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.
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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!
This list is good but incomplete. One kitchen item I would not want to be without is a carbon steel wok. It can do much more than stir fry. It is easily the most versatile pan in my kitchen. I have both flat bottom and traditional round bottom woks and I am ready to give away my flat bottom wok. The only advantage with a flat bottom is you can use it directly on an electric or flat top burner. The round bottom wok is easier to ude in every other cooking situation. Because I cook on gas or outdoors over a wood fire the round bottom wok works better for me.
The cutting board link seems to be fried, try adding an “h” to its beginning!
Thank you!! :)
*blushes*
You don’t have to! I practically live off your recipes at this point, I should be writing “thanks” on all pages!
I’m a big slow cooker guy. While some consider them to be tertiary cooking tools, they are my go to. When I have to work all day, I want to be able to set it and forget it and know that my next meal and lunch for the next few days will be ready when I get home.
I agree Jared – you’re so right – I’ve had my share of cooking and cleaning up every night with a family – my girls are grown now and its just me. I use the weekends to make large batches of whatever recipe I like in the crockpot, freeze part of it in small portions. Just an hour or so each weekend of work for a whole week or more of food. After a month or so, my freezer is stocked – cheap and healthy. I just zap in the microwave when I get home each evening.
In addition to your list, I could not live without my stock pot, immersion blender, and my turkey roaster. I love your blob so much, I am in Canada so the prices of things are way off, but the recipes are amazing, As I am typing this I have a batch of the vegetable egg rolls in the fridge for dinner tomorrow night :)
The one thing I have in my kitchen that has saved me a ton of time and money is my Foodsaver. I buy meats on sale and don’t have to worry about using them up before they’re freezer burned. I package up leftovers with it. Many of which can be heated up in the bag in boiling water.
Also, when I went to Europe for 3 months I used them to pack 3 months worth of yarn in my luggage without having to pay the fees for extra checked baggage.
I totally agree! I couldn’t live without my Foodsaver!
I have that on my list – especially after I move to a little bigger place. Any tips or suggestions would be welcome.
I’m seeing a lot of the ceramic non-stick cookware lately. Is that any better than the traditional (Teflon?) non-stick? Pricing seems pretty comparable…
Colander. An inexpensive plastic one is fine — I buy mine at the dollar store — but indispensable for draining pasta, washing berries, and storing fruit if you don’t own a fruit bowl :-).
I think that more than anything else, the most useful kitchen tool I have is a mobile baker’s table. I live in a one bedroom apartment and kitchen space is at a premium. I didn’t even have room to roll out dough or shape a bread loaf until I got the baker’s table.
They’re a hefty investment new, but they’re always on sale on Craigslist. The key is to get one with a work surface that is high enough to be comfortable. Too many I’ve seen have really low work surfaces.
Love the mason jars.
Recently I’ve been preparing salad ingredients in both quart and pint jars
Each jar holds a different veggie.
I dice up roma tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, etc. and then I have NO excuse for not making a salad for lunch because a sandwich would be so easy to grab.
I love this blog! This blog is the primary reason I’ve been cooking more at home and have loved everything we’ve tried so far. I’ve been adding to my cooking supplies and replacing some things that have worn out over time. My budget hasn’t exactly increased for kitchen goodies but I’ve found some great deals that hopefully can help others.
When my trusty stainless steel pans finally bit the dust (plastic handles on pans is a terrible idea), I skipped the consumer-grade stuff entirely and got things I could use and abuse and not feel bad about.
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/vollrath/3822/p361412.aspx
This is a very basic set but has everything to get someone started. We added an 11″ frying pan, 6qt saute pan (super handy for dishes with lots of liquid or veggies that need to be stirred since it’s got tall sides), and an 11″ lid to fit both but those pieces and any others could be added to the basic set as needed. This set it HEAVY DUTY. No, it’s nothing special to look at but they’re very durable, very well-made, and seriously heavy duty. The thick, heavy, clad bottom is AMAZING for cooking and distributing heat, unlike what my old thin pans were doing before.
For cutting boards, if you have an Ikea nearby, these are perfect! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50153123/ They’re a lot thicker than the flimsy plastic ones you see often and they’re cheap to boot.
Others have mentioned a kitchen scale and I can’t recommend it enough! It’s one of those stupid things you don’t really think you need but once you have, you use it for EVERYTHING. A lot of the recipes on here and elsewhere call of so many oz of pasta or cheese… just place whatever you need on the scale, zero it out, and add until negative however many ounces you need. No extra dishes to dirty and it’s quick! These can be picked up for $10-$15 so there’s no reason not to get this. You will be amazed at how much you end up using it.
GREAT list! Thank you for putting this together, Beth!
To your excellent suggestions I would add:
mandoline slicer A lot of recipes need even slices of veg or fruit, or sticks, or ‘pixie sticks’. Tedious and difficult to do with a knife, this makes it quick and easy. Mine cost about 15USD and has lasted years, though you can spend a bit less or a lot more.
kevlar glove Better than the ‘hand guard’ which comes with the mandoline, at least mine, and gives you a good grip when deboning chicken & other kitchen ops. About 8USD, dishwasher-safe. That’s a lot cheaper than a mere 4 stitches in the emergency room, plus the nurses don’t snigger. According to unconfirmed rumor.
oven thermometer More than likely your oven thermostat is way off, and temperature is critical esp low-temp cooking & baking. <10USD.
Kevlar gloves are a must. I have a really nasty scar on my wrist from a paring knife accident while deboning a chicken. 15 stitches and I got to enjoy an endless parade of people who refused to believe I just got stupid in the kitchen. Definitely get the gloves.
Additionally, I’d suggest a second work bowl for the food processor. I got a second one and I’m shocked that I somehow managed with just one.
The two big things I use that are not on the list are a KitchenAid mixer, and a digital scale that reads metric. The scale has vastly improved the quality of my baked goods by making sure I use the correct amount of flour and sugar (I used to over-add flour because it would compact in the measuring cup!)
Oxo makes a good scale: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Stainless-Pull-Out-Display/dp/B000WJMTNA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402870006&sr=8-1&keywords=oxo+digital+scale
Blender!! We have an immersion blender that is perfect for small quantities (it’s used mostly for salad dressing), and then a big blender for smoothies, soup, sauce, etc. We’re upgrading to a Vitamix at some point this summer, and I’m looking forward to it immensely!!
Others: citrus juicer, rasp, silicone baking mats, fine mesh seive to strain flour, sauce or soup, a canning funnel (fits in the narrow or wide mouth mason jars, I use it constantly since I store anything remotely liquidy in jars)… We use a mandolin quite a bit!
We have lots of kitchen gear, since my wife used to be a chef. Buying good quality pieces is TOTALLY worth it!! We’re slowly adding in more pieces (mostly really heavy duty small kitchen appliances, the last one up now is our blender, most likely replace with a Vitamix since it gets daily use).
I much prefer a micoplane/rasp over a garlic press. My garlic is grated on it directly into the pot in about 5 seconds. It’s also used for ginger, nutmeg, Parmesan, zesting lemons and limes plus much more. It saves me tons of time!
Thanks! So you peel the garlic and grate it from this? genius.
The microplane/zester was recommended to me for garlic, however garlic is so small i found i was coming close to sheering off my skin within a few swipes of the clove… i’ve gone back to a press and find it easier… but that’s just me.
I like the microplane too for all the reasons you list. I use mine A LOT!
Awesome! I love this one alot!