What do I need to paint paneling in my kitchen?
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It depends on the type of paneling, but in general, you want to clean it really well. All dirt and grease must be gone so use your favorite degreaser. Let it completely dry then use 2 coats of a primer such as Kilz. Once that has all dried use 2 coats of a good paint in your choice of color. You can also seal it to give it extra protection from kitchen grease, etc. If you have indents between the panels and want the wall to be smooth, before you do the steps above, fill the lines in with spackling paste or compound. Let it dry then sand it down. You might need another coat because sometime the spackle shrinks as it dries. Once you have it smooth, I personally like to go over it carefully with a damp sponge to make sure it's as smooth as possible. Then prime that part. When the primer dries start the steps listed above. I have successfully done this and it works very well.
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I'd give everything a really good cleaning with TSP before covering it with a good coat - or two - of Kilz before painting.
Painting panelling is a little time consuming but it comes out looking great. If you want it all one color you just need to prime it all over with something like Kilz that will block the finish on the old paneling. If you want a two tone look once you prime the entire wall you can put a chair rail all around and paint the top one color and the bottom another. Primer is the key to painting panelling. Do not try to use an prime and paint combo for this job.
Prep work is key. Clean everything, let it dry a day or two then prime and paint the paneling. If the paneling has a layer of varnish, you might have to do a quick sanding prior to cleaning.
Definitely clean really well first. If you're going to sand, I'd do it even before the cleaning.