Essential Kitchen Tools for Cooking

I‘m writing this post while sitting on one of my kitchen stools, glancing around to see what I reach for daily. Cupboards and drawers are gaping to show their contents while I take notes.

Just like curating a wardrobe, stocking essential kitchen tools for cooking can cost thousands of dollars, or it can be done frugally. I recommend investing in a few quality pieces, then rounding out the full kitchen with thrifted or budget items.

Below, I’ll share what I buy new and what I thrift, followed by my complete list of essential kitchen tools for cooking. Again, like clothes, kitchen gear can be very personal, so view this list as descriptive and not necessarily prescriptive.

As the title suggests, this post specifically covers equipment for cooking. I’ll do tools for baking in a follow-up post. I do not cover kitchen areas like pantry storage, the coffee station or cocktail bar. This is specifically what I use and can recommend for home cooking. Let’s dive in!

Kitchen Tools and the Zero Waste Conscious Cook

Thirteen years of writing here on Simple Bites and yet I’ve never shared my essential kitchen tools for cooking until now! Not surprisingly, I have some opinions.

Avoid Trends; Stay with Classic Gear

I’ve always been a firm believer in using what you have instead of buying too much. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never encouraged readers to buy an Instant Pot, air fryer, magic-everything pan or some other trendy item.

When I was starting out as a home cook, bread makers were all the rage and now, barely anyone uses them. Raise your hand if there’s a spiralizer in the back of your cupboard (not me). Gosh, somewhere there’s a landfill full of George Foreman grills and our parents’ fondu sets.

My point is that you can thrive as a home cook with a limited selection of simple items such as a chef’s knife, a sturdy cutting board, decent cookware and one or two small appliances.

Mix and Match New and Vintage Kitchen Items

Stocking my own kitchen with reliable tools and equipment did not start with a shopping spree at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Instead I built it out from thrift stores and garage sales, vintage shops and hand-me-downs.

Being thrifty allowed me to save for a few big ticket items like a KitchenAid blender and my first Le Creuset Dutch oven – both in Cherry Red. If you can’t tell by now, I love colour.

I’ve written about moving towards a zero waste kitchen with the goal of progress, not perfection. And I’ll admit that sometimes you just have to donate old, dull, beat up kitchen gear and invest in an upgrade.

Other times, you can give a home to vintage items – like an enamelware strainer or an antique pie pan – and find they work as good as (if not better than) new!

Kitchen Items to Thrift:

Grab these if you are lucky enough to find them:

Solid wood cutting boards. Enamelware of all kinds. Metal strainers. Mixing bowls. Le Creuset or Staub. Stock pot. Pyrex. Cast iron. Metal cooking utensils. Add your favourite thrifted finds in the comments section.

Kitchen Items to Buy New:

These items are a little more technical. They require care to maintain them sharp or clean. Buy them new and use them with care.

Silicone basting brush. Digital Scale. Microplane. Vegetable Peeler. Nonstick pans. Knives. Box grater. Instant read thermometer. Silicone Tongs. Kitchen Shears. Spatulas.

Essential Kitchen Tools for Cooking

The list! Here’s what I reach for daily and/or weekly in the Simple Bites Kitchen.

Knives

I have a collection of knives that I have accumulated over the years. They don’t all match, but they are always sharp! Start with a Chef’s knife, pairing knife, and a bread knife, and build your collection from there as you mature as a cook. Don’t forget a sharpening steel too.

• 6-inch Chef’s Knife – a great size to start. You may want an 8-inch instead. Go to a kitchen store and hold it to know what feels comfortable to you. I also wield a 10-inch, but I’ve had 30 years of experience.
• 4-inch Pairing Knife – My favourite little knife! Also throw in a small serrated knife for cutting tomatoes, citrus, etc.
• 8 or 10-inch Serrated Bread Knife. A kitchen essential, but doesn’t need to be a fancy brand.
• I also use: a Mac Japanese vegetable knife, a boning knife, and various others I’ve collected.

How to Choose the Right Knife for the Job

Every Day Equipment

• Cutting boards. Every kitchen should have a sturdy wooden cutting board and a few plastic alternatives for cutting meat. I make good use out of a set of dishwasher-safe, non-slip boards in four handy sizes.
• Prep bowls and mixing bowls – these come in alllll shapes and sizes and budgets. I love enamelware for prepping vegetables and salad ingredients – they are lightweight and I can bring them outdoors to the barbecue area. My enamelware bowls are thrifted, but this set from Falcon is gorgeous.
• Glass bowls – I have glass nesting bowls from the French company Duralex (found at Lee Valley); the little bowls come in handy for sauces, spices and herbs during the cooking process. Also great for marinating meat because glass is non-reactive. Anchor Hocking also makes a set.
• Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set – a must for measuring sauces, stocks, cooking wine, etc.
• OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner – essential when you eat as many salads as we do. My greens mostly come from my garden or a local farmer and are full of dirt!
• Oxo Good Grips Box Grater – for vegetables, cheese and much more.

Chef’s Tip: TRAYS! I have a random collection of trays that I reach for nearly every day. I use them to assemble food prep, chill balls of cookie dough, decorate cookies and much more. I own an assortment of enamelware trays, cafeteria trays and metal sheet pans.

Large and Small Appliances

• KitchenAid Blender – my KA blender is a beast and has been reliable for over a decade. I work it constantly for soups and smoothies, sauces and salad dressings. I grind nuts and make pesto. It’s the hardest working appliance in my kitchen and has never faltered.
• Electric Spice Grinder – The best investment. I grind most of my spices myself, and use an old $20 coffee grinder.
• 7-Quart Slow Cooker – If you’re feeding a family of four or more, a slow cooker is a real help in the kitchen. We love our slow cooker soup and cider ham, as well as countless easy ‘dump’ dinners that have no real recipe.

Pots and Pans

I’m not loyal to one particular brand, and in the past have used All-Clad and Scanpan. Recently I’m enjoying Canadian-made Meyer stainless steel cookware. I like that it’s made in the Maritimes.

• Skillet/Sauté Pan or Chef’s Pan: Here’s what I look for: sturdy, oven safe skillets (no plastic handles!), heavy-duty aluminum or stainless-steel, with handles riveted on. I also really enjoy a glass lid!

• 3-Quart All-Clad Sauce Pot with Lid – An essential workhorse! I got mine as a wedding present 20 years ago and it’s as good. as. knew. I use it for delicate cooking where I need even heat, like custards, cheese sauces, candy, gravy and soooo much more. I can’t work without this pot.
• Cast Iron. One of the best all-purpose pans you can have in your kitchen and so affordable too. Lasting for years when well cared for, cast iron pans require nothing more than a little loving care for capable cooking use.

My cast iron pans came from Danny’s grandmother; who knows how old they are!

Read: What you need to know about Cast Iron Skillet Cooking.

• Non-Stick Fry Pan – for eggs, crepes and so much more. I find I’m using this pan multiple times a week.
• 5-8 qt Large Pot with Lid: for cooking pasta, homemade stock, and big batch soups.
• Small sauce pot with lid
• Sheet Pans. A beat up 12×17 inch sheet pan is great for one-pan meals like my Simple Sheet Pan Roast Chicken Dinner.

Baking equipment like tart pans are coming in a follow-up post.

Braising and Roasting Pans

• Ceramic or Stoneware Casserole Dish – The workhorse of a family kitchen. Oval is sexy, but 9×13 more practical. I have both, as well as a 9.5 inch square with a lid from Le Creuset. All are like new, despite a decade of use and I’ll pass them down to my children.
• Dutch Oven – My preference is the classic Le Creuset. My mother still uses the same orange oval Dutch Oven she got as a wedding present FIFTY years ago. It’s an investment and should last your lifetime or longer.
• Roasting Pan – You’ll use this for roast chicken, turkey, leg of lamb and other large cuts. If you’re just cooking for one or two, it’s not necessary.

• Le Creuset Braiser with lid – the newest addition to my collection. Not as essential as the Dutch Oven but wonderful for dishes like Roasted Vegetable Skillet Lasagne and my Braised Lamb Shanks.

Read more: My favourite oven to table cook and bakeware

Straining and Sifting

• Colander with two handles – I like enamelware best and they have so many pretty ones available now. Or check antique shops for a vintage version. Stainless steel is a great option, too. Just avoid plastic.
• Fine-mesh strainers and sieves – You need a few sizes, depending on the job.

Utensils and Gadgets

I’m notoriously anti-gadget…however, a few tools do make my life easier and that is the goal here. Of course you need a can opener and a corkscrew…here’s a few more that I use.

• Wooden spoons! One can never have too many. Choose a few that are handmade to cherish forever. I love Canadian-made Littledeer which are works of art in solid maple.
• Spatulas and Turners: Fish spatula, silicone lifter, silicone spatulas – multiple, including a skinny jar spatula. I like mine with wooden or bamboo handles; I wash them all by hand.
• Tongs – I use 2 sets: 12-inch with silicone heads, and 9.5-inch locking tongs.
• Ladles – it’s handy to have a few sizes. I like vintage enamelware ladles.
• Wire Whisks – at least 3 sizes. I like a French Whisk, at least 10 inches, then have a few smaller ones for sauces and salad dressings.
• Silicone Pastry and Basting Brush
• Microplane – I prefer a wide blade with a sturdy handle. Always wash by hand.
• Vegetable peeler
• More? Oyster shucker. Citrus reamer. Funnels. Spider. Potato Masher…

Related Posts

• Coming Soon: Essential Kitchen Tools for Baking
• How to Store Pantry Food for Maximum Shelf Life
• Using Containers to Organize Your Kitchen Simply & Aesthetically
• I wrote how to plan a picnic and shared a list of what goes into my picnic baskets.
• And here’s my camping kitchen gear!

This post contains affiliate links that help support the Simple Bites Kitchen. Opinions are entirely my own and I have not collaborated with any brands for this article.

Share your favourite cooking tools and equipment in the comments so we all can learn from each other!