Hey There and Welcome to my Kitchen! 

Today’s you’re getting a little behind-the scenes peak into my kitchen. I was recently asked what gadgets and tools were in my kitchen. So I’m spilling the beans about my “can’t-cook-without-it” tools.

As many of you know, I have what I call a “Real Food Kitchen”. A few years ago, I cleaned out the junk and started cooking with whole foods/raw ingredients to create our meals. Now I’m cooking from scratch most of the time. I don’t buy as many convenience style or packaged foods like I used to. If I do, I’m reading labels and finding those products made with the same ingredients I’d use to make it at home.

Essential Kitchen Gadgets

When cooking from scratch, you need a good set of basics. So my list of essential kitchen gadgets featured my MUST HAVE KITCHEN BASICS plus a few splurge items that do duty and even triple duty in my kitchen.

Quality Pots and Pans

When cooking for scratch, you need a great quality set of pots and pans. I registered for my Revereware sauce pans and stock pot when I got married and received them as wedding gifts back in 1995. They have stood up well over the years and show no signs for needing to be replaced in the future.

Calphalon Skillets – All of my skillets are made by Calphalon. They are a mix of hard-anodized and stainless steel. Favorites are a 10” omelette pan and my flat-bottomed wok.

Cast Iron Skillet 

Even though I love my skillets, there is no substitute for a cast iron skillet. I have had my Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet for decades. So it’s seasoned really well and has never seen dish soap.  You haven’t had bacon until you’ve had bacon cooked in cast iron. It also is my go-to for Steaks, pan fried potatoes, cornbread, and so much more. I have a second, smaller one in my camping box.

Le Creuset Dutch Oven

This is my newest “kitchen must have”. I recently replaced a dutch oven from a different brand. The 2 year old pot had enamel chipping and had started to rust. I’m in LOVE with this new Le Creuset Dutch Oven and it’s warranty. I use it for  braising, soups, stews, and baking breads.

Quality Knives

A good set of knives is worth their weight in gold. A sharp knife makes quick work of any prep work.

The four knives I use the most are my

• Zwilling J.A. Henckles 5” serrated utility knife
• Zwilling J.A. Henckles 8” chef’s knife
• T-fal 3” Ceramic Paring Knife
• Pizza Cutter

When we travel and are staying in a place with a kitchen, I will take my paring knife with me. Condo kitchen equipment isn’t the best and a good knife makes easy work of any meal. I’ll take my T-fal paring knife with me because it comes with a blade sheath which prevents accidents.

Bakeware

My bakeware is pretty basic. After several  moves, I found that I didn’t need a lot of the bakeware I once had. I narrowed it down to just a few pieces, especially because I don’t bake a lot.

• broil pan
• cookie sheet
• jelly roll pan
• pizza stone
• 9×13 Pyrex baking pan
• 8”x8” Pyrex baking pan
• Silicone muffin tins
• Silicone cake pans

These are my essential kitchen basics. They help me prep and cook healthy meals for my family. If you want to learn more about all of these kitchen essentials, visit my Amazon Affiliate Store Site.

On the next page I’ll share the kitchen gadgets that have become my essential kitchen gadgets. These are the things that after several moves and years of cooking, I’ve found to be my favorite, “Must Haves” that make cooking easier.