What are kitchen essentials? People have been quite successful making food in the past centuries with little more than a pot, spoon, bowl, knife and cutting surface. Please note that this page may include affiliate links. I always suggest going to a store that will allow you handle the knife first.

It should have a blade of good enough quality that it can take an edge and keep it. Never put a knife in the dishwasher; the detergent will dull the blade, the heat from the steam may warp it and neither will do much for the handle, either.

You can find great deals at restaurant supply stores and at the business-focused Costco outlets. If you want to splurge, explore mid-range options from German or Japanese knife manufacturers such as Henckels, Wusthof and Global.

Avoid their very cheapest, entry-level goods, though; at that point, you tend to be paying more for the name brand than the quality of knife.

If you invest in a knife and treat it well by hand washing it and getting it regularly sharpened, like other kitchen essentials, it can last a lifetime.

Cutting Board or two A good-looking cutting board can double as a serving platter for parties. Absolutely avoid glass; it has a grating sound and will ruin your knife blades. Next up are cutting boards made from bamboo. Wooden cutting boards are handsome, but need a little extra care.

Measuring cups and spoons Stick with basic metal measuring cups and spoons to start. Hot pot or electric kettle A hot pot or kettle is great for rapidly boiling water.

Whether you use it to brew a cup of tea, get a jump on water for pasta, or cook even ramen noodles. A large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch Oven A six- to eight-quart heavy bottom pot will keep you from burning everything you put into it, and will allow for an even sauté onions and vegetables, thus making this a good choice for soup, beans, chili, stock, etc.

in addition to using it for boiling water for pasta or steaming vegetables. You can get an inexpensive stainless one from IKEA or a restaurant supply store, but the best value for money is an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.

Be sure to get one that has no plastic in its design including the handle so that it can go into the oven, far-extending its value beyond the stove top.

If splurging, go directly to a quality brand such as All-Clad. A set of nesting bowls You need at least one large bowl to mix stuff in. Made from BPA-free, PVC-free bamboo fiber composite, the colander can be used to strain both hot and cold liquids, and both bowls are dishwasher-safe.

The versatile set features a sleek design that allows the mixing bowl to transform into a serving bowl and the handle into a spout, making for easy pouring and serving.

The apron features a pocket and two tool loops for holding your utensils, servers, or a coordinating towel. With its biodegradable jar and renewable cork lid, every piece of this storage jar set embodies a sustainable and zero-waste philosophy.

New Arrivals. Best Sellers. Home Goods Shop All. Wall Decor. Throw Pillows. Floor Pillows. Office Accessories. Bedding Shop All. Sheet Sets.

Duvet Covers. Mattress Pads. Bath Shop All. Beach Towels. Salad Bowls. Kitchen Towels. Table Linens. Cloth Napkins. Kitchen Storage. Furniture Shop All. Outdoor Furniture. Dining Tables. Accent Chairs. Rocking Chairs. Get a pack with different sizes and spray settings!

Once you begin buying food in bulk, a kitchen funnel will help you easily transfer the contents from cloth bags to mason jars. If you are wondering if this is an essential or not, it is! The only thing worse than cleaning half a bag of oats off the floor is throwing it away.

Invest in a set of plastic-free funnels that will help you reduce unintentional food waste. Look for a set that works for both liquid and dry goods. A morning cup of coffee is essential. Plastic-wrapped coffee filters? Not exactly. In an effort to be truly zero waste, I switched to reusable coffee filters that are easy to clean and work just as well as the store-bought versions.

Brew a cup of your favorite drip or pour-over as usual, compost the grounds, then rinse out the filter. Nixing the single-use, disposable plastic baggies for good requires a great eco-alternative like resealable sandwich bags. I had a lot of luck while taking mine along on a recent backpacking trip!

Try a multi-colored set to keep your kitchen bright! These simple items have an infinite amount of potential and there are so many ways to use them in your plastic-free kitchen.

Put a small container full of bandanas or rags in an easily accessible spot and use them to wipe up a mess, wrap up food for snacks on-the-go, and fulfill other small kitchen tasks—without the waste of paper towels. Katherine Oakes is a professional writer, editor and aspiring environmental advocate based on the East Coast.

Her passion for sustainability and the outdoors comes only second to her love of really good tacos.

Dish Brushes Reusable Food Storage Bags Glass Spray Bottles

Video

Budget-friendly sustainable kitchen essentials - Cloth Napkins Dish Brushes Reusable Food Storage Bags Glass Spray Bottles

Great info you have shared here. I am looking for a non toxic and non aluminum toaster oven — small for 4 slices of toast. Can you please help me? What is the point of me learning that everything is poison when I have no choice but to expose my babies to it?

I feel like all of these blogging sites are just for privileged mothers. Guess middle class children are left to suffer. Makes you wonder if the low IQ average within the black community is artificial and on purpose. Hint: it is. Hi Lex, thanks for your comment, I wish these items were more affordable too and my hope is that as they become more mainstream the prices go down.

I also have a post about budget-friendly clean products. If you go on Pinterest there are also tons of DIY recipes to make things such as hand soap for much cheaper. Or you can search local shops for secondhand items such as pots and pans. Not sure if my comment even helps at all but I wish these were more accessible too.

Question about the stainless steel. The first number is the amount of chromium and the second is nickel. The lower the number the better!

The first or second number? Thank you for sharing the list of eco-friendly kitchen products and its uses. If buyers start shopping eco-friendly kitchen products means you are contributing towards environment.

Your recommendation of bamboo cutting board is very wrong. First off, it says on the link that is has a layer of natural oil. This usually means mineral oil which is toxic.

Have you? Please do a better job. Hi Abey, the bamboo cutting board I have linked does not use mineral oil. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Branch Basics: As mentioned above, this kit takes care of all household cleaning needs.

I use the All-Purpose mix for general kitchen cleaning like wiping counters and also washing fruit. I pair it with the Oxygen Boost for deep cleaning the sink.

And the foaming hand wash! Swedish Dish Cloths: Made with cellulose and cotton, and can absorb 20x their weight in liquid, making them a great paper towel alternative. Paper Towels: These are single-use, but sometimes you just need something quick! You just wash it with soap and water and reuse it!

Glass Containers: I love Pyrex containers for storing food. You can bake with them, too! Mason Jars: Cheap, cute, and a fun way to store food. You can find these at most grocery stores or places like Target.

Reusable Produce Bags: Instead of using plastic bags at the grocery store for produce, these are a perfect eco swap. Stasher Bags: These are the BEST! They are silicone sandwich bags that you wash and reuse.

They have a bunch of different sizes, too. Cast Iron Skillets Hello, natural source of iron! Here are some options to get you started: Epicurean Cutting Board: Avoid cutting your food on plastic!

This brand is made of Richlite, a paper-composite material, and is dishwasher-safe. You can also use bamboo cutting boards which are naturally antibacterial 🎍 Bamboo Spatula Set: Organic bamboo spatula and spoon set for cooking and baking.

I have glass , silicone , and stainless steel straws. I usually opt for glass or silicone instead of stainless steel. Just my personal preference and I feel like the steel sometimes gives drinks a weird taste. They make lots of baking supplies such as these baking cups.

Silicone Ice Cube Trays: Instead of plastic 🧊 These are food-grade silicone and BPA-free. Organic Cotton Hand Towels Pact Organic Cotton Towels Pact has organic cotton, fair trade, GOTS-certified hand towels.

Air Fryer: I use this stainless steel non-toxic air fryer! It also doubles as a toaster over and has tons of settings.

So I use this pan and this grill basket instead! Almond Cow: One of my favorite machines ever! You can make your own plant and seed milks at home in just a few minutes. This saves you from having to buy them from the store in plastic bottles or weird ingredients. Read more in this blog post!

Microwave or lack thereof : So…this is going to make me seem very crunchy but we moved our microwave out of the kitchen and into storage.

I have a few methods that I rotate between: French Press Glass : Make sure you opt for a glass French press vs. Pour Over Chemex : Another great option; these are glass.

This one requires a filter! You can get a reusable stainless steel filter , reusable organic cotton filter , or these unbleached, compostable filters! If you do use the compostable ones, you might have to double up and use two because they are pretty fragile and break easily when wet.

Coffee Sock for Cold Brew: The easiest way to steep cold brew! This organic cotton, reusable, and just requires occasional boiling to keep clean. Code BECCA10 for a discount at EarthHero. Gooseneck Kettle: I love this stainless steel gooseneck kettle for heating up water to make coffee.

Click to share on Facebook Opens in new window Click to share on Twitter Opens in new window Click to share on Pinterest Opens in new window. Written by: Becca Becca is a blogger, wife, and dog mom living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Related Posts. Leave a Comment Cancel reply.

don't worry - no spam here! wanna be friends? The small amount of packaging it comes in is fully biodegradable, so no need to worry about waste in the same way you would with a plastic bottle of washing up liquid.

Wanting to clean your new plant-based frying pan and coconut shell bowl with your new sustainable dish soap? EcoVibes has just the thing to help out. For their customers who have made the switch to this sustainable sponge, EcoVibe estimates that their sponges replace about 52 plastic sponges per year - roughly 0.

Helen Round has you covered. It is also printed - using traditional screen printing techniques - with flora and fauna patterns inspired by the British countryside and coastline. Some bits can only go so far.

Maybe wiping the counter after your meal? This was the big and scary one from the introduction. The source of a truly mind-boggling amount of unnecessary global waste. Bamboo is naturally strong, incredibly absorbent, and much better for the planet than traditional paper towels.

The packaging for this incredible roll is also plastic-free and recyclable, being a paper outer wrap you can pop straight into the recycling bin! Also, this is the company that made that incredible reusable laundry egg you may have read people raving about over the past year or so - neat, huh?

After 6 quick and surprisingly uncostly purchases, your kitchen has made big strides in sustainability with only a handful of incredible eco-friendly products that are kind to your wallet and kind to the world.

Find our shop here! Even better than I was expecting, can't wait to use them next month for my wedding - thank you!! Dispatched in 7 Days. Search Home Shop All Bespoke Orders Shop The Look Contact Us About Us. Account Search Cart 0 Cart 0.

BEST SELLERS. Happy Bride Guarantee Kind to Earth. About Us FAQs Contact Us. Shop All Products. The 6 Affordable Essentials Every Sustainable Kitchen Needs.

With these 6 cheap eco-friendly products, you can massively decrease your environmental impact. Prestige Eco Non-Stick Frying Pan When they said Prestige they meant prestige , and when they said eco?

Peace with the Wild Dishwashing Soap Bar Free from plastic, palm oil and borax, this brilliant eco-friendly soap bar from Peace with the Wild a small family-run company that aims at making eco-friendly living accessible to all is fully vegan, septic tank friendly and handmade in the UK.

EcoVibe Compostable Sponges Twin Pack Wanting to clean your new plant-based frying pan and coconut shell bowl with your new sustainable dish soap?

Alex x. Share Facebook Share on Facebook Twitter Share on Twitter Pin it. May 09, — Cagla Cantimur.