Essential Cooking Equipment For Your Kitchen
When embarking on any new diet plan, it's essential to organize your kitchen with several key pieces of kitchen equipment. These items will make meal preparation go smoothly and help you have success on your diet. Many of the recipes in our membership portal utilize a food processor, high-powered blender, and Instant Pot to cut down on time spent in the kitchen and assist you in making delicious, nourishing meals.
Other helpful kitchen tools that many of the recipes use include a mason jar citrus juicer, high-quality garlic press, microplane graters, fine mesh strainers, and tempered glass measuring cups. Additionally, having several high-quality knives will make all of the chopping and slicing much more enjoyable! In this post, you'll find key pieces of equipment to prioritize adding to your kitchen to make meal preparation more efficient and enjoyable.
Food Processor
I use a 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor. This essential piece of cooking equipment helps to shred and grate your vegetables in a snap! Make large batches of nourishing, detoxifying slaws in minutes! A food processor also is used to make energy balls, hummus, and burger patties. I use my food processor several times per week! Look for a 14-cup or 11-cup size, depending on your needs. This particular model is my favorite, and very easy to use. It comes with slicing and grating discs. I was gifted my first food processor in 2003 and that one lasted for 20 years (the identical model linked and shown here)!
High-Powered Blender
If possible, invest in a good high-powered blender (new or refurbished) to create nourishing smoothies, salad dressings, nut milks, and so much more. I have several different containers for my Vitamix. One for grinding grains, such as raw buckwheat groats, and a stainless steel container for blending hot soup.
Electric Pressure Cooker
An electric pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, will greatly cut down cooking time for rice, bone broth, soups, stews, legume recipes, shredded meats, and so much more! The 6-quart size works well for most families, though I prefer the 8-quart size for cooking whole chickens, roasts, and bone broth.
Stainless Steel Pots and Pans
It is best to get rid of all non-stick cookware to reduce chemical exposure and use stainless steel and cast iron instead. Food doesn't stick to high-quality stainless steel pots and pans when they are heated properly before adding a cooking fat and your ingredients. Look for cookware that says tri-ply or 5-ply. I use 5-ply cookware. The most essential sizes to have are an 8-quart pot, 2-quart or 3-quart pot, and 10-inch skillet. I also use 10-inch and 12-inch cast iron skillets almost daily. There are numerous different brands of stainless steel cookware to choose from based on your budget. I have my favorite brand linked on the button below, however, a less expensive option is this set from Costco.
High-Quality Knives
A few good forged knives and several wooden cutting boards can make all the difference when cooking most or all of your meals from scratch! High-quality knives effortlessly cut through food. A small, sharp serrated utility knife will cut through tomatoes like butter. A high-quality, sharp chef's knife will easily cut through large vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and onions; chop raw nuts and seeds; and easily slice through raw meat. You'll be amazed at how much more efficient you are in the kitchen when you have a few high-quality knives to work with. The three most essential sizes to have on hand are either an 8-inch or 6-inch chef's knife, a 5-inch serrated utility knife, and a 3.5-inch paring knife. Note: I use wooden cutting boards for all of my recipes, including raw meat (no plastic cutting boards in my kitchen to reduce plastic exposure).
More Essential Kitchen Tools
To make meal prep go smoother, you might also consider investing in a set of Pyrex liquid glass measuring cups, fine mesh strainers (for rinsing legumes, grains, and berries), a good quality garlic press, a citrus juicer (for lemons and limes) that attaches to wide mouth mason jars, a fine microplane grater (for citrus zest) and coarse microplane grater (for fresh ginger and hard cheeses), and an immersion blender (for pureeing soup right in the pot or making small batches of creamy salad dressings).
Prioritize the kitchen tools you think you'll use most first, then slowly add other tools as you go. Having the right tools to work with can make all the difference in how efficient you are in the kitchen.
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
Email updates.
Add Comment