I’m a huge fan of keeping things simple in the kitchen. I buy basic kitchen tools and equipment that can serve multiple purposes, and leave the specialty gadgets behind. People have been making great food for thousands of years without tools dedicated to one task (hello, banana slicer, I’m looking at you!) or electronic gadgets that are supposed to make your life easier, but really just clog up your countertops and cabinets. So I’ve made this list of kitchen tools and equipment that will help you run an efficient, no-frills kitchen.
You don’t need to purchase all of these things before you begin making meals at home. Instead, think of this as a goal list of items that you plan to acquire over time. These are my go-to kitchen basics. These are the things that make my kitchen work.
Pots & Pans
The most important quality to look for when purchasing pots and pans is the thickness or weight of the metal. If you buy pots and pans that are constructed out of thin metal, they will not cook food evenly, and you will have difficulty achieving good results with recipes. I have had two sets of pots and pans that have worked well for me, the Simply Calphalon Non-Stick set, and the OXO Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Pro set, as well as a few cast iron pieces. If buying pieces individually, I suggest the following sizes and types:
- 2-Quart Sauce Pot
- 6-Quart Stock Pot
- 8-Inch Skillet
- 10-Inch Skillet
- Deep Covered Sauté Pan – This is probably one of the most versatile pots or pans in the kitchen. It can be used as a skillet or a pot, and can often take the place of two different pieces.
- Cast Iron Skillet – Cast iron very affordable, lasts generations, and is perhaps the best at cooking food evenly, but it does take a little more effort and upkeep. You can’t just throw this one in the dishwasher, so consider this purchase carefully. Make sure it matches your lifestyle!
- Dutch Oven – This is another great multi-purpose kitchen piece. It can take the place of the 6 quart stock pot listed above, it can go from the stove top to the oven, and can act very much like a slow cooker by keeping moisture in, cooking with low radiant heat, and making your food extra succulent. They can be a bit pricier, but you will get a lot of use out of it!
Tip: I like to buy pieces with glass lids, when possible, so I can see what’s happening inside the pot without removing the lid and letting steam escape. I also try to get pieces that do not have plastic on the handle, so they can go from stove to oven, if needed.
Bakeware
- Glass or Ceramic Casserole Dishes (one large, one small) – These can be used not only for casseroles, but also for roasting a variety of meat or vegetables. Extremely versatile!
- Baking Sheets (set of three) – Again, one of the most versatile pieces in my kitchen. Just about anything that goes in the oven will have a baking sheet under it.
- Muffin Tin – Good for muffins, or other small portion dishes like breakfast egg cups, mini meat loaves, and more.
- 9-inch Pie Plate (glass or ceramic)
- Pizza Pans (for pizza-holics like me. I prefer perforated pizza pans for crispy crust)
Prep Tools & Kitchen Gadgets
- Mixing Bowls (glass or stainless steel)
- Cutting Boards (I also like to use cutting mats, like these, for a quick clean surface when chopping multiple items)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – I prefer metal to plastic
- Liquid Measuring Cup (microwave safe, 2 cup volume)
- Spoons, Spatulas, Whisks (metal or wood, preferred)
- Instant Read Thermometer (save yourself from the perils of food poisoning!)
- Colander
- Chef’s Knife – This is the workhorse in your kitchen. Invest well, if you can. If you have larger hands you’ll want a 10″, if you have smaller hands an 8″ might be a better fit.
- Bread Knife
- Paring Knives (great for small jobs)
- Cheese Graters (One of the most used items in my kitchen, good for WAY more than just cheese! Make sure to get both fine and coarse graters)
- Can Opener
- Rolling Pin
Storage and Supplies
- Parchment paper
- Aluminium foil
- Cling wrap (plastic wrap)
- Mason Jars (super multi-purpose and they last a lifetime)
- Resealable storage containers
- Kitchen Towels – Basic “bar mop” kitchen towels (if you’ve ever worked in a commercial kitchen, you know how valuable these are)
Appliances
I don’t use many appliances, but these have gotten GOOD use in my kitchen!
- Slow cooker (Doesn’t need to be fancy, 5-7 quart is a good size)
- Food processor (The exact one I use is no longer in production, but this is the next generation of it.)
- Hand Mixer – For those times when you just don’t have the energy to whisk by hand
What are your “must-have” kitchen basics? Share your knowledge and experiences in the comments below!
To go with the Mason jars, I recommend the plastic storage caps: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BYC4B
The canning lids and rings are meant for canning, not for repeated use as caps – especially the lids. The plastic caps are one piece, dishwasher safe, and are much easier to use for dry storage in the pantry (beans, lentils, nuts, etc.) and for refrigeration (homemade salad dressing or mayonnaise, leftovers, refrigerator oatmeal, salad shakers, etc.).
Very cool! Thanks for sharing that. I didn’t know they made these.
I would add a cutting board. My favorite is 11″ x 14″ and thick plastic. Fits into the dishwasher (not on your list, lol).
Dang, I wish I had this list for my registry before our wedding! I’m definitely lacking in the knife department.
These are great! I don’t have any sort of blender or food processor, nor do I have an electric grill, but those are things I’ve been eyeing for a long time–maybe I should take the plunge.
I think I’d add a salad spinner. And a dry erase marker to label all those jars, bags and other containers!
I label all my containers with permanent marker and then just wipe it off with metho when I’m done. I used to use dry erase markers but then I’d accidentally wipe it off!
The thing I use 1-3 or 4 times a day is my VitaMix – now, I KNOW that it is spendy and not on a starter list, BUT – I was going through a regular blender every year and I’ve now had the VitaMix for almost 8 so it was absolutely worth the outlay for me. That said, I did get a Magic Bullet type set up for my RV and it does fine for small quantities, even smoothies. Still, if the VMix croaked tomorrow, I would be ordering another.
Immersion blender, garlic press, citruis juicer (I use and old fashioned one like the old milk glass ones by grandmother had). I have the basic Cuisinart food processor, but again…for the RV I bought one of the small chopper/grinder (Cuisinart) and it is great.
I have some basic Faberware that I’ve had forever, but mostly use cast iron skillet and dutch oven. Lodge cast iron is very inexpensive. I use it on my glass top regardless of the instructions.
I think one key starting out is to have what you need to make the things in your own personal rotation. As you add to your cooking/baking repertoire, you can add items as you are able. I am also not a fan of specialty items, i.e. one trick pony stuff. I like keeping it simple even though I cook/bake a wide variety of things.
Great List, Beth – absolutely covered the basics and then some!
Hi Beth!! Great post and very helpful!!! First time stopping by your blog and I love your posts, pictures and how you break down the recipe costs!! These are some great tips in this post! I think I even need a few of these items myself.
Thanks!
AJ
I’ve never used a food processor but I use my stick blender every second day. It’s great for blending things right in the container they are being cooked in.
Would love to hear what you use your stick blender for; I have one that gets used on occasion & I’d like to use it for more than smoothing up soups. Thanks!
I use mine for soups the most, but I don’t have electric beaters or anything so I use it for puddings and sometimes for cake mixes, I use it for my marinara (my nonna taught me that trick), my picky brother’s bolognaise. Mine comes with a bowl thing that the motor attaches to and i use it for making hommus, chopping things (although it doesn’t do a good job), sometimes salad dressings and so much more. I don’t use it as much as I used to, but it still gets a lot of use.
I use my stick blender constantly, especially as I’m a single cook and I want small amounts of things with easy clean-up. I use it for soups, dressing, sauces, refried beans, mashed potatoes, pureeing fruit for sorbet, making smoothies right in the cup, etc. I almost never haul out my big blender – only when I need to crush ice.
I would just like to offer a tip for people with glass stove tops. I just got a new one and was reading the manual and it seems the only material that is highly recommended to use on the glass top is stainless steel. Thankfully for me, I had already started a stainless steel collection. But keep in mind the material of your pots and pans and the material of your cook top too before making any big purchases.
Don’t believe everything you read! I have a glass top stove and I use my cast iron skillet and Dutch ovens all the time. You just have to remember not to drag them across the surface and you’ll be fine. I don’t know how I would cook without those!
I have a very small simple kitchen, and this list is pretty much exactly what I have.
I have a blender and a rice cooker, but otherwise.. that’s it! I also have favorite baking pans from Wearever with matching racks.
I don’t have a cast iron skillet. I use my dutch oven and my metal skillet that’s ok for the oven instead.
Those are also the exact knives I own. No need to for all the others!
I love having a simple kitchen.
I love my Stainless Steel Scraper/Chopper, which is handy for baking, moving chopped veggies, cutting brownies/lasagna… I use mine so often I bought a second one.
I love my knife sharpener to pieces. Keeps my knives sharp which makes all the prep and serving work easier, and was relatively inexpensive (I think about $30-$50). Far cheaper than buying new knives.
I was also going to say a good knife sharpener…I have an electronic one that I got from walmart.com. In my opinion whatever knife you like and feels good in your hands is the best you just have to sharpen in often! The electric sharpener is much easier than the manual ones and makes my knives so sharp.
I love my handheld blender – fantastic for soup. I also find a vegetable peeler pretty essential. I know you can do it with a knife but it’s much less stressful with a decent peeler. I also adore my digital kitchen scales, and my vac-u-vin (http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-0981450-Vacuum-Stoppers/dp/B000GA3KCE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1400794852&sr=1-1&keywords=vac+u+vin)
Here are my top five must-haves: http://twoforksonelove.com/five-for-friday-kitchen-basics-you-cant-live-without/
I would maybe add Blender of some sort to that list, but I suppose that would probably come under the Extras category. That way you can make smoothies, milkshakes, frozen drinks and puree soups.
Oh yes, I forgot about my little blender! I have one of those inexpensive, single serving kinds and it’s perfect for making dressings and things.
I use my food processor for making smoothies, it’s even better with anything containing ice
Agree on the handheld blender
+1 on the cast iron! I didn’t have one until a few years ago but now it’s the pan I use 90% of the time.
Silpats and one of those butterfly wine bottle openers that also opens beer bottles (for the important things in life): http://www.amazon.com/The-Modern-Essentials–Mechanical-Butterfly-Corkscrew/dp/B000P7PXFK/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1400792477&sr=1-2&keywords=wine+bottle+opener