10 Essentials Every Kitchen Needs

Everyone has their favorite room at home where they spend the most time. Some clock in their hours sprawled out on the living room sofa, while others hold court on their bed, lounging away the day with a backrest pillow (these things are ridiculous to me, but I guess they’re helpful!?). The room where I spend the most time is the kitchen, as my hobbies are mostly of the baked good variety.  Since I have a thing about clutter, I take care to keep only what I need and use on a regular basis. Even better if they’re multitasking.

Here’s what I find *indispensable* in the kitchen:

1. A small square cutting board. I grew up with massive wooden cutting boards, so I naively assumed that only dining room-sized ones existed. Until I discovered this adorable cutting board by John Boos! It’s the perfect size for chopping herbs, using as a makeshift cheeseboard, or cutting one lone cucumber or lemon for a salad. Basically, it’s the perfect size cutting board and I can’t imagine how I went all these years without one!

2. A spoon rest. Nothing screams “grown up in the kitchen” more than a spoon rest. It says, we’ve graduated from using the edge of the kitchen sink to something far more civilized. This little dish really shines when making pasta sauce, stews, or soups. And I love that I can just toss it in the dishwasher when it has done its job.

3. A Sponge Caddy. There’s nothing worse than finding the kitchen sponge floating around at the bottom of the sink like a sad ship lost at sea. It’s time to right the ship and tether the sponge! I love this sleek one by simplehuman because it’s compact and fits snugly against your sink like a chic barnacle (why all the sea metaphors?). It also has ventilation holes at the base, so you don’t have to worry about soggy, smelly sponges.

4. A Sponge that Doesn’t Smell. Speaking of soggy, smelly sponges, they no longer exist in my sponge repertoire. These ones by Skura are odor resistant so they never smell, and have a fading monogram that lets you know when it’s time to toss. If you spend a lot of time scrubbing pots and pans (AKA if you cook lots), they’re a real game changer.

5. A Chic Soap Dispenser. Before you question the “essentialness” of this item, let me quickly counter with this: dish soap bottles can be a real eye sore. Such weird shapes! So much text! I use old bottles from Kept Home, and simply decant dish and hand soap into these dispensers. Add some labels to your glass bottles…get creative! Dish soap doesn’t have to look so dish soapy.

6. A Salt Crock. Before I learned how to cook, I didn’t understand the importance of Maldon sea salt as a necessary flavor booster in dishes. If you cook or bake period, you’ll want to keep some salt out for finishing salads, cookies, fish, meat, the list goes on! A chic salt crock is my favorite kind of kitchen OBJET..the perfect blend of form and function.

7. A Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This dutch oven is the working horse of the kitchen. The multitasker of all multitaskers, I use it to boil pasta, bake bread, make stews, even to simmer a nice little wintry potpourri. And since it’s more festive than your average stainless steel pot, I just keep it on my stovetop at all times.

8. A Set of Drawer Organizers. These bamboo drawer dividers never cease to put a smile on my face. I truly consider them the piece de resistance in the kitchen, and they instantly organize a chaotic jumble of kitchen utensils. They work especially well in wide drawers, but still deliver a “wow factor” in regular sized ones.

9. A Set of Glass Spray Bottles for Cleaning. There’s no shame in the DIY cleaning game, and if you know me, you know I love a little cleaning DIY moment. All-Purpose Cleaner = warm water + 1 tsp. dish soap. Stainless Steel / Glass Cleaner = equal parts vinegar + water. Easy! Approachable! Dare I say fun?! At least with these amber glass spray bottles, they add a little panache and polish.

10. A Great Chef’s Knife. A little plug for a Japanese Knife shop that perhaps needs no plug at all…Korin in TriBeCa is NOT messing around in the knife department. As I careen further into minimalist territory, I’m tiring of the knife block (not to mention how much of a space hog it can be!). These days, I’m perfectly content with a chef’s knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. I keep all three nestled in my silverware drawer and don’t miss the other knives one bit!