WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN SHOP!

Does cooking feel like a CHORE, or a fun + easy CHOICE to you?
Is your kitchen a place you enjoy spending time in?

If you don’t love being in your kitchen, chances are you won’t cook much.
The right tools can make all the difference in helping your experience of cooking feel effortless and fun.
Here are the tools I love and some kitchen setup advice to get you started!

KNIFE + CUTTING BOARD ● VEGGIE STORAGE ● POTS + PANS ● TOOLS

PANTRY ● MY FAVORITE COOKBOOKS ● SPLURGE + FUN + GIFTS

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Here’s what to consider when buying a new chef’s knife.

THE ESSENTIALS: CHEF'S KNIFE + CUTTING BOARD.

These are your two *most important* tools in the kitchen, and they are especially essential to veggie-centric cooking. The most important thing is that your knife be comfortable in your hand and SHARP! (You might not need a new knife - you might just need to get it sharpened! Most hardware stores do this.) If you are buying a new knife, go to a real store and test/touch/feel different handles - it’s worth the time to get one you love! Your cutting board should be a soft material like wood, bamboo, or plastic. My favorite inexpensive butcher block from Ikea is similar in price to a large/nice cutting board. I recommend getting as LARGE a cutting board as possible because this gives you and your veggies space to spread out. If you can’t fit a butcher block, I’d recommend keeping a large wood cutting block out on the counter, always ready for chopping! (I don’t own this one, but I used something similar in a client’s kitchen, so this would be my second choice recommendation.) In the case of a large board or butcher block, I love cleaning it with an e-cloth, and using a bench scraper or cake lifter to move veggies and herbs from cutting board to pan without dropping them everywhere.

MY FAVORITE THINGS:

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VEGGIE STORAGE.

Storing your veggies, greens, and herbs properly prolongs their shelf life, which gives you more flexibility to cook when you want while reducing food waste. Make it a habit to properly store veggies as soon as you get home from the store - I promise it’s worth it! Here’s a quick guide with instructions and products I use:

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how to store:

HERBS (non-woody like parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, etc): take twist tie off, pull out any bad ones, cut off bottom tips of the stems and store in a jar of water with a compostable “plastic” bag overtop. *update July 2020: I have found that a green compostable “plastic” bag works much better than a regular plastic bag!

HEARTY GREENS (kale, chard, etc): take twist tie off, wash, store in damp vejibag/towel

LETTUCE: store whole heads of lettuce in a container (ideally with ventilation holes) with a little water, or in the vejibag; store torn lettuce in a salad spinner with a little water.

CARROTS + CELERY: store submerged in water in a container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks; change water at least once/week

RADISHES: store partly or fully submerged in water, consume as quickly as possible/within 1-2 weeks because they can get waterlogged/less spicy

BEETS: I often try to “rejuvenate” soft-ish beets by submerging in water - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Beets that are a little soft are still totally fine to eat.

veggie storage tools:

VEJIBAGS: slightly expensive but I LOVE THESE. I’ve been using one Extra Large and stuffing all my greens in, but just bought the full set so I can start experimenting with keeping different greens/veggies in different bags. Whole heads of lettuce, like romaine, can also be stored in these. You can also simply wrap greens in a towel and store in a plastic bag if you’re looking for a DIY solution.

SALAD SPINNER: If you eat salads, you should definitely get a salad spinner. I have this small one but would prefer a big one if I had more space (or splurge for stainless steel if you can). I have had and used other salad spinners and these are by far my favorite.

CONTAINERS: If you already have large plastic containers at home, designate one or more of them for veggie storage (especially carrots!)! If not, consider getting one of these two that I have (both are pictured above). This Rubbermaid one claims to be “large” but it only fits one or two small heads of leaf lettuce such as bib lettuce, little gems, or leaf lettuce (normal size large romaine does not fit in here). That said - I use it regularly because that’s about how much lettuce I eat in a week. The bigger and longer Oxo one fits a head of romaine. It’s also great for carrots.

POTS + PANS.

This is most of my pots and pans collection, accumulated and improved upon over the last several years.

This is most of my pots and pans collection, accumulated and improved upon over the last several years.

I recommend buying the most durable, long lasting pots and pans you can afford. The main thing to consider with pots and pans are the materials. Plastic does not hold up to heat over time, so anytime you see plastic on a pot or pan (usually as the handle) - that means it’s a cheaper version. Just something to consider. The number of pots and pans you need just depends on how often you cook and what types of dishes you’re cooking most often. Here are some basics:

STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS: I have a large one of these from Ikea and really like it. (Otherwise, I stowed away with some extra all-clad from my parents.)

CAST IRON SAUTE PANS: These are the workhorses of my kitchen. Note that Target sometimes has better prices on cast iron, so check there and compare. I love all 3 of these sizes and use them daily!

  • 6.5-inch at Amazon (perfect for frying 2-3 eggs)

  • 10.25-inch at Amazon (ideal for all things including baking)

  • 12-inch at Amazon (large and great)

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CAST IRON ACCESSORIES:

NON-STICK PANS: (updated November 2021) I am still on the lookout for a long-lasting, non-toxic non-stick pan, sigh… I previously used these cheaper GreenPans from Target (mentioned in the corresponding video) but they ended up lasting only about 1 year each - no bueno!! - so in December 2019 I upgraded to these Valencia Pro GreenPan nonstick skillets. I have the 8” + 10” set and use them weekly for scrambled eggs. At the beginning they were VERY nonstick! I am sad to report that the smaller 8” pan “died” around July 2021, meaning it only lasted about 1.5 years. It became “sticky” meaning food residue would stick and stains remain on it now. I am disappointed and plan to write to the company to see if they will do anything for me. I’m still using the 10” but I try to use low-heat only and use it EXCLUSIVELY for scrambled eggs…

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SHEET PANS (BAKING SHEETS FOR ROASTING):

TOOLS.

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some odds and ends you might need in your kitchen:

the immersion blender + pyrex setup

a new and very important section, updated 4/16/2020

Two of my MOST USED KITCHEN TOOLS are my immersion blender and my 2-cup pyrex with a lid. This is how I most often make blended sauces: my infamous green sauce. Caesar salad dressing. Salsas. Pestos. Chutneys. Any and every sauce under the sun.

the quick rec (TLDR):

Here’s an immersion blender ($30) and the 2-cup pyrex I’d suggest if you’re buying for the first time. I have all 4 sizes of pyrex measuring cups and honestly use them ALL the time (1-cup for brewing loose leaf tea, 4-cup for large batches of sauces, 8-cup for batters or hot soups, sauces, etc) so you might consider the full set!

for the full details review, keep reading…

immersion blenders…

I currently own and use these two immersion blenders:

All-Clad Immersion Blender ($99), I purchased in 2016

  • Features: a LONG stainless steel blade part/bottom - important for blending large pots of hot soup; 600 watts of power (the highest wattage on the market for non-commercial level appliances); a variable speed dial

  • Pros: long bottom part; variable speed; SUPER high powered, blends herbs for green sauces extremely well - I’ve been doing this for 4 years about once a week and it’s still going strong

  • Cons: there’s a little rubber part in the blade that makes it more difficult to clean fully because small food residue can get in there; expensive

Hamilton Beach Immersion Blender ($29), I purchased in 2018

  • Features: a shorter stainless blade; smaller in general; 2 speeds (buttons); 225 watts of power

  • Pros: small and compact; blade super easy to clean; does a pretty good job

  • Cons: not as powerful so sometimes sauces are chunkier; definitely a lower quality appliance - I actually bought two of these (to teach cooking classes), and one of the blades broke + stopped working in early 2020, so I’m now on to the second blade.

RECOMMENDATION: Although I do not own it myself so can’t actually speak to using it - because neither of the above two are perfect - if I was going to buy one now, I’d try this Mueller 500 Watt Immersion blender for $29.99 because it seems to have the things I like about the two I own: a high wattage/power, variable speed, a stainless steel and decently long blade, good price, and (from the photos I’ve stalked on Amazon) it appears that the blade looks easier to clean than my All-Clad. That said - if you want to go with the one I’ve used for 4 years (and if you can afford the higher price tag investment), of the two I own, I recommend the All-Clad for its power and longevity.

Blending Vessels…

I love the Pyrex glass measuring cups of all sizes. Most frequently I use the 2 cup (I have two and they are always in use!) - when I’m done making my sauce I just throw the lid on - SO CONVENIENT! I also use a 4 cup for bigger batches of sauces/dips, and the 8 cup for batters and other large quantities of hot liquids I want to pour.

Pyrex:

Other:

  • this large stainless steel cup is what I use to make bulletproof coffee with my immersion blender

  • a wide-mouth quart-size mason jar can also work well for blending (if the blade fits in…the Hamilton one does as well as the All-Clad, although you have to finagle it a little bit). These jars are just generally my favorite all-purpose storage containers in the kitchen for any and everything!

caesar salad dressing - so creamy even though there’s no dairy involved!

caesar salad dressing - so creamy even though there’s no dairy involved!

Sometimes I blend in a big quart-size mason jar for a large batch of sauce. This is Romesco sauce!

Sometimes I blend in a big quart-size mason jar for a large batch of sauce. This is Romesco sauce!

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PANTRY.

MY FAVORITE (COOK)BOOKS.

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Other important food books:

  • my #1 favorite book: Cooked by Michael Pollan (may inspire you to start baking sourdough bread… it did for me!)

  • my fermentation bible: The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz

  • intense science-y reference guide for cooking: On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee

SPLURGE + GIFTS + FUN.

SPLURGE:

SMALL GIFT IDEAS (GREAT FOR HOSTESS GIFTS):

my adorable enamelware mini-pot for warming up small amounts of liquids

my adorable enamelware mini-pot for warming up small amounts of liquids

FUN FOOD EXPERIENCES:

stay tuned as i continue to update this page periodically!