The Top Tools You Need for a Healthy Kitchen
You want to eat better and you know that means cooking at home more. If you’re a cooking novice, you might need some help figuring out how to get set up. Don’t worry- I’ve got you. Here’s a list of my most important tools you need in your kitchen.
Having moved around a lot and lived in faraway places with few kitchen tools (at one point I didn’t even have a refrigerator!), I have a pretty good grasp on what you really need to get started cooking more healthy meals. Over time I’ve learned that some things are nice to have (but maybe not necessary), while others became game changers for me. I also have a little van (a Ram Promaster City) that’s just big enough to sleep in, and I’m considering doing a #vanlife surf trip when the weather warms up a bit. So when making the list here, I also thought about what basics I would want to have in the van with me.
Without further ado, here’s the list!
Top Tools for Cooking Healthy Meals at home
A High Quality Chef’s Knife
Ever try getting work done with a cheap knife? You know what I’m talking about. You try to slice a tomato and end up mushing it up. You struggle to chop thin slices of carrots. You try cutting into a squash or melon and the blade is flexing. A crap knife is no fun to work with. But a good chef’s knife? You will look forward to slicing and dicing. You’ll be more apt to cook from scratch because the headache of chopping your veggies will be gone. You’ll feel like a veritable PRO in the kitchen.
I suggest you get the best chef’s knife you can afford. And if possible, buy it in person and ‘try it on’ at the store. Feel it in your hand, press it against a cutting board. Some places will even let you practice chopping something. Personally, I went to Williams Sonoma to get my knife Wüsthof 8-inch Classic, and I love it.
A sturdy wooden cutting board
Now that you have your new trusty knife, you need to treat it right by using a proper cutting board. I suggest wood or bamboo, as thick as possible so that it doesn’t warp. You may need to first treat the wood before using it (and re-treat every so often). Thicker plastic boards sold at the restaurant supply store are ok too, especially if you cook with meat and fish. Whatever you do, don’t allow those flimsy plastic Ikea boards into your kitchen. They slide all over the counter and will make chopping veggies a pain in the you know what.
A Powerful Blender
If you’re a regular reader, by now you know I’m a Vitamix aficionado because it can purée pretty much anything, but they’re pricy and for a long time I made do with a cheaper blender. Today I can tell you from experience that there’s a lot you can do in a less expensive blender, before dropping the big bucks for a Vitamix. We just got my boyfriend’s daughter a Nutribullet Pro for her 10th birthday. Yes, I know that’s weird. But this girl loves smoothies and now she loves her blender! And, of course I’ve done some experimenting with it, and lo and behold, it is a powerful little gadget.
A Cast Iron Pan
I got rid of my non-stick pans a couple years ago. They get destroyed pretty quickly and I’m not convinced about the safety of the chemicals/materials used in their manufacture. I know there are some new ones on the market- they keep popping up in my Instagram feed (if I get one I’ll review it here!). But honestly I’m pretty darn happy with my trusty old cast iron. For the most part, food does not stick, it heats evenly. The only thing I wish is that I had a larger one! My biggest one is 10 inches. With a 12 inch I’d be in serious business. Even so, with my cast iron pan I can cook pancakes and tortillas, sauté vegetables, fry tofu, do a quick stir fry, and lots more.
A Sturdy Pot (with lid)- Ideally Small, Medium, and Large
You do not need to buy expensive cookware from fancy places like Williams Sonoma. I honestly can’t imagine a reason why I would need a $100 pot, except that it looks cool. But what you DO need is a pot (or pots) that is heavy-bottomed and has a lid that fits securely. I got mine at the local restaurant supply store. The brand name of my pots is Winco. My guess is you can also find them on Amazon. If you only can get one pot, definitely get a medium-sized one that can hold 4 quarts comfortably. You’ll cook beans, grains, noodles, soups, and stews in this pot.
A Steamer Basket
A flexible metal steamer basket takes up little space in your kitchen, should cost under $20, and is something that you’ll use all the time. Honestly if you eat a mostly plant-based diet, you need this. One of my favorite go-to dishes (especially in the summer) is sautéed broccoli rabe. But rabe, I’ve found, first needs to be steamed (to get it mostly cooked thru), and then needs a quick sauté with garlic and olive oil for flavor. This method is actually great for lots of veggies- steam, then add the flavor.
A Colander
Do you eat salads? Do you ever need to drain pasta or beans? Do you rinse vegetables before cooking them? Yes?? Then you need a decent colander. I’ll definitely be bringing one along for my van life trip. And at home I actually have three of them plus a sieve, and I use them all sometimes.
A Few Honorable Mentions
The items listed above are no-brainers to me, and they’re all things I’ll be bringing with me on my van trip (in addition to the obvious items like plates and bowls and a couple spoons etc). But there are some items that won’t work in the van but ARE important for a healthy kitchen. So here’s my honorable mentions, in no particular order.
Heavy Baking Sheets
I use these with parchment paper to roast vegetables, pretty much on a weekly basis. Do not get the dark colored “non-stick” sheets. I got my heavy sheets straight from the restaurant supply store. Again, if they’re good enough for a restaurant…
A Food Processor
I lived without a food processor for a very long time so it’s not an absolute necessity. But I do find making things like hummus or nut cheeses is easier. When I got a food processor, it was a super cheap one that had been hanging out in my parent’s garage. It was challenging to use but that’s what I had for years. Recently I acquired the food processor attachment for my Vitamix and I LOVE it. But again, not an absolute necessity.
A Decent Paring Knife
First off, the paring knife is not nearly as important as a chef’s knife. In fact, most things that you’d do with a paring knife you could also do with a chef’s knife. Still, I like using my paring knife and I’ve actually got a couple of them hanging around. It’s good for things like slicing bananas and coring strawberries.
A Rice Cooker
This is a new addition to my kitchen arsenal. In all honesty, I was anti rice cooker for a long time because I didn’t want to add yet another appliance to my crowded kitchen. But then I was gifted one for my birthday last year. And now I understand the hype. Not having to check on my rice, and knowing that it will come out perfect every single time is just a godsend. I love this little appliance, and I can see how it could be a game changer for someone who’s more a beginner or needs to save time.
So obviously I could go on and on about my favorite kitchen appliances. There’s other things I use on the regular- my citrus juicer and zester, potato peeler, etc. But the above list I think covers the basics. If you can only invest in ONE item, definitely make it a decent chef’s knife. Your mind will be blown.
