Minimalist Kitchen Essentials

If you have ever set up your kitchen from scratch, you know that choosing the right equipment for cooking can be a challenge as there are so many options to choose from. I put together a list of minimalist kitchen essentials that will help you to get started with the basics and help you to decide what the perfect equipment is for your cooking needs. 

I suggest as a starting point, begin with the must-have items noted below, especially if you are living a minimalist lifestyle or just setting up your kitchen. Once you are in the habit of cooking on a regular basis, you can begin to invest in the extras, but don’t underestimate the power of having a high-speed blender or food processor!

Food Prep Essentials

Chef’s Knife. If you only have room in your budget for one knife, a chef’s knife is the one to get. It’s a versatile knife that can work the wonders of many other types of knives. Chef’s knives can be used for cutting meat, fish, chopping and dicing vegetables, fruits, slicing herbs, and chopping nuts. A good chef’s knife is a must-have.

There are two other different knives that I consider essential, but not totally necessary to get started, they are a paring knife and a serrated knife.

A paring knife is a small knife and is s great for peeling more dainty items such as fruits, vegetables and deveining shrimp. 

A serrated knife or bread knife has a jagged blade which makes it perfect for slicing bread, cutting cakes and pastries; if you are a baker, this could be an important knife own. 

Both a paring knife & a serrated knife are nice to have but not necessary, as long as you have a chef’s knife.

Knife Sharpener. If you have knives, you will need some sort of knife sharpener. A dull knife can cause more damage than a sharp knife so it’s important to keep those knives sharp! There are a variety of knife sharpeners available such as whetstone, honing steel, knife sharpeners. You only need one sharpener and it is a must-have to keep your knives sharp. 

Cutting Boards. I recommend at least two cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination. One for meat and one for vegetables. There are many cutting board options available that are inexpensive and perfect to get you started. Wooden boards are more durable but can be bulky so if your space is limited plastic may be a better option. Two cutting boards are a must-have, preferably one large cutting board for meat and a smaller one for vegetables.

Mandolin Slicer. This is a great tool for shredding or thinly slicing anything without having to use a bulky food processor or stand mixer. A mandolin slicer is not a necessity if you have a sharp knife.

Handheld cheese grater or box grater. If you are a cheese lover, this is a must! Freshly grated cheese tastes much better than pre-shredded cheese and it’s less expensive. Box graters are fairly inexpensive and are perfect for shredding everything from cheese to vegetables. If you love cheese a cheese grater is a must.

Microplane or mini-grater. You may not think this is a necessary tool, but it is! A Microplane makes it easy to shred hard cheese such as parmesan, garlic, ginger, or to zest citrus fruit. If you cook with fresh citrus, a microplane or mini-grater is a necessity.

Hand-held citrus juicer. This is another inexpensive item that can be overlooked when stocking up on kitchen gadgets. If you cook with fresh food, this is a must for extracting the juice from lemons, limes and oranges.

Vegetable peeler. If you plan to cook vegetables, you will need this kitchen tool. Vegetable peelers are inexpensive, small and an absolute necessity in your kitchen.

Food Processor. A food processor is not a necessity, but if you have the budget, invest in a mini food processor. They are great for chopping, making sauces and dressings. They are compact, inexpensive, and easy to store, and you can put them in the dishwasher. A food processor is very nice to have but not necessary as long as you have a sharp knife.

Blender. A blender is great for making frozen drinks, nut milk, pureeing soups and sauces, and making smoothies. A mini or full-sized food processor will do many of the same things for you as a blender. A blender is nice to have, but not necessary.

Immersion blender. This is a great tool to have in your kitchen, and it’s smaller than a regular blender so it won’t take up any counter space. If you make soups, gravies and sauces this is a must. You can place the blender right into the pan or bowl, no need to pour the hot soup out of a pan and into the blender. I also like to use the immersion blender to make smoothies. Immersion blenders are not necessary, but nice to have especially if you don’t have a blender or food processor.

Mixer. Unless you bake a lot, a Kitchenaid stand mixer is not a must. They are expensive and bulky and hard to store. A simple hand mixer is inexpensive and will do just fine to start out. A hand mixer is nice to have even if you don’t bake, they are great for whipping, eggs, mashing potatoes, frostings, bread, cake, and cookies. A mixer (stand or hand mixer) is nice to have but not a must-have.

Mixing Bowls. Are used to mix food ingredients. They come in various sizes and materials. You can also use them to store and serve food. I suggest that you buy a set of two to three mixing bowls of different sizes. Many sets come with lids which makes them convenient for storing food as well. Mixing bowls are a must-have in the kitchen.

Glass Food Storage Containers. Are great for meal prep and storing leftovers. They are often sold in sets, start with a smaller set that has air-tight locking lids which will keep your food fresh longer. You will only need a few containers to get started and add to them as you need them. Glass food storage containers are a must-have in the kitchen.

Cookware Essentials

Cast-Iron Pan. This will be your most-used kitchen pan. Cast-iron pans are versatile and can go from stove-top right into the oven. A cast-iron skillet is durable and lasts forever if treated properly. You can read about cast Iron pans in my blog post cooking with cast iron. At least one cast-iron skillet is a must-have in your kitchen.

Stainless Steel Pots and Pans. Since there is some controversy over nonstick cookware and its safety, I prefer to use stainless steel pots and pans to cook. They are high quality, safer to cook in, durable, distribute heat evenly and are fairly easy to care for. Stainless steel is more expensive than other types of pans, but they last a long time. Invest in a medium-sized sauce pan and a small pot to start out and add as you think you need to. The next addition would be a nice stock pot which is great for making soups in. Pots and pans are a must-have in the kitchen.

Dutch Oven. Is great for making soups, stews, braising and making large portions of pasta. Dutch ovens come in various sizes and you can choose from cast iron enamel-coated. Dutch ovens are nice to have, but not necessary unless you make a lot of soups and stews.

Pyrex Baking Dishes (square and round). These are great for making baked goods and casseroles. Round baking dishes are perfect for pies or quiches. At least one Pyrex baking dish is a necessity. If you are a baker you may need one of each (square and round).

Rimmed Baking Sheet or Sheet Pan. These baking sheets are for more than cookies! I use them all of the time to roast vegetables and more! One rimmed baking sheet is a must-have.

Kitchen Tools

Kitchen Scale. At first, I didn’t think I would need a kitchen scale, but it has come in handy! Kitchen scales are a great tool for accurately measuring flour for baking. I also use mine to weigh meat portions and other odds and ends in the kitchen. Most kitchen scales are inexpensive, nice to have, but definitely not a necessity.

Wooden Spoon. These spoons are so versatile, you will need at least one of these in your kitchen. They are a must-have for any cook.

Spatulas. A kitchen tool with many uses, spatulas are great for scraping down the sides of bowls or hot pans. They are also sued to flip foods like grilled cheese, burgers, and fried eggs. At least one spatula is a must-have in every kitchen.

Oven Mitts or Pot Holders – These will protect your hands when handling hot pans and dishes. Potholders and oven mitts are must-haves and, you should have at least two of these in your kitchen.

Colander – A colander or strainer is used to drain the water off of boiled foods. They are inexpensive and a must-have in the kitchen.

Can Opener. There are so many varieties of can openers from electric to basic handheld. Whichever type of can opener you choose, a can opener is a must-have to open up canned goods.

Measuring Cups & Spoons. Are needed to measure out ingredients when cooking. One set of each; a measuring cup and spoons and a pyrex measuring cup to measure liquids are must-haves in the kitchen.

Kitchen Scissors. Are great to have in the kitchen to snip herbs, open up food packages. I would not consider these a must-have, but they are nice to have. 

Meat Thermometer.- If you are a meat-eater, you need a meat thermometer. It takes the guesswork out of having properly cooked meat. This is a must-have if you are a meat-eater.

Garlic Press. This is a convenient way to crush garlic cloves. Some may argue that this is not a kitchen essential, but if you love garlic, this is a handy tool to have in your kitchen.. You can also smash garlic cloves with a knife, but the press is convenient. A garlic press is a nice-to-have item but not a must-have.

Nice to Have Small Appliances

Even though this is an essential list, here are a few kitchen appliances that are really nice to have in your kitchen. Decide which ones will work for your cooking style and add them to your wish list.

Crock-Pot or Slow Cooker. These are great for hands-off cooking. You can add ingredients earlier in the day and dinner will be ready several hours later with very little work. They vary in size, features and price and are very nice to have.

Instant Pot Or Electric Pressure Cooker. Electric pressure cookers have a ton of functions, they are great for making rice, soups, stews and steaming. You can also make yogurt in them! Some electric pressure cookers even have a slow cooking feature. They range in price and size, you can read more about electric pressure cookers in my blog post here.

Air Fryer. This is one kitchen appliance that I did not think I would need, because it’s just a super hot oven. Now that I have one in my kitchen, I love it! It’s a healthy way to enjoy fried foods, speeds up cooking time and doesn’t heat up your kitchen.