Last fall we moved into an apartment in Missoula, MT that is half the size of the house we’d been inhabiting – 800 sq. ft instead of 1,500 sq. ft. While the overall space is about half as big, the kitchen is less than a quarter in size. It’s minimal. To prepare for the move, I whittled down my previous kitchen arsenal to the absolute essentials required for preparing healthy meals for our family and developing recipes for you.
Below is a lineup of what made it into our new space. I also made my first YouTube video touring the space and showing you where I feed our little family of three and run part of my business! (Because I get quite a few emails about specific items in our kitchen, I included Amazon affiliate links for the relevant tools):
- Large cutting board — mine is close to 15 years old and made of bamboo. I’ve never oiled it or done anything but wash it off to maintain it and it’s still going strong.
- 1 chef’s knife
- 1 pairing knife
- Knife sharpener
- 2-in-1 salt and pepper grinder
- 12-inch fry-pan with lid
- 4-quart saute pan with lid
- 2-quart saucepan with lid
- 4-quart saucepan with lid
- 8-quart stockpot with lid
- 12-inch cast iron skillet with a silicon handle — I’ve burned myself too many times grabbing the handle, so I got a silicon gripper for it and keep it on all the time.
- 2 sheet pans
- Flat Spatula
- Wood spoon
- Large microplane
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Wire whisk
- Silicon hot pads — they do double duty as jar openers and triple duty as trivets.
- Peeler
- Vitamix Blender
- Electric hot water kettle
- Coffee grinder
- Soda Stream — we drink a lot of sparkling water.
- Can opener
- Silicon spatula
- Kitchen scissors
- Fine mesh strainer — doubles as a colander and strainer.
- Small microplane
- Garlic press — I realize this isn’t essential for most chefs or competent home cooks, but I hate mincing garlic. This little tool makes me happy and it’s way easier to clean than other garlic presses I’ve used.
- Citrus juicer — another item I could live without, but it’s super handy as I do a lot of recipes with citrus.
- Hand mixer — I used to have a big stand mixer but it was stollen several years ago. I realized I didn’t really need such a large appliance, so I replaced it with a small hand mixer. I only use it a couple of times a year, but when I need it, I really need it, so it continues to make the essentials list.
- A muffin tin — used infrequently, but still used.
For those of you working to reduce kitchen clutter, here’s a short list of things I don’t keep in our kitchen and the rationale for their exclusion. Of course, everyone’s life and cooking preferences differ, so take my non-essentials list with a grain of salt. Pun intended.
- A rice cooker — a saucepan works just as well.
- A stand mixer — I received one as a gift six years ago but it was stollen during a move a couple of years back. It’s not getting replaced as I realized I only used once or twice a year and it took up an absurd amount of counter space. A few months ago I purchased a small hand-held mixer for the very small list of items that really need an electric mixer (hello, icing) which works great.
- A coffee maker — a single pour-over or small Chemex are just as easy and make far superior coffee.
- A pot or pan in every size — I’m amazed at how easy it is to execute a host of recipes with just a couple of quality pots and pans.
- An arsenal of service-wear — I’ve found that I only need a couple of large bowls and a couple of smaller plates and bowls for hosting get-togethers. If you really need a specific piece, it’s pretty easy to borrow one from a friend. Finding items second-hand can also be a nice option — I recently spent $3 on 6 used mid-century modern, high-ball glasses for Ella’s birthday party. After the festivities they went back to Goodwill.
- Various peeling and slicing gadgets — some basic knife skills go a long way.
- A slow cooker — I prefer fresh flavors, so slow cookers don’t mesh well with my preferences.
- A bread maker — be honest, how often does it actually get used?