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.
jayne says
I agree with the above, however what is useful to one person may not be to another and visa versa. I only have two large pans, which can also steam veg, I have one small pan and two woks. The reason i have two woks is that we I lived in Hong Kong and I only had two gas rings in my kitchen, I learnt quickly to cook everything in either two woks or a wok and steamer. I cannot live without my woks, one I use to cook the meat dish and the other vegetables. What is amazing is everything is cooked really quickly so you have more time to spend with friends .
Ally says
I need to get rid of more mugs, for sure. We paired down our pots and pans to 7, which I thought was pretty good. We do have a toaster oven, no toaster, and no microwave… crazy I know. I’m sure I could pair down a bit more. I definitely agree with many of these, but I don’t think I could EVER get rid of my Kitchen Aid.
Ally says
ps got rid of my knife block after you wrote this post last week, our knives aren’t that nice so the drawer works fine. So much extra counter space.
Cathy Warner says
Ally, I’m with you. I don’t think I could EVER get rid of my Kitchen Aid. I’ve owned it for about 15 years now and I don’t think it will ever die. I believe in owning less but of the best quality you can afford so it will last. “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris
Pat says
Interesting that just this morning I had a large shoebox full of kitchen utensils that I had to find a place for. I stuffed them into a kitchen drawer and vowed to “deal with it later”. I have been decluttering with getting rid of one thing a day, which sometimes turns into much more. I look forward to the day when I have so much less in the kitchen cupboards and cabinets.
I plan to look more into the Minimalist Baker website. So far I see all vegan recipes and they look great!
Lee says
So glad I ran across this. Registering for my wedding. Will be sure to leave many thing off the list.
John says
Congrats!
And that’s great! I think that’s one way we unintentionally gathered kitchen clutter.
David says
Woks are more than a fun device, they are very versatile. Rather than ditching it, use it. You’ll find you can ditch two other pieces of cookware.
John says
I think that’s great if you use your Wok!
What pieces have you replaced by keeping it?
David says
Not so much a matter of replacing as not needing in the first place.
I repatriated from 19 years overseas back to the US 4 years ago, with two suitcases worth of stuff, having given or thrown away a ton of accumulated possessions.
I stocked my kitchen with cast offs from my family – two cast iron dutch ovens, and a cast iron skillet. Since then, I’ve purchased a stainless pot and cast iron wok. I could ditch one of the dutch ovens.
The wok does double duty as a pot and pan.
(I also have a crock pot and rice cooker which get used weekly, at least. ).
Tammy Bridges says
I love your message, site, and posts. I love the inspiration to remove appliances from the countertops and put away. I tell my husband it takes 6 seconds to take out the toaster (but finally relented on that one). However, I do cook almost three meals a day for all 6 of us….and my Kitchenaid is part of our family. I would literally mourn at it’s passing. That being said, we did lose the teamaker and popcorn popper. :-)
Lucy says
A friend recently showed me how to make popcorn on the stovetop. It’s so simple! Much easier to clean a pot than a popper, too.
Raylaner says
omg, that`s so crazy! i`m brazilian and everyone here makes popcorn on the stovetop! I learned when i was 10 years old! And i love the site, but sometimes i don`s even know what you are talking about! I have to google it number 2, 12, 14, 15 (the quesadilla maker??milk frother?). I have never heard of this machines… I only have a panini press that i use to make toast and sandwiches, and a gas stove with oven… and i cook 3 meals a day for 3 people!
Judy says
…. I make it in the microwave… Two paper bags and a hand full of popcorn- NOTHING ELSE. Then I reuse the bags for the next batch, or hand the kids the bag and all. No dishes, no fuss.
Elizabeth says
We use our china as our everyday dishes, so I get to think of my sweet grandmother with everything I eat or drink. Most of the rest of these items we don’t have and don’t think about owning.
Trisha says
I think most kitchen utensils and appliances are kept because of the dreams they inspire… that perfect panini on a cold evening, or coffee shop coffee, or gatherings we’ll someday hold.
Letting go of the dreams and just focusing on what actually gets used is an interesting exercise. When I cleaned out my kitchen, my husband was worried about the potential “what ifs,” so we stored the discards in the garage for a couple of months. When the need never arose for any of it, it was easier for him to let go.
Basically, I just asked myself what I really used: Yes to the salad spinner, no to the garlic press. Yes to the KitchenAide, no to the bread machine. Yes to my favorite mixing bowls, no to the special cake and tart pans. I wanted to get rid of the toaster, but the rest of the family vetoed me. Well, that’s fine. Essential items are different for everyone.
Bottom line, I am so happy with my clutter-free kitchen. Unfulfilled kitchen dreams weigh a lot. :)
Frances says
Subscribe to a fine cooking magazine maybe? Pour over it, dream, then give the magazine away?
Rachel says
I got gorgeous china (heirloom, not new) when I got married. Instead of getting rid of the china we got rid of almost all our other dishes and we use the china daily. It might get a few chips it wouldn’t have had if we saved it for special occasions, but it’s worth it to me to keep our china because I like it better than the other dishes I had. I also never have to think about whether my table will look nice if I have guests and I’m used to washing the china so guests or holiday dinners are simpler.
Frances says
I asked a woman once if she ever used her good china just for her family at home. No, that is for special. I said, “Isn’t your own family special? Needless to say the lady did not appreciate the comment…
Nunikit says
I would have been rolling on the floor if I overheard that! Great response!
Gaylene says
The kitchen is every woman’s “personal” domain so I believe that is why some people have responded more harshly. But the list has done what it was intended to do….make us stop and think about all the “extra” stuff we have in our kitchens that we don’t use. The things on the list are ideas, just ideas, that if you don’t use to get rid of. I use my waffle maker at least once a week; my Panini maker at least once a week; so to me those are items I’m keeping. I read this post and looked around my kitchen to see what it is that I don’t use! Great post!
David says
Not every woman cooks and lots of men do.
Jennifer @ kidoing! says
Wow, what remarks from all over the world! I am a minimalist in all other parts of my life EXCEPT for in my kitchen. I cook all meals and snacks every day from scratch for my three homeschooled kids and I value convenience of appliances so I can accomplish cooking expeditiously and with less oversight. BUT, we are about to embark on a cross country move and I am trying really hard to let go of all the inessentials (we are donating or selling almost all of our furniture and “things” we have collected over the years).
One thing I recently bought that I just took back to the store is a food mill. Not sure if anyone mentioned that. It didn’t do the job I thought and I could use my processor or blender to get the same results.
I agree this list is very personal, but I also promote anyone having whatever appliance they think they need to cook for themselves! That is the goal in my eyes…getting more folks to cook from scratch using real, whole food ingredients. Also, as life situations change, needs change. For instance, I have a v-slicer that may be useless to many people, but it helps me chop lots of veggies in record time with a toddler underfoot. In the future, I will be honing my knife skills (no pun intended) and have a family of veggie choppers!
Great post – and great comments, too!