<\/p>\n
After I wrote about what I keep in my purse<\/a>, I had several requests for a similar post about what my kitchen looks like. While it\u2019s changed some over the years, I\u2019ve found what works best and some new favorites. Here\u2019s the list I wish I\u2019d had before having my own home. Everything from pots and pans, to water filters and other crunchy mama tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n To start off, keep in mind that unless I\u2019m travelling we usually cook 2-3 times a day and don\u2019t use a microwave.<\/a> The kids are old enough to make family dinners and can handle their own breakfasts and lunch prep. So there are a lot of us using the kitchen at different hours of the day!<\/p>\n All my kitchen items are heavy duty and have multiple uses. Many of these items are pricey, but I carefully budgeted for them and many have extended warranties. And because I\u2019m constantly experimenting with new recipes for the blog, I have some tools I wouldn\u2019t have originally thought to purchase.<\/p>\n Besides the usual refrigerator and oven\/stove, I have a variety of small appliances that I use on a regular basis.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had a Vitamix <\/a>for many years now and it\u2019s been used multiple times a day! We use it daily for smoothies, sauces, blending coffee with healthy fats<\/a>, chopping, etc. If I could only have one of the appliances on this list, I\u2019d keep the Vitamix. While I really think a Vitamix beats all other blenders, here are my experiences with other blenders<\/a> that also pass the test.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t get this food processor <\/a>early on because I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d use a machine that just chops and mixes. Turns out, I use it a lot. I thought it would be fun to chop everything by hand, which was true for a few years. Now when I cook for a crowd (just the family, not to mention guests) the food processor is really helpful. I also often use this for chopping items for soups, slicing cabbage for sauerkraut<\/a>, pre-chopping salad items for the whole week, etc.<\/p>\n Another item that I didn\u2019t buy for a long time because I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d use it much. Especially since I don\u2019t bake that often. While my stand mixer <\/a>doesn\u2019t get as much use as the blender, I do use it for things like whipping homemade marshmallows<\/a> or mixing grain-free biscuit dough<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n I went through several, cheaper plastic dehydrators before I found this one. Excalibur brand<\/a> is considered the gold standard of dehydrators. It\u2019s great for drying fruits and veggies, making beef jerky, homemade fruit leather<\/a>, and more. My kids especially like fruit chips made from dehydrated apples and strawberries. We use our dehydrator the most in the summer when there\u2019s excess produce that needs preserved.<\/p>\n Not something I thought I would use all the time, but surprisingly we do. We use this ice cream maker<\/a> for recipes like strawberry gelato<\/a>, or butter pecan ice cream<\/a>. It\u2019s also just a great way to get healthy fats and nutrients into my kids without a fight. I can even simply blend watermelon and pour it in to make a sorbet. For ice creams, I opt for coconut milk, egg yolks, and butter for good fats.<\/p>\n This is the Crock Pot I have<\/a>. I actually went through several cheaper ones that wore out before I finally sprung for a high-quality one. This particular Crock Pot is also supposed to be tested to be free of lead (which is present in the crock of some slow cookers).<\/p>\n I use the Wonder Oven<\/a> from Our Place. It\u2019s easy enough for my kids to use and it\u2019s multi-functional so I can also use it as a toaster, oven, etc. I\u2019ve used it for well over a year now and it works seamlessly with anything I put in there. The interior is stainless steel (which is hard to find in an air fryer) and they come in many different colors to coordinate with any kitchen!<\/p>\n I use my immersion blender<\/a> all the time for pureeing soups in the pot, mixing pancake batter<\/a>, etc. It\u2019s so much easier than transferring hot liquids to a blender pitcher and I like that the part that touches the food is stainless steel.<\/p>\n Not an appliance per se but we use this water filter<\/a> daily to filter our water for cooking and drinking. The 14-stage filter is the best one I\u2019ve found that does a thorough job. If you want an option that\u2019s not under the counter, here are my reviews<\/a> on other filters we\u2019ve tried over the years.\u00a0<\/p>\n I cook all the time, so quality cookware is really important to me. I only use cookware that\u2019s natural\/eco-friendly and also fairly easy to clean. This left only a few options, but these versatile pieces get used all the time!<\/p>\n While this popular pressure cooker has been around the block for a while now, it\u2019s still a staple in my kitchen. The Instant Pot<\/a> makes soups, stews, and casseroles. It can also hardboil eggs, ferment yogurt, and makes the most tender cuts of meat<\/a> you can imagine.\u00a0<\/p>\n Food is ready in about an hour or less, and you can saute right in the pot before pressurizing, saving extra dirty pans. I even make elderberry syrup<\/a> in it. Check out my full review<\/a> on Instant Pot models (and why it\u2019s a healthy way to cook).<\/p>\n I use Caraway\u2019s<\/a> 3 qt. saucepan several times a week as well as their frying pan to make eggs, crepes<\/a>, or fry up veggies. They\u2019re easy to clean and are safe for the family without any toxic chemicals leaching into your food. I also use their bakeware<\/a> when making desserts or breakfast muffins<\/a>.<\/p>\n Xtrema\u2019s skillets<\/a> cook evenly and are really easy to clean (when used properly). The only downside is that they are breakable so I have to be careful when cleaning them. I use these especially for eggs since they don\u2019t stick, but also for stir-fries and meats.\u00a0<\/p>\n Xtrema also has a full line of bakeware, sauce pans, Dutch ovens, and more. I love that they\u2019re 3rd party tested for heavy metals and toxins so I feel good about using them for my family. You can read my full review of Xtrema<\/a> here.\u00a0<\/p>\n I love the Always Pan <\/a>when I\u2019m making scrambled eggs, stir fry, or need to steam some veggies. The pan is very easy to clean and you can either wipe it down with a wet rag or throw it into the dishwasher. Our Place also makes the Wonder Oven (mentioned above), but they have tons of healthy cookware, bakeware, utensils, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nothing beats a good cast iron skillet, which can last forever. These are the ones I have<\/a>, but you can sometimes find them at antique stores or estate sales.\u00a0 I use cast iron skillets for anything that has to go from stove to oven or for meats, bacon, sausage, etc. Another advantage is that trace amounts of iron are left in food to boost the body\u2019s iron levels.<\/p>\n These enameled cast iron dishes<\/a> are pricey, but well worth it! I have a Dutch oven and soup pot that are coated cast iron and use these for stove or oven roasting or cooking.\u00a0<\/p>\n I have a restaurant grade 5-gallon stock pot<\/a> that I use for bone broth<\/a> and for pre-cooking large batches of food. Even if your family isn\u2019t quite as big as mine, they have multiple sizes available for batch cooking.\u00a0<\/p>\n I use these<\/a> for everyday cooking and baking. While I\u2019ve used Pyrex for years for their durability, several of the above brands also have some nice baking dishes in various sizes (and colors!).\u00a0<\/p>\n Since we cook in bulk whenever possible I\u2019ll often cook enough for an army, even for a single meal. These steel baking pans<\/a> come in handy. I use them for roasting veggies, cooking large amounts of food, and serving to large groups. They can also double as a roaster for large cuts of meat.<\/p>\n Besides the bigger items like the appliances above, I have a variety of smaller kitchen items I use all the time. I actually had a lot more of these smaller items and have weeded out single-use items, especially those that took up a lot of room. The ones that made the cut and that I still have:<\/p>\n This stainless steel French press<\/a> is great for making coffee or tea without them coming in contact with plastic like they would in many coffee makers. I also like the flavor of coffee and teas made in a French press much better. Plus, it\u2019s much smaller to store than a full-size coffee pot.\u00a0<\/p>\n We also frequently use a Chemex<\/a>. You can check out my whole coffee setup in this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s often something (or a lot of something\u2019s) fermenting on my counter. And my fermentation crock<\/a> makes it so much easier. I use it most often for sauerkraut<\/a>.<\/p>\n Knives are still one of the most used items in my kitchen. From chopping veggies for omelets to meat or veggies for dinner, these get used all the time. I\u2019ve even invested in teaching the kids to use them (with the help of this awesome online course<\/a>) as it\u2019s a valuable life skill.<\/p>\n This cutter<\/a> isn\u2019t too sharp and makes fun shapes so kids can use them to help with meal prep. When my kids were little I kept this and a bamboo cutting board on hand so they could take turns helping cut veggies for meals. They were also able to use this for quick carrot or cucumber slices for a snack whenever they wanted.<\/p>\n Here are some more tools you\u2019ll find in my kitchen:\u00a0<\/p>\n I use jars for everything so they get their own category. We use them for storage, drinking glasses, fermenting things like beet kvass<\/a> or water kefir,<\/a> and salsa, as well as for second ferments of kombucha<\/a>. I love glass jars and have a collection of sorts in my kitchen:<\/p>\nNatural Kitchen Items<\/h2>\n
Appliances\/Big Items<\/h2>\n
1. Blender<\/h3>\n
2. Food Processor<\/h3>\n
3. Stand Mixer<\/h3>\n
4. Dehydrator<\/h3>\n
5. Ice Cream Maker<\/h3>\n
6. Slow Cooker<\/h3>\n
7. Air Fryer<\/h3>\n
8. Immersion Blender<\/h3>\n
9. Water Filter<\/h3>\n
Cookware and Bakeware<\/h2>\n
1. Instant Pot<\/h3>\n
2. Caraway<\/h3>\n
3. Xtrema Pure Ceramic<\/h3>\n
4. Always Pan From Our Place<\/h3>\n
5. Cast Iron Skillet<\/h3>\n
6. Le Creuset\u00a0<\/h3>\n
7. Large Stock Pot<\/h3>\n
8. Glass Baking Dishes<\/h3>\n
9. Steel Baking Pans<\/h3>\n
1. A French Press<\/h3>\n
2. Fermentation Crock<\/h3>\n
3. Quality Knives<\/h3>\n
4. Crinkle Cutter<\/h3>\n
Random Items<\/h2>\n
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Jars<\/h2>\n
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Unusual Natural Kitchen Essentials\u00a0<\/h3>\n