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30 Comments
Kehaulani K.
March 8, 2019
Aloha. I notice your pans have scum. Well please use Bar Keepers Friend. It’s a miracle cleanser. Than pass the info on to your family and friends and readers too
Michelle W.
March 8, 2019
Oops I don’t have a handheld gardener I do however have a wonderful handheld sharpener!
Michelle W.
March 8, 2019
IMG_0787.PNG
Love my over 2’ long cutting board(cut out of counter from stove top)
Use as a hot pot landing spot, serving multiple dishes, tons of veggie chopping.
More antibacterial than plastic and no tiny pieces of plastic in my food.
I avoid plastic as much as possible.
I use smaller boards for meat, cheese, onions. Easier to scrub.
It lives on counter next to my sink and abouve the trash. Easy to clean scraps.
I use my chefs knife for EVERYTHING .
Use my hand held gardener everyday.
Have multiple micro planes for garlic,lemon,nutmeg, onions ginger for marinades is much nicer Than mincing.
Go through ungodly amounts of jumbo bounty p-towels. Not worth the bacteria of anything else.
I recycle everything so feel less guilty!
Have loads of Staub. Super heavy and awkward but I love knowing they are there:) I have great biceps.
Use my 12” staub skillet 2-3xs a day.
Multiple salt pots for different uses. Much faster than grinding...
Super fast pepper mill.
Quality Silicone turner and spatula but fav is fish spatula from WS. The best -why wouldn’t you need a flexible super thin spatula for EVERYTHING?
Also multiple metal tongs!
Grilling ,turning, serving. Long,med,short,silicone tipped.
Get the best quality you can and you won’t need to buy more throwaway things. That’s to me is minimal.
Love my over 2’ long cutting board(cut out of counter from stove top)
Use as a hot pot landing spot, serving multiple dishes, tons of veggie chopping.
More antibacterial than plastic and no tiny pieces of plastic in my food.
I avoid plastic as much as possible.
I use smaller boards for meat, cheese, onions. Easier to scrub.
It lives on counter next to my sink and abouve the trash. Easy to clean scraps.
I use my chefs knife for EVERYTHING .
Use my hand held gardener everyday.
Have multiple micro planes for garlic,lemon,nutmeg, onions ginger for marinades is much nicer Than mincing.
Go through ungodly amounts of jumbo bounty p-towels. Not worth the bacteria of anything else.
I recycle everything so feel less guilty!
Have loads of Staub. Super heavy and awkward but I love knowing they are there:) I have great biceps.
Use my 12” staub skillet 2-3xs a day.
Multiple salt pots for different uses. Much faster than grinding...
Super fast pepper mill.
Quality Silicone turner and spatula but fav is fish spatula from WS. The best -why wouldn’t you need a flexible super thin spatula for EVERYTHING?
Also multiple metal tongs!
Grilling ,turning, serving. Long,med,short,silicone tipped.
Get the best quality you can and you won’t need to buy more throwaway things. That’s to me is minimal.
marymichael
March 8, 2019
Stainless steal tongs!! I've been known to go out and buy one when I find myself cooking away from home...
papermageling
May 9, 2018
I appreciate that this list wasn't super prescriptive. She's not saying that no one needs a stand mixer, merely that she doesn't, as she bakes a few times a year. Or that everyone needs that garlic press (although I'm definitely keeping mine: it passes the Marie Kondo test with flying colors).
I absolutely do have my own items that I use often and which spark joy. I love my wok, for example. I like having multiple wood spoons as it's much nicer to cook multiple things that way. On the other hand, I find salt grinders rather pointless.
I absolutely do have my own items that I use often and which spark joy. I love my wok, for example. I like having multiple wood spoons as it's much nicer to cook multiple things that way. On the other hand, I find salt grinders rather pointless.
Suzanne D.
April 16, 2018
I'm a baker .... and I can't live without my stand mixer, which also doubles as my pasta roller and meat grinder. Food processor grates, shreds, slices and juliennes veggies for advance preparation of salads and it doubles as a mixer for quick pie crust. Yep, I'm a slave to my countertop appliances. The mixer is 10 years old, the food processor 15-20 -- oh, and lest I forget, my stovetop pressure cooker. I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Suzanne D.
April 16, 2018
And I forgot ... that dough hook on the mixer has helped me knead more loaves of bread than I can count ... and my microwave oven can be turned into the world's greatest proof box. So there ...
Eli
April 16, 2018
To Suzanne, I agree completely. I too use many accessories on my mixer, so that saves space and money to have one motor for many appliances. I also have a stove top pressure cooker (and electric ones). It is not clutter if you use it, especially if you have space for it. I keep many appliances in roll out shelves in cabinet and lesser used ones, still easily accessible, but in the garage. I just hate these definitive lists telling us what is what.
Eli
April 6, 2018
This is list is way over supplied to be considered “minimalist.”
You can easily get rid of or replace 16 of their items too.
1)”A large cutting board, ‘Mine is close to 15 years old and made of bamboo’ . . . " Yikes. DO NOT GET BAMBOO! Get a wood/plastic composite board like Epicurean that can be sterilized and put through dishwashers! They last forever, weigh less AND are thin so they move about and store easier (if you ever happen to put yours away). You need a size 4 inches longer that your largest knife across the diagonal of two kitty-corners (that is how some knife skills classes help you choose the proper size per each knife used).
4)A knife sharpener – nope, take it in and have it professionally sharpened (need to do that at least annually anyway).
5)A 12-inch fry pan – Not size specific! Get a fry pan that suits YOUR cooking, 12 inches is a very big pan for many. Get a pan that meet your cooking requirements
6)“2-quart, 4-quart, and 8-quart sauté pans, each with a lid.” You do not need that many pans, and universal lids can minimize space too, Again, get pans that meet your cooking requirements. Do not buy a set, but individual pans for your cooking volume and style.
7)”A 12-inch deep cast iron skillet with a silicone handle.” Get a silicone handle COVER, so it will fit other handles. Not a skillet with a silicone handle. And, why two pans (items 5 & 7) the same size? That is crazy wasteful. Choose cast iron or non- stick or stainless steel. And again, not size specific! Get a fry pan that suits YOUR cooking, 12 inches is a very big pan for many.
8)”Two sheet pans,” nope, one sheet pan will do, really.
11)”A wooden spoon.” I hope this was a joke. Plastic is better & lasts longer. (Wood has pores and can be dirty holding onto microbes and such.)
12)”A large microplane.” Really, why? Use the paring knife & cut up whatever you want to microplane, or put it in a small container, cup your hand over the top and use your very good stick blender (think bamix, really, bamix).
15)A wire whisk — stiff – NOPE see item 12, a good stick blender will take care of this need.
17)”A peeler” – no way, learn to use your paring knife to peel your citrus, potatoes, apples etc. That is the whole point of a paring knife, flexibility and function!
18)”A blender” no, see item 12, a good stick blender will take care of this need.
20)Kitchen scissors” I hope this was a typo. Get kitchen shears NOT scissors, they need to come apart to be cleaned. PS Cutco makes the absolute best pair called “Super Shears,” I had mine engraved so they would not disappear.
22)Salt and pepper grinders – NO WAY, at least buy pre-ground salt if you really want to save space.
23)”A garlic press,” nope, learn to use your paring or chefs knife to do this simple task quickly. Or better yet keep a jar of minced garlic in the kitchen!
24)”A citrus juicer,” nope, just get a hand reamer, you’ll save money AND space.
25)”A hand mixer,” not needed see item 12.
26)”Muffin tins.” NOT NEEDED, you can bake in grease glass/Pyrex cups and use that one baking sheet you have.
Happy Cooking!
You can easily get rid of or replace 16 of their items too.
1)”A large cutting board, ‘Mine is close to 15 years old and made of bamboo’ . . . " Yikes. DO NOT GET BAMBOO! Get a wood/plastic composite board like Epicurean that can be sterilized and put through dishwashers! They last forever, weigh less AND are thin so they move about and store easier (if you ever happen to put yours away). You need a size 4 inches longer that your largest knife across the diagonal of two kitty-corners (that is how some knife skills classes help you choose the proper size per each knife used).
4)A knife sharpener – nope, take it in and have it professionally sharpened (need to do that at least annually anyway).
5)A 12-inch fry pan – Not size specific! Get a fry pan that suits YOUR cooking, 12 inches is a very big pan for many. Get a pan that meet your cooking requirements
6)“2-quart, 4-quart, and 8-quart sauté pans, each with a lid.” You do not need that many pans, and universal lids can minimize space too, Again, get pans that meet your cooking requirements. Do not buy a set, but individual pans for your cooking volume and style.
7)”A 12-inch deep cast iron skillet with a silicone handle.” Get a silicone handle COVER, so it will fit other handles. Not a skillet with a silicone handle. And, why two pans (items 5 & 7) the same size? That is crazy wasteful. Choose cast iron or non- stick or stainless steel. And again, not size specific! Get a fry pan that suits YOUR cooking, 12 inches is a very big pan for many.
8)”Two sheet pans,” nope, one sheet pan will do, really.
11)”A wooden spoon.” I hope this was a joke. Plastic is better & lasts longer. (Wood has pores and can be dirty holding onto microbes and such.)
12)”A large microplane.” Really, why? Use the paring knife & cut up whatever you want to microplane, or put it in a small container, cup your hand over the top and use your very good stick blender (think bamix, really, bamix).
15)A wire whisk — stiff – NOPE see item 12, a good stick blender will take care of this need.
17)”A peeler” – no way, learn to use your paring knife to peel your citrus, potatoes, apples etc. That is the whole point of a paring knife, flexibility and function!
18)”A blender” no, see item 12, a good stick blender will take care of this need.
20)Kitchen scissors” I hope this was a typo. Get kitchen shears NOT scissors, they need to come apart to be cleaned. PS Cutco makes the absolute best pair called “Super Shears,” I had mine engraved so they would not disappear.
22)Salt and pepper grinders – NO WAY, at least buy pre-ground salt if you really want to save space.
23)”A garlic press,” nope, learn to use your paring or chefs knife to do this simple task quickly. Or better yet keep a jar of minced garlic in the kitchen!
24)”A citrus juicer,” nope, just get a hand reamer, you’ll save money AND space.
25)”A hand mixer,” not needed see item 12.
26)”Muffin tins.” NOT NEEDED, you can bake in grease glass/Pyrex cups and use that one baking sheet you have.
Happy Cooking!
YvesNY
March 8, 2019
Cannot agree with most of what you say. Sorry. Ok for minimalist cooking, but not for hi-end.
cookinalong
March 22, 2018
I couldn't live without my Instant Pot. I use it nearly every day. I still use my stove top PC, but nothing beats the convenience and consistency of the IP. absolutely earns its real estate on the counter.
Lipstick L.
March 16, 2018
I disagree about the slow cooker. I use it about once per week to either make a slow cooker meal, or to soak and cook dried legumes and beans. Even in the summer this appliance gets a workout (it makes great shredded pork or chicken for tacos without heating up the entire kitchen in the summer).
Benjamin G.
March 6, 2018
In addition to the Chef's and Paring knives, a good serrated bread knife is essential for many tasks. I would also add a quality medium nonstick skillet or carbon steel skillet to the list for making certain foods (fish, eggs) that are tricky for most home cooks to accomplish on stainless steel.
YvesNY
March 6, 2018
Just read this: https://www.amazon.com/Alton-Browns-Gear-Your-Kitchen/dp/1584792965/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
YvesNY
March 6, 2018
OOPS! "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 pants." I did not know I needed PANTS to cook.
Emily
March 2, 2018
I agree with all things except the rice cooker. It's a godsend. And let me tell you why. When I'm making a whole meal, it frees up space on my range and its one less thing I have to keep an eye on on the stove because it turns itself off when it is done. I will say that I upgraded to a stainless steel rice cooker last year to move away from the Teflon pot. I love that I can scrub my stainless steel rice cooker without having to worry about scratching the Teflon.
Lipstick L.
March 16, 2018
I agree Emily, I use my rice cooker to free up a burner, and it makes a perfect pot of rice EVERY SINGLE TIME. I even make batches of oatmeal for the week. I actually have 2 sizes, a 3 cup rice cooker and a 10 cup rice cooker for big get togethers (about 1 per month)
Ellen
March 1, 2018
So, what do you do with all of the stuff you cull? Things that are used maybe two or three times a year? Where to put them?
Traveler
March 1, 2018
Food processors - regular size and mini. I use a lot of shallots and find the mini food processor works really well in chopping them up. I put it in the same category as a garlic press. And the food processor is my favorite small appliance. I use it for shredding carrots, shredding potatoes, shredding cheese, slicing potatoes, and mixing just about everything.
Stacy I.
February 26, 2018
I agree with all of this. My one can't live without? An enameled cast iron dutch oven. That, along with my cast iron skillet are the work horses of my kitchen. Anything that can go from stove to oven or even to grill- for me, is essential.
Kathy
March 2, 2018
Great list and great comments! I can’t live without my Cuisinart mini prep or enameled Dutch oven. Also concur that a corkscrew is a must and a can-opener essential. But one of my all time favorites and most used utensil is my bamboo “spider”.
Kathy
March 4, 2018
Hi Maureen- also known as a spider strainer. Used to scoop out food from liquid (water or oil) - great for pasta, veggies, etc. comes with long handle made of either stainless steel or my fav
- bamboo.
- bamboo.
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