Natural Kitchen Essentials: The Tools I Can’t Live Without

After I wrote about what I keep in my purse, I had several requests for a similar post about what my kitchen looks like. While it’s changed some over the years, I’ve found what works best and some new favorites. Here’s the list I wish I’d had before having my own home. Everything from pots and pans, to water filters and other crunchy mama tools. 

Natural Kitchen Items

To start off, keep in mind that unless I’m travelling we usually cook 2-3 times a day and don’t use a microwave. 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!

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’m constantly experimenting with new recipes for the blog, I have some tools I wouldn’t have originally thought to purchase.

Appliances/Big Items

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

1. Blender

I’ve had a Vitamix for many years now and it’s been used multiple times a day! 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.

2. Food Processor

I didn’t get this food processor early on because I didn’t think I’d 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, pre-chopping salad items for the whole week, etc.

3. Stand Mixer

Another item that I didn’t buy for a long time because I didn’t think I’d use it much. Especially since I don’t bake that often. While my stand mixer doesn’t get as much use as the blender, I do use it for things like whipping homemade marshmallows or mixing grain-free biscuit dough. 

4. Dehydrator

I went through several, cheaper plastic dehydrators before I found this one. Excalibur brand is considered the gold standard of dehydrators. It’s great for drying fruits and veggies, making beef jerky, homemade fruit leather, 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’s excess produce that needs preserved.

5. Ice Cream Maker

Not something I thought I would use all the time, but surprisingly we do. We use this ice cream maker for recipes like strawberry gelato, or butter pecan ice cream. It’s 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.

6. Slow Cooker

This is the Crock Pot I have. 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).

7. Air Fryer

I use the Wonder Oven from Our Place. It’s easy enough for my kids to use and it’s multi-functional so I can also use it as a toaster, oven, etc. I’ve 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!

8. Immersion Blender

I use my immersion blender all the time for pureeing soups in the pot, mixing pancake batter, etc. It’s so much easier than transferring hot liquids to a blender pitcher and I like that the part that touches the food is stainless steel.

9. Water Filter

Not an appliance per se but we use this water filter daily to filter our water for cooking and drinking. The 14-stage filter is the best one I’ve found that does a thorough job. If you want an option that’s not under the counter, here are my reviews on other filters we’ve tried over the years. 

Cookware and Bakeware

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

1. Instant Pot

While this popular pressure cooker has been around the block for a while now, it’s still a staple in my kitchen. The Instant Pot makes soups, stews, and casseroles. It can also hardboil eggs, ferment yogurt, and makes the most tender cuts of meat you can imagine. 

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 in it. Check out my full review on Instant Pot models (and why it’s a healthy way to cook).

2. Caraway

I use Caraway’s 3 qt. saucepan several times a week as well as their frying pan to make eggs, crepes, or fry up veggies. They’re easy to clean and are safe for the family without any toxic chemicals leaching into your food. I also use their bakeware when making desserts or breakfast muffins.

3. Xtrema Pure Ceramic

Xtrema’s skillets 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’t stick, but also for stir-fries and meats. 

Xtrema also has a full line of bakeware, sauce pans, Dutch ovens, and more. I love that they’re 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 here. 

4. Always Pan From Our Place

I love the Always Pan when I’m 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. 

5. Cast Iron Skillet

Nothing beats a good cast iron skillet, which can last forever. These are the ones I have, but you can sometimes find them at antique stores or estate sales.  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’s iron levels.

6. Le Creuset 

These enameled cast iron dishes 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. 

7. 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. Even if your family isn’t quite as big as mine, they have multiple sizes available for batch cooking. 

8. Glass Baking Dishes

I use these for everyday cooking and baking. While I’ve used Pyrex for years for their durability, several of the above brands also have some nice baking dishes in various sizes (and colors!). 

9. Steel Baking Pans

Since we cook in bulk whenever possible I’ll often cook enough for an army, even for a single meal. These steel baking pans 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.

Kitchen Tools

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:

1. A French Press

This stainless steel French press 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’s much smaller to store than a full-size coffee pot. 

We also frequently use a Chemex. You can check out my whole coffee setup in this post.

2. Fermentation Crock

There’s often something (or a lot of something’s) fermenting on my counter. And my fermentation crock makes it so much easier. I use it most often for sauerkraut.

3. Quality Knives

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.

4. Crinkle Cutter

This cutter isn’t 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.

Here are some more tools you’ll find in my kitchen: 

• Tea Kettle – I have a glass one, a cast iron one, and an electric one. We drink a lot of herbal tea in our house and I also just love the look of a tea kettle!
• Julienne Peeler: I use this to peel veggies and make “veggie noodles” as a pasta substitute. My kids loved helping with this job!
• A Mandoline: When I don’t feel like using the food processor, this is great to grate, slice, or cut (warning: it’s sharp!).
• Kitchen Thermometer: For testing the temperature of meats, etc.
• A Candy Thermometer: For testing the temperature of mixtures for marshmallows and cough drops, etc.
• Bamboo Cutting Boards: An eco-friendly alternative to plastic cutting boards and less breakable than glass cutting boards. I use these daily.
• Bamboo Cooking Utensils: For use in anything I’m cooking.

Random Items

• Cloth napkins: 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 use these instead of kitchen towels and paper towels. They’re super-absorbent and are even used in hospitals as surgical towels.
• Large Steel Bowls: For mixing and serving
• Lunch Bots: For 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:  For sports, long walks, or whenever we’re away from home.
• Glass Water Bottles: For use with smoothies, drinks, etc. when not away from home.
• Stainless Steel Dinnerware for Kids: My youngest kids love these fun plates and cups. And I love them because they’re non-toxic and free of plastics.

Jars

I use jars for everything so they get their own category. 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: We use these for drinking glasses, storing food in the fridge, packing salads, and foods for lunch, etc.
• Mason Jar Lid Alternatives: Convert Mason jars into drinking cups for hot or cold beverages. They also have lids for pouring, sprouting lids (also great for open ferments like water kefir), ferment weights, and more that I use. 
• Gallon Size Jars: I use these for fermenting or storing drinks in the fridge.
• Large Spigot Jar – This has a stainless steel spigot and is perfect for continuous brew kombucha.
• Glass Storage Jars: I store many items in my pantry and on my counter in these jars.

Unusual Natural Kitchen Essentials 

In addition to the standard kitchen items, you’ll also find the following unusual items 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 are lots of other additional kitchen items, but these are by 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!