In order to get started with cooking real food all you really need is a good knife, a space to chop and the pan but, the more you get into this lifestyle – adding techniques, dishes and processes to your repertoire – the more some hand-picked equipment is useful.
I’ve never had a big kitchen. In fact, most of my kitchens have been tiny (you can see my latest here). And I’ve always been on a very tight budget. This means I’ve been very selective about the equipment that I ‘need’. Below your find my current favourite kitchen equipment; the things that, given the choice, I just would not be without!
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My Favourite Kitchen Equipment
Mockmill grain grinder
I’ve been making my own sourdough bread from ancient grains for a decade but it was many years before I took the plunge and got my own grain grinder. It was a study that talked of the deleterious effects of previously-ground flour on lifespan that pushed me over the edge (I talk about it in this podcast).
I purchased a Mockmill two years ago and have never regretted it. I now grind flour for all my sourdough breads – spelt, rye and gluten-free – freshly. It is so convenient, taking moments. And I know, by doing this, I am not only ensuring the most nutrient-dense flour possible for my family but also, by buying grain in bulk, saving money. Plus, it tastes amazing!
It’s not only for loaves that I use the Mockmill. I often make chunky, stone-ground oatmeal using freshly-ground oat groats. I grind buckwheat for pancakes. I make millet polenta and polenta bread using freshly-milled grain. And I freshly-grind rye to add to my fermenting oats in order to most effectively deactivate phytic acid (you can see me talk about this more here).
The Mockmill is a stone grinder – inside it are two stones. This retains as much as possible of the grains nutrients, replicating how our ancestors would have created flour. I have the 100 model, which I find amply quick enough for my kitchen. Despite having minimal counter space, my Mockmill has, because of its daily use, pride of place on my work surface.
The Mockmill I bought in the USA shop.
The Mockmill I bought in the UK Deliver Deli Mockmill shop.
The EU Mockmill shop (use code P2024-AK-03 to get a 3% discount).
The ‘rest of the world’ Mockmill shop (use code P2024-AK-03 to get a 3% discount).
Listen to me explaining why milling is so beneficial and talking about various mill options in the podcast above, or read more about my Mockmill here.
Wooden boards
I love wood in the kitchen. It’s warm on the eyes and hands, it’s naturally hygienic and, if sourced well, an ecological choice. I also love to chop on wood – the surface responds well to my knife and cleaning up is easy.
I have three wooden boards in my kitchen. One is the big and stays out permanently. It raises the counter about 2 inches and provides the space for almost all of my food prep. The other two smaller and lighter; easy to pop in and out of the cupboard to use for ad hoc tasks or as a rest for hot pans when we eat.
Glass mixing bowls
I have four stainless steel mixing bowls that I use daily in my kitchen, which I like because they are light and virtually indestructible. But, in addition to these, I love to also have glass bowls on hand.
These are invaluable to me as part of sourdough bread baking. I can put a rye pre-ferment or a sourdough leaven into one of them and, because of the glass, clearly see how the fermentation is progressing without having to guess using my nose alone or by digging into the fermenting flower with a spoon.
Silicone spatulas
I hate wasting food; silicone spatulas are invaluable in my kitchen because they are incredible for scraping out bowls or saucepans.
I use them to get every last bit of fermented rye dough out of the bowl and into my loaf. I use them to scrape round a saucepan of leftover oatmeal/porridge, getting out enough to have a snack later. I use them to extricate every bit of cabbage from my food processor bowl when I make sauerkraut. I use them, wet, to smooth down the top of a rye pre–ferment, so I can see how well it’s rising. Without my silicones bachelors I’d waste a lot more food, have murky washing-up liquid and be grumpy!
Lodge cast-iron pan
My Lodge cast-iron pan stays permanently on top of my stove. I use it every single day. It’s 13 years old and still is wonderful as the first day I used it. I cannot overstate how amazing, hard-wearing and economical cast-iron cookware is. If you don’t have one, you will not regret getting one.
Probe thermometer
Again, I hesitated before buying one of these, but several years on I do not know how I’d live without it. The most obvious use is for bread-baking – my loaves are ready when they are 95°C. It’s simple and I can leave those instructions with my husband, Rob, if I’m not around.
But there are so many other things that I also use the thermometer for. I check that the millet I’ve cooked up to make the fermented drink boza is the right temperature before I add the starter. I make sure warmed water isn’t too hot to be added to yeast/sourdough. I check the ambient temperature of my kitchen to decide whether my bread will be fine fermenting on the counter or needs to go my proofing box.
Timers, timers, timers!
Managing an ancestral kitchen involves a lot of keeping an eye on things/popping back in after doing the washing/remembering that something needs to be done in 20 minutes and I cannot be trusted to hold it all in my head!
I have three kitchen timers:
- The first is a digital count up or countdown timer that beeps loudly for a full minute when the time is up.
- The second is a manual wind-up timer that can do up to 60 minutes.
- The third is another manual wind-up timer, but the amazingly simple yet clever thing with this one is that it can be worn around your neck! No going out to the garden and not hearing the beeper go off in the kitchen! It’s genius.
Bokashi kitchen-to-compost system
Creating three meals a day, every day means a lot of kitchen waste; my vegetable ends, skin and pips can often overwhelm my kitchen surface! Vegetable and fruit ends are not the only organic waste I have in my kitchen – after making stock, there are left-over bones plus coffee and tea produce waste leaves and grinds.
I use all of these to create a super-quick compost right in my kitchen using a Japanese system called bokashi. Later, I dig it into my garden to supercharge my vegetables. The first year I put bokashi into my pots, I was astounded by the size and quality of my root veg.
Get 10% off Bokashi supplies in the US/Canada using the code AKP.
Get 10% off bokashi supplies in the UK.
Emile Henry ceramic loaf baker
For me, baking is a thing of beauty and, to honour that, I love to use my Emile Henry ceramic loaf baker. It’s not only creates the best crust on a loaf I’ve ever eaten, but the beauty of the breads I bake in it is enhanced because of their special baking home.
Slow cooker
A slow cooker is such a versatile piece of equipment and comes into its own in a traditional kitchen. I use my slow cooker to both render lard and make broth, as well as cooking soups and stews in it from autumn to spring.
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Listen into Ancestral Kitchen Podcast episode Our Favourite Kitchen Tools to hear more kitchen equipment geekery!