Primary kitchen tools and utensils are must-haves whether you live in a small space, a massive estate, or are exploring your homesteading side on a remote property, and anything in between.
You’ve likely heard the expression, “The heart of the home is the kitchen.” Numerous anecdotes from around the world give credence to its truth. Families form bonds over shared meals, friends gather for coffee and gossip, they prepare holiday dinners with love, and when the living room is unavailable, they gather here to socialize.
In the kitchen, we take fresh ingredients and transform them into nourishing meals. It’s also where old-timers and modern homesteaders use preservation techniques passed on for generations to ensure that there is simple access to fresh ingredients throughout the year.
Homesteaders pride themselves on their self-sufficiency. And while many of the following items meet the needs of those pursuing a self-sufficient lifestyle, anyone who enjoys, or would enjoy a well-equipped kitchen will benefit from having a selection of the kitchen tools and utensils we’ll discuss here.
Whether you’re a professional chef or just someone who likes making meals at home, if you want to enjoy the pride of cooking from scratch, then ensuring that you have the right cooking tools in the kitchen will make all the difference.
We will explore why these tools are important, especially if you are going to be scratch cooking or aiming for a sustainable lifestyle in your kitchen. Investing in high-quality equipment ideally built to last a lifetime and even pass down is crucial.
When you invest in the right kitchen tools and utensils, it is much easier to simplify your tasks and preserve more of your fresh food.
Must-Have Kitchen Tools and Utensils
Whether you pride yourself on your scratch cooking skills or, perhaps, you live in a tiny home or apartment and are looking to make your kitchen far more versatile, these are some of the kitchen cooking tools of the trade you should consider.
1. Cast Iron Skillet
Perhaps the most well-loved of all American-made kitchen tools is the cast iron skillet. If you inspect classical paintings of pioneers, women in the Victorian era in the kitchens of a grand manor, photographs of women in the kitchen in the 1950s, or even scouts on a campout, the one thing they will all have in common is the cast-iron skillet.
For years, no other item in the kitchen has been more important or as commonplace as a good, sturdy cast-iron skillet. It is the cornerstone of any homesteader’s kitchen, known for durability and versatility.
Unlike more modern, no-stick skillets with synthetic coatings, which often wear down and occasionally flake hazardous materials into the food, a cast-iron skillet can last for decades and introduce iron into the food.
A great-grandmother’s cast-iron cookware, which has accumulated a good layer of seasoning over decades, is among the most prized heirlooms in modern-day kitchens. You can use cast-iron skillets for frying, baking, roasting, and sautéing. They distribute the heat evenly for consistent cooking, and cast iron is a natural nonstick surface.
Over time, the cast iron accumulates “seasoning,” a layer of residue from past cooking that not only seals the porous iron material but also adds a distinct flavor to the cooking process. Whether you are frying eggs, searing meat, or baking cornbread, a cast-iron skillet delivers excellent results.
2. Dutch Oven
Yet another essential cast-iron tool for your well-equipped or homesteading kitchen is the Dutch oven. Pioneers valued Dutch ovens for their ability to bake specific food items while traveling, and many scouting organizations included them in their camping gear.
A Dutch oven is perfect for its ability to retain heat and moisture, making it ideal for slow-cooking casseroles, soups, and stews. It has heavy and thick walls and a tight-fitting lid that keeps the heat evenly distributed and maintained.
Experts in Dutch oven cooking will confirm that you can bake anything in an oven using a Dutch oven, provided you maintain even heat from below and above. It is perfect for baking bread, roasting meats, and even simmering stews. For the more adventurous, you can use this all-in-one pot on the stovetop, the oven, or even the campfire or grill.
3. Large Mixing Bowls
Scratch cooking wouldn’t exist with large mixing bowls. Mixing bowls of various sizes and materials are also important tools for any kitchen. Ensure you have a variety of different types of mixing bowls, each with unique properties and varying sizes to help you achieve the correct proportions.
You should also choose your mixing bowl material wisely. Mixing bowls come in stainless steel, glass, and ceramic. Each bowl has pros and cons, but you want durable, non-reactive, and attractive bowls. Having a set of various sizes allows for greater flexibility, ensuring that you have the right size bowl for any task.
A large mixing bowl is important for mixing up batters and dough, as well as salads. Smaller mixing bowls help with scrambling eggs or mixing small amounts of herbs and seasoning. Remember, metal bowls are more durable when dropped on the ground but could react with acidic materials, such as tomatoes or apple cider vinegar. Wooden bowls are also durable but porous and might be difficult to clean. Ceramic mixing bowls do not react with ingredients but can shatter when dropped. Consider your own needs and which you are likely to use the most.
4. Sharp Chef’s Knife
No kitchen tools and utensils list is complete without including high-quality, sharp chef knives at your disposal. Professional chefs place such a high value on the chef knife that they insist on selecting their own rather than accepting them as gifts and frequently carry their own knives from job to job. In fact, in many cultures, it is considered bad luck to give someone kitchen knives that they must use that they did not pick out for themselves.
A high-quality knife is important for safely chopping, slicing, and dicing a variety of ingredients. If you can afford it, this is one tool you should not skimp on. Expensive knives might be a tough investment, but they last longer than cheaper knives and do not lose their edge as quickly.
When you invest in a good chef knife and maintain its sharpness, it makes food preparation faster and more enjoyable, and it also reduces the risk of accidents.
Contrary to what many believe, a dull knife is actually far more dangerous than a sharp knife. It is prone to catching and slipping, which causes accidents. Maintaining the sharpness of your chef knife through regular honing and cleaning will ensure its longevity.
5. Cutting Board
Surprisingly, many aspiring kitchen gurus put a good cutting board in the “nice to have, but not essential“ category when, in fact, the opposite is true. A sturdy cutting board is essential to any kitchen.
The most popular are wooden cutting boards, as they are favored in well-equipped kitchens due to their durability and sustainability. They also tend to be gentle with knives without causing too much damage to the cutting edge, allowing them to maintain their sharpness. There are even different cutting boards for different food types, and each material has its advantages.
Wooden cutting boards are porous but good for cutting vegetables, but you should consider using a non-porous plastic cutting board dedicated specifically to meat, especially chicken, to avoid cross-contamination with other foods. Be sure to use these in different parts of the kitchen to avoid salmonella poisoning or other cross-contamination.
6. Food Scale
If you want to become more of an expert in the kitchen, especially with scratch cooking, you will definitely need a reliable food scale. Our grandmothers used to eyeball ingredients by measuring them out with their cupped hands or through the length of a finger, as evidenced in old recipes that called for “a dash of this and a speck of that.”
However, if you are going to be doing any serious baking or canning, you are going to want a good food scale that provides accuracy. This is crucial, particularly in baking, as precise measurements of ingredients can make the difference between success and failure. A food scale is also useful for canning to ensure that you are mixing the correct proportions that are safe for effective preservation.
7. Manual Can Opener
In the modern era, we love our electric kitchen tools and utensils, and many may find it difficult to imagine their kitchen without an electric can opener. However, you should also consider investing in a good manual can opener. In a well-equipped kitchen, food preservation is the key, and a good and reliable manual can opener is essential.
Manual can openers are more durable, with fewer moving parts, less prone to breakage, do not need electricity, and are far easier to maintain. If you have lots of home-canned or store-bought canned goods, a manual can opener is faster and easier, as well as more reliable to use.
8. Hand Grater/Zester
Many home-cooking experts who went for years without a good grater or zester often wonder how they survived for so long without it. A hand grater or zester is a multipurpose kitchen cooking tool that is especially useful for grating cheeses, zesting citrus and other fruits, and shredding vegetables.
It is a simple and effective tool that will help you enhance the flavor of your dishes by making it possible to shred and zest your own fresh ingredients rather than rely on dried items from the store. If you plan to be cooking from scratch, at some point, you’re going to realize the value of a good zester.
9. Mason Jars
Mason jars are such versatile tools in any kitchen that they are easily recognizable, even by those who do not spend a lot of time in them. Almost everyone has a mason jar somewhere in their kitchen, as they are used in everything from canning to making overnight oats.
Mason jars are great for preserving fruits and vegetables and storing homemade sauces. Beyond canning, they serve as ideal storage containers for dry goods, herbs, and spices and can also serve as drinking glasses when necessary. They come in a variety of sizes and are durable and reusable, making them a sustainable choice for many uses in the kitchen.
10. Wooden Spoons and Spatulas
Many kitchens have a cheap plastic large spoon or spatula for stirring or spreading, but you should really consider durable and long-lasting wooden spoons and spatulas as your go-to and primary kitchen tools and utensils.
They are perfect for mixing, stirring, and sautéing, and wooden spoons are heat-resistant, as well as gentle on cookware services. Because they do not conduct heat, they ensure that your hands stay safe and cool while cooking, and unlike plastic utensils, they do not melt from overexposure to heat.
Nice-to-Have Kitchen Tools and Utensils
Now that we have examined the essential tools of the well-equipped kitchen, what about those that are not exactly essential but nice to have? While not necessary for every kitchen, some of the suggested items listed below are still worth considering. Much depends on the type of cooking you plan to do, the ingredients you’ll commonly use, and any future food experiments.
1. Grain Mill
Many homesteaders adopt the practice with a desire to be truly self-sufficient when it comes to their home and their food. Many times, this means acquiring food sources that have not yet been refined or processed into usable ingredients for various scratch-cooking recipes.
For this reason, acquiring a good grain mill is something to consider, as this item allows you to grind your own flour from the grain itself, which gives you fresher and more nutritious results compared to store-bought flour. Freshly milled flour retains more nutrients, tastes better, and imparts a unique quality to your baking that cannot be replicated with processed flour. The grain mill is especially helpful to the homesteader. However, any kitchen can employ one to truly up the scratch cooking game.
2. Stand Mixer
Some who approach scratch cooking in the kitchen prefer to make recipes the way their grandmothers did, which includes mixing dough and other items by hand, but this is a time-consuming process. A stand mixer helps cut down on the time required for various tasks, like kneading dough or preparing large batches of ingredients.
You spend less effort letting a stand mixer do all the work, leaving you free for other energy-consuming activities that might not be easily automated. A stand mixer helps with such tasks as whipping cream and mixing up batter, and with certain attachments, it can also handle tasks like grinding meat, milling grains, making pasta, or many other activities. For anyone looking to become more proficient in the kitchen, a stand mixer is definitely worth the investment.
3. Pressure Cooker/Canner
Before you decide to buy a pressure cooker or a pressure canner, be sure to understand that these are two different things. While they may have some similarities, pressure cookers are not for canning. In fact, if you do this incorrectly, it can lead to dangerous botulism. Remember, these two devices are not interchangeable.
While both devices play a crucial role in preserving low-acid foods like meats, soups, and some vegetables, a pressure cooker excels in cooking foods intended for immediate consumption. With that being said:
- A pressure cooker is a sealed vessel that utilizes high-pressure steam and water to cook food. These are particularly useful in high altitudes, where the air pressure is thinner, as they significantly accelerate the cooking process. In some cases, they can provide a healthier alternative when certain foods may be unknowingly contaminated with toxins, as many of them do not withstand pressure cooking. Compared to conventional boiling, these devices use less water, allowing food to retain more vitamins and minerals that the water would otherwise leach away. These devices are not ideal for food items like noodles, pasta, and some oatmeal, but they work particularly well for meats and other foods that require longer cooking times.
- A pressure canner is a device specifically made for the process of canning fresh food for long-term storage. It is important to understand that while it shares some features with pressure cookers, this device is meant specifically for the process of safe canning and operates in such a way as to ensure that dangerous bacteria do not contaminate the food being canned. Considered superior to boiling the mason jars in water, a pressure canner allows for a more precise, accurate temperature, time spent boiling, and the exact amount of pressure needed to seal the canning jars safely.
4. Food Processor
A food processor is another time-saving wonder of kitchen cooking tools that reduces the amount of time and effort you spend chopping, slicing, dicing, and puréeing large qualities of ingredients. They often resemble traditional blenders but are far more powerful and perfect for making things like dough, dips, and sauces.
These devices can also shred vegetables for salads and, depending on the types of attachments that come with them, can also purée certain tough meats. While not always essential, these are nice to have tools that help you be far more efficient in the kitchen and reduce preparation time.
5. Dehydrator
Another useful tool for preserving fresh meats and produce is a dehydrator, which has significantly improved in recent years from its less effective earlier versions. A dehydrator works by removing moisture from meats, fruits, and vegetables, as well as herbs, which extends their shelf life.
It is wonderful for making healthy snacks, like fruit leathers, jerky, and vegetable chips. A major advantage to a dehydrator is that it helps minimize food waste by reducing the amount of space that food takes up in storage and allows for greater preservation of more food by weight.
6. Mortar and Pestle
Many homeowners, apartment dwellers, and those who live in small spaces enjoy growing their own produce and herbs. If you have an herb garden, you’re definitely going to need a mortar and pestle. This traditional tool consists of both a kitchen tool and a utensil, kind of. They each have a stone basin with a stone post, where you can place dried or fresh herbs or peppercorns.
The post then grinds them into a fine texture. This tool not only allows you to control the consistency and texture of your grind, but it also enhances the flavors and essential oils of the fresh herbs, surpassing those of pre-ground and dried spices from the store. Serious cooks and those who grow their own herbs may have different sizes of mortar and pestle, and some are made out of different types of stone or material.
7. Butter Churn
When you think of a butter churn, you might think of a pioneer woman with an apron around her waist, standing in front of a barrel, pumping a handle up and down to create butter, engaged in the most basic form of scratch cooking. While this is certainly still a method you can use to turn your own butter, there are some smaller versions that will allow you to turn fresh milk into rich, homemade butter without situating a barrel in the corner of your kitchen.
A butter churn is not only one of the more nostalgic kitchen tools and utensils; it is quite a useful tool that allows you to reconnect with traditional cooking practices while also producing enjoyable fresh and creamy butter, free of preservatives.
Some butter churns are indeed as large as the traditional ones mentioned just now, but some come in a smaller form, such as a jar with a handheld crank that turns fresh cream into a smaller amount of delicious butter. Consider adding this tool to your kitchen if you have access to fresh milk or cream and want to try turning your own butter.
8. Bread Machine
Baking fresh bread is an enjoyable process, and it also fills the house with a wonderful buttery, yeasty smell. However, making fresh bread from scratch can also be time-consuming, almost no matter how many of the best kitchen and cooking tools you throw at it. This is where a bread machine helps simplify the process.
If you enjoy homemade loaves fresh from your kitchen, a bread machine that comes with numerous different attachments and settings can help simplify this process. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who are trying to follow a gluten-free diet, as it can be challenging to find gluten-free bread in certain stores, forcing many to make it at home.
Bread makers come in a variety of sizes, with the ability to create 1,1.5, or 2-pound loaves. Consider how often your family needs fresh bread and go from there. You could also buy a more expensive model that makes different-sized breads, loaves, English muffins, pizza dough, hamburger buns, and jam.
9. Cheesecloth
Even scratch cooking experts often do not know about the versatility of cheesecloth and sadly overlook it when stocking their kitchen with useful items. For centuries, people have utilized cheesecloth for a wide range of purposes, extending beyond the production of homemade cheese.
Cheesecloth is great for straining vegetables and fruits, making cheese, of course, wrapping herbs, or venting sourdough starter. If you are draining whey from yogurt, making nut milk, or infusing flavors from herbs into liquids, you’re going to need a sufficient amount of cheesecloth in your arsenal. Properly washed and maintained, cheesecloth is reusable, making it a sustainable and handy tool to have in any well-equipped and modern kitchen.
10. Food Vacuum Sealer
Food vacuum sealing devices are tools used to extend the shelf life of food by removing air from the packaging, which helps to prevent oxidation, freezer burn, and spoilage. These devices work with various bag types and containers, including specialized vacuum-sealable bags and mason jars.
Vacuum-sealed mason jars are particularly useful for storing dry goods, liquids, and prepared meals. By sealing in a jar, the vacuum preserves the freshness and flavor while reducing the growth of bacteria and mold, making it a sustainable option for food storage and meal prep.
11. Crock Pot/ Slow Cooker
Also known as a slow cooker, crockpots were quite popular in the 1970s, with fondue parties and recipes intended to help newly busy and working moms get dinner ready with less effort. Crockpots and slow cookers started to regain popularity as essential kitchen and cooking tools in the 21st century, not just for busy working families but also for scratch cooking enthusiasts.
These devices allow for hands-off cooking, making it very convenient for cooks busy with other tasks. An industrious meal prepper can prepare slow cooker meals by freezing all the ingredients into sealed bags. For a busy day, simply take one out of the freezer, empty the contents into the slow cooker, and set the timer.
Dinner will be ready by the time you finish your tasks or work. You can prepare hearty stews, soups, and roasts just by adding the ingredients and letting them simmer throughout the day. If you need to make large batches of food and preserve the nutrients through slow cooking, this device allows you to do so with minimal effort.
12. Miscellaneous Sized Baking Pans
Beyond their intended use in baking, baking pans also serve a variety of other purposes. Essential to any list of crucial kitchen tools and utensils, having a variety of different sizes of baking pans is ideal, as the size of a baking pan required for a batch of brownies will differ from that of a casserole. If you intend to set up a versatile and efficient kitchen, consider adding the following to your arsenal:
- 9×13 Pan: This is the most common size of baking pan, often called for in many different recipes, ranging from desserts to main dishes. It is a staple for baking casseroles, lasagnas, cakes, and brownies. It is a perfect size for making large dishes that can feed an entire family, as well as provide leftovers for a week. Ideally, you should have both a glass and metal pan of this size, as glass conducts heat more evenly and cleans up easily. Metal pans, on the other hand, are much lighter and don’t break if you drop them on the floor or on the way to the potluck. They usually come with snap-on lids that make them quite useful for transport and are easy to clean.
- Loaf Pans: Every kitchen needs at least one loaf pan if you’re going to be making your own homemade bread or meatloaf. While less versatile than other pans, it is still quite useful for making a variety of things such as pound cake, pumpkin bread, banana nut bread, and different types of meatloaf. It is narrow and deep, which ensures an even baking temperature and helps bread rise to the perfect level. Having two or three on hand allows you to bake several loaves at once.
- Casserole Dishes: Another useful item is the casserole dish, which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, making it perfect for baking and serving a wide range of dishes. Often crafted from glass, these dishes serve meals directly from the oven to the table. They are perfect for baked pasta and layered casseroles such as lasagna and are practical and versatile for any kitchen. If you’re bringing them to a potluck dinner or an office party, some fancier casserole dishes come with a carrying case that retains the heat.
Additional Kitchen Tools and Utensils Tips
While choosing kitchen tools and utensils can be fun, there are a few things to consider first.
Choosing the Right Tools
- Assess Your Needs: If you prefer cooking with a certain range of ingredients, then start with the utensils you need to do so, and consider adding others you might use less often some time later. Remember to focus on efficiency first.
- Quality Over Quantity: High-quality tools are more expensive but worth it over time as they tend to last longer. The higher initial cost is often worth it, as you will not need to replace them as often.
- Space Considerations: Consider where you plan to store these utensils, especially if you live in an apartment or tiny house. You might have limited counter space, so store items where they are easily accessible.
Maintenance and Care
- Regular Cleaning: Clean your tools regularly after each use, especially knives, as putting them away dirty or wet causes rust and dulling. Quality items last a long time, but only if they are maintained and cleaned regularly.
- Proper Storage: Store your utensils in a clean, dry, and accessible place. If you have the space, a designated kitchen tool holder is best. Avoid jamming multiple items into drawers to prevent damage or chipping or cramming them into cabinets to prevent breakage.
- Sharpening and Seasoning: Make a habit of regularly sharpening your knives to keep them in top shape. Also, season your cast iron regularly to prevent rust.
Resources for Purchasing Tools
- Local Stores: Rather than purchasing items unseen off Amazon, consider visiting local stores, farmer’s markets, and homesteading fairs for unique and high-quality tools.
- Online Retailers: If you prefer ordering online, Amazon offers a wide selection, but also consider specialized kitchenware stores or smaller retailers selling handcrafted items online, such as Etsy or eBay.
- Second-Hand Finds: Thrift stores, garage sales, and online marketplaces are good options for finding secondhand or gently used tools and utensils, often at reduced or even half price. Consider also visiting estate sales to find items that might be older but are heirloom quality.
Let’s get cookin’!
Homesteading is the art of living frugally or self-sufficiently by growing, preserving, and cooking food much the way those who came before us on homesteads did. This way of life values home-grown nutrition, quality family time, and life lessons learned through chores and trial-and-error.
Properly outfitting your homesteading kitchen with quality kitchen tools and utensils that you plan to use regularly and even pass down to future generations is a fun but also important task. You want convenient and easy-to-use quality tools to form the backbone of your food cooking and preservation journey.
The proper tools not only enhance your ability to produce delicious meals from scratch, but they also give you a sense of confidence in knowing that your kitchen is well-prepared to handle any possible home-cooked meal. When you’re not struggling to prepare a meal with subpar utensils, you’ll find yourself relishing your time in the kitchen even more.
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