I love the kitchen minimalist: essentials for your home idea. @amilliongraces I love to live uncluttered (the new word here is minimalism;) and to go on unchartered travel adventures and so I try to be efficient in as many areas as possible.
This includes the kitchen because I love to be able to pack up and go without fuss and bother.
favourite kitchen small appliances that fit on the kitchen cabinets
These kitchen appliances are used on a weekly, if not daily basis. My kitchen is small and so I have limited space. This helps me to maintain the kitchen minimalist vibe. These essentials could work for your home too.
Instant pot in the minimalist kitchen
This is a new addition to my kitchen that has changed the way I cook. It has replaced the crock pot a.k.a. the slow cooker. The pressure cooker has held pride of place in many a kitchen but has also been a little scary to operate. Grandma knew what she was doing when it blew off a bit of steam! I am thankful for the Instant pot because it saves me a lot of time and I use it on a regular basis.
Coffee maker
We use a simple filter coffee maker and use it every single day. It does not take a lot of time to prepare and the coffee is simply delicious. My tip here would be – weigh out your coffee. A simple ration of 60g of coffee to 1 litre of water is a good place to start. This is a good guideline for a medium roast. You can adjust according to taste.
Food processor
Whether you have a Kitchen Aid food processor or a Kenwood food processor, they are incredibly useful to have in the kitchen. You can use them for cake mixing, to dough preparation or even making smoothies – they are versatile and very useful.
When I have to do bulk grating, like grating cage for making sauerkraut then this makes a very tedious job super easy.
These are the bare minimum that anybody would do well to have them in their kitchen, uncluttered living at it’s best.
basic best things which are essential for your home
Mixing bowl – or bowls
Now, you can go crazy here, but don’t! I have one glass mixing bowl, a salad bowl and 3 stackable stainless steel metal bowls.
Wooden spoons
I have two, YES – only two. And I NEVER PUT THEM IN THE DISHWASHER OR LEAVE THEM STANDING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME IN LIQUID.
I have one for savoury food preparation and the other is used for all things sweet.
Knife sharpener
The knives are only as good as they are when they are sharp. To sharpen them must be easy to do. I do not use anything fancy and it does a great job. This is such a simple knife sharpener that I am sure it has been around forever! Perhaps you’ll find one in grandma’s drawer;)
Salad spinner
This is the absolute best thing to have in a the kitchen minimalist, it is an essentials for your home because it does its job quickly and efficiently. This essential item gets my lettuce, cilantro and all sorts of other veggies washed and dried efficiently. I have a rather small one but find one that fits your lifestyle and your cupboard space.
Grater
Who can live without a grater? No one! I use mine every single day and it belongs in every minimalist kitchen. I grate cheese mostly because we love cheese but it is also good for grating ginger & garlic. What about you? What do you use your grater for?
Colander
This essential item is great for draining off water after cooking pasta or vegetables in water. I also use it when I wash vegetables and fruit and the water can drain away easily. When you need to empty out a tin of beans or chickpeas, throw them into the colander and rinse well with water and allow to drain. So easy and so versatile.
Measuring cups
Use them all day and everyday. I have one set as I try to keep the kitchen uncluttered and free of unnecessary stuff. So, in my minimalist kitchen I use the same set for cake baking, measuring out porridge and also for checking food servings and portions.
The stainless steel set that I have hang out on the magnetic strip above my work counter for easy access.
Balloon whisk
I need this essential item because it is the only way that I can prevent lumps from forming when I make white sauce. It is an item that I also reach for when I beat up eggs or mix up a simple pancake batter.
Pots and Pans minimalist essentials
Dutch oven
Our dutch oven has been with us for over 30 years – it was given to us as a wedding gift. I have used it for so many things but the favourite things to make in it are sourdough breads, chillis and Bolognese.
Stainless steel frying pan and cast iron skillet
These are great the kitchen minimalist: essentials for your home because you can use them either on the stove top or in the oven. The stainless steel pans can go into the dishwasher too and so are very easy to get washed.
What I love about the cast iron skillets are that they can also be put into the oven. They can then be easily cleaned in the sink (BUT DO NOT EVER USE SOAP), wiped dry and you are done.
Two easy solutions for everyday use in my minimalist kitchen.
Large pot and small sauce pan
These two pots are all that I have and all that I use. They are made out of stainless steel and they fit into the rings on my stove. I have found a way to cook everything in these two pots. Simple and easy.
Kitchen tools that are winners
The following kitchen tools are essentials that I use every single day:
- Vegetable peeler
- Hand mixer
- chef’s knife
- Immersion blender
- Citrus press
- Garlic grater
Special mention essential item
Mason jars are the absolute star of the show in my simple kitchen. Simple kitchens function well with these because they can be used over and over again and also in so any different ways.
Rarely used items
Theses items live in the kitchen drawer and I occasionally will use them over a long time.
Bread knife – We eat very little bread and when we do, we usually have sliced bread or bread rolls.
Can opener – this no longer is an essential item because most of the cans that we can buy here have a pop open lid opener.
Complete list of minimalist kitchen essentials
In my small kitchen I have what I need. I sift through these items quite regularly and I like to see what I am still using and what I haven’t used for a long time. Knowing that the last time I used something , if indeed I did will determine if it stay or not.