It doesn’t take a lot of fancy kitchen equipment to prepare healthy, simple meals for my family. Here is all of my kitchen equipment:
which includes a mixing bowl, a colander, a 2 quart saucepan with lid, a stock pot with lid, a saute pan, an 8×8 baking pan and an 9×13 baking pan. Then there is a large bowl with lid that I use chiefly for transporting salads to family gatherings. There are nesting metal measuring cups and a glass one for liquids. Two cookie trays and a pizza pan. There is a baking pan with grill that came with the stove. Utensils include: vegetable masher, two turners, a large spoon, a pizza cutter, vegetable peeler, one knife (I use it for everything) scissors, corkscrew, set of measuring spoons, can opener and a spatula/scraper.
Cutlery started as a set of 8. There are still 8 forks, 7 spoons and 6 knives. I also have 3 serving spoons. There are an excess of dishes here including 14 plates, 7 bowls, 6 mugs and 6 glasses. There are two corning ware serving/baking dishes w/ lids and 2 small flat-bottomed cups. I have served dinner for 9 people at the same meal with these various dishes.
And last the food saver containers. No need to own more than can fit in the fridge, right?
Small House, Big Life 
Hmm…I have WAY more than this to cook for two (with the occasional meal for 8+). I thought that my kitchen was pretty minimal, but this has inspired me to look again!
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I am enjoying your posts on how few things you have and the ways that you maximize their use. You are inspirational.
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Ahhh! good timing! I’m part way through downsizing the kitchen. This is just the guidance I need 🙂 Thanks. I have most of what you have on display but it is finding an effective “contraceptive” for the “reproducing” food storage containers! LOL! I DO clear them out but there always seems to be more appearing/sneaking their way in!
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Adrienne-my contraceptive is to allot them just one drawer and I store them with the lids on. When the drawer is full, the extra containers are either Goodwilled or recycled, depending on their state.
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Aha! There is my error I leave the lids off and stack them together ! Never thought of leaving the lids on!!!! Great tip thanks 😉
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Fawn,
I just found you through you Miss Minimalist post. I’m so glad I’ve found you! You are certainly an inspiration-whoo hoo!
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Wow. You are amazing. I pared down kitchen stuff about a year ago and was able to turn a cabinet into a craft storage area but other cabinets are still so full. Now I am inspired to let go of even more. It may seem mundane and silly to other people to show pictures and talk about these things but it is really helpful to see first hand someone else doing it and making it work. Thanks.
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I agree, pictures help me a lot. And I love to read about and hear how other people have solved some of day to day life’s problems.
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I am in awe of you and Janet at Gardener’s Cottage for your pared-down kitchens. I have culled and culled and was pretty pleased with myself, then a daughter emigrated and left some “useful” and “attractive” things and then my husband brought a kitchen’s worth from another apartment to be integrated – he is a gourmet cook and insists on gadgets etc. he feels are necessary while I admit I am not willing to get rid of as many glasses as he’d like…!! We do only have a small kitchen and I hate it being stuffed, so it’s a constant battle. Theory and practice!!! 😉
One thing I dislike doing without is an electric kettle, as I use it so much – boiling water up in a pan is such a bother, but if I had to, I’d manage.
And yes, having the photos really helps a visual person like me!
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If I had a gourmet cook in the house, I would let him be in charge of the kitchen. 🙂
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Hand in the air waving! I’m avisual person too and have found your photos helpful, especially in the recipes. When I made the carrot soup i used only 2 carrots , but when I looked at the photo of the ingredients I counted 10 carrots DUH!!! Still made nice soup even with only 2 carrots ….she says with red face 🙂
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I too use an electric kettle for two reasons: 1) it cost less in electricity than putting a pot on the stove, and 2) it has an automatic shut-off so I don’t have to worry about finding a scorched pot. Many years ago I put about 8 potatoes in a pot filled with water and put the burner on high. I remembered it about an hour later (was doing laundry at the same time). The potatoes were so burned at the bottom and on the sides of sides of the pot that I couldn’t remove them, so I just threw the pot out!
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Forced editing!
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thank you for this! I also love the pictures 🙂 I just moved into a new apartment and got rid of a lot of kitchen stuff, but I still have a TON and I live alone! haha This post shows what I could really do, though. I have read other blogs about only having ONE plate, cup, fork, spoon, etc. That just isn’t practical for my life. But seeing your set up? I can do that!
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Funny, my goal is to get down to a saucepan, a bowl, a knife and a mug. But not till the kids leave home. 🙂
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Fawn, I think a spoon might come in useful ;o!
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Oh, yeah……and a spoon.;)
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Your kitchen photos look just like a motel room kitchen, and I mean that as the highest compliment!
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Ummm…thanks?
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Inspirational. my question though is do you ever make leftovers that need to go back in the oven? What do you put that food in? I would prefer to put our leftovers in a container that i can put directly into the oven (ruling out plastic containers) and by the way, still looking for something like that since the glass containers I bought cant go in the oven! would love suggestions
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The two Corning Ware serving dishes with lids are oven proof. I also have a couple smaller glass storage dishes with plastic lids. I can take the plastic part off and put aluminum foil over them. My mom has a set of stainless steel container dishes that she bought in the 60s. It might be hard to find something like that as so many people have microwaves now.
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I’m re-reading some of the postings and probably won’t get a response since this is a month later, but is a pizza cutter necessary? I just use a knife. Not nitpicking (sp?) but just something to throw out there. I’m still working on minimalizing the kitchen but having those what if problems. What if I do go on a picnic and need by big plastic salad bowl with lid and bottom to keep the dressing separate?
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Of course, I don’t need a pizza cutter. I just prefer to have one at this time. When I get rid of kids, I won’t even eat pizza. [get rid of the pizza cutter and the pizza pan.]
I do keep a big plastic salad bowl. But I just bring the dressing separate and add before serving. Ask yourself, how often does this come up? Would I prefer to have a different “signature” dish? I had a friend, who always brought a bottle of wine to potlucks. He didn’t want to cook. We always enjoyed his company…and the wine.
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I hope I didn’t insult you about the pizza cutter sd I was just wondering because I used to have one but threw it out when I found my knife did a better job. I am, however, envious of your minimal kitchen — it sure makes me want to rid myself of more things, for instance, are cheese knives really important when regular knives will do; or my tiny little spoons with a tiny tea cup on the handle when regular teaspoons do the job? I did finally get rid of my 10 pairs of chopsticks (I don’t even remember how I got them in the first place). I find eating with wood unsanitary and definately note reusable.
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Oh gosh…no offense taken…we all have different needs/perspectives.
Even if you call my mother and children names…..I assure you…no offense taken. OK, well maybe my mom…she is getting more eccentric and if you didn’t like her hair or clothes….we might have to spar……;)
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Too funny!!
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