When we start with no knowledge but want to start our cooking journey. This time we will be full of confusion about how to choose the best cookware and essential kitchen tools for minimalist cooks.
After years of cooking and trying many recipes that are suitable for busy folks like us, we learned exactly which tools one needs (and doesn’t need) to stock a fully functional and multi-purpose minimalist kitchen.
We’ve tried to make it easy to find what you need right away in this kitchen essentials list. Let’s go with Foods For Day to make a search for the best high quality that the most suitable value for your money essential kitchen tools
List kitchen utensils
There are various methods of categorizing cooking utensils based on their function, material, shape, or size. Here are some potential classifications:
- Cooking utensils
- Cutlery
- Baking utensils
- Specialty utensils
>> Latest kitchen utensil articles:
The details of cooking utensils:
Cooking utensils
These utensils are used for food preparation on the stove or in the oven
| Name | Function |
| ⭐Pots | ✅Pots are versatile, essential kitchen tools used for various cooking methods such as boiling, simmering, and stewing liquids or solids. The materials of pots can include: stainless steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, enameled cast iron, and nonstick coating. |
| ⭐Skillets | ✅Skillets, also known as frying pans, have sloped sides and wide bottoms. They are used for browning, searing, and frying foods. Skillets can be made of various materials, such as cast iron or stainless steel, or have a nonstick coating. |
| ⭐Woks | ✅Woks are versatile pans with round bottoms and high sides. They are primarily used for stir-frying, but can also be used for steaming, deep-frying, and braising. Woks are typically made of carbon steel or cast iron. |
| ⭐Dutch ovens | ✅Dutch ovens are versatile kitchen tools that serve multiple functions and are commonly used for braising, roasting, and baking foods. They have tight-fitting lids and thick walls, which help retain heat and moisture during cooking. There are various types and materials of Dutch ovens, such as traditional Dutch ovens, which are typically made of cast iron; enameled Dutch ovens, which have a cast iron base but are coated with a layer of enamel; and some Dutch ovens, which are made of stainless steel. |
| ⭐Roasting pans | ✅Roasting pans are kitchen essential utensils specifically designed for roasting meats, poultry, or vegetables in the oven. They are a convenient way to cook food evenly and allow the juices to drip into the pan, which can be used for making gravies or sauces. There are different materials for roasting pans, such as: stainless steel, aluminum, nonstick, and disposable. |
| ⭐Baking sheets | ✅Baking sheets, also known as cookie sheets or baking trays, are minimalist kitchen equipment used for baking a variety of foods in the oven. Here are some ✅guidelines for baking sheets, such as: Aluminum sheets are versatile and widely used. Stainless steel sheets offer durability. Nonstick sheets are convenient for easy release of baked goods, and silicone mats provide a nonstick surface and can reduce the need for additional grease. |
| ⭐Casserole dishes | ✅Casserole dishes are versatile, essential cooking tools used for baking and serving a variety of dishes, such as casseroles, lasagnas, pies, or roasted vegetables. They have a deep and lidded structure that is oven-safe. These are some materials for casserole dishes: glass, ceramic, metal, and stoneware. |
| ⭐Saucepans | ✅Saucepans are essential kitchen equipment used for cooking a variety of sauces, soups, and custards on the stovetop. They have straight sides, a long handle, and often come with a lid. These materials include: stainless steel, which offers durability. Copper provides excellent heat conductivity. Aluminum is lightweight. Nonstick pans are easy to clean. And enamel pans offer a unique aesthetic. |
| ⭐Stockpots | ✅Stockpots are versatile, essential kitchen utensils used primarily for making stocks, broths, soups, and large quantities of liquid-based dishes. They have tall sides and a large capacity to contain a large number of ingredients. Here are the different types and materials of stockpots commonly found: Stainless steel stockpots are a popular and versatile choice. Aluminum stockpots are lightweight. While nonstick and enamel stockpots provide convenience and ease of use |
| ⭐Pressure cookers | ✅Pressure cookers are kitchen tools designed to cook food quickly and efficiently by utilizing high pressure and steam. They have airtight lids and a pressure release valve to control the internal pressure. Here are the different types of pressure cookers commonly found: stovetop pressure cookers and electric pressure cookers. Pressure cookers are commonly made from stainless steel or aluminum. |
| ⭐Rice cookers | ✅Rice cookers are kitchen essentials specifically designed for cooking rice. Ensuring perfectly cooked rice with minimal work. Rice cookers have a lot of kinds, from basic to multi-function such as steaming vegetables, cooking porridge, or even baking cakes. When choosing a rice cooker, you consider its capacity and your purpose to determine which is best suited for you. |
| ⭐Steamer baskets | ✅Steamer baskets are kitchen equipment used for steaming food. They allow you to cook vegetables, seafood, dumplings, and other items by placing them over boiling water. Steamer baskets come in various types, such as stainless steel, bamboo, and silicone. |
| ⭐Griddles | ✅Griddles are flat pans with low edges. They provide a large, even cooking surface and are ideal for grilling pancakes, eggs, bacon, or sandwiches. Griddles can be made of cast iron, aluminum, or have a nonstick coating. |
| ⭐Grill pans | ✅Grill pans have ridged surfaces and high edges. They are used for grilling meats, seafood, and vegetables indoors. Grill pans can be made of cast iron, aluminum, or have a nonstick coating. |
Video about Minimalist Kitchen Equipment List Must-Haves for Every Home Cook:
Cutlery
These kitchen essentials are designed for cutting, slicing, and chopping food
| Name | Function |
| ⭐Knives | ✅Knives are essential kitchen utensils that are used for various cutting, slicing, and chopping tasks. Knives come in different shapes and sizes, each designed for specific purposes and techniques. Here are some types: chef’s knife, paring knife, utility knife, bread knife, santoku knife, boning knife, and steak knife. They have been made from multiple materials, such as stainless steel, high carbon steel, ceramic, and damascus steel. |
| ⭐Scissors | ✅Scissors are kitchen utensils primarily used for cutting and trimming various ingredients and food items without the need for a cutting board or knife. The scissors for cooking are typically made from stainless steel, and there are different types of kitchen shears: all-purpose scissors, herb scissors, and poultry shears. |
| ⭐Cutting boards | ✅Surfaces for safely cutting and chopping food. Cutting boards are essential kitchen tools used for preparing and chopping ingredients during cooking. Cutting boards have been made from plastic, wood, bamboo, glass, and composites. |
| ⭐Forks | ✅Forks are essential kitchen utensils used for meal preparation and dining. Forks are classified depending on their purpose: dinner forks, salad forks, dessert forks, and meat forks. Forks can be made from different materials, including: stainless steel, silver-plated, plastic, and wood. |
| ⭐Spoons | ✅Spoons are cooking utensils used for everything from stirring and serving to eating. Spoons come in different types, each designed for specific purposes: tablespoons, teaspoons, soup spoons, serving spoons, and slotted spoons. They are made from materials such as: stainless steel, silver-plated, plastic, and wood. |
| ⭐Teaspoons | ✅Teaspoons are a specific type of spoon used in cooking utensils. Here are the differences between teaspoons: regular teaspoons, coffee spoons, and demitasse spoons. They can be made of stainless steel, silver-plated, plastic, or wood. |
| ⭐Ladles | ✅Ladles are basic kitchen utensils used for serving and scooping up liquids, such as: soups, stews, sauces, and gravies, from pots or containers into bowls, plates, or other serving vessels. Ladles come in various types, including: soup ladles, gravy ladles, and punch ladles. These can be made from stainless steel, plastic, silicone, or wood. |
| ⭐Spatulas | ✅Spatulas are things in the kitchen used for a variety of tasks, including flipping, stirring, scraping, and spreading ingredients such as pancakes, eggs, burgers, and fish, spreading icing, frosting, or condiments on baked goods or sandwiches. Here are various materials that spatulas can be made from: stainless steel, silicone, bamboo, and wood. |
| ⭐Tongs | ✅Tongs are kitchen items designed for gripping, lifting, and turning food items such as grilled meats, serving cooked pasta or noodles, tossing and serving salads, picking up slices of bread,etc. Tongs are made of stainless steel, silicone, bamboo, and wood. |
| ⭐Serving spoons | ✅Serving spoons are kitchen tools used for scooping and serving food. They have various shapes and sizes depending on their intended use, such as: slotted serving spoons, solid serving spoons, salad serving spoons, and sauce serving spoons. There are materials for making serving spoon:stainless steel, plastic, wood, silver, and silicone |
Baking utensils
These kitchen list of items are specifically used for making baked goods like cakes, pies, cookies, breads, and pastries
| Name | Function |
| ⭐Measuring cups | ✅Measuring cups are the best tools for the kitchen, used for accurately measuring ingredients for cooking and baking. There are different types of measuring cups available: dry measuring cups, liquid measuring cups, and adjustable measuring cups, which are made from plastic, glass, stainless steel, ceramic, silicone, or copper. |
| ⭐Measuring spoons | ✅Measuring spoons are the best kitchen gadgets used to measure small amounts of ingredients, such as spices, baking powder, or extracts, that require precise measurements for recipes. The materials of the measuring spoon such as: stainless steel, plastic, silicone, copper, wood, and ceramic. |
| ⭐Whisks | ✅Whisks are one of the tools every cook uses for mixing, beating, and incorporating air into ingredients, such as: whisking eggs, whipping cream, blending batters, and emulsifying sauces. Balloon whisks, ball whisks, coil whisks, dough whisks, French whisks, and flat whisks are different types of them. They can be made from various materials, including stainless steel, silicone, or a combination of both. |
| ⭐Mixing bowls | ✅Mixing bowls are one of a list of kitchen items that have a spacious capacity and are used for combining ingredients, stirring, whisking, and mixing foods. They are made from stainless steel, copper, glass, ceramic, melamine, and silicone. |
| ⭐Rolling pins | ✅Rolling pins are essential kitchen goods used for rolling out dough for baking or cooking, such as pastry, cookie, and bread dough. They come in different materials: wood, marble, stainless steel, glass, and silicone. |
| ⭐Pastry brushes | ✅Pastry brushes are cooking tools used to apply liquids or coatings onto food surfaces, providing a smooth and even distribution for pastries, dough, or sauces, such as: applying glazes, egg washes, or butter onto pastries and bread; spreading oils, sauces, or marinades onto meats, vegetables, or grilled foods; or dusting flour or powdered sugar onto surfaces or dough. Pastry brushes can be made from hog, boar, horsehair, silicone, or nylon. |
| ⭐Cookie cutters | ✅Cookie cutters are kitchen utensils used for shaping and cutting cookie dough into various decorative shapes before baking. Stainless steel, tin-plated steel, plastic, or silicone can be used for making cookie cutters. |
| ⭐Muffin pans | ✅Muffin pans are things in the kitchen used for baking muffins, cupcakes, and other similar baked goods. There are some materials for making muffin pans, including: aluminum, steel, silicone, or non-stick coating. |
| ⭐Cake pans | ✅Cake pans are one of list kitchen items used for baking cakes of various shapes and sizes. Cake pans are often made of aluminum, steel, silicone, and glass. |
| ⭐Pie plates | ✅Pie plates are kitchen essentials specifically designed for baking pies. The materials for making pie plates include: ceramic , stoneware, glass, aluminum, or steel. |
| ⭐Loaf pans | ✅Loaf pans are kitchen utensils used for baking bread, cakes, and other loaf-shaped baked goods. You can choose some loaf pan materials, such as: ceramic, stoneware, steel, aluminum, silicone, or tempered glass. |
| ⭐Cooling racks | ✅Cooling racks are kitchen items used to cool baked goods and other hot foods. Here are some cooling rack materials: stainless steel, chrome-plated steel, non-stick coated steel, or bamboo. |
Specialty utensils
These utensils are employed for specific purposes or types of food
| Name | Function |
| ⭐Ice cream scoopers | ✅Ice cream scoopers are kitchen utensils specifically designed for scooping and serving ice cream. They are usually made from stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, silicone, or copper. |
| ⭐Pizza cutters | ✅Pizza cutters are specifically designed for cutting pizza into slices. The cutters are commonly made of stainless steel. The handles of pizza cutters can be made of various materials, including plastic, stainless steel, or even wood, providing a comfortable grip while cutting. |
| ⭐Apple slicers | ✅Apple slicers are designed to quickly and easily slice apples into uniform pieces or wedges. Stainless steel is used for making them. |
| ⭐Fruit squeezers | ✅Fruit squeezers are designed to extract juice from various fruits, particularly citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges. Here are some materials that you can choose from: stainless steel, heavy-duty plastic, or coating enamel. |
| ⭐Mortar and pestle | ✅A mortar and pestle is a kitchen utensil used for grinding, crushing, and mixing ingredients. You can choose their materials from granite stone, marble stone, ceramic, or glass. |
| ⭐Garlic press | ✅A garlic press is a kitchen utensil used for crushing garlic cloves. They are commonly made from sturdy materials such as stainless steel with a nonstick coating, aluminum, zinc alloy, plastic, or die-cast metal. |
| ⭐Mallet meat | ✅A meat mallet is a kitchen utensil used to pound or tenderize meat. It can be made of wood, stainless steel, aluminum, or food-grade plastic. |
| ⭐Peeler | ✅A peeler is a kitchen tool used to remove the outer skin or peel from fruits and vegetables. The handle material can vary and may include plastic, wood, or stainless steel, while peeler blades are commonly made from stainless steel. |
| ⭐Grater | ✅A grater is a kitchen tool used for grating cheese, vegetables, fruits, and other food items. Stainless steel is the best material for your choice. |
| ⭐Potato masher | ✅A potato masher mashes cooked potatoes or other soft ingredients into a smooth or chunky consistency. These are some materials for making potato mashers: stainless steel, silicone, or wood. |
| ⭐Turkey baster | ✅A turkey baster is a kitchen utensil used to inject or distribute liquids, such as marinades, sauces, or juices, onto the surface of meat, to enhance flavor, moisten the meat, and ensure even browning. They are commonly made from the following materials: lightweight plastic, silicone, or stainless steel. |
| ⭐Knife sharpener | ✅A knife sharpener sharpens the blades of knives, restoring their sharpness and cutting performance. Ceramic, diamond-coated, or steel are used for making knife sharpeners. |
By focusing on minimal kitchen utensils, you can avoid unnecessary clutter and have a well-equipped kitchen that meets your cooking needs.
Additionally, choose utensils based on the type of cuisine you enjoy cooking. For example, if you frequently bake, include baking-specific utensils such as a baking sheet, cake pan, and pastry brush. If you enjoy grilling, consider adding a grill spatula and tongs to your collection.
These are some guidelines for choosing kitchen tools. I hope you have delicious dishes.
Foodsforday is the founder of the Foods For Day blog. A lover of cooking, sharing and synthesizing cooking experiences on recipes, kitchen utensils, and spices.