A good SS stockpot
Poultry shears
tea ball for spices when making soups, etc.
lemon reamer
small strainers - the size that fits over small bowls, mixing cup
ramekins or those pyrex little dishes - I use those when prepping
cleaver
toaster oven--great for small things like baked potatoes, roasted garlic, etc., when you don't want to fire up the oven
Buy the essentials, those things you use all the time, first. Buy the best quality you can afford. My Le Crueset pans are over 30 years old and still serve me well. Today, these pans are very expensive. Perhaps when my mom bought mine for me at $199 / starter set, they were also expensive. But they have served me well and were a good investment (I priced the cost to replace the pans I have about 2 years ago--$1500 at regular price!). Good knives. Don't skimp on the knives. And, a good knife sharpener.