A Peaceful Kitchen: Ten Essential Kitchen Items PLUS Five Game-Changing Appliances
Yes, this list is going down the bare minimum. Really, I suggest getting rid of everything you haven’t used, never use, don’t like, don’t want, or don’t have the energy to pull out of the back of your cabinet. It relieves so much stress to know that when you open your pantry, you will see a simplified collection of kitchen items that doesn’t overwhelm you or make you feel like a hoarder. Here are the basic items you need to declutter your kitchen and live simply with less. These are the only things I use, and I make do with what I don’t have because to me, that’s easier than overflowing drawers and cabinets. Most of my kitchen items fit into one cabinet (not including appliances).
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TEN Kitchen Items for a Fully FUnctioning Kitchen
Knife set
You don’t need a ton of knives. Just a table knife or bread knife, a chef or Santoku knife, some steak knives, and a good pair of kitchen scissors. (Personally I don’t use my utility knife or paring knife, and I have a small serrated table knife that I use for almost everything, and I cut meat with my Santoku knife or scissors.)
If you are looking for a budget friendly option, this knife set by Farberware is over 50% right now on Amazon. There is also a Cuisinart knife set which is not on sale but has better reviews.
To be sincere with you, I can’t really vouch for the many Amazon brand options since it could be hit or miss, but with an expensive knife investment I would suggest buying something in-store.
Opinel knives are made in France, Wusthof in Germany, and Victorinox in Switzerland (makers of Swiss Army knives). There are no good looking sets of the Wusthof knives on Amazon and they have poor reviews, and Opinel only had a few options on Amazon, like this set of three. (WHY do they always include a paring knife. I am going to google what is the purpose of a paring knife.)
Victorinox is a Swiss brand and is pretty pricey but high quality and is sold on Amazon with reliable reviews. Here is a simple set of five, or this set of four with excellent reviews.
French Press Coffee Maker
I LOVE my French press. If you take my advice of anything on here, definitely get this French press. We had gone through three or four other ones before this one, and they either broke or were too small, etc. This one by Mueller is perfect, it keeps the coffee hot, it is virtually unbreakable, it is easy to clean – everything you would look for. It’s simple to use – boil water, put in 8 scoops of coffee grounds for 8 cups of coffee, pour the water to the fill line, put the lid on and let it steep for 5 minutes and then slowly press down the handle. Best of all, the price has gone up since I bought it a few years ago for $25, but right now it’s on sale for $20 with a Black Friday Deal! This is the only coffee maker I will recommend.
cOOKING uTENSILS
Basic cooking utensils often come in huge packs to get you to buy the useless items along with the needful ones – don’t fall for it! Better to buy a reliable set of nylon, sturdy high quality wood (not the cheap splintery kind), or stainless steel items that you really need, than a pack of 20 cheaply made random utensils that will just get in your way and fall apart. For a minimalist utensil list, I have a whisk, a spatula, a ladle, a big spoon, a spaghetti scooper, and tongs.
mEASURING cUP and spOONS
Try not to get sucked into buying a set with a million different sized scoops and spoons. I hardly ever measure anything anymore and actually only use my classic glass measuring cup or judge by sight.
This KitchenAide set is only a couple dollars and consists of four basic measuring scoops, which is nice. It comes in different colors, but the Aqua Sky is only $4 right now, and there are matching measuring spoons.
Pyrex 4-cup Glass Measuring Cup
Pyrex 2-cup Glass Measuring Cup
These measuring spoons are magnetic to stay together and are on sale for Black Friday: Magnetic Measuring Spoons
I also recommend getting a set that has collapsible cups, as these store the best, but I don’t see any on Amazon that look durable enough that I could sincerely recommend.
cOLANDER/sTRAINER
This OXO colander has a lot of holes which is something to look for. Two features to look for are feet at the bottom, and holes all over. Some colanders have no holes in the ring around the bottom and water gathers and makes pasta soggy. Others have holes everywhere but no legs. Usually it’s a trade-off and you need to decide which is more important for you. I definitely recommend metal and not plastic.
If you wanted get this set instead of getting a mixing bowl separately, this duo functions as a mixing bowl with a colander that nest together to save space, and it’s on SALE for Black Friday 2023. I suggest the largest size.
a mixing bowl
As basic as it sounds, this is something I can’t live without. It doubles as a serving bowl, and because we have a large family, I have a large bowl. I use it to mix pancakes, granola, cake batter, cookie dough, salad, protein balls, and more.
This simple one is similar to what I have.
Can Opener
A small, seemingly insignificant thing to start with, but it can’t be overlooked – I have been inconvenienced by not having a can opener on hand a number of times, and it is frustrating. This sturdy can opener by Kitchen Aid is one that has lasted me a while. This electric can opener is on sale for Black Friday 2023 on Amazon.
Medium cooking pot with lid
When you eat a lot of pasta like we do, a good cooking pot is a must have. I have found that the medium size is able to hold somewhere between 1.5 and 2 pounds of pasta, which is cutting it close for us. For rice and quinoa, a 1.5 qt size is perfect. I think a 2.5 quart is a happy medium which works well for pasta without being overkill for rice. Whatever your preference, I beg you, do not get a cheap pot with a thin bottom, you will absolutely burn on the bottom and the burning pasta will permeate through the boiling water and ruin the entire batch of pasta. For example, this pot – don’t buy it. Don’t be tempted by the $10 price tag. You will regret it. I also try to avoid Teflon and look for purely stainless steel with a thick heavy bottom. This is the one I have and I strongly recommend it.
Cast iron pan
When it comes to cast iron, I’ve used quite a few makers and models, and my favorite is the simple Lodge cast iron skillet. I wouldn’t recommend any other brand because they are so trustworthy and reliable, and last forever. They make other cast iron products like a dutch oven or a flat skillet, but I find this one skillet does pretty much everything I need and I made most of my dinners in it.
1-2 large Baking trays
If you have a large family like us, you will definitely need the extra large. These are versatile and I use them for everything oven related – brownies, garlic knots, pizza, calzones, lasagna, chicken legs, apple pie, peach cobbler, homemade granola, you name it. I don’t mean the flat kind – mine are 2-3 inches deep. This took me a while to find on Amazon but I found this one, and they also sell them at Sam’s Club and restaurant supply stores. If you have a large family I would say it is a must-have. If I did not have a large family, I would probably just use one 9×14 glass baking dish and that would be sufficient.
Five Game-Changing Kitchen Appliances
In addition to the cookware and utensils above, these are the five appliances I have in my kitchen. If you are wanting an even simpler kitchen, you definitely don’t need them. However, they make my life a lot easier and enable me to do a lot of large-scale cooking pretty quickly and easily. If I had to pick just two, I would say the Ninja blender and the Instant Pot are my go-to minimalist essentials. When you talk to people and spend time at friends’ houses, you realize just how many gadgets and appliances we have as Americans that are gathering dust or only used once a year, and I don’t have space or mental energy for that – these five more than do the job for us.
Ninja Blender
My Ninja blender is probably my number one favorite item in my kitchen, and the last thing I would be able to get rid of. My first Ninja blender was a wedding gift and lasted me over ten years, and I absolutely recommend the Ninja over any other blender. I have used others over the years at friends’ homes, and they really don’t do the job. Whether I am mixing dough, cutting carrots, blending bullet coffee, or making dozens of smoothies, the Ninja blender serves me well. They also come with smaller single serving blending cups which are great for busy moms looking for a quick healthy snack to keep them going through the day. This Ninja is on sale on Amazon for Black Friday If you want something small, this is the single serve set up. And this Ninja blender set comes with two single serving cups and a food processor bowl, but in my opinion that makes the kitchen just a bit too crowded.
griddle
With a large family, a griddle became essential if we ever wanted pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. and I didn’t have three hours to stand over a small cast iron pan cooking them two at a time. Griddles irritate me because they are often awkwardly shaped and take up a lot of space or are hard to store. I tried the Oster Diamond Force Griddle (not available on Amazon at this time) and the size was good for a large family, and the nonstick was great, but the storage was not ideal (it was just too long to slide in sideways and just too tall to slide in upright – but if you have the right cabinet it would work). Then I found this one made by Presto and I was very happy with it, although it was a little smaller. It has a grease trap, is easy to clean, and folds nicely.
bread machine
I did a LOT of research before buying my bread machine. I actually found mine on Mercari, which is a great place to look for used appliances. The one I got I was so happy with and would buy again. I used it every single day – hot bread ready in the morning, and it made pizza dough, garlic knot dough, and naan bread dough super simple. It was really easy to clean and had a timer that is GREAT for busy moms. You can buy the Cuisinart Bread Machine here on Amazon. I’ve read posts where people try to say you can make scrambled eggs and jam and all kinds of stuff – I can’t say if that’s true, but just from the bread aspect alone it’s a worthwhile money saver and time saver. Check out my Easy Italian Loaf Recipe for a super simple foolproof recipe that I used on a daily basis.
instant pot
Ah, the instant pot. Ironically, I didn’t buy mine, it was given to me, otherwise I probably never would have gotten one. It just seemed… superfluous? And I don’t like crock pots – you just can’t make anything REALLY good in them (at least according to my husband, who eats my food). But my instant pot is a game changer. It’s gotten me through morning sickness, newborns, busy days, homeschool days, public school wrestling practice gymnastics practice days, sick days, and everything in between. I feel so relieved on a weekly basis knowing I have it as a backup for dinner plans on any given night. It makes great chicken breast, which you can freeze to have healthy lunches, and I love making random assortments of Indian dishes in there, from butter chicken to curry to you name it. Even in a minimalist kitchen, the instant pot is something I don’t go without. It’s also on sale on Amazon for Black Friday 2023 at almost half price, so don’t miss it!
There is also the fancier Ninja instant pot which includes an air fryer, which is multifunctional and thus saves you the space of having multiple appliances.
george foreman grill
My George Foreman is the best kitchen item I never thought I needed. My husband got it for me and I used it for everything. It took my cooking to a new level and saved me a lot of time. It is easy to clean and cooks both sides at ones – so grilled cheese, quesadillas, bratwurst, hot dogs, burgers, burritos, etc. were all made super simple. If you had to pick between a George Foreman and a griddle, you need to ask whether it’s important for you to cook portions of meat quickly, or cook large amounts of breakfast foods quickly – because the griddle just doesn’t do meat well, although it advertises itself as being capable. Personally I would take the hit on the long-pancake-session and choose the George Foreman Electric Grill.
I hope this list helps you take control of your domain and get rid of excess! Remember that simple minimal living is FOR you, it is not to enslave you or control you, but it is a tool for you to take control over your space and your life. So, use this list as a guideline and feel inspired to purge those crammed cabinets stuffed with the unused gadgets, and empowered to simplify your kitchen and reclaim your space, and feel liberated that you don’t need a ton of pots and pans and appliances and every little machine to make it easier – BUT also take into consideration your family’s needs, food preferences, dietary restrictions, work schedules etc. and you can tweak it to make it work for you.
Is there anything I missed? Any products you feel you couldn’t live without? Let me know in the comments!