A saucepan, a frying pan, a stable board, a suitable knife, and a spoon cover many meals in this notebook. You do not need to buy a blender before discovering whether you enjoy beans.
Choose recipes that fit what you have. A rough mashed spread may be easier than a silky purée without a suitable machine. A stovetop meal makes more sense than roasted vegetables if you do not have an oven.
When a repeated task becomes genuinely awkward, consider the tool that solves it. Borrowing or trying a simple version can help before a larger purchase.
Storage and cleaning matter too. An appliance that occupies the whole counter and is unpleasant to wash may not earn its place in a small kitchen. Useful equipment makes the food you already want to cook easier, rather than creating an obligation to invent new uses for it.