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.
Dawn says
I thought I had a fairly minimalist kitchen, but I do have and use several of the things on that list.
1. Kitchen Aid Mixer. I use mine several times per week, almost every day.
2. Crock Pot. Gets used at least once per month, and is great for not heating the kitchen in summer as well.
4. Excessive Pots and Pans. I have more than three, but I do use all of them for different purposes, several times per month.
5. More than 8 plates, glasses, and bowls. Well, there are 6 of us every day, so add a couple of guests and we need more than 8. We have about 12 of each and frequently go through all of one or more before the dishwasher gets turned on.
6. Extra coffee/tea mugs. We have about 10 (not counting the fine China) and this seems to be enough for us for now.
+1. Fine china / heirloom dishes. You got me there. I have a full set of eight from my grandmother/aunt’s collections. So does my mother and so does my sister. My aunt had a lot of china. I also have a set of my other grandmother’s dishes, which are around 40 years old and dishwasher friendly. I tend to reach for those on special occasions. I also have a bunch of my aunt’s crystal glasses. I probably should get rid of the china I never reach for, but it all fits in a kitchen cupboard that I don’t need for anything else, so I’m keeping it for now. Mostly to keep family peace since I’d have to offer it back to my mother first, who doesn’t have room for more than the set of 8 she has (small condo), and it wouldn’t be worth the fuss that would involve.
Toni G. says
I love your posts and this list is great. However, I have to disagree with the KitchenAid mixer and crockpot. I use these items weekly and they are a livesaver. As a working mom, the crockpot cooks meals so my family can have a homecooked meal when we get home from our busy day. The mixer probably works just as well as a hand held mixer, but I find it very convenient. As for the rest, absolutely! I purged my cabinets recently and took extra coffee mugs to my library to hold pencils, donated plastic cups to our teachers lounge and decided to use my vintage dishes instead of just using as decoration. Thanks again for keeping us clutter free.
mollie says
another thing to lose is cookbooks! 99% of the recipes I use are online or memorized. I store a few well loved cookbooks in a cabinet, but it’s amazing how much space they take up.
mollie says
I got rid of my kitchen aid, my blender, and my good processor and got a bosch mixer that has blender and food processor attachments. takes up hardly any cabinet space and I use it several times a week. we ditched our big coffee pot for a french press and a pour over filter. my crock pot died and I have never missed it – food is
better, anyway, made just in time for dinner. dinner, IMO. :) donating all seasonal dishes is nice for space saving, too. no summery plastic cups or santa plates to have to find a place to store. I did add a griddle to my kitchen which has been nice to make things for four kids. when I can make a lonely grilled cheese sandwich again, the griddle will be the first thing to go. it is definitely hard to minimize when you have a large family or small kids who need soppy cups for a time, plastic or metal bowls, etc. I view these things as temporary items and it doesn’t bother me.
Karie says
The only thing I have on the list is a crock pot. I use it periodically to cook of pinto or black beans. It did make me think though of some of the things I do have. Too many glasses and too much plastic wear for left overs! My kitchen is tiny so I’m going to do some reducing, it’ll help me organize what I do have.
Janna says
I use my kitchen aide mixer & crockpot daily (in fact, just made banana bread in the mixer this am and I am currently cooking pinto beans in the crockpot). If loving my stand mixer and crockpot are wrong, I don’t want to be right. :)
Deborah Hale says
Sorry, but when you’re only cooking a couple of pieces of salmon ore reheating a slice of pizza, why would you want to heat up the entire oven? I miss my toaster oven, when I had to move in with my daughter I was forbidden to bring it because she said there wasn’t room. I also used my stand mixer (not a KitchenAide, but still…), my breadmaker, and my crockpot year round. Cooking and baking kept me sane, one of the grandchildren always wanted cheese bread or cookies and there were always birthday cakes that needed baking back when I had my own place…
John says
So, is there something you think we missed that you could get rid of?
Dena Huff says
I agree with most of these. I have a small kitchen and a small house and consider myself a minimalist.
I do however, have a crock pot, which I use weekly in the winter and a bread maker. I make all my own bread.
I also have a small yogurt maker, which I use every other day to make all our yogurt.
I do have a Kitchen Aid mixer, which I now only use about once a month because I have two small children, however, when I have more time, I will begin using it again weekly as I did in the past.
I appreciate the list, though, and I think the sentiment is that most of us can get along with far less than we have. Depending on your lifestyle, needs and interests, the list may vary a bit.
Katherine says
I cannot agree with the kitchen aid: I used the handheld for years and when I got my kitchen aid it was a blessing. I can kneed dough and cook eggs, hold the baby and pour milk, all at the same time. I cook a lot of basics (breads, etc.) and have a minimalist kitchen, but a stand mixer can free your hands and cannot be undervalued in a busy homeschool day.
I agree with most of the others.
John says
Did you remove something else that we didn’t mention?
Lindsey Swinborne says
Right on! As a busy homeschool mom of 4, I couldn’t agree more!
Thera says
I am proud to say we do not have any of these things!
Now you think I am single and a non-cooker, wrong!
Hubby and I have 5 children (two have left home but one has a fiance), but we constantly have 7 or more for dinner. I also cook and/or bake daily.
We have a set of eight dishes, glasses and mugs and an extra 6 piece set stashed away, a magnetic knife rack for ours knives, we use an electric hand mixer when necessary, a big coffee can for baking bread, a stock pot for slow cooking, large batches of potatoes and pasta.
We gave away the slow cooker and wok a few years ago and have never owned the other items.
Vicky White says
Great article.
I’m surprised there’s no mention of the microwave. Many good reasons for letting that go! I haven’t had one for many years.
I’m down to 4 sets of plates etc. if I ever. Red more – which happens about once a year I borrow from my neighbours who are usually involved anyway.
I recently realized I don’t even need a corkscrew any more as I only drink NZ or Australian wine which has screw tops.
Top of my must have list is my Vita Mix which is used daily.
I live in a houseboat community right now. We’re always borrowing things from each other. Having fewer things is community building.
Jessica says
I agree with the microwave being unnecessary. It never occurs to most people to get rid of that gigantic sci-fi square but we haven’t had one for years and don’t miss it a dot. Not having one encourages the family to all sit down to a meal when it is ready and therefore encourages relationships… no quick reheating for stragglers.
John says
Great points Vicky! Lots of reasons to consider ditching the microwave.
Didn’t think about transition this article into a reason to meet your neighbors and borrow from each other! Seems like a cool setup!
Chris says
Definitely no microwave! This will also limit the processed/prepackaged garbage because you will have no way to cook it.