Hello, and welcome back to Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. I am Kathleen Raskin of Las Vegas, and today, I’ll be talking about minimalism. The kitchen is the centerpiece of every home. If you’re like me, you’ll always find a new kitchen gadget you must have. You buy it, you use it once, and then it gets thrown into a drawer, never to see the light of day again. Maybe you’ve found that it’s finally gotten out of hand, and you can’t find the soup ladle because it’s buried under whatever else is in the drawer. It’s time to pare down your tools to the essentials.
I’d like to show you what to keep and what to get rid of. This will probably take a weekend afternoon, because you should take the time to decide which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of. I’m not advocating that you get rid of everything just to add it back later, I’m talking about scaling back. There’s something satisfying about finding the tool you need when you need it, because you had the foresight to declutter in the recent past.
Keep These Essentials
- One full set of bakeware (including mixing bowls)
- Can opener
- Colander
- One full set of cookware (should include frying and sauce pans)
- Cutting board
- Food processor
- Garlic press
- Grater
- Ladle
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoon
- Potato masher
- Scissors
- Set of chef’s knives
- Sheet pan
- Slotted spoon
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
Toss/Donate These Items
- Bakeware (you don’t need three sets)
- Cleaning supplies that are nearly finished (combine them if you can)
- Coffee mugs (how many do you really need?)
- Cookbooks you don’t use (someone can use them, donate them to your local library)
- Corningware (like bakeware, you don’t need four sets, choose one set)
- Cutlery (if you have a full set, you’re good to remove the duplicates)
- Dish towels that are beyond useful (toss them if they’re beyond repair)
- Dishware (one full set of dishes will suffice)
- Gadgets (get rid of the pineapple corer, trust me)
- Glassware (how many glasses do you use? How many do you need?)
- Oven mitts (if they match, you need only 2 or 3 pairs)
- Pantry items (look for expired food, or food you’re never going to eat)
- Small kitchen appliances (you probably don’t need it)
- Spices (toss the ones you don’t use, they’re probably useless by now)
- Tupperware (select full sets and donate the others)
- Wooden spoons (keep 1-3 spoons, at the most)
Is there a tool or accoutrement that you simply can’t get rid of, even though you probably won’t use it again? Check back with me, Kathleen Raskin, the next time you need the best recipes and household tips. Share your thoughts with the rest of the Kathey Jo’s Kitchen community in the comments below.
