In 2012, I did a post titled Must Have Kitchen Essentials. I thought it would be fun, two years later to do an updated post and share some of the things I use weekly, some even daily in my kitchen now. Everything in the original post, I still use regularly as well so make sure to check it out.
Standard cooking set up
So first up, is an update to one I talked about in the original post. I have always had a little spot next to my oven devoted to oil, cooking spray, salt and pepper. Today, my set up consists of extra virgin olive oil in a ‘drizzle bottle’, a mister oil spray instead of conventional cooking spray and coconut oil. Check out my post on making better oil choices for more information on the change up. I still have a pepper grinder and a sugar container filled with salt. Two new additions are honey and little mortar and pestle. I keep it all on a little wood cutting board.
Pyrex
I have so many pyrex, all different sizes. I actually have a couple other sizes than what is pictures, but they were in use. These are my main sizes. I use these for leftover storage, lunches or freezer meals. I hand wash the lids, so they stay in good form and because heat and plastic don’t mix well. The container itself can go into the dishwasher. The 1 and 2 cup ones are great for freezing freshly cooked beans or brown rice for easy meals.
Snap glasslock containers
For items in the freezer that I use a lot, for example my frozen fruit for smoothies or veggies for quick side dishes, I have found these work better than Pyrex. If you are getting into the container frequently, the Pyrex lids don’t hold up very well.
Glass jars
Have you picked up on the fact that I use a lot of glass? I really don’t like plastic in our house and have slowly tried to transition plastic out. In our kitchen we use a lot of stainless steel or glass. I have bought a few mason jars in a variety of different sizes and then keep a lot of jars from pickles, applesauce, honey, roasted red peppers, pasta sauce, etc on hand. My pantry is filled with these, along with my fridge.
Glass and stainless measuring devices
Again, trying to wean from plastic, I use glass and stainless measuring spoons and cups. I really like these measuring cups because they have more than the traditional measurements of ¼ c, ⅓ c, ½ c and 1 c. You also get a ⅔ c and ¾ c.
Find the stainless measuring cups here and spoons here (although I actually received these as wedding favors - there are tons of options out there).
Glass pantry jars
You might remember these in my pantry sneak peek post. I buy them 50% off at Hobby Lobby and they are great for my pasta, rice, lentils, etc.
Spice jars
I got these as wedding gifts and use them for all of my dried spices I keep on hand to add flavor to cooking.
Label maker
Yep, you heard me. I love my label maker. My husband actually is found with it many times also. This doesn’t technically live in my kitchen, but with all the food we keep in our freezer and all the random glass jars around our kitchen, we turn to the label maker regularly so we know what is in each container.
Herb keeper
These herb keepers we also got as wedding gifts and still use them regularly. They are great for prolonging the life of herbs. I have two, one for parsley and one for cilantro that I keep in my fridge.
Find here.
Fridge liners
So I first saw these fridge coasters and feel in love, until I saw the price. No thanks! Instead I found clearance plastic (yes plastic….) placements and cut them to size and laid them in my fridge. I love these because I try to wipe out my fridge once a month and these can be rinsed under the sink and put back.
Silicone baking mats
In addition to less plastic in our house, over the years we have learned ways to use less and waste less. A recent gift I received were these silicone placements for baking. Previously, I liked to use parchment paper a lot, but these are great because they are easily cleaned in between use and ready for the next time.
Cloth napkins
Another way our family quit wasting was with napkins. I have bought cloth napkins for cheap over the years at places like Home Goods. We usually re-use them a couple times before they are ‘done’ and ready to be washed. We just store them in a drawer and one pile is clean and one pile is gently used. When they are ready for a wash, I add them to the laundry bin and move onto a new one. I have some nicer ones we use for entertaining and even one for my husband and I to take in our lunch bags.
Yogurt maker
Okay, onto appliances. I recently read about this and now use it weekly to make fresh homemade yogurt - SO EASY! Totally worth the money and I love the glass jars that come with the machine.
Juicer
Another recent appliance purchase is a juicer. This was actually my husband's idea and we use it weekly. Mondays are our juicing day and we usually make 1-2 large mason jars (pictured above) full and drink on it over the next couple days. Check out my original post for details on juicing and picking an appliance.
Popcorn maker
So we don’t use this weekly, but definitely still worth mentioned as my husband is obsessed with it. We quit buying conventional popcorn bags a while back after realizing all the junk in them. We now buy organic popcorn kernels in bulk, which is also much cheaper! Check out the original post on how to use this handy dandy thing. I even have my parents using one.
Popsicle molds
Leaving you with a controversial kitchen essential. Man oh man, lots of dirty minded readers out there, when I first posted my homemade popsicles :). Think what you want, but these are great for making homemade snacks or desserts. This was the only stainless steel version that I found when I purchased them, so if you can’t get past the appearance sorry to you :)! There is one similar available now here.
Thats it for now! What are your must have kitchen essentials?
~Ashley
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