There are certain things I must have in my kitchen to cook with. Maybe your twelve are different, but this list will get you started.
I hate having an item that can only serve one purpose. It just takes up space, except for a couple of times a year when I might want it. And even then, there is usually another way to accomplish the task. Most of my items therefore are workhorses that can serve multiple functions. I’ve pared my appliances down to 12 main things.
Let me know what else you consider essential for YOUR kitchen.
1. Stand mixer
My Kitchen Aid may have been expensive 30 years ago, and even more so now, but I can use it for many things. It mixes cookies and cakes, kneads bread, whips cream, and with attachments, it does a lot more. I especially love to peel and core apples with the spiralizer. I use a grain mill to grind wheat for flour (I don’t do large amounts; otherwise, I would need a flour mill).
2. Immersion blender
I use this little gem to cream soups right in the pot, whir together small wet ingredients, and to scramble eggs. It does a much better job in a few seconds than I can do with a whisk! My immersion blender also came with a small bowl to use with a blade, almost like a mini processor.
3.Toaster or toaster oven
A toaster turns bread into toast (of course), but if you have room on the counter for a toaster oven, they can do so much more. The newest models do everything – toast, bake, broil, air fryer, convection cook. Save heating up the kitchen with a large oven for something small.
4.Food processor
I use my food processor quite a bit for grinding up breadcrumbs from stale bread, mixing pie dough, and slicing and shredding with the discs. Of course, most of this could be done by hand with a knife, but a food processor does it in a fraction of the time. So easy!
5. Hand mixer
A small hand mixer is also in my drawer for quick, small jobs where I don’t require the stand mixer. I have a cordless one, making it easy to work on any counter, even if there is no electrical outlet close by.
6. Slow cooker
On a busy day, my slow cooker provides a meal waiting for me when I get home. It can be a game changer when everyone is hungry but getting home late. Save an hour or so cooking dinner by having a hot meal waiting. Pot roast, soup, chicken dishes, even desserts can be made in a slow cooker. I have an Instant Pot cooker, because I want the sear function to brown meat and then cook in the same pot.
7. Pressure cooker / Instant pot with air fryer
Pressure cookers can also be great time savers. I grew up with my mom’s pressure cooker on the stove with a weight on top jiggling away. I know many people have a fear of using a pressure cooker (by the way, they do not and never have “blow up,” though the relief valve on the old ones hit my ceiling once or twice), but the Instant pots and all other brands that followed are totally safe and so easy to use. And it’s another multi-function pot – make yogurt (really good!), cook faster under steam pressure (note though the come-to-pressure time adds to the overall cook time), slow cook (though not as well as a dedicated slow cooker, in my opinion), sear and braise. There are often several dedicated buttons for rice or oatmeal, even proofing bread dough, depending on the brand. The newest ones with the airfryer lid built in eliminate having two lids.
My Ninja Foodie, which I got years ago, with the two lids work fine, and have become much cheaper as technology moves forward.
8. Keurig coffee pot
Every kitchen needs a coffee pot. The problem in our house is that one of us needs to drink decaf coffee, and the other needs her jolt of caffeine in the morning, so a Keurig fits the bill perfectly. I buy refillable Keurig inserts and fill them up, so I am not throwing away multiple pods per day. I can try different kinds of coffee or get my desired flavor while hubby drinks his decaf. No waste of large pots of coffee that keep warm until turning to sludge. But if you need a pot, you can have a Keurig with both at once!
9. Vacuum sealer
I use this gadget quite often too, even though it serves one purpose. I keep my Foodsaver in my pantry near the two freezers. When I buy meat in bulk, I immediately divide it into meal-size portions, sealing and labeling it as I unpack. This allows me to buy a lot at a lower cost and keep all the meat from frost-burned before using it. My freezers get stocked full, and then over time, as chicken, beef, and pork are used, I make another big meat shopping trip. I have also, on several occasions, bought a quarter of a beef at a time. I never have to worry about not having protein for dinner or cooking (as long as I remember to take it out of the freezer!).
10. Microwave
Some people have given up a microwave, but we use it daily. My husband heats water in it, I defrost meat when needed; it’s the go-to for heating up leftovers for lunch. I melt chocolate without it seizing, and warm up some refrigerated cat food for my fussy feline. Ours happens to be mounted over the stove, but small versions easily fit on the counter or a shelf. And if you have the toaster-microwave oven combo, it’s one less appliance for you.
11. Ice Cream Maker
This one is a bit of a stretch, but we love ice cream in this house! Making it at home may not be much cheaper than a half-gallon from the local Stewart’s, but it’s SOOO good! If I got ice cream bowl for my KitchenAid, I could dispense with a separate appliance. Maybe I should, it’s on sale right now!
Lastly, 12. Coffee grinder
I have two coffee grinders – one actually to grind coffee beans, and one for grinding up whole spices. Whole spices retain their flavor and oils much longer than store-bought ground spices. Whole spices will last months longer when kept in dark, cool spaces.
I do have other appliances, but mostly, they are relegated to the back of the cabinet – a blender, for instance (does make good frozen margaritas!).
If food preservation is important in your house, then canning equipment, like a water ball canner and a pressure canner, are essential, though seasonal, appliances. It is the same for a dehydrator, freeze dryer, and the required utensils for preserving food.
There you have it, the essential small appliances I believe belong in all kitchens But what is most important to you?