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It took me years to actually start cooking from scratch. The main reason for that is I assumed I would need a lot of expensive gadgets. Even if they weren’t expensive, it still seemed overwhelming thinking I had to have a lot.
I didn’t know where to start. The ingredients, the recipes, the gadgets. It all seemed too much and this really kept me from starting.
Realizing that I’m probably not the only one who feels this way, so, I have compiled a list of items that I use and love in my somewhat cooking from scratch kitchen.
My number one advice would be to add in items slowly. Don’t run out and buy something because you think you’ll need it. Most recipes can be made with whatever you already have in your kitchen, I’m sure.
The only gadget I can think of that is necessary in order to make something is an immersion blender when you are trying to make your own mayonnaise. Apparently you cannot make mayonnaise without an immersion blender.
For everything else though, gadgets are usually something that just makes whatever you are doing more enjoyable and in some cases easier.
Here are just a few of my favorites:
Immersion Blender– I did not realize how much I needed this kitchen tool in my life. Like I mentioned, it’s not a necessity. However, you can get a cheaper one like this one and it has served me well for awhile now. Immersion blenders are a fun and quick way to mix up dressings, mayonnaise, soups, just to name a few.
Bread making essentials– If you are a regular bread maker, sourdough or yeast breads, these are my essentials to make things easier. I started out with just a wooden bowl and wooden spoon which worked well for me for a while. After I transitioned to a stand mixer, these essentials are what I continue to use. A dough scraper is a must have. They work great for getting all that dough out of the bowl as well as cutting the dough into whatever pieces you need. I also regularly reach for my bread lame, French style rolling pen, and of course my tea towels to cover the dough. Dont’ forget the bread pans! Depending on the bread I am making, I will also use my cast iron Dutch oven.
Stand Mixer– Stand mixers really make baking task much easier, especially if you are regularly making doughs or cakes. I have looked around at a lot of different stand mixers and the Kitchen Aid one always stands out to me. I love their design and durability. The other thing that impresses me about Kitchen Aid stand mixers are how adaptable they are. There are a lot of attachments that you can get to do just about anything. You can also change up the bowls, which I think is really neat. I am in love with this wooden bowl.
Cast iron skillets– There are a lot of good pans and cookware out there, but my personal favorite is cast iron. Cast iron has a lot of great benefits. They are durable, versatile, and chemical free. A well seasoned cast iron skillet is naturally non-stick. One of my favorite things about cast iron is how easily I can go from stove top cooking to finishing a dish in the oven without transferring to a different dish. If you are intimidated with cleaning cast iron, check out this post.
Cooking oil sprayer– Talk about a game changer in my kitchen. I highly recommend one of these nifty little sprayers. It’s such a simple inexpensive purchase that continues saving money. Goodbye Pam non stick spray. Now I bulk buy my olive oil, pour some into this oil sprayer. This is now my non stick spray I use for everything from cupcake pans to fried eggs. I also love having this spray to spray a little oil on my pizza dough while it’s rising. I use olive oil because I use olive oil for everything, but this would work for any kind of oil.
Jars and storage containers– If you are starting from scratch, I would absolutely suggest buying glass storage containers. Speaking from experience, if you opt for a cheaper route and go plastic, you will eventually regret it and be wanting glass containers. Just trust me.
Glass is much easier as you don’t have to worry whether it’s safe. I’m all for taking away from my mental list of worries. Every reheat situation shouldn’t create a wave of mom guilt worrying whether we are poisoning our children with Micro plastics.
These are just a few things that I use everyday in my kitchen. As a busy working mom of four, I don’t cook from scratch as much as I’d like to. When I do, I need gadgets and tools to make cooking from scratch quick and easy. For me, that is the key to being able to continue to cook from scratch as much as I can.
I continue to work on routines in all aspects of my life to make cooking from scratch more doable.
I hope you found this list helpful!