The kitchen essentials I use & love
Having the right tools for the job makes cooking fun and easy. I built up my collection of high-quality kitchen appliances over decades of cooking.
I try to list the exact model and brand of the kitchen tools I use. Whenever a product is no longer available, I list the one I’m saving up for when my current version quits on me.
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My Fav Brands
While I have many kitchen tools I love and use daily, there are a few brands I feel especially loyal towards. You could say they make my favourite, most reliable, kitchen equipment. It’s the brands I repeatedly recommend to family and friends.
These brands are not sponsors, but as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The small commission comes at no cost to you.
Global
I’ve used Global knives since 2006. I never travel locally without my chef’s knife, paring knife and bread knife.
Le Creuset
I bought my Le Creuset Dutch oven in 2010 – and she’s still going strong! And I’ve slowly grown my Le Creuset collection to include more enamel-coated cast iron as well as their nonstick pans.
Scanpan
My Scanpan heavy-bottomed stainless steel pots and saucepans are my everyday workhorses. I also own and love their amazing stovetop-friendly nonstick roasting dishes.
Essential Kitchen Appliances
This may seem like a ridiculous amount of pots and pans for one person to own. But hear me out. While my saucepans and soup pots are typically simple quality stainless steel items, different pans fit a different purpose.
Stand Mixer
Great for whisking egg whites, making batters, and kneading bread dough or homemade pizza dough.
Stick Blender
Great for blending soup in the pot, and making mayonnaise or other sauces. Look for a stick blender with a spice grinder/mini food processor attachment for homemade spice blends and curry paste (like Thai red curry paste).
Instant Pot
Great for cooking grains, steaming vegetables, making homemade broths, and so much more!
You can buy Instant Pot accessories like a silicone steamer basket and trivet with handles.
Food Processor
Great for quick and easy chopping, making homemade tahini or nut butter, and making condiments like rose harissa paste.
Pots & Pans
This may seem like a ridiculous amount of pots and pans for one person to own. But hear me out. While my saucepans and soup pots are typically simple quality stainless steel items, different pans fit a different purpose.
Carbon Steel Frying Pan
Great for searing meat and everyday dishes that require high heat.
Not great for slow-cooked acidic dishes – it ruins the natural non-stick patina!
Large Nonstick Pan
Great for everyday cooking. Look for a high-quality nonstick pan with a lid. (Or buy your lid separately as I did.)
Not great for high-heat cooking – it will shorten the lifespan of your pan!
I adore my Le Creuset toughened nonstick pro pans.
Small / Med Nonstick Pan
Great for frying eggs, making pancakes and two-egg omelettes.
Not great for high-heat cooking – it will shorten the lifespan of your pan!
Cast Iron Skillet
Great for high-heat cooking on the stove, in the oven, or over the camping fire. The combo cooker is also great for baking sourdough bread!
Not great for crepes and delicate dishes that require a super non-stick surface.
Dutch oven
Great for soups, stews, and baking no-knead bread (like sourdough loafs).
I adore my collection of Le Creuset pots. I’ve had my Dutch oven for 15 years and it still looks good as new.
Cast iron braiser
Great for curries, stews, and large batches of slow-cooked sauces.
I love my Le Creuset braiser (buffet casserole). I’ve had it for 15 years and it still looks good as new.
Wok
Great for quick and easy stir-fries.
I love using a wok for stir-fries, but you can use any large frying pan for stir-frying!
Don’t buy a nonstick wok. Buy a cheapie at any Asian grocery store, or go all in for a carbon steel wok.
Basics
In addition to the expensive big-ticket items, there are many small appliances, utensils and prep bowls that keeps my kitchen running smoothly!
Kitchen scale
Great for baking, fermentation, and recipes requiring precision.
Unpopular opinion: While some recipes are easy using US customary cups for measuring, I believe in metric weights for baking and fermentation!
Chef’s knife
Great for everything!
Life is too short for dull knives. I have been using Global knives for the last 20 years.
Microplane
Great for grating garlic, ginger, citrus zest and parmesan cheese.
My Microplane has a permanent spot in my knife roll. I don’t travel without it!
Prep bowls
Great for mise en plus, marinating meat or vegetables, and mixing batters.
Having a variety of sizes makes mise en plus a dream and helps you to stay organised in the kitchen.
Mandolin
Great for slicing large quantities of vegetables and precision slicing.
I use it for sumac onion salad, slicing chillies for fermented shatta, and many more!
Fine mesh strainer
Great for baking, straining, and draining cooked noodles and rice.
It’s an inexpensive kitchen essential.
Muslin (cheesecloth)
Great for straining clear broths, yoghurt and making labneh.
Or make your own bouquet garni by tying herbs in a bundle of muslin.
Sheet pan
Great for baking everything from cookies to sheet pan vegetables.
My half-sheet pan gets the most use, but it’s useful to have a variety of sizes!
Bamboo mat
Great for making homemade sushi rolls!
Start with cheap and cheerful avo maki rolls, then learn how to make sushi rolls with rice on the outside.
Mortar & pestle
Great for making homemade curry paste, guacamole, and grinding spices!
I prefer a mid-sized stone mortar & pestle set – I don’t love the sound of grinding ceramics!
Spice Grinder
Great for making homemade spice blends.
I use the spice grinder attachment of my Bamix stick blender, but if you don’t have one, a spice grinder is a great kitchen tool!
Silicone bags
Great for freezing sauces, sous vide, and avoiding single-use plastic.
I always buy Stasher brand.
Airtight containers
Great for refrigerating and freezing leftovers, and meal prep.
I prefer good-quality glass containers with plastic lids perfect for labelling, like Pyrex Freshlock.
Favourite Flavour Boosting Ingredients
Having a jar of rose harissa, a tub of gochujang paste, or an umami-packed container of white miso paste can turn a simple weeknight meal into a flavourful showstopper! These are my favourite condiments and ingredients from Amazon.
Rose harissa
Rose harissa adds a spicy fragrant kick to any recipe.
Miso paste
Miso paste is the ultimate ingredient for added umami.
Gochujang
The fermented Korean red pepper paste delivers instant flavour.
Tahini
The creamy paste adds a distinctly nutty flavour to Middle Eastern recipes.
Sukiyaki sauce
Perfect for Japanese-style hot pots.
Preserved lemons
The preserved citrus fruit adds a supercharged citrus flavour.
This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This small commission comes at no cost to you.