Updated 14-Sep-2023
Minimalism isn't necessarily only about less, but rather the minimum needed for effectiveness. With recipes this means the least amount of preparation, cooking, the fewest necessary ingredients, etc.
Multi-Use vs. Functionally Improved
For a minimal kitchen, some people confuse this with not having any single use utensils and instruments. This is a considerable mistake when it comes to things like salad spinners. Why is a salad spinner necessary? It does an essential service elegantly. Yes, it takes up some room, and is a bit unwieldy to clean, but there is no better option (wasteful paper towels? excessive tea towels?).
> A minimalist kitchen list should never include gear that only does one thing. Not necessarily
While it is nice when a device performs more than one function, there are times when a single use device is simply better and is worth having. Consider: a Swiss Army knife with corkscrew or a professional-grade (though uncomplicated) wine opener? Certainly a kitchen can accommodate a few single-use items.
Kitchen Utensils
- Paring, Chefs, Carving, and Bread Knives
- Sharpening stone, sharpening steel
- Pasta cutter (optional for those who make pasta frequently)
- Wine opener
- Can opener
- Garlic press
- Measuring spoons (set)
- Pyrex measuring cup
- Peeler
- Stick blender (also useful for chopping)
Cooking Devices
- Induction burner
- Toaster oven
- 5 liter rice cooker (10 liter if doing large batches)
- Note this is used for making yogurt. It is a cheap and foolproof method for making yogurt.
- Crockpot / clay cooker
- Rice cooker / steamer
- Conceivably the crockpot / clay cooker function (and even the yogurt-making function) could be replaced by the rice cooker / steamer, however it is easier to have two devices, as using a crockpot / clay cooker, sometimes it takes more than a day to make things like green pea soup.
What Can Be Dispensed With
- Yogurt maker (use a large aluminum rice cooker instead)
- Air fryer (avoid frying foods)
- Popcorn popper (use a large pot on a burner)
- Microwave (not actually safe)