everything at once — but most of what ends up gathering dust in a rental kitchen was bought in that first overwhelmed shopping trip, not because it was actually needed.
Here’s what genuinely earns a spot on a rental kitchen bench, in the order most people actually end up needing it.
The Non-Negotiables (Buy These First)
1.7L Kettle Boiling water is one of the most-used functions in any kitchen — tea, coffee, instant noodles, softening vegetables. A decent kettle is used daily in a way a lot of other appliances aren’t.
Why it’s essential: Cheap, small, and used constantly. There’s very little reason to delay buying one.
20L Compact Microwave If your rental kitchen is small or you’re not doing much stovetop cooking, a microwave often does more daily heavy lifting than people expect — reheating, defrosting, quick meals.
Why it’s essential: The compact size specifically matters for rentals — a full-size microwave can dominate a small kitchen’s limited counter or shelf space. Check your available space before buying a bigger one just because it seems like better value.
The Appliance That Does the Most Work for the Least Space
4L Air Fryer, Space Saving Air fryers have earned their popularity honestly — they replace a chunk of what an oven does, without heating up a whole kitchen or taking up oven-sized space.
Why it’s essential for renters specifically: Many rentals have small, older, or underwhelming ovens (or no oven at all, in some studio setups). A compact air fryer covers a surprising amount of everyday cooking — reheating, roasting vegetables, cooking frozen items — in a footprint that fits on a narrow rental countertop.
What to know: The 4L size suits one to two people; if you’re cooking for a household, a larger air fryer (like a 24–25L air fryer and oven combo) may serve you better — worth checking your actual cooking habits before sizing down purely for space.
Worth Adding Once the Basics Are Covered
2 Slice Toaster Not urgent on day one, but quickly missed once you’re a week into rental life and want toast.
View category — Kmart Kitchen Appliances
(Kmart’s toaster range changes stock regularly — browse the category above for current options rather than a single fixed link.)
Why it’s worth it: Small, cheap, and one of those appliances that goes from “don’t need it” to “use it every morning” within about a week of moving in.
What Can Usually Wait
A few categories that tend to get bought too early, before you actually know your own cooking habits in the new place:
- Stand mixers and food processors — genuinely useful for some households, dead weight in others; worth waiting until you know you’ll actually use one regularly
- Specialty appliances (waffle makers, ice cream machines, bread makers) — these are the most common “bought in the first week, used twice” items
- A second set of cookware “just in case” — most rentals genuinely only need one good pan and one pot to start; expand once you know what you’re actually cooking
A Practical Buying Order for a New Rental Kitchen
- Week one: Kettle, one good pan, basic cutlery and plates for the household size
- Week two: Microwave (if not already covered) and/or air fryer, depending on which matters more for how you actually cook
- Week three onward: Toaster, and anything else that’s come up as a genuine daily gap — not a “might use someday” purchase
A Note on Space-Saving Choices Specifically for Rentals
- Stackable or nested designs save cupboard space that a rental kitchen often doesn’t have much of
- Cord storage built into the base of an appliance keeps the counter looking (and functioning) less cluttered — genuinely useful in a small kitchen where bench space is already tight
- Measure your bench depth before buying anything bulky — rental kitchens vary a lot in counter depth, and a microwave or air fryer that looked fine online can end up overhanging a shallow bench
The Bottom Line
The kitchen appliances that actually get used in a rental are usually the boring, everyday ones — a kettle, a microwave or air fryer, eventually a toaster — not the specialty gadgets that look exciting in the first week. Buying in that order, and waiting to see your actual routine before adding anything bigger, avoids ending up with an expensive appliance taking up counter space you don’t have to spare.