Feeling like you never have the cooking essentials on hand? This ultimate cooking essentials list has some of the most used cooking essentials in a young homemaker’s kitchen.
Cooking meals every day is a practice that takes hard work, patience, and A LOT of different essentials. These essentials tend to slip through the cracks when we go to the grocery store, and often run low in our kitchens. As a homemaker and home chef, I have created the ultimate cooking essentials list that you can use to keep your kitchen fully stocked.
I will share both food based cooking essentials as well as product based cooking essentials.
After reading about these cooking essentials, your kitchen will turn into a well-oiled machine (no pun intended).
This post is based on an ultimate cooking essentials list that each home chef needs.
The Ultimate Cooking Essentials List
Food Based Cooking Essentials
These are the things that we tend to forget to restock, and are actual ingredients to many recipes. There is no affiliation to any brands mentioned.
Oils
No jar of olive oil is ever big enough for my kitchen! I use it multiple times a week, mainly when cooking meats and veggies. As I aways use olive oil in my kitchen, avocado oil is a great alternative. There are so many different choices of olive oils, from the method it was pressed to the flavor profile. I have always used extra virgin olive oil with a “delicate” flavor profile. This does not alter the taste of anything I cook, and it’s my tried and true staple!
Concentrated Soup Base
This is a staple in my home, and you can read about it in my post named 5 Clever Cooking Tips That Are Guaranteed to Save You Time and Money. If your winters get as cold as ours in New England do, you know that soups, stews, and all other comfort foods are vital in our homes. Many of these recipes call for beef or chicken broth, and always having concentrated soup base on hand is convenient and will save you from having to waste boxed broth.
The brand that I use is Better Than Bouillon, and they have a variety of flavors to choose from. I use both the Roasted Chicken Base, and the Roasted Beef Base. I ALWAYS have at least two of each stocked up in my kitchen so I don’t have to worry about purchasing it weekly. The savory flavor adds depth to any recipe, and fills your kitchen with the most delicious smell! You can also use dry broth granules as another comparable option.
Butter
From sautéing veggies to making a roux, butter is a MUST HAVE for many recipes. Having both salted butter and unsalted butter provides you with the choice of which one will go better in the recipe. Since butter lasts for so long, I always have multiple packs of each in my fridge,
Vinegar (regular & balsamic)
Some marinades and other select recipes require the use of some different vinegars. Since they all last a long time, it can’t hurt to have a bottle of each tucked away in your pantry!
Cooking Spray
I always use PAM, which is mainly canola oil. This probably is not the healthiest choice, but I don’t use it too often, and it works super well. I grew up in a household that used this kind of cooking spray, and never really considered other options now that I think about it! There are different options though when it comes to cooking spray, including avocado and olive oil spray if you want to be on the healthier side! (Read my post, 7 Secret Baking Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind to learn a clever way to use cooking spray when baking!)
Eggs
Very few recipes require eggs, but it is always wise to have some on hand. I always have a carton of 12 eggs in my fridge, and they always get used! Recipes like meatloaf and meat balls will require eggs, where they act as a bonding agent that gives you that perfect consistency!
Breadcrumbs
Another seldomly used ingredient, but a staple none the less. Recipes that call for eggs usually also call for breadcrumbs, and they also make for a wonderful, crispy topping to casseroles mixed with melted butter. It’s always nice to have a canister of plain breadcrumbs on hand, and one canister will last quite a while.
Garlic
I am a “use garlic with extreme caution” type of cook. My husband and I do not like the taste of heavy/intense garlic in our meals, however it does have its place and I do believe it is an essential in any kitchen. When used correctly, it definitely enhances the flavor of certain dishes. I love buying the pre-minced garlic in a jar; it is a quick and easy way to make a dish super flavorful! Plus, I’ll admit, I seriously dislike crushing fresh garlic because my hands will smell like it for DAYS. Not really what I’d hope to be smelling like. Pre-minced garlic eliminates that problem for me, and still provides me with the flavor I want!
Frozen Bread/Buns & Frozen Veggies
So these are not essential essentials (I know that doesn’t make sense, but I know you know what I mean), but they sure help to beef up any last minute meal! Having these two items on hand can turn a simple meal into a really nice, well balanced dish that seems like you planned it in advance. You can also do a lot with frozen veggies, from adding them into certain dishes, to roasting them in the oven.
Mustard & Ketchup
A lot of saucy recipes call for either mustard or ketchup (sometimes both), and having these always on hand ensures that your sauce will turn out flavorful. Buying one large container of each will last months in my house, and it’s nice to not have to buy some when a recipe calls for it.
Tomato Paste
A ton of recipes I use include tomato paste, and I find it helpful to have one or two cans on hand. For me, tomato paste is something that I sometimes forget to grab at the store, so having a back-up one always saves me! I always buy the canned tomato paste, but have been eyeing the one that comes in a tube. I think this would be really convenient, and can be used for more than just one recipe!
Worcestershire Sauce
This is an ingredient that is not super common, but once you buy one, you’ll be set for a long time. Some of the meals I make call for a small amount of Worcestershire Sauce, like sloppy joes and chili. It adds great flavor, and I am always happy to have some on hand.
Salt, Pepper & Herbs
I know these seem obvious, but a lot of times, I run low on these and tend to forget to add it to my grocery list. These items add a ton of flavor to any dish, and I take inventory of all of my herbs at least once a month to ensure I am not without any! Some of my most used herbs are oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning, and basil.
Product Based Cooking Essentials
These are both products and cookware items that I use daily, and can always be found in my kitchen!
Tin Foil
Tin foil is always a game changer in the kitchen. Before I used tin foil, I would bake meat and veggies directly on my pan, creating a mess to clean up. With tin foil, you can peel the mess right off, and save your cooking pans some wear and tear! Read my blog titled 5 Clever Cooking Tips That Are Guaranteed to Save You Time and Money to learn more about my love of tin foil.
Cling Wrap
An essential in any kitchen! I mainly use cling wrap when I meal prep. I use it to protect prepped meals in the fridge until I cook them.
Freezer Bags
I use freezer bags for many different things in the kitchen. The main use I have for them is freezing meat, but I also use them in my chicken thinning process. Read about my full chicken thinning process in this post: 5 Clever Cooking Tips That Are Guaranteed to Save You Time and Money. I also use freezer bags to coat chicken with different mixtures for certain recipes. This makes for a mess-free way of evenly coating chicken; you make your coating mixture in the bag, and add pieces of chicken, one by one, to coat.
Cookware
The main cookware that I use are as follows:
-Pots & Pans- Personally, I love non-stick surface pans. They make cooking and cleaning up a much more pleasant process!
-Colander/Strainer- perfect for straining pasta, as well as thawing frozen veggies and meats.
-Cookie Sheets (varying sizes & shapes): rectangular and circular are my favorites, and are what I use daily!
-Casserole Dishes- my go-to’s are my two 9×12 casserole dishes, one is regular size, as one is deep dish. This comes in handy for large casseroles, like mac and cheese or lasagne! I also love my 8×8 casserole dish for smaller casseroles, and my pie plates.
-Mixing Bowls: technically not “cookware,” but extremely helpful in dinner prep and storage!
Knives
In my first apartment, we had random knives that did not match or work all that well. A few years ago, I invested in a CuisineArt butcher block, and I honestly don’t know how I could live without them now! At first I was scared to use such large knives, but I quickly got used to them and learned how much easier they make chopping!
Measuring Cups
I’ve tried two different materials when it comes to measuring cups; metal and plastic. I much prefer my plastic ones, because my metal ones got rusty, and I found food would stick to them more than the plastic ones.
Cooking Utensils
When it comes to cooking utensils, I am fairly minimal and only have what I need. I have found the following to be my tried and true in the kitchen: whisk, plastic/silicone/wood mixing spoons, spatula, tongs, can opener, meat masher, cheese grater, meat tenderizer, meat thermometer, and pizza cutter. These are my most used cooking utensils, and I couldn’t do without them!
Now that you have read the ultimate cooking essentials list, I hope you can use it as a guideline for a well-stocked kitchen. This list was meant to provide you with cooking essentials that a home chef absolutely NEEDS in their kitchen.
This post was all about an ultimate cooking essentials list.