II’m writing this post while sitting on one of my kitchen stools and looking around to see what I’m reaching for on a daily basis. Cupboards and drawers gape open to reveal their contents as I take notes.
Just like curating a closet, stocking essential kitchen items for cooking can cost thousands of dollars, or it can be done sparingly. I recommend investing in a few quality pieces and then rounding out the full kitchen with thrift or budget items.
Below I share what I’m buying new and what I’m saving, followed by my full list of essential kitchen appliances for cooking. Like clothing, kitchen utensils can also be highly personal, so consider this list to be indicative and not necessarily mandatory.
As the title suggests, this post is specifically about gear for cooking. I will do tools for Bake in a follow-up post. I do not cover kitchen areas such as the pantry, coffee station, or cocktail bar. This is specifically what I use and recommend for home cooking. Let’s dive in!
Kitchen Appliances and the Zero Waste Conscious Cook
I’ve been writing here on Simple Bites for thirteen years, and yet I’ve never shared my most important cooking essentials until now! Not surprising, I have some opinions.
Avoid trends; Stick to Classic Gear
I’ve always believed strongly in using what you have instead of buying too much. Perhaps that’s why I never encouraged readers to buy an instant pot, air fryer, Magic Everything skillet, or any other trendy item.
When I started out as a home cook, bread makers were all the rage and now hardly anyone uses them. Raise your hand if there’s a spiralizer in the back of your closet (I don’t). My goodness, there’s a landfill somewhere full of George Foreman grills and our parents’ fondu sets.
My point is that you can be successful as a home cook with a limited selection of basic items like a chef’s knife, a sturdy cutting board, decent cookware, and a small gadget or two.
Mix and match new and vintage kitchen items
Stocking my own kitchen with reliable tools and gadgets didn’t start with a spree at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Instead, I built it from thrift stores and flea markets, vintage shops, and contaminated sites.
Being frugal allowed me to save up for a few expensive items like a KitchenAid mixer and my first Le Creuset Dutch oven—both in cherry red. If you can’t tell by now, I love color.
I’ve written about the journey to a zero-waste kitchen with the goal of progress, not perfection. And I’ll admit, sometimes you just have to donate old, boring, worn-out kitchen appliances and invest in an upgrade.
Other times, you can give vintage items a home – like an enamel colander or antique cake pan – and find that they perform as well (if not better than) new!
Kitchen items to save:
Grab these if you’re lucky enough to find them:
Solid wood cutting boards. Enamelware of all kinds. Metal sieves. mixing bowls. Le Creuset or Dust. soup pot. Pyrex. Cast iron. metal cooking utensils. Add your favorite finds in the comments section.
Kitchen items to buy new:
These articles are a bit more technical. They require maintenance to keep them sharp or clean. Buy them new and use them with care.
Silicone pastry brush. digital scale. micro plane. vegetable peeler. Pans with non-stick coating. Knife. box grater. Instant read thermometer. Silicone pliers. kitchen scissors. Spatula.
Indispensable kitchen gadgets for cooking
The list! Here’s what I accomplish daily and/or weekly in the Simple Bites Kitchen.
Knife
I have a collection of knives that I have accumulated over the years. They don’t all go together, but they’re always hot! Start with a chef’s knife, a mating knife, and a bread knife, and build your collection on it as you mature as a chef. Don’t forget a sharpening steel either.
- 6 inch chef’s knife – a great size to start with. You might want an 8-inch instead. Go to a kitchen store and hold on to know what feels comfortable to you. I also have a 10 inch device but I have 30 years of experience.
- 4 inch pairing knife – My favorite little knife! Also, throw a small serrated knife for slicing tomatoes, citrus, etc.
- 8 or 10 inch serrated bread knife. A must-have for the kitchen, but doesn’t have to be a fancy brand.
- I also use: a Japanese Mac paring knife, a boning knife, and various others that I’ve collected.
How to choose the right knife for the job
everyday gear
- cutting boards. A sturdy wooden chopping board and a few plastic alternatives for cutting meat should be in every kitchen. I use a set of dishwasher safe, non-slip boards in four handy sizes.
- Prepare bowls and mixing bowls – these come in all shapes, sizes and budgets. I love enamelware for prepping vegetables and salad ingredients – it’s light and I can take it outside to the BBQ area. My enamel bowls are thrifty, but this set from Falcon is beautiful.
- glass bowls – I have glass nesting bowls from French company Duralex (found in Lee Valley); The bowls are practical for sauces, spices and herbs during the cooking process. Also great for marinating meat as glass is non-reactive. Anchor Hocking also does a set.
- Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set – A must have for measuring sauces, broths, cooking wine etc.
- OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner – essential if you eat as many salads as we do. My greens mostly come from my garden or from a local farmer and are covered in dirt!
- Oxo Good Grips Box Grater – for vegetables, cheese and much more.
Chef’s tip: TRAYS! I have a random collection of trays that I reach for almost every day. I use them to prep food, chill cookie dough balls, decorate cookies, and more. I own a selection of enamelware trays, cafeteria trays and sheet pans.
large and small devices
- KitchenAid Blender – my KA blender is a beast and has been reliable for over a decade. I work it all the time for soups and smoothies, sauces and salad dressings. I grind nuts and make pesto. It’s the hardest working appliance in my kitchen and has never stalled.
- Electric Spice Mill – The best investment. I grind most of my spices myself, using an old $20 coffee grinder.
- 7-Quart Slow Cooker – If you’re supporting a family of four or more, a slow cooker is a real help in the kitchen. We love our slow cooker soup and cider ham, as well as countless easy “dump” dinners that don’t have a proper recipe.
pots and pans
I’m not loyal to any particular brand and have used All-Clad and Scanpan in the past. Recently I have been enjoying stainless steel cookware from Meyer from Canada. I like that it’s made in the Maritimes.
- Frying pan/frying pan or cooking pan: Here’s what I’m looking for: sturdy ovenproof skillets (no plastic handles!), heavy aluminum or stainless steel, with riveted handles. I am also very happy about a glass lid!
- 3-Quart All-Clad Sauce Pot with Lid – A must-have workhorse! I got mine as a wedding gift 20 years ago and it’s just as good. as. knew. I use it for fine cooking where I need even heat like puddings, cheese sauces, candy, gravy and soooo much more. I can’t work without this pot.
- Cast iron. One of the best all-purpose pans you can have in your kitchen, and so affordable too. Cast iron pans, which last for years with good care, need nothing more than a little tender loving care for a functional cooking insert.
My cast iron pans came from Danny’s grandmother; who knows how old they are!
To read: What you need to know about cooking with cast iron pans.
Baking equipment such as cake pans will come in a follow-up post.
braising and frying pans
- Ceramic or stoneware casserole dish – The workhorse of a family kitchen. Oval is sexy, but 9×13 is more practical. I have both, as well as a 9.5 inch square with lid from Le Creuset. All are like new despite decades of use and I will pass them on to my kids.
- Dutch Oven – My preference is the Le Creuset classic. My mom still uses the same orange oval Dutch Oven that she got as a wedding present FIFTY years ago. It’s an investment and should last a lifetime or more.
- frying pan – Use this for roast chicken, turkey, lamb shank and other large cuts. If you are only cooking for one or two people, this is not necessary.
Continue reading: My favorite oven for tabletop cooking and bakeware
Strain and sieve
utensils and gadgets
I’m notoriously an anti-gadget… but a few tools make my life easier and that’s the goal here. Of course you’ll need a can opener and a corkscrew…here are a few more that I use.
related posts
This post contains affiliate links that help support Simple Bites Kitchen. My opinions are entirely my own and I have not worked with any brands for this article.
Share your favorite cooking tools and gadgets in the comments so we can all learn from each other!