Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from John and Dana Shultz. John and Dana share simple, delicious recipes on their website Minimalist Baker.
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Minimalism isn’t just about the number of things you own. It’s about paring down to the essentials and finding contentment in owning less. This applies to every part of your life, for example, your wardrobe, the items in your room, and even your kitchen.
Practicing minimalism in the kitchen doesn’t require sacrificing your ability to make incredible meals. In fact, having less clutter in the kitchen actually makes it easier to get in there and cook up something wonderful.
Simplifying into a minimalist kitchen always starts with removing the utensils and appliances you aren’t using and don’t need. This means your kitchen can be decluttered very inexpensively with only a little time and thoughtful consideration.
Below is a list of 16 kitchen utensils we don’t own (and we run a cooking blog!). The list is partially inspired by A No-Frills Kitchen Still Cooks, a New York Times article packed with tips and suggestions for keeping a simple kitchen.
This list is neither exclusive nor conclusive. Rather, it’s merely a starting point to hopefully inspire you to reevaluate how much you keep in your kitchen. Be honest with your situation and only keep the tools you are using to create a minimalist kitchen.
16 Kitchen Tools We Do Not Own
1. Kitchen Aid Mixer. Not owning this guy is pure heresy in the food blog world, but we survive just fine. Replacement: A $13 handheld mixer.
2. Crock Pot. It’s big, it’s bulky, and you probably only use it once a year. Replacement: Varies by dish, but usually a large pot will suffice. If you really need one, borrow it from a friend.
3. Knife Block. These can be more bulky than necessary. Replacement: Keep our knives in the silverware drawer.
4. Excessive Pots and Pans. We simplified down to 3 pots and 3 pans. Replacement: Clean cabinets.
5. More than 8 plates, glasses, and bowls. We love to host. Rarely do we have more than 8 guests, but even when we do, we still have options. Replacement: Use specialty disposable plateware.
6. Extra coffee/tea mugs. Again, we decided we rarely ever need more than 8, and we don’t even have that many. Plus, these can double as glasses if you have more than 8 guests!
7. Bread Maker. Bulky and likely eating up cabinet space. Replacement: Bread recipes that don’t require a maker such as our 7-ingredient Muesli Bread!
8. Toaster oven. If you don’t regularly use this, then it’s just eating up space. Replacement: Regular toaster or a traditional oven.
9. A wok. Although a fun device, it’s rarely used. Replacement: The largest pan you own.
10. A Juicer. Big, bulky, and hard to clean. Replacement: If you love to juice, you can juice without a juicer.
11. Espresso machine. First, you probably don’t use this as much as you thought you would. Second, to get a really good espresso you usually need very high quality equipment and the time to adjust your grind/machinery to get that perfect shot. This simply isn’t practical for the average coffee lover. Replacement: Sell the espresso machine and go to a coffee shop when you want good espresso.
12. Grilled cheese maker. You don’t need this. Replacement: Almost any pan.
13. Rice maker. Only keep this if you regularly make a lot of rice. Replacement: Prepare rice in a traditional pot.
14. Doughnut pan. When is the last time you made doughnuts? Exactly. Replacement: Go buy doughnuts when you want them, or try a pan-free version.
15. Quesadilla maker/ Panini press. Ah! Replacement: You can get the same effect by using a skillet, tin foil, and pressing down on a pan on top.
16. Egg scrambler/milk frother/other trinkets. Be honest, you don’t really use these things. And they are only taking up space. Replacement: Just a little creativity.
+1. Fine china / heirloom dishes. This was intentionally saved for last, because it’s likely the emotional attachment is greater than the pragmatic realization that you are not using them. This quote has helped us in this area: “The truth is, neither our love for the person, nor their love for us, nor our memories, are in the possession.”
I want to finish by admitting we keep things that others might consider superfluous, but we use them every day and continue to enjoy them. Ultimately, we feel that should always be our guiding principle and hopefully one that empowers you to question the same.
What else can you/have you removed from your minimalist kitchen?
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You can find more of John and Dana’s fabulously wonderful recipes on their website, The Minimalist Baker.
Ali says
I look at this article and many of the other articles as information, suggestions, ideas to possibly implement into my daily life. Of course this list isn’t going to be for everyone yet it is about evaluating what we have and making some changes.
Lora Whelan says
We’ve passed along our family china to two of the next generation — they’re excited and we’re excited for them to be the 5th generation to use it — and when we need extra tableware for our twice a year parties, we visit the local thrift shop. Plates, glasses, mugs for less than 50 cents each, and when we’re done, we donate them back. Same with platters and bowls for taking food to parties. We put a label on the bottom of the dish that says please keep or donate to the thrift shop.
Deby says
In preparation for an extended vacation I discovered an untapped area to apply the practice of minimalism.
My refrigerator and pantry had a lot of perishable items in them. Although normally I would have waited until just before I left and given these items to friends, this time I decided to avoid the grocery store altogether a few weeks before and devise meals to use them up.
As I really looked in my cupboards I saw a lot of food I forgot I had bought. How many of you have cupboards overflowing with foodstuffs? Refrigerators stuffed with duplicate condiments, freezers full of potential meals?
I dislike the grocery store sales that require me to buy two to get one free, why won’t they let me just buy one at half price? I frequently don’t need or want 2 of most things.
My kitchen is now down to the things I use and I love it!
Rebecca says
People vary so much. We use our rice maker, wok, panni press a lot. We use our press for amazing grilled fish, shrimp skewers, roasted veg. The bread maker, I use the dough function, it’s allowed me to make bread again
As for the espresso machine, we have an automatic, plus a grinder for decaf. But I use it 6 times a day or more. My husband 3 or 4. I will say we drink water, espresso, and tea. No soft drinks op other kinds. I think what you don’t need in your kitchen is what you don’t use
Lou says
Having more than one set of dishes is key when you are a 2 person household and you wait till your dishwasher is full to run it! And I do love and use my rice cooker! On the espresso machine, I’m not a coffee drinker but for those who are, seems that could save a lot of money at the coffee shops if used regularly.
Sonya says
I usually agree with your posts, but I think this is a bit presumptuous. I use my espresso machine everyday, I had a closet removed to have a space for it, I use my crock pot often in the winter, when I want to bake I wouldn’t want any mixer other than my Kitchen Aid, both are stored in a closet. I have a lot of different plates, I love to tablescape. My toaster oven is on my counter and used almost daily. Different lifestyles for different people.
Diane says
What coffee maker do you use?💕
Cheryl Sharpe says
I don’t have 8 of these. 3 I’d like to pare down (excess dishes, mugs, silverware, inexpensivw China and heirloom dishes that nobody wants (have to be hand washed and can’t be.pur in microwave )). The inexpensive China I thought I’d use on Sundays and holidays like my mom. After 42 years of marriage and counting, that’s not happening.
Margaret Rasch says
I just own the crock pot…pared down when we moved and don’t miss a thing.