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.
Megan L. says
A kitchen remodel forced us to use our hardly used microwave more than we cared for. When our new kitchen was finished miraculously our microwave died. We opted to not replace it. I write about this experience in my blog post ‘microwave free in 2014’ at http://meaningfulmommy.wordpress.com/category/food/
:)
Denise says
My two crockpots and rice maker would be some of the last things I would give up. I totally agree about plates, bowls and glasses.
Jane in Brooklyn says
This list is wonderful. I am a work in progress. I did get rid of my every day dishes and started using my mother’s heirloom Wedgewood Bramble patterned as my everyday. If they break, they break. 60 year old plates. I was never going to have that sit down for 12 (or 8) anytime in the near future. I worked in a housewares store here in New York for quite awhile and dealt with customers on a daily basis tackling just this issue. How far do we take the “preciousness'” of these items into our daily lives? Pay for a bigger apartment/house? Or God forbid- rent storage?
Kathi says
I use my wok daily, so I cannot part with that. In fact, it gets used for tons of things. I’m thinking about ditching the food processor, however. Usually it’s way easier to use and clean the knives.
Glori says
Being Asian, my family would starve without #13. Hehe… But getting rid of the rest makes sense. Thanks!
Wendy - FL says
I just want to say that I started my minimalist journey just a few months ago. My kitchen was a big place for me to clear out.
I think the most important thing everyone needs to remember is that it is a personal journey and of course if you use something every day or several times a week, than keep it. This article and author are not the kitchen police. These are friends and comrades-in-arms to help us “think outside our nine dots” (as my mama is fond of saying.) After reading the article, I went home and cleared out another gadget I thought I might need some day. Keep the ideas and motivation coming! I enjoy the thought provoking, helpful, and sometimes eye-opening, guidance given here!
Shulamit says
We have a few pots,a big and a small pan,some good but small knives and a cutting board,a hand grater for carrottes and potatoes, a hand mixer for cakes,mousse au chocolat and whipped cream,a stainless steel bowl for bread and pizza dough…on my kitchen counter is one electrical plate for cooking since this appartment has no gas and leaves my big oven and stove unused.I have managed to do without most things,cook daily,have a family of six and there are no complaints.I learned to cook at the age of ten,my father used a knife and cutting board only for everything.Most things listed here I have not heard of or seen.I know some people in Israel have a microwave and toaster oven,I have even seen a breadmaker but life is more simple in this country.A watercooker is the most used tool we have,for hot water for tea,coffee,warm water bottles in winter and every household in Israel has one!Even if I could afford more I would still stick to my swiss knife and cutting board like my father taught me.I like it as simple as possible.
Georganne says
Everyone’s list would have to be different. We have a big family (5 kids).
* I use the crockpot every week. During the summer it makes a 10 degree temp difference in our kitchen/living room.
* Eight dishes would barely feed us, much less a few guests.
* I have a cheapy mixer for quick jobs, plus a Kitchen Aide that we use regularly.
* I hate the knife block, too, but I’d rather keep knives out of reach of smaller hands.
* I like the versatility of a toaster oven over a toaster because you can heat up biscuits, pancakes, etc. without heating up the big oven.
* I didn’t think I’d use a donut pan much, but remember I have 5 kids. Donuts are just called for some mornings.
* Yes, I use our wok, too. A big pan wouldn’t even begin to handle a one dish stir fry or fried rice.
But honestly, even with a big family, I probably have fewer kitchen appliances/utensils than many average two-kid families. I cook a lot, and I make a lot of stuff do double duty. A good challenge is to go through the cabinets and see what you haven’t used in more than a month or two and get rid of it. I’ve done that multiple times over the last two years during moves and dejunking. I still have a few things that are only special occasion stuff, but I use most of what we have with some regularity.
I really don’t get all the specialty appliances, either. A quesadilla maker and a Panini grill and an electric griddle and a electric fryer and a half dozen other one-purpose gadgets? Just think about having to clean them all or find them in a hurry!! Also I’m a coffee snob. Since I can’t afford, nor have the room for, a quality espresso maker I’d rather not own one. Bad coffee is sacrilege.
Your list is certainly a great idea to get someone thinking about what they have and what they actually use. Different strokes and all.
France says
First of all I love the concept of minimalist…I have almost the same spirit for my natural organic cosmetics…so bad things into any commercialized soap or cream…so I love your blog a lot!!! And about your post…a almost totally agree;) …except for the espresso machine….I am having at least an espresso twice a day…I know…I am baaaad…
Janice says
Great list … and it has me thinking about all the things cluttering my kitchen counter as we speak. I think some things I would add to the list that I will probably get rid of are:
– Cake pans/Muffin Tins
– Cookie Sheets – you can only fit so many in the oven at one time
– Drink Pitchers
– Cookbooks – I know there are some I have never opened and some that are my go-to
– Canisters
John says
Thanks Janice! These are great ideas! I like your thought process behind the cookie sheets and cookbooks too.