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You are here: Home / Home / My Kitchen Essentials List

January 29, 2021

My Kitchen Essentials List

A master list of my most-used, tried and true kitchen essentials: from pots and pans to knives, appliances, and must-have tools, this is a comprehensive list of products I use on a regular basis.

Kath stirring a pot of oatmeal on the stove. this !

I thought it would be useful to create a well-loved kitchen essentials list! 

With a focus on minimalism (a cluttered kitchen is my worst nightmare!), these are my favorite cooking tools that I use nearly everyday.

There is a wide range of prices included in this list

From gadgets that you can find on sale to appliances, like a Vitamix, that are quite pricey. I’d rather have something that I love like a Vitamix last me 10 years (it has!) than a dozen cheaper ones turnover in that time.

These are the things I use EVERY DAY.

We obviously have more items in our kitchen than listed below, but these are my essentials. 

As you know I’m all about a tidy home, I definitely find myself drawn to appliances and cookware that can multi-task. Rather then having a cupboard (or three!) exploding with miscellaneous pans specific for one purpose, I’m all about products that can do it all – like the Always Pan. 

Let’s dive into the cabinets… here are the KERF kitchen essentials!

Open kitchen cupboards with white stacks of white plates and bowls.

My Kitchen Essentials List: 

Pots and Pans

Our Place The Always Pan – this is my newest pan and I am obsessed! The inside is lined with a nontoxic ceramic coating, and you can do anything inside: braise, sear, steam, strain, saute, fry, boil, serve. It comes with a handy steamer basket too. Note this pan was gifted to me.

Caraway Cookware – Read this post for my full review! I love this set, and the organization pieces that come with it. 

Hand holding set of black measuring cups.

Kitchen Tools

Salad Spinner – of course you could wash and dry kale by hand, but why would you!? A salad spinner is a must have.

OXO Garlic Press – mince 3 cloves at once. Love this thing. 

OXO Peeler – I’ve used some rickety peelers in my time, but this one is strong and smooth. I prefer a Y peeler myself.

Spoonulas – great for scraping sides and scooping all in one. 

Wooden Spoons – we have a variety of wooden and silicone utensils

OXO Microplane – ideal for grating garlic for dressings, zesting lemon, grating nutmeg, and squeezing lemon juice to catch the seeds

Box Grater – go-to for cheese

OXO Pizza Cutter – we use this daily for quesadillas and weekly for homemade pizza night

OXO Rubber Bottom Mixing Bowls – these are my favorites because you can rough them up and they won’t break. I love that there are just three sizes: small, medium, and large. I use these every day for salad making to pancake batter. 

Medium Colander – I like a small one for washing berries

Large Metal Colander – and a big one for pasta or potatoes (bonus if they stack for storage!)

Glass Stacking Bowls – I use these as meal prep bowls and love the variety of sizes. Small bowls for a sauce and big ones for chopped veggies to keep the cutting board clear. These also make a great Hugh Jass salad eating bowl!

Appliances

Vitamix – mine was gifted to me by Vitamix in 2009 and is still looking as new as it did the day it arrived. If it were to break I would 100% replace it.

Breville Precision Brewer Coffee Maker – We love this coffeemaker! The carafe isn’t glass so it’s fine to toss around, coffee tastes great, and the dial is super easy to program. 

Breville Electric Kettle – we use this daily in the winter for tea! It’s really fast compared to the stovetop or microwave. 

Rice Cooker – I love any appliance you can set and forget, and we make nearly all of our grains in this one, from quinoa to oatmeal. 

Breville Toaster Oven – we use this daily for toast or baking small things like an individual pizza for Mazen. I’ll never go back to a pop-up toaster because you can do so many things in this kind!

Breville Microwave – I love our microwave because it has a turn wheel to add time – so much faster than pushing buttons! 

Slow Cooker – while I do not use my slow cooker daily, it’s on the list because there is nothing like it. When I do use it, I love it!!

Baking

Caraway Bakeware Set – we have both small and large sheet pans for different needs and a few assorted baking pans and cake pans.

Small and Large Casserole Dishes – multi-use for both prep work and baking. 

Pizza Stone – we love our stone for pizza making, so if you’re a pizza-loving family, this is a must-have. 

Knives

We have several other knives, but these are my favorites. 

Shun Ultimate Serrated Utility Knife – this is my favorite knife in our kitchen. The serration is great for cutting small fruits and veggies, like red peppers and pears, and it small size is great for my hand. 

Shun Classic Chef’s Knife – but of course you gotta have a classic chef’s knife for all the big things! And the chopping.

Wusthof Bread Knife – this bad boy is SUPER sharp and great for crusty bread or watermelon. 

Kitchen Shears – gotta have these for opening things and snipping herbs

Wood Cutting Boards – ours were handmade by Thomas’s brother!

Hands holding set of gold scissors over open kitchen drawer.

Storage

Mesh Utensil Dividers – for all your home neat home needs! I like the metal ones because they look nicer than plastic and don’t break or splinter like wood.

Glass Tupperware Containers – we use these all day, everyday for our leftovers. 

Lazy Susans – a must have for an organized!

Honorable Mention

These are additional items we have that don’t make the “essentials list” because we don’t use them as often:

  • Air Fryer
  • Milk Frother aka hot chocolate maker
  • Nespresso
  • Waffle Maker
  • Instant Pot – I wish I loved it more
  • Wok
  • Kitchen Aid Mixer

The Clickable Gallery

Kath in kitchen opening drawer of kitchen tools.

What are your most used, essential kitchen tools?

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Comments

  1. Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says

    January 29, 2021 at 8:10 am

    Great list! I should start taking cooking/my kitchen seriously, haha! 🙂

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

    Reply
  2. Sheryl says

    January 29, 2021 at 8:21 am

    I enjoyed this post because I too, am an OXO fan. One thing I own, use frequently, and highly recommend, is the OXO Good Grips 9-Piece Nesting Bowl & Colander Set. I love the three sizes of colanders that each next inside a matching sized bowl that allows water to drain from the colander into the bowl while sitting on the counter, instead of a colander draining over the sink. The bowls come with matching lids for storage. The set is available at Crate & Barrel and Amazon. I also have a huge supply of OXO glass storage containers which I love and use daily; however, I don’t understand why you refer to them as, “Glass Tupperware Containers”. I believe Tupperware is a brand name that should be used only for its products and I like to give credit where it belongs – to OXO.

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 8:56 am

      I have a OXO salad spinner that seems similar, but I don’t think I’ve seen the super awesome colander nesting set you’re describing!

      And LOL you are right about the Tupperware wording 🙂 I think I just hate saying “food storage containers.”

      Reply
      • Kath Younger says

        January 29, 2021 at 9:06 am

        Assuming this is the set? Love it – especially the color!

        Reply
        • Sheryl says

          January 29, 2021 at 3:55 pm

          Yes, that’s it, The set I own, which is at least four years old, is multi-color – the large is red, the medium is orange, and the small is yellow. The bright colors are handy to determine the size quickly but I also love the calming colors that are currently available.

          Another favorite of mine is the OXO Good Grips GreenSavers. I especially like the long one for leaves of romaine and the square ones for shredded carrots and red cabbage. My family eats more salad when the produce is clean and ready to use. I can’t imagine how much money I have saved by not wasting produce due to these containers.

          I promise I don’t work for OXO!

          Reply
  3. Kristy says

    January 29, 2021 at 8:22 am

    I love your dress! So cute!

    Reply
  4. Julie says

    January 29, 2021 at 10:01 am

    We use our kitchen shears to cut pizza and quesadillas – try it!! So easy.

    Reply
  5. Rebecca says

    January 29, 2021 at 10:05 am

    Long time reader with some honest feedback! I don’t expect or want perfection from my blogs just authenticity! However today’s post is literally hard for me to read because of the number of typos and other errors. “these these are my essentials” cranbrerry crueset “ a like a small one for washing berries” “a must have for an organized!” “it small size is perfect” that’s just some of them. I mean you must have spent so much time curating this post, pulling photos, styling everything, but then it seems like this is a rough draft with no proofreading. Again no one is perfect least of all me but I know you don’t want to look sloppy.

    And a question, if you could only have one would you choose the toaster oven or the microwave? My forever debate with my wife lol!

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 2:25 pm

      I’m sorry Rebecca. Sometimes I am working with children running in circles around me or am rushing to wrap something up before I have to go pick Birch up from school. I stopped paying for an editor years ago because typos still got through. It is what it is and I’d appreciate some grace. I did correct the ones you pointed out.

      And I’d go with a microwave because you can always use your big oven as a toaster oven but you can’t heat food FAST in either.

      Reply
  6. Jen says

    January 29, 2021 at 10:27 am

    Totally with you on the Instant Pot – so big and I just do not love it or use it much!

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      I wish I had gotten the slightly smaller one I think

      Reply
      • Beth says

        January 31, 2021 at 7:31 pm

        Can you use the rice cooker for the items use you the instapot most for? If you had to chose one to cook rice and grains in, would you still recommend the rice cooker at a higher price point? Or go with the instapot and it works just as well for those particular foods?

        Reply
        • Kath Younger says

          February 1, 2021 at 6:21 am

          You can make some non-rice/grain foods in the rice cooker but it’s on the smaller side so I don’t think you could do a large soup for example. However, what I like about it most is that it IS small so it’s really easy to get in and out of the cabinet. And the non-stick bowl is awesome too!

          Reply
  7. Meg @ MegGoesNomNom says

    January 29, 2021 at 11:37 am

    Great list, many of these items resonated with me! I agree that I wish I loved our Instant Pot more – I just can’t get into it. Highly prefer my slow cooker for so many things!

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 2:21 pm

      Same!

      Reply
  8. Pat says

    January 29, 2021 at 12:12 pm

    Thanks for the link to the oxo bowls/ colanders. I still have a pyrex 3 bowl set from my 1968 wedding! They are so heavy when stacked. My colanders are looking very sad. Time for a reset. And I love the color!

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 2:21 pm

      Haha! I’d say you got your use out of that one <3

      Reply
    • Robin says

      January 31, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      Pat, I agree! Some of the things in my kitchen are from decades ago, when I graduated from college and moved out on my own or from our wedding. (I also have a couple of things that were hand-me-downs from my mom when she “upgraded!”) The pyrex 3-bowl sets are so heavy, but I have to say, they have been dropped and mis-handled by kids, and they are still going strong. I can’t see replacing them until I can hand them down to one of my kids!

      I would love to see a list similar to this put together by chefs on the food network, etc. Everyone has their own “favorite” items. In my case, I don’t have a lot in common with Kath’s, other than the Calphalon pots/pans.

      Reply
  9. barbara says

    January 29, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    I’m on the fence about buying and dedicating storage space to a waffle maker. Thanks for your recommendation.

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 2:18 pm

      If I didn’t marry into one I am not sure I’d go buy one, but it’s nice to have!

      Reply
  10. Judith Scott says

    January 29, 2021 at 12:59 pm

    Kath, As usual this post is right on. I share many of your products, but I’m curious about the Always Pan. Is it as great as described? It’s pretty pricey for me, is it worth the cost? And I totally agree with you about the InstaPot, I just HAD to have 1, but I rarely use it

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 29, 2021 at 2:18 pm

      It’s the best non-stick pan I’ve tried in terms of being able to “wipe it clean” after use. I really like it, and it’s our new go-to. But if you already have a skillet you love, the price tag is definitely not cheap.

      Reply
  11. Louise RD says

    January 29, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    Love this post. I have everything you have except for Naspresso machine. My hubby wanted to get one for my birthday but I felt it would take up too much counter space, ha! I also wasn’t into my pressure cooker until winter hit and I started making tons of bone broth. I sip a cup every day, like tea 😉

    Reply
  12. Kandace says

    January 29, 2021 at 11:12 pm

    Thanks for the list. I love an organized kitchen, too. I have a coffee maker question. My husband and I only drink one cup each, daily. However, he is a regular drinker and I drink hazelnut. Do you think the coffee storage unit would pick up the taste of hazelnut? Also, can you fill the reservoir but only make one cup, or would it use all the water? Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 30, 2021 at 7:27 am

      While you can make 1-4 cups at a time, I think the hazelnut flavor would persist. Have you thought about a Nespresso?

      Reply
  13. AndreA says

    January 30, 2021 at 8:42 am

    Agree with the instant pot! I have one, and while I think it’s really neat and appreciate it I definitely only use it once in awhile. I’m also with you on the minimalism – to cut down I use scissors rather than a pizza cutter!!

    Reply
  14. Judy says

    January 30, 2021 at 8:43 am

    I don’t think you need to worry about your typos. There are a few bigger things
    Going on in our world .

    Reply
    • Kath Younger says

      January 30, 2021 at 10:08 am

      Agree…

      Reply
      • Beth Tiegs says

        February 1, 2021 at 8:21 am

        OMG, yes. You’re so good at being diplomatic. I’m not sure I’d write such a kind reply.

        Loved seeing inside your kitchen!

        Reply
  15. Janice Przybyl says

    January 30, 2021 at 11:39 am

    I’m with you on the Instant Pot. So far I’ve successfully made only yogurt, chili, and rice. Though it took me a couple of tries before I got the water-rice ratio correct so there wasn’t sticking on the bottom. I have yet to find a decent set of instructions so I can understand how the different functions work. I’m afraid to experiment without that knowledge. I tend to change recipes to make them healthier or to avoid ingredients my husband dislikes. The Instant Pot is a great slow cooker but I bought it for it’s instant features!

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      January 31, 2021 at 12:56 pm

      Maybe take a look at Pinch of Yum. They have a number of really good Instant Pot recipes with clear directions. My daughter organized my recipes into an app for me as a gift and I was surprised how many of my go to Instapot recipes came from that blog. Our current favorites are her Wild Rice Soup and Hawaiian Chicken Tacos. ?

      Reply
      • Kath Younger says

        January 31, 2021 at 1:11 pm

        They do have a really good IP mac and cheese!!

        Reply
        • Janice says

          January 31, 2021 at 3:17 pm

          Ohhh. I’ll have to look for that. I love a good mac and cheese!

          Reply
      • Janice says

        January 31, 2021 at 3:16 pm

        Thanks. I’ll look her up!

        Reply
  16. Cheryl Maxey says

    February 1, 2021 at 11:56 am

    We have both a large and a small crock pot and we use one of them at least weekly. This past year we replaced our toaster oven with a toaster oven/air fryer combo and it is the best kitchen appliance we own. We also just upgraded our food processor, another tool we use often. Our favorite pan is a non-stick coated, high side skillet by Chrissy Teigan that we randomly picked up at an Ollies. It has out-performed my nice caphalon cookware by leaps and bounds. Our Henckel knives are worth every penny

    Reply
  17. Jenny says

    February 12, 2021 at 8:04 am

    It surprises me to see how many people aren’t big on the Instant Pot. I use mine at least once, sometimes twice a week. I can make brown rice in 15 minutes, quinoa in about an eighth of that time, all other manner of grains, lentils (dry, from the bag on high pressure, in nine minutes and they’re ready– same for any dry bean, really), and I also use it as a slow cooker. It’s such a multi-purpose tool. The only thing that has never worked for me is that “foolproof” hardboiled eggs thing. NOPE. haha! Still peeling off half the egg with the shell. Otherwise, the convenience is just fantastic for me. Of course, everyone’s mileage varies!

    Reply

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    hi! Im Kath.

    I'm a Registered Dietitian, healthy eater, and mom of two from Charlottesville, Virginia. Here you’ll find a healthy mix of real-life meals made from whole ingredients balanced with the pleasures of life, including buttercream frosting and good wine. Plus a sprinkle of nutrition, home life, beauty, parenting, and travel.
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