There are so many kitchen gadgets, new appliances, tools, marketed to us every day! We’re told that one new tool will change our life! If you’re pursuing minimalism, you are likely trying to stay away from trendy items that you don’t need. These minimalist kitchen essentials will help you set up your kitchen for success!
Whether you’re just moving into your first place, creating a wedding registry or just revising what you already have, I hope these kitchen essentials will be helpful!
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MINIMALIST KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
I truly could not live without my cast-iron pan. I held onto my non-stick pans for wayyyy too long because cast-iron intimidated me. But then I made the swap and I’ll never go back! I use my cast-iron every single day to fry eggs, make sauces, and even for baking things like cinnamon rolls! If taken care of a cast-iron pan can last decades!!
After I fell in love with my cast-iron pan I realized I needed a cast-iron dutch oven as well. You can use it to make soups, one pan meals, and to my sourdough bake bread! I love that cast-iron can go from the stove-top to the oven to the fridge!
An important minimalist kitchen essential is a good pot! Many people invest in a full pot and pan set, but consider if that’s necessary for your cooking needs! I love this one with a steamer attachment – it’s so convenient for steaming or boiling vegetables.
Every kitchen needs a strainer! A metal strainer will last much longer than plastic and you don’t have to worry about plastic leeching into your food (yuck!).
A set of timeless dishes are a minimalist kitchen essential! Instead of opting for trendy dishes, invest in a quality set that will last years! When deciding how many sets you’ll need consider how big your family is and be realistic about how often you have guests over!
Of course cutlery is an essential for your minimalist kitchen. Again, consider your lifestyle and family size when determining how many sets of cutlery you need!
Stainless steel mixing bowls have endless purposes. From mixing pastries, to storing leftovers or chopped fruit. I always opt for stainless steel over plastic as it doesn’t stain and lasts much longer!
BUY ON AMAZON.CA
BUY ON AMAZON.CA
Every kitchen needs a set of measuring cups and measuring spoons! These ones are practical, durable and dishwasher safe!
I recently made the swap to uncoated aluminum baking trays from non-stick teflon trays. I LOVE these, they fit tons of food and nothing sticks at all!
Reusable, sustainable food storage is a minimalist kitchen essential! I use my Stasher bags allll the time for trail mix, baked goods, veggies, etc. They freeze well, don’t leak and are cute!
Glass storage containers is a must-have! They can safely go from the freezer to the oven and you don’t have to worry about BPAs from plastic storage!
I use my ninja blender almost daily! It can be used to make smoothies, nut milk, soups, and so much more! This set also comes with a food processor which is helpful for making nut butters and hummus.
Nut bags and/or cheese cloth has so many purposes in a minimalist kitchen. My favourite is using them to make my own nut milks! This reduces the need to have a separate appliance to make milks, and also reduces my need to purchase pre-made milks from the store in plastic!
A good set of knives is a minimalist kitchen essential! Everyone has different preference, but I love the convenience of the knife block and a full set of knives! If counter space is limited, you might choose to fore-go the wooden block and put your knives in a drawer instead!
Kitchen appliances are where we can end up with SO many items. There are gadgets for every single purpose – cherry pitters, ice-cream scoops, apple corers, etc. But the reality is that most of these gadgets rarely get used and aren’t necessary! A few high quality, simple kitchen utensils can do almost everything you need!
Of course a nice cutting board is a minimalist kitchen essential. I love using a non-toxic bamboo cutting board for most of my chopping!
A glass cutting board is also useful, especially for cutting or handling raw meats! I love that this one is sleek and could even live on your counter!
A kettle is an essential for any minimalist kitchen. I personally prefer electric kettles that automatically shut off over whistling stove top kettles!
A toaster oven is a minimalist kitchen essential that has so many practical uses! We don’t have a microwave in our home, so the toaster oven is helpful for heating up leftovers, toasting bread, and you can even bake in it!
So, full disclosure – I’ve never actually used an instant pot! When I got married (and received nearly everything in my kitchen), instant pots weren’t even a thing yet! I received a slow cooker, which I love and use regularly. I have no desire to add another appliance to my minimalist kitchen. However, if I needed to replace it I would invest in an Instant Pot. They are versatile, can be used as a rice cooker, to make yogurt and as a slow cooker! An all-in-one appliance is the minimalist dream!
Various sizes of mason jars are essential for your minimalist waste kitchen, especially if reducing waste is important to you! These are useful for storing homemade bone broths, sauces, soups, nut milks, etc! And you can even use them for drinking out of!
A counter compost bin is essential if you’d like to reduce food waste in your minimalist kitchen! I love love love composting – it’s so fun! If you don’t have the means for a backyard compost or compost pickup in your town, check FB marketplace as there are often farmers or local gardeners who would love your food scraps!
I hope this helped you to set up your minimalist kitchen! Let me know what other items you deem as essential!
