Tools for a Plant-Centric Kitchen
Becoming plant-centric is a whole lot easier when your kitchen is equipped with a solid set of tools. Take a moment to review the information below and see what you might want/need....
.... oh, and be sure to check out the section about stuff that makes cooking/eating fun!
Please support your local, independent stores when making your purchase.
I only recommend resources I love and value and have used myself, so I know you will be in good hands.
THE BASICS
Every kitchen should ideally, have the following set of basic cooking equipment:
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Set of knives: chef's knife, pairing knife, bread knife, tomato knife, palette knife.
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Cutting board - flexible kinds can be bent and turned into a funnel to transfer food.
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Y-peeler, box grater, microplane, garlic press.
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Juicer / squeezer.
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Mixing bowls (small, medium, large)
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Mixing spoons (assorted shapes, sizes, with/without holes), pasta spoon, ladle.
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Sets of measuring spoons and measuring cups.
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Kitchen scale.
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Tongs, spatulas (firm for flipping something, soft for scraping the sides of a bowl)
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Sieve, strainer.
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Saute/frying pan, sauce pan, steamer, stock pot.
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Roasting pan, cookie sheet pan, regular sheet pans (1/4, 1/2 and full size).
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Spring form pan (or as a back up a cake pan).
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Steamer / steamer basket.
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Casserole/lasagna pan/dish.
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Toaster oven
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Microwave
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Stove top
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Oven
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Assorted sized storage containers: glass with snap lids being the most environmentally friendly.
THE BIG 5!
Listed below are what I call THE BIG 5.
Having these five appliances in your kitchen will make living a plant-centric lifestyle an absolute pleasure! You will find yourself using these items a LOT!
Yes, they're pricey, for sure, but you get your money's worth. If price is a worry, put them on your Birthday, Christmas, Job Promotion, or Wedding / Wedding Anniversary wish lists, and encourage a bunch of folks to all pitch in! Your health and wellbeing is worth it!
High-Speed Blender
You probably have a regular blender, but unfortunately, they don't crank up to a speed adequate to make things ultra smooth. Once you have a high speed blender you'll see why and will never go back! Vitamix and Blendtec are two big name brands to consider. A Nutri-bullet will also do in a pinch (I use mine when I'm traveling). I've had my Vitamix for 12+ years.... use it 6-8x a week at least and it's still going strong.
Instant Pot
Beans, oatmeal, soups, stews, dahls, stock/broth, rice, potatoes.... the list goes on. The latest models are total multi-taskers, performing like a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a steamer, a yogurt maker, air fryer, saute pan and more. Pop the food in, hit the settings, walk away and the cooking will get done. A massive time saver and helps make quick and tasty meals with minimal effort.
PS. An Instant Pot is a MUST if you decide to prepare your beans from dried (which gives you the best flavor/nutrient value)!
Food Processor
Wonderful for batch cooking! Double, triple, quadruple your recipe and get busy making up a large batch of something, and then storing it in the freezer. A single 2 hour session can create 30 meals in one go! A total time saver! Be sure to get one with multiple blade types for chopping, slicing, pureeing and more. I have this particular Breville model shown here..... love, love, LOVE it!
Food Stand-Mixer
Another great tool for batch cooking! The Kitchen Aid model is the standard by which all others are compared. I've had mine for decades and it's still going strong! It's built to last.... you'll end up passing it onto your children!
Air Fryer
If you're big into fried foods this machine will become your new best friend! Healthier fries will be in your future, along with other delicious ideas: kale chips, tortilla chips, potato chips, pita or rice paper crisps, smoky carrot bacon, crunchy chickpeas, blistered peppers, caramelized fruit and more! You can also reheat food in it, and bake, and roast - a multi-tasker... yay!
NOTE: Refer back to the Instant Pot section above..... some Instant Pots include an Air Fryer option, so you may be able to get two tools in one device and save kitchen space!
Other Items You Might Find Nice to Have
Nut Milk Maker
This gizmo grinds up the nuts/beans and does the filtering all in one go (no need to soak the beans overnight beforehand). Instant access to freshly made, healthy nut milks whenever you need them, so you can dump the store bought varieties laden with thickeners and other not-so-good-for-you things.
Nut Milk Bag
An alternative to the Nut Milk Maker noted above is to just use your high speed blender to grind up the nuts and water, and then strain the mixture using a nut milk bag. This is what I do.... it works just fine, and takes up much less space in the kitchen!
Vegetable Chopper
If you have a heap of chopping to do and don't own a food processor, or have poor knife skills, a veggie chopper is a massive time saver and well worth having! Also a great way to blow off some anger, frustration or excess energy each time you BAM the lid down! So satisfying!
Mandolin
If you're into aesthetics and want beautifully uniform slices, then a mandolin is for you!
Be sure to play it safe and use those special gloves or the food guard.... mandolins are SUPER SHARP and will filet your finger in a second if you're not careful!
Salad Spinner
Fabulous multitasker!
Triples as a mixing bowl, a sieve and a salad spinner!
Tofu Press
Spiffy little gizmo for getting more water out of your tofu! Will turn you into a Tofu Titan in a flash!
OVER THE TOP STUFF!
Totally unnecessary to live the lifestyle, but these items empower you to greater levels of interesting and enjoyment when you have them!
Dehydrator
If you have access to an abundant harvest of something (you live near a peach orchard, strawberry / blueberry farm, have an apple tree etc), having a dehydrator handy is a great way to prep and store that excess food for consumption way down the road.
Canning Kit
Canning is a MUST skill to master if you have ready access to a heap of plant foods! Perhaps you grow your own, or live near fruit orchards or farms, or have access to farmer's markets.... taking advantage of in-season abundance is a sure way to save $$.
Fermentation Kit
If you love things like Kimchi and Sauerkraut, a fermentation kit is going to become your new best friend!
Fermented foods are a GREAT way to get more probiotics into your diet.
Yoghurt Maker
Another way to boost your probiotic consumption! If yogurt is your thing, then having one of these might be just the ticket for ensuring you have an abundant supply at the lowest possible cost!
FUN STUFF!
And finally, here are some ways to make your food prep and eats fun!
Spiralizer
Turns solid vegetables into fun noodles! Great for pasta alternatives (zoodles are spiralized zucchini), turning salads into works of art (beets, carrots) and making your starchy veggies so much more fun to eat (potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga etc.)... and more!
Popsicle Molds!
A fun way to take too much smoothie, fruit, or other creations and turn it into popsicles! Highly recommend you get a set where each mold is detachable, like one shown, so each popsicle can be removed once frozen and tucked into various areas of the freezer, taking up less space.
Soft-Serve Ice Cream Maker
Quick and easy way to make scrummy soft serve ice cream from frozen fruit! Done in just a few minutes! Yonana is one popular brand, but there are many others out there!
Sprouts Germination Kit
Technically you don't really need one of these..... you could easily use the plastic container that held your baby greens, but some folks just love the neat and tidy set ups that these kits offer. I was gifted one similar to this a number of years back. Stacks up neatly by a kitchen window.... fun to watch those little pieces of mother nature come alive! Nutrient dense food awaits! Pair this kit with The Sprout Book by Doug Evans, noted below, for a complete package!
The Sprout Book
Pair this book with the Sprout Germination Kit noted above, for a complete package!
Doug is passionate about sprouting! He shares the science of why sprouting is so good for us, and then offers the ins and outs of how to do it, and includes recipes too!