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!
Electric water kettle. I’m a tea addict, so I have a kettle that can be set to different temperatures according to the kind of tea I wish to drink. I also use the kettle for preboiling water for pasta or any kind of hot water that needs to go into the pot with rice or potatoes or vegetables. I rarely drink coffee, but when I do, it’s the pour-over kind. The kettle saves some energy, I believe. I get a lot of use out of my kettle :D
Mortar & pestal are integral to my kitchen as I cook with fresh ground spices. I grow some but even those I buy, I prefer to hand grind (except fenugreek). I prefer my ceramic 3” bowl with ceramic rough grained pestal. Bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond in their white ceramic area many years ago & still going strong. If I have to grind large amounts I can use my coffee grinder but teally prefer the m&p.
I LOVE my immersion blender. I avoided making puréed soups for years after a miserable experience putting batches of hot soup through a regular blender. I After getting an immersion blender, I now make puréed soups all the time. I can blend up the soup in the pot on the stove in about a minute, and the immersion blender rinses clean in seconds. Some of my favorite soups to make are tomato and carrot ginger.
Great list. I would replace the slow cooker with an Instant Pot because it doubles as a slow cooker and a pressure cooker. It also eliminates the need for a sauté pan to brown meat before slow or pressure cooking and makes a great soup pot as well. It will also work for people who love their rice cookers. I would also add a colander.
Thanks for the tip! Do you have a brand name you’d recommend?
Egg slicer also used for strawberries, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Loaf pans, depending on the size of your crowd. Helpful for anything from bread, to small cakes, to meat-made-into-loaves, a good deep dish for dredging things without making a tremendous mess, etc. My loaf pans get used multiple times a week. I have both glass and metal ones.
I also generally despise single-use kitchen utensils, but I have to say I love my rice cooker. We eat lots of rice and it takes the guesswork out for me.
Also, I almost peed my pants reading the Q&A and reviews on the banana slicer. That made my morning. Thanks!
1) 9 X 12 glass baking pan with storage lid. Great for cakes (much easier than layer cakes), brownies, bars, fruit crumble, lasagna, shepherds pie, tortilla pie. There was a cookbook a few years ago dedicated to cooking using a 9X12 pan. Like glass because it goes in the dishwasher & hand washes well. 2) ladle for soups, stews, pancakes, waffles & making jelly/jam 3) ice cream/cookie dough scoop (one with the lever) – use mine mostly for cookies. I go on a cookie making binge & freeze a variety of pre-formed cookie dough so it just needs to be baked. Can also use for meat or veggie balls. 4) Italian style round metal ladle strainer for lifting pasta out of boiling water. Also works good for vegetables & for lifting food out of deep frying. Thanks for a helpful and informative site.
I think the list is good, but I would add a vegetable peeler. It can be used for making thin chocolate curls or citrus peels, carrot curls, etc. as well as peeling veggies.
Oh nice one! That is definitely a must in my kitchen as well!
Everyone knows good knives are a must for any cook. But many cooks also use dull knives, unaware that a low-cost sharpening stone is easy to use. Yes, there are electric knife sharpeners, but why deal with another appliance when a small stone does the job better?
Good stones can be had for little money at hardware stores, big box stores etc. Check the sporting goods/hunting section, get the stone you like the best and sharpen away! Your knives will love you!!
One of my essentials is my pizza stone! I use it for tons of things I would use a baking sheet for (including pizza and fresh bread) and I can just keep it in my oven which saves space!
It’s not really a “must-have“, but rather a “must not have”
I have eliminated pans with a nonstick surface. We have a parrot and The chemicals released when those pans get too hot could kill him.
With little ones i feel a pizza cutter is a huge time saver when the meal is done and ready to eat! We use it to cut up food on their plates in record time! So our food is still hot when we sit down to eat. Eg. Pancakes, meat, vegetables, sandwiches…
That is the most amazing idea I have ever heard of. How have I never considered that?
This is a great list, and looks like my kitchen! I’m tempted to add “silicone spatula” to the gadget list, because often times when I’m scraping a batter or sauce out with a spoon I wish I had one. But then I end up doing a decent job with that darn spoon and as a result never actually replace that spatula!
Cooling rack doubles for pizza pan….. extra crispy pizza and extra cabinet space…..win win. I even use it for fresh dough, just stretch over the rack (similar to a fitted sheet.)and the dough keeps it shape while adding toppings.
Genius!
I’m going to second this. A cooling rack on top of a baking sheet is my go-to stand-in for a broiler pan in many instances. Good for stuff that gets soggy when baking without being elevated.
One of my favorite appliances is the microwave. I use it for reheating left overs, like everyone else. But it’s also very handy for cooking stuff that can be difficult and/or messy on the stove. For example, yesterday I heated up a honey/peanut butter mixture for oat bars. A big Pyrex bowl or large measuring cup is the perfect container to heat and mix the super sticky mixture. No muss, no fuss!
Microwaves have become affordable, even a big one isn’t too expensive. They last for years, are easy to clean and use less energy than the stove – and they don’t heat up the kitchen!