(Originally posted in 2016)
Living in a tiny house, or simply choosing to live a life of Minimalism, can have some obstacles. Little storage space in your kitchen can be a big problem. Today, I’m going to list what I can and cannot live without in my kitchen. This list can also be useful when you’re camping, or you want to make any kitchen simply feel roomier.
Small items you need:
4 glass or ceramic plates and bowls (life is short, use your good dishes!)
4 sets of heavy silverware
4 (attractive) coffee mugs that you can hang on the wall
1 glass multipurpose measuring cup
2 glass mixing bowls, one large, one medium, and they must ‘nest’ inside one another for optimal storage
1 glass Pyrex baking pan
1 handheld can opener
1 set of nesting Tupperware or Pyrex leftover containers
2 durable cookie sheets
1 attractive cutting board
1 coffee maker & pot (you can make tea in these as well)
1 Lodge Cast Dutch oven (keep this outside in a camping box for outdoor use)
1 Lodge Cast iron frying pan
1 Lodge cast iron reversible griddle/ skillet
1 attractive glass pitcher (for teas, water, etc..)
Small accessories you need:
1 metal pot
1 rubber spatula
1 metal or plastic flipper
1 metal ladle
2 large serving spoons
1 metal potato peeler
1 metal whisk
1 or 2 sharp knives
1 knife sharpener
1 Hand powered juicer
1 good cutting knife (& sharpener)
1 wooden spoon (its not for cooking, it’s for swatting your kids or husband when they won’t stay out of your kitchen)
Appliances you need:
1 apartment sized refrigerator/freezer combo (the refrigerator size doesn’t matter if you aren’t ‘living tiny’
1 oven w/ a stove top range
1 crock pot (totally optional, but great for active people who are too busy to make dinner)
1 nesting set of teaspoon/tablespoon measures
1 folding colander (optional, but so very handy when you make a lot of pasta)
1 good set of dish rags
1 good set of kitchen hot pads
What DON’T need in your kitchen:
-microwaves
-toasters
-ice cream makers
-pop corn makers
-electronic mixers
-food processors
-any cake forms
-cookbooks (unless it has sentimental value)
-panini presses
-blocks of knives
-espresso machines
-wine coolers
-basically ANYTHING that’s “As Seen on TV”
-doughnut pans (seriously, when did you last use that??)
– paper towels
Cooking without the junk appliances:
– if you can microwave it, you can heat it up on the stove top or in the oven
– if you can toast it, you can use your Lodge frying pan instead
– if you can pop it, you can do it in your covered Lodge frying pan
– if you can mix it with a machine, you can do it by hand with your whisk (and gain some incredible arms in the process)
– your glass Pyrex baking pans will replace any cake forms
– all your recipes can be stored easily on your phone or tablet
– wine coolers can be replaced by your refrigerator
– paper towels can easily be replaced by a dish rag
How to use an apartment refrigerator effectively:
– store your eggs at room temperature, they’re healthy this way, I promise. Especially if you raise your own chickens & eggs.
– store your salted butter at room temperature (it gets soft, but as long as it’s covered so flies don’t bother it, you’re good)
– store your bread outside of the fridge
– store your fruits & veggies & citruses outside of the fridge, not only does it save space, but it reminds you of the food you need to eat before it goes bad!
– peanut butter
– molasses
– maple syrup
– basically any oils
– coffee
– honey (this stuff can stay good for thousands of years! You do not need it in the fridge)
– herbs
– pickles
– soy sauce
– nuts
– vacuum packed tuna & chicken
– dried fruits
All this can happily stay in your pantry, root cellar or basement, which are most likely, bigger than your fridge & healthier for your foods.
Did I miss anything? What items can you or can you not live without? Comment below, and thanks for reading!
