Comments on: Equipping the Minimalist Kitchen

By: Ralph

Ralph — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:46:57 +0000

Great list of kitchen essentials. Sounds like my kitchen although I have a pressure cooker and no stock pot.
ps. really enjoying your website, thank you!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:10:15 +0000

They season slowly as you bake greasy things like cookies on them. Or you can speed it up by rubbing in an oil or fat and warming them up in the oven, then wiping them down, just like cast iron.

By: tutti

tutti — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:01:04 +0000

Cracker Barrel has nice cast iron skillets for really inexpensive!!!

By: tutti

tutti — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:00:11 +0000

I have the blendtec and LOVE it. I wondered if I would get enough use of it, but we use it for so much more than I originally thought we would and it is fabulous to have an industrial blender!

By: debbie

debbie — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:04:57 +0000

I do use my VitaMix almost daily – sometimes multiple times a day. It beautifully blends bean dips, whips up mayonnaise, churns butter, grinds grain, creates green smoothies with ease… We bought ours when our son was just 2 months old and it has been the most-used item in my kitchen for the past 3 1/2 years. The price tag was a *gulp* – I admit! But I can hardly imagine how much more time I would have spent preparing nourishing foods without it (or the things I wouldn’t have done if I didn’t have it).

By: Jeanne (jmfreedly)

Jeanne (jmfreedly) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:54:56 +0000

What a great post, Jenny, thanks! I’m honored that you chose to elaborate on my question. I found my self “seconding” lots of the comments so far, too – from wishing I’d known something more about these essentials before my wedding (10 years ago and counting), to admitting that I too have rejected a lot of gadgets but splurged on others – including a food processor (essentially for veggie purees), a rice cooker, and *gasp* an electric griddle. I love pancakes, but I hate standing at the stove over a small pan while everyone else eats! Talk about a space hog though. There’s an ice cream maker in the cupboard too, for making the BEST raw cream ice cream in the universe. Definitely a keeper. The other things that take up space in my small kitchen include a growing colony of glass jars (they’re responsible for ousting the toaster oven), and Pyrex containers for fridge storage and lunches.

My not-so-secret heart’s desire is to have a professional grade stand mixer. But I haven’t the space in the kitchen, and the dining room is, I think, off limits for such things (I think my DH might have bought me one otherwise ). I imagine my waistline is better off too, given what I’d use it for. So I think I’ll see if I can’t find the space for some cast iron pans and a clay baker. I love baking bread, and a clay baker sounds fabulous!

As for additions to the minimalist short list, I LOVE my bread knife! It was a gift long ago, and now I feel lucky to have one. And I have to say that an immersion blender is on my short list too. Maybe I can wedge one in next to the Pyrex!

I realize this was supposed to be about making my small kitchen LESS crowded (and to be sure, there are things that really should go). But I think the things I keep, crowded as it seems, reflect the recipes and whole foods I love making most, and choices I’ve made about what and how I cook. The next thing to go? Probably the microwave, rarely used anymore, which is (don’t laugh) in the dining room.

By: Jim Heggie

Jim Heggie — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:36:48 +0000

Another minimalist gadget that I rreally need is a good fat seperator. I like to make stock, etc, and it really makes the process easy.

By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:08:46 +0000

My most-used items: cast-iron skillet, pancake turner, whisk, cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring cup (8-cup), mixing bowls. Next most important: wheat grinder and Bosch mixer (for bread). Moving overseas made me look hard at what I really use.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 04:49:34 +0000

The whisk I love above all others: The WMF flat ball whisk. I also have the round ball whisk which I really don’t like.

http://www.cookswarehouse.com/productcart/pc/WMF-Whisks-10-inch-Flat-Ball-Whisk-187p1352.htm

I’d also advocate a copper bowl if you can find one. It can double as the top half of a double-boiler and is the perfect thing for making mayo.

If you’re going to have good knives you have to have a steel or a sharpening stone.

At the top of my list of electronic gadgets- above the kitchenaid even- is my rice cooker. It has a timer so you can soak then start it automatically, you can have breakfast oatmeal ready when you wake up – it was worth every penny. I think my second blog post ever was an ode to my kitchen gadgets and that one steals the show.

By: Leah

Leah — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:28:54 +0000

When I read over the list I thought, “I dunno, I use my bread knife a lot!” But I don’t think I could trade out one of the other knives for it. I love having the right tools for the job, like cutting a tomato with a tomato knife, however I could live without it.

By: RedJeepRN

RedJeepRN — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:03:12 +0000

Thank for the great tips on this one! I love cruisin’ around TJMaxx and Home Goods for kitchen stuff, I have found some great deals there on the very items you discussed. Usually anywhere from 30-75% off. I also like to hit the Le Creuset outlet stores for deals as well. I highly recommend the items you suggested especially the Le Creuset French Oven and although pricy it is well worth the investment. Another good item that I love to make Gumbo or Paella is the Le Creuset Braiser ( copy and paste into your browser) love it for these dishes.
http://www.lecreuset.com/en-us/Products/Enameled-Cast-Iron/Braisers/Braiser-5-qt/

By: Melinda

Melinda — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:25:25 +0000

My kitchen is quite tiny so I’ve always kept few appliances. However, I finally broke down and got a full size food processor because there were so many beautiful soup recipes that called for it. Now I’m really glad that I got it. As for smoothies or blended things, a really small one touch blender has been perfect and easily stored.