Shopping List for the Kitchen - Making Dinner Easier

The stores are boasting discounts on kitchen items this year, from tools to machines to pots. Perhaps you want to give a gift to a cook? Or do you want to stock up on equipment for your kitchen?

Our "good idea" list is to make meal prep faster, tastier, and more manageable. It is based on our test kitchen's daily use over the past year.

Small items

  • Vegetable peeler

  • Sharp knives, including paring knife and chef's knife or santoku knife

  • Serrated utility knife

  • Nonslip cutting boards that can go in the dishwasher - small enough to store but big enough to chop an onion

  • Nonstick silicone cooking utensils that are always ready and easy to clean

  • Japanese mandolin for slicing veggies very thin and even

  • Mixing bowls for making salads, baked items, batters

  • Baking mitts

  • Aprons - adjustable or wearable cross-back style

  • Colander for draining pasta, potatoes, and veggies

  • Strainer for making labneh, purees, and sauces

  • Lettuce spinner to make your salads

  • Measuring cups and spoons

  • Graters and Microplane grater zester

  • Hand-held citrus juicer

  • Small scoops for portioning ice cream or making cookies and muffins

  • Baskets to organize the pantry and spice cabinet

  • Parchment paper - baking, making sauce cones, and easier cleanup on trays for sheet pan dinners

  • Foil for easier grilling

  • Tongs for grilling, grabbing, and turning

  • Whisks to whip sauces and creams

  • Thermometer for food safety and accurate roasting

Bigger appliances

  • Air fryer for veggies and fries and crispy items made without frying

  • Instapot for soups, beans, and easy dinners

  • Rice cooker for grains

  • Mixer for baking and making whole-grain pizza dough

  • Blender for sauces and smoothies

  • Food processor for sauces

  • Ice cream maker for fruit sorbet

  • Outdoor propane grill for healthful dinners without heating the kitchen

Pots and pans

  • Sheet pans for sheet pan dinners and baking

  • Dutch oven

  • Soup pot or stock pot

  • Nonstick frying pans

  • Glass baking pans

  • Teapot

Serving dishes, cups, lunchboxes, bento boxes

  • Pitcher to make iced tea or water with lemons

  • Footed glasses for fruit/yogurt desserts

  • Lunchbox or bento box for taking healthier meals on the go

  • Smoothie cups with lids

  • Salad bowls to make a big serve-yourself salad for dinner

  • Boards for serving fruits, snacks, etc.

Kids in the kitchen

  • Waffle maker

  • Panini maker

  • Popcorn maker

  • Yogurt maker

  • Popsicle molds for 100% juice or yogurt

Spice mixes

  • Mediterranean or Italian seasoning

  • Cracked black pepper

  • Fleur de Sel or sea salt flakes

  • Any of your favorite mixes to make it faster and more fun

  • We love all of the seasonings at the Spice House, like this Lake Shore Drive 

  • Flavored vinegar and spray oils

Handout: Shopping List for Kitchen

 

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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