You may wonder why you even need a kitchen list, thinking that shopping for all the necessary kitchen equipment is not that complicated. In fact,
A well-planned kitchen equipment list will save you a lot of time and effort. It will only take you one or two trips to get all the necessary equipment for your kitchen.
Building up a fully functional kitchen from scratch will no longer feel like walking a tightrope anymore if you have good planning. Without further ado, let’s see what you need for your beloved kitchen.
Things To Consider When Buying Kitchen Equipment
A kitchen needs a lot of equipment to function smoothly. Rome was not built in a day. Don’t rush into picking up random items you can find in the store. Careful planning and consideration are what you need to utilize your resources.
You might ask yourself some questions: what my kitchen space is, my financial status, and what my trusted suppliers are. Moreover, your vision should be aligned with long-term usage. High-quality products will survive the test of time.
Always make sure your equipment items will serve your practical cooking purposes. Don’t go on a rampage of shopping for unnecessary stuff, especially when all the manufacturers are good at making you believe in the essentiality of their products.
Here are the traits you should look for in any item before putting it into your shopping cart:
1. Quality
You should always opt for the best quality products. There are some criteria to consider when it comes to quality.
- The material used in the equipment: Material is the first important thing that dictates the durability and performance of equipment. It can also have a direct influence on your health as you cook and eat with that equipment most of the day.
- Usage status: If you’re considering getting second-hand kitchen equipment, always check its usage status first. Is it old? Does it have any signs of warping or scratches? Always check the item in person before purchase for better inspection.
- Frequency of use: You should make up your mind about which equipment you are going to use the most. Those are the items that should have the highest quality.
2. Ease To Use And Clean
You’re going to work with that kitchen equipment every day for a very long time. For that reason, choosing ones that are easy to use is important. You can ask for suggestions from sales reps, watch review videos on the internet, or try them out yourself in the store.
Consider their weight, their handling, and their technological features before purchase. Don’t buy something you find hard to operate.
Regarding cleaning, you should see if you have a dishwasher or not. If you do, look for tools that are safe in the dishwasher. Some materials like stainless steel and ceramic are less prone to sticking, and cleaning them feels so easy.
3. Price
Price is another important factor that you should keep in mind when building your kitchen collection from scratch. Keep the everyday items on the top priority list and you might spend more budget on them.
For items with lower priorities, find something with multipurpose that can perform many kinds of tasks. For example, a spork can be used as a spoon and a fork at the same time.
4. Kitchen Space
You don’t have to be an interior designer to plan the position of your equipment perfectly. Think about every corner and surface that you can utilize to place and store your equipment. Just make a map in your mind or draw it out on paper for better envisioning.
5. Trusted Brands
Choosing a trustworthy supplier can save you from further headaches. Some equipment needs installation. But don’t worry; some suppliers will take care of that.
Always examine the maintenance and warranty policies carefully. Even the most famous brands can have products with technical and manufacturing errors.
Learn about what kind of kitchen tools are essential for your kitchen.
The Complete Kitchen Equipment List
Kitchen equipment is the soul of any kitchen. Having various gadgets sitting available in your cupboard is extremely convenient. However, you should not mindlessly buy what your eyes see as necessary.
Several basic tools are enough to solve all the problems in your kitchen. Here is the list of essential equipment for your kitchen:
1. Cooking Appliances
Cooking equipment should be on top of your priority list. They directly control the quality of your foods. Here is the list of cooking equipment every kitchen should have:
Range
A range or a stove is the most basic cooking appliance in any kitchen. You can choose either an electric or gas variant. These are the most common varieties in Western countries.
This COSMO Dual Fuel Range is a good choice with many functions and a delicate design.
You need to check this buying guide before buying a range.
Oven
This cooking appliance is prevalent in every household due to its versatility. It’s good for multiple cooking methods, such as baking, braising, and roasting. Having an oven at home is extremely handy in most cases.
There are various types of ovens, and you should choose the one that serves your cooking purposes. These Empava 24″ 10 Cooking Functions are ideal for family meals with 10 different cooking styles.
Electric Kettle
An electric kettle will save you a lot of time when you need hot water for cooking or making drinks. With 5-minute working, your hot water is ready.
You can not ignore this fast and safe Hamilton Beach Glass Electric Tea Kettle. They come with a modern design with glass sides and stainless steel accents.
Toaster
A toaster is good for your breakfast preparation. It’s fast and easy to use. Your bread and bagels will be much more delicious after getting toasted.
My recommendation is the Amazon Basics 2 Slice. It comes with 6 settings to accommodate individual preferences. The wide slots are great for bagels and thicker slides.
Microwave
Microwave is a great appliance when you need to steam cook, quickly roast foods, reheat leftovers, or defrost.
If you’re looking for a multi-functional microwave, this TOSHIBA EM131A5C-SS is perfect.
How does a microwave work? Here is the proof that can show you how important it is.
Kitchen Scale
A kitchen scale helps you measure ingredients to attain the golden ratio for each recipe. It usually comes with more precision than normal scale.
This high-quality Etekcity Food Kitchen Scale weighs up to 5 kilograms with a unit conversion feature that is good for ingredient measurement in your cooking.
Blender
A blender is a standard appliance in most kitchens. I can do much more than just make smoothies. It’s good for mixing liquids and soft ingredients. Whether it is sauces, beverages, dips, or spread, a blender can prepare your food in a blink of time.
This 4.5-star Magic Bullet Blender on Amazon is super space-saving and suitable for many purposes like blending, whips, grinds, and more.
2. Kitchenware
Kitchenware is the cooking vessel that you use to cook food. They come in many shapes and sizes to serve specific purposes like boiling, frying, braising, or searing. Here is the list of the most necessary kitchenware you need:
Skillet
A skillet will be your multitasking assistant in your kitchen. This cookware is good for searing, sauteing, frying, and making sauces. Don’t be thrifty with this cookware because it’s the kind of one purchase for lifetime usage.
For the skillet, my recommendation is The Lodge L8SK3 made of cast iron with great durability and great heat retention. It’s ideal for multiple cooking purposes and safe in the oven too.
Stockpot
A stockpot is a big pot with high sides that can contain a great volume of liquid. It can handle large batches of soup or stew, which is extremely handy in cooking for a group of people.
Check out this Cook N Home 8 Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot with the aluminum-cored bottom tempered glass lid and durable handle. This is your go-to if you’re looking for an affordable stock pot.
Saucepan
Smaller and lighter than a stock pot, a saucepan is suitable to deal with small portion cooking of soups, pasta, sauces, and stews. It comes with one long hand and an air-tight lid to serve those purposes.
My recommendation for a well-rounded saucepan is Cuisinart 719-16 1.5-Quart with a high rating on Amazon.
Grill Pan
A grill pan is useful on many occasions. Frying pans have a flat surface, while grill pans come with raised ridges.
People typically use it for cooking steak, vegetables, fish, and chicken. You can also grill bacon, hands, and ground meat with a grill pan.
My pick is Lodge L8SGP3 Cast Iron Square Grill Pan. It’s made in the USA with seasoned foundry. This product is oven safe and can be used on a campfire.
Baking Sheet Pan
This cookware is used exclusively in an oven. It’s a must-have item for baking pastries such as cookies, Swiss rolls, pizzas, and cakes.
The Rachael Ray Nonstick Bakeware Set comes in many sizes. They are easy to clean, sturdy, and lightweight.
Do you know that you can season your baking sheet as well? Follow this instruction for more information.
Casserole Dish
This is a versatile piece of kit. Use it for making casseroles, stews, braises, pot roasts, and so on. Casserole dishes can go into the oven to make baked dishes like a casserole.
This Pyrex Easy Grab 2-Qt Glass Casserole Dish with high-quality durability and reliability. Tempered glass and large handles help bring stability and safety when handling hot food. This is among the best choices for a casserole dish.
3. Food Prep
The food preparation stage decides the success of your dishes. Some many tools and kits can make your food prep easier. Check out this list of food prep equipment that your kitchen needs.
Food Processor
A food processor is a kitchen tool for chopping, mincing, shredding, kneading, grinding, and dicing ingredients. You can also use it as a blender to make a mixture out of ingredients.
I recommend this Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor with an extra large bowl for more food processing and a durable stainless steel blade to cut through ingredients with ease.
Mixers
A mixer is utilized in various tasks of food preparation. People use it to mix cake batter, whip cream, or knead. It’s a perfect tool to bring the desired consistency to your savory and sweet dishes.
My experience with Delish by DASH Compact Stand Mixer is that it is easy to use with multiple features. The bowl is simple to adjust, and it comes with 5-speed modes.
Spice Grinder
A spice grinder is a must-have in any kitchen. This small and easy-to-use equipment is perfect for grinding your whole spices into fresh blends.
Check out this Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Grinder, which powers grinding that can grind coffee, beans, and spices.
These are some tips and tricks to use a spice grinder correctly.
Can Opener
There is hardly any equipment that can replace a can opener in any kitchen. Its exclusive use is to open the canned product without damaging the container. It can also pull tabs, unscrew tops, and crown caps easily.
KitchenAid Classic Multifunction Can Opener is the top choice for many functions. It is designed to puncture and open all types of cans and bottles easily.
Measuring Cups
Measuring cups serve the sole purpose of helping you get the right amount of liquid to go into your recipes. They usually come in a stackable set of different volumes for you to choose from.
I recommended this Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set with 1-cup, 2-cup, and 4-cup measuring cups that are perfect for baking, cooking, mixing, and more.
Measuring Spoons
These small spoons help measure smaller amounts of liquid or solid cooking ingredients. They usually come with a double-sided design to hold both liquids and solids.
KitchenAid Measuring Spoons with a set of 5 different sizes perfectly measure both wet and dry ingredients with accuracy and ease.
Strainer
A strainer is the equipment chefs and home cooks use to separate liquids from solids in cooking. It is useful in sieving broth from ingredients.
This Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS set of 3 strainers is made from durable stainless steel mesh that is super easy to use and clean.
Colander
A colander is bigger than a strainer. It is often used in straining foods like pasta or rinse vegetables. Using a colander is the best way to take out soaked ingredients.
This ExcelSteel Stainless Steel Colander with easy grip handles and is constructed in durable stainless steel, increasing the quality of washing and straining purposes.
Vegetable Peeler
Many think this tool is not essential since you can peel vegetables with a knife. They have never been so wrong. Having a vegetable peeler speeds up your preparation a whole lot.
I love this OXO Good Grips Y-Peeler because it’s simple yet durable and very handful.
Shears
A good preparation tool that is more versatile than a pair of scissors. They can cut open meat, chicken, and dried fruit, remove thyme leaves from fresh sprigs, and so on.
Check out these KitchenAid All Purpose Shears. Made with stainless steals, these shears are sharp and durable. The handles provide comfort and control, making these shears a go-to kitchen gadget.
There are several ways to use kitchen shears.
4. Utensils
Utensils serve various purposes in both cooking and serving. Let’s go through the list of important utensils everyone should get.
Chef’s Knife
High-quality and low-quality chef’s knives have night and day differences in the cooking experience. A good chef knife saves your time and effort and makes the cut on the ingredients extremely smooth.
For chef’s knives, you should always buy in sets. This premium German product HENCKELS Classic Razor-Sharp 3-pc Knife Set is fabricated from high-quality German stainless steel, making it durable and easy to clean.
Cutting Boards
A cutting board provides you with a clean and flat surface to prepare your food before cooking them.
People prefer plastic cutting boards over wood because the wooden surface might be a suitable environment for harmful bacteria to thrive.
This Freshware Cutting Board Set is the set you’re looking for. These boards are made with thick, heavy-duty plastic (which is BPA-free), making them safe to cut on.
Have you ever tried to make a cutting board by yourself? If not, this tutorial might inspire you to try out.
Mixing Bowls
Mixing bowls is designed for salad mixing, making sauces and marinade mixture, or storing leftovers. Ceramic or glass bowls are heavy, and plastic bowls retain odors. Stainless steel is the best choice for mixing bowls.
My favorite Cuisinart CTG-00-SMB Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls come in different sizes to fit many cooking tasks. Made with stainless steel, they’re easy to clean up and safe in the fridge and freezer.
Whisk
A whisk is arguably one of the most used tools in your kitchen. Use it to whisk eggs, sauces, salad dressing, marinades, or mix dessert ingredients.
OXO is always one of the most trusted kitchen tool suppliers out there. This OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk with a fitting handle and stainless steel wires is perfect for whipping and aerating ingredients.
Slotted Spoons
This kind of large spoon with holes or slots for draining liquid. This tool allows you to remove the food from the pan without excess oil or liquid.
I love that Chef Craft Heavy Duty Slotted Spoon that is safe on many non-stick surfaces.
Spatula
This tool is useful when you need to flip your foods, such as an omelet, a fried fish, or a crepe. Its flat surface allows you to go through the bottom of the food and flip without ruining it.
If you’re looking for a spatula for lifetime usage, this KitchenAid Classic Slotted Turner is your best bet. The nylon material is safe for all cooking surfaces, and the turner head is resistant to high heat, up to 450°F/232°C.
Knife Sharpener
Even the highest-quality knife goes blunt at some point. A knife sharpener can help your knife to return to its original sharpness.
This multi-functional AccuSharp Knife & Tool Sharpener not only sharpens your knives, but also works with tools like axes, machetes, and cleavers. It’s super easy to use and fast to sharpen.
Tongs
If you want tools to flip your meat and vegetables with ease, a pair of tongs is a must-have. This tool can also help you grasp the food from the cookware and serve it on the dish.
This pair of OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs comes with a modern design and comfortable grip, suitable for flipping and moving ingredients.
Ladle
A ladle with a long handle and a large spoon at the end is excellent for serving liquid-related dishes like stews, soups, and sauces.
Another great product from OXO, this OXO Good Grips Nylon Ladle received the best rating and lots of reviews on Amazon. This ladle is perfect for portioning and serving soup with nylon material and a soft grip,
Oven Mitts
Oven mitts serve the sole purpose of protecting your hands from heat, especially when it comes to handling dishes cooked in the oven.
My recommended KitchenAid Asteroid Oven Mitts are made from silicon with high-heat resistance and are easy to wash.
Thermometer
Most people usually overlook the importance of the thermometer in cooking. This tool helps you get the right temperature of the dish you’re cooking to adjust the heat.
With this ThermoPro Instant Read Thermometer, you will have an accurate temperature result in 2-3 seconds. No more trying to guess or taste hot foods; this device will do the job for you. Storage Equipment And Containers
Is a food thermometer necessary? Yes, it is!
5. Container Equipment
Storage equipment and containers help to store foods or other equipment, protecting them from outer influences and extending food’s shelf life. Here are some storage equipment and containers that you shouldn’t skip:
Drying Racks
These racks provide a place to store your equipment (e.g., cookware, dinnerware, utensils, and cutting boards) and dry it.
All of your kitchen tools and utensils will be safe with KitchenAid Full-Size Dish Rack. It has a large capacity and is suitable for many kinds of kitchen tools.
Ice Cube Tray
Most people forget to add this to their list. Having an ice cube tray filled in your freezer is important because your urge to have a cold icy drink will come when you’re least expecting.
A good ice cube tray will be hard to break, and the ice cubes can be taken out easier. The Kitch Ice Tray will make it easier for you to take out the ice cubes. This product is BPA free and safe in the dishwasher.
This is a quick review of 7 different ice cube trays that you should check before purchasing one.
Plastic Containers
These containers will come in handy when storing your leftovers in the fridge or bringing lunch to work. The fridge-safe plastic containers are the best choice, and they’re durable too.
Your foods are safe in Amazon Basics Tritan Locking Container. They come in anti-break and durable material. Locking lids offer leak-proof seals to transport sauces, soups, and other liquids without spilling out.
Aluminum Foil
This item serves a lot of purposes in the kitchen. It can be used in cooking, preserving foods, cleaning, and scrubbing.
Aluminum foil is good at transferring heat, so it can be used to grill fish or vegetables, cover baking surfaces, and wrap steak to cook in the oven.
Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil is a brand with 70 years of quality. The wraps are durable and easy to use.
6. Cleaning Equipment
Cleaning equipment is important for maintaining other equipment as well as keeping your kitchen clean. Here is some clean equipment that every kitchen should have:
Trash Bin
A trash bin helps to keep all kitchen waste and contamination in check. High-quality trash bins have tight-fitted lids which have soft-close features that prevent rackets when closing the lid.
Designed for household kitchen usage, this AmazonBasics 5 Liter Trash Bin helps you save a lot of space but still can contain lots of trash.
Towels
You also need soft towels to wipe away the excess moisture, dust, or spills on your dishes or equipment.
These AmazonBasics Dish Towels are what you’re looking for with high durability, absorbency, and strength. They are good enough to keep your dishes dry and clean.
Sponges
Sponges help you to wipe out the residues on your cookware and utensils. People tend to buy a random one to use, but not all sponges are the same. Good quality sponges offer better scouring than normal ones.
Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges come with great scouring ability that you don’t need another scouring pad. The 5-star rating on Amazon tells a lot about the products.
Trash Bags
Never forget to buy your trash bags. They help you to gather up all the waste to dispose of in one go. Good trash bags are more sturdy to prevent the leakage of waste and breaking of the bag.
These 13-gallon Amazonbasics Kitchen Trash Bags are perfect for handling a large amount of trash. They also come with drawstring closure for easy tying and carrying.
Find The Right Equipment For Your Kitchen
Not every kitchen is built the same and needs the same equipment to operate smoothly. On buying equipment for your kitchen, you need to understand your personal needs and priorities.
Ask yourself who your designed targets to cook for are, and what dishes you’re going to cook the most. Always plan before buying and remember, investing more budget for items with higher priority is a good option.
Before leaving, please leave some comments about the equipment that should be on the list or how you think about this list. Don’t forget to share this useful list with other people who are struggling with their kitchen shopping. Thank you!
