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Natural Kitchen Essentials List: My Most Used Tools and Appliances

January 24, 2018 by Katie Wells
Natural and Organic Kitchen Items

After I wrote about what I keep in my purse, I had several requests for a similar post about what my kitchen looks like and what appliances/health tools I regularly use. Below is the list I wish I’d had before I got married so I could have put most of these items on my wedding registry.

Natural Kitchen Items

I feel that it is important to note that I cook 2-3 times a day and we don’t often use a microwave. All of the items I have in my kitchen now are heavy duty and have multiple uses. Many of these items are pricey but we carefully budgeted for them and most have extended warranties. I should also note that because I am constantly experimenting with new recipes for the blog, I have some appliances and tools I would not have originally thought to register for or purchase.

1. Appliances/Big Items

Besides the usual refrigerator and oven/stove, I have a variety of small appliances that I use on a regular basis.

  • Vitamix: We have had a Vitamix since early in our marriage and it has been used multiple times a day for years! We use it daily for smoothies, sauces, blending coffee with healthy fats, chopping, etc. If I could only have one of the appliances on this list, I’d keep the Vitamix. While I really think a Vitamix beats all other blenders, here are my experiences with other blenders that also pass the test.
  • Food Processor (I have this one): I didn’t put this on my wedding registry because I thought “how much would I really use a machine that just chops and mixes?” Turns out, I would use it a lot. I thought it would be fun to chop everything by hand at first, which was true for a couple of years, but now when I cook for a crowd (just the family, not to mention guests) the food processor is really helpful. I also use this often for chopping items for soups, slicing cabbage for sauerkraut, pre-chopping salad items for the whole week, etc.
  • Mixer (I have this one): Another one I didn’t get early on because I didn’t think we’d use it much (especially since I don’t bake that often). While it is still not my most used kitchen tool, I do use it pretty often for blending things like homemade marshmallows or the dough for coconut flour biscuits, etc. Before we got this mixer, I just had the hand-mixer version and it worked really well too.
  • Dehydrator (I have this one): We went through several of the cheaper plastic type dehydrators but the Excalibur is considered the gold standard of dehydrators. Dehydrators are great for drying fruits and veggies, making beef jerky or salmon jerky, and more. My kids especially like apple chips made from dehydrated apples and strawberries. This appliance mainly gets used in the summer when there is excess produce that needs to be preserved.
  • Ice Cream Maker (I have this one): Not something I thought I would use all the time, but surprisingly we do. We make ice cream recipes like this strawberry gelato, or butter pecan ice cream, but this is also just a great way to get extra healthy fats and nutrients into my kids without a fight. I can even just blend watermelon and pour in to make a sorbet. For ice creams, I try to add coconut oil, egg yolks, and butter for good fats.
  • Crock Pot/Slow Cooker (I have this one): This is one item I had from the beginning. I’ve actually gone 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 supposedly present in the crock of some slow cookers).
  • Immersion Blender (I have this one): I use this all the time for pureeing soups in the pot, mixing pancake batter, etc.
  • Water Filter (We have this one): Not an appliance per se but we use this daily to filter our water for cooking and drinking as it is the best water filter option I’ve found. We used the Berkey Water Filter for years before we sprung for this 14-stage under-counter filtration system. The Berkey is still a great option if under the counter isn’t possible. If you’re wondering why a 14-stage water filter would be necessary, check out this post and you might be convinced.

2. Cookware

I cook all the time, so quality cookware is really important to me. I only use cookware that is natural/eco-friendly and also pretty easy to clean. This left only a few options, but my few versatile pieces get used all the time!

  • Instant Pot (I have this one): You know those last-minute dinner blues? The Instant Pot can cure them. It makes soups, stews, and casseroles, hard boils eggs, ferments yogurt, and the most tender cuts of meat you can imagine. Food is ready in about an hour or less, and you can even saute right in the pot before pressurizing, saving extra dirty pans. Try it, you’ll be glad you did! Check out my full review on Instant Pot models (and why it is a healthy way to cook) for more details.
  • Ceramic Skillets (I have these): These cook evenly and are really easy to clean. The only downside is that they are breakable so I have to be careful when cleaning them. I use these especially for eggs as they don’t stick, but also for foods like stir-frys or meats. (Note: Ceramcor has offered to give WM readers a 10% discount on all orders. Here are the details.)
  • Always Pan – I love the Always Pan when I am 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 into the dishwasher.
  • Caraway Pans
  • If you are in need of a matching set of pans, Caraway offers a complete cookware set that I really like. Their pans have a mineral-based coating that won’t leach toxic chemicals into your food and while I know you will love them, they do offer a 7-day cooking trial.

  • Cast Iron: A few good cast iron skillets can last forever. I use these 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’s iron levels.
  • Enameled Cast Iron: I have a dutch oven and soup pot that are coated cast iron and use these for stove or oven roasting or cooking.
  • Large Stock Pot: I have a restaurant grade 5-gallon stock pot that I use for bone broth and for pre-cooking large batches of food.
  • Glass Baking Dishes: for everyday cooking and baking
  • Steel Food Service Baking Pans (I have these): Since we try to cook in bulk when possible and since I now often have to cook large amounts even for single meals, these come in handy. I use them for roasting veggies, cooking large amounts of foods, and serving to large groups. They can also double as a roaster for large cuts of meat.

3. Kitchen Tools

Besides the bigger items like the appliances above, I have a variety of smaller kitchen items that 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:

  • A French Press (I have this one): is great for making coffee or tea without them coming in to contact with plastic like they would in many coffee makers. I also find that I like the flavor of coffee and teas made in a french press much better and this is much smaller to store than a full-size coffee pot. We also use a Chemex quite often and you can check out our whole coffee set up in this post.
  • A Fermentation Crock (I have this one): There is usually something in some stage of fermentation on my counter and a crock like this makes fermentation much easier. I use this most often for sauerkraut.
  • Quality Knives (I have these): 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’ve even invested in teaching the kids to use them (with the help of this awesome online course) as it’s a valuable life skill.
  • Tea Kettle (I have a glass one, a cast iron one, and a steel one): We drink a lot of herbal tea in our house and I also just love the look of a tea kettle!
  • A Julienne Peeler (I have this set): I use this to peel carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, etc. into noodle shapes to use in place of regular noodles in recipes. This is also a job that my older kids can help with in meal prep.
  • A Crinkle Cutter (I have this one): Not too sharp and makes fun shapes so my kids can use them to help with meal prep. I keep this and a bamboo cutting board and the kids get to take turns helping cut veggies for meals. They also are able to get this out and a carrot or cucumber and cut slices for a snack whenever they want.
  • A Mandoline (I have this one): When I don’t feel like using the food processor, this is great to grate, slice, or cut (warning: it’s sharp!).
  • A Kitchen Thermometer (I have this one): For testing temperature of meats, etc.
  • A Candy Thermometer (I have this one): For testing temperature of mixture for marshmallows and cough drops, etc.
  • Bamboo Cutting boards (I have these): An eco-friendly alternative to plastic cutting boards and a less breakable alternative to class cutting boards. I use these daily.
  • Bamboo Cooking Utensils (I have these): For use in anything I’m cooking.

Items for a Natural and Organic Kitchen - Registry Ideas

4. Random Items

  • Cloth Napkins (I use these): I’ve written about how we try to avoid paper products in our kitchen and we use cloth napkins at every meal.
  • Huck Towels (I have these): I use these in place of kitchen towels and paper towels. They are super-absorbent and are even used in hospitals as surgical towels.
  • Large Steel Bowls (I have these): For mixing and serving
  • Lunch Bots (We have these): For use packing lunches or meals on the go. The big ones are also great for food storage.
  • Stainless Steel Straws: Eco-friendly options for drinking smoothies and other drinks.
  • Metal Water Bottles (We have these): For use in sports or when away from home.
  • Glass Water Bottles (We have these): For use with smoothies, drinks, etc when not away from home.

5. Jars

I use jars for everything so they have a category of their own. We use them for storage, drinking glasses, fermenting things like beet kvass or water kefir, and salsa, as well as for second ferments of kombucha. I love glass jars and have a collection of sorts in my kitchen:

  • Quart Size & Pint Size Mason Jars: Use for drinking glasses, storing food in the fridge, packing salads and foods for lunch, etc.
  • Cuppow Lids (We have these): Convert mason jars in to drinking cups for hot or cold beverages.
  • Plastic Storage Lids (We have these): For use when metal lids are not recommended like when fermenting.
  • Pour Cap Lids for Mason Jars: Often use for drinking or for liquid storage in the fridge.
  • Sprouting Lids for Mason Jars: Great for covering open ferments like water kefir and ginger bugs.
  • Gallon Size Jars for Fermentation: Or for storing drinks in the fridge.
  • Large Spigot Jar for Continuous Brew Kombucha
  • Storage Jars with Glass Lids (I have these): Many items in my pantry and on my counter are stored in these jars.

6. Other Items

In addition to these kitchen items, the following unusual items can often be found on my kitchen counter:

  • Assorted fresh herbs in pots
  • Fermenting water kefir or second ferment to make soda
  • Continuous brew kombucha
  • Some sort of vegetable fermenting
  • Sprouts or microgreens growing
  • Yogurt in the Instant Pot or yogurt maker

There’s lots of other additional kitchen items, but these are by the far the ones that I use the most regularly.

What’s in your kitchen? Are there any great kitchen tools that I’m missing out on? Do you have some of these same items? Share below!

My essential natural kitchen items, cooking tools and health appliances for my natural and organic kitchen. Also great ideas for a wedding registry list.

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Category: Natural Home

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder and CEO of Wellness Mama and Co-Founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (145 Comments)

  1. AIDA

    April 5, 2014 at 10:35 PM

    Hi! I am currently doing my research on juicers, and I was curios to know the one you have in your kitchen, or which one do you recommend?. I know the best one is Norwalk, but not sure if we need such a heavy duty one… Thanks!!.

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      April 6, 2014 at 11:44 AM

      I got mine from from Tropical Traditions.

      Reply
  2. Regina Osborn

    March 13, 2014 at 5:13 PM

    I love the kitchen list. We aren’t quite there yet but getting close. We also have the
    Excalibur dehydrator.n Absolutely love it! We do all our own onion, garlic, tomato powders, cut cherry tomato’s in half (make a wonderful snack in place of chips), herb blends and anything else we can think of to try.

    Reply
  3. Lily

    March 13, 2014 at 4:01 PM

    I would replace the slow cooker with an Instant Pot pressure cooker! It has a slow cooker function so you get the best of both worlds. I loooove this thing! I get teased about how much I love it, in fact.

    Reply
  4. Jeremy

    March 6, 2014 at 12:01 PM

    Hello,
    having these items in your kitchen,have you noticed any cognitive enhancement compared to the cheaper more toxic products you have used in the past,if you’ve ever even used them. Also,how’s that dehydrator? Thinking of obtaining one for fruit?
    Thanks

    Reply
  5. linda

    March 3, 2014 at 1:26 PM

    Do you know if silicone baking mats, cups and pans are safe to cook with?

    Reply
  6. Carolyn

    February 20, 2014 at 8:52 PM

    I was looking at a vitamix, and it’s plastic. Don’t you put hot liquids in this if you’re blending coffee and soups? Did they used to be made with glass or something? All the ones I saw were plastic.

    Reply
    • Kim Davis

      March 6, 2016 at 2:10 PM

      I’m a few years late with this, but Vitamix containers are made of acrylic, not plastic.
      Absolutely no BPAs. ?

      Reply
      • Charlotte McKinley

        September 25, 2016 at 3:32 PM

        They now use Tritan plastic, which isn’t thoroughly researched. I don’t feel like it’s safe. I wish they’d come back out with the optional SS pitcher! I just went with the Waring Pro (USA!) because it has almost no plastic and your food touches the glass and blades.

        Reply
  7. Jillian

    February 9, 2014 at 1:15 AM

    I loved the list, it has many things Im wanting like bamboo cutting boards, Vitamix, and Excalibur. However Im super surprised to see that there wasnt a juicer on the list! Is there a reason for that?

    Reply
  8. Sara

    January 30, 2014 at 4:07 PM

    I love the list, it gave me kitchen gadget envy. Some of the things I continue to hear about or see come up when looking at primal or paleo recipes especially is the use of a food processor. I’m the type that declutters regularly and really hadn’t used my food processor more than one summer since I bought it so I recently got rid of it. Would a high power blender do some of the same things a food processor does? I have a blender that does get much use and have considered purchasing a Vitamix or Blendtec. Would one of these be able to handle the same load that a food processor would?

    Reply
    • Katie - Wellness Mama

      February 3, 2014 at 12:18 AM

      Yep… the wont thinly slice but other than that, they can do it all 🙂

      Reply
  9. Lauren

    January 22, 2014 at 9:41 PM

    I have a lot of the cooking appliances & untensils and such. I was wondering about the crock for fermenting. What is good about that verses just using a mason jar?

    Reply
  10. Rachel Walsh

    December 29, 2013 at 1:16 AM

    GREAT list! So helpful in creating a healthy home. Does anyone have any idea where one can find affordable eco friendly kitchen chair cushions? I have looked everywhere (online, in stores…).

    Reply
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