Katie’s Kitchen Staples
If you’ve been watching me in my kitchen for years (bless you!), my list of kitchen prep staples will be no surprise to you! These are my tried and true, can’t live without items that I use on the daily. They will bring you inspiration, organization and pure efficiency in your meal-prep life, as they do in mine. We also use most of these items in the Kokomo kitchen!
To help you find each specific item, I’ve shared the links below. If you have the option to find these items locally, please support your people. They need us more than ever. In true transparency, clicking on some of the links will send a % of the sale my way. But again, support local if you can, please!
1. Silicon Baking Liners
In an effort to reduce waste, we use these non-stick liners instead of parchment or tin foil. Super easy to clean to—I run my through the dishwasher! These are one of those things I kept meaning to buy, and once I finally did, I thought WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG?!
2. Five Ingredient Vegan
I start each Sunday by perusing through my cookbooks. They give me the inspiration to create something new so that I look forward to eating my home-cooked meals each week. This is a fun book to easily introduce a plant-forward lifestyle into your weeknights.
3. Meyer’s Hand Soap - Basil
I am fully obsessed with this scent. I now look forward to washing my hands every time I enter the kitchen! OBSESSED. Please try!!
4. Pairing Knives
Pairing knives are one of those things that you should always buy cheap. $10 max per knife. It's just a thing — ask David Chang!
5. Narrow Spatula
I originally purchased this to get frozen acai out of the blender at Kokomo and have since brought one into my home and truly don’t know what I used before. It makes getting anything out of your blender or food processor super easy as it’s narrow enough to fit inside the cup/around the blade. I also use it for cooking sauces on the stove. I use this more than my wide spatula.
6. Food Processor w Attachments
I would actually say I use my food processor more than my Vitamix!!! Especially because I use it to grate, chop and slice large prep portions of veg each week. It replaces the scary mandolin for me. Off the top of my head, heres 5 things I used it for in the last few weeks: granola, hummus, grating potatoes for latkes, slicing onions and radishes for pickling, dry pulverizing for vegan parmesan. That’s more than five — you get the point. Make sure you order one with the attachments! You will use them!
7. Fruit Bowl
I’ve linked this one from Etsy, but you can probably find one at a thrift store. Just find something you love to hold fruit in. I grew up with fruit and veg always on display and I think it reminds you what you have and gets the brain moving around how to create with it.
8. Flipping Spatula
This is different than the narrow spatula because I use it to flip things. The silicon is super sleek and can get under anything for a seamless flip. Chris and I fight over this tool when we make breakfast together — we should really just get two! Couldn’t make my chickpea egg recipe without it!
9. Mixing Bowls
I use these for everything. Tossing items before they go into the oven, mixing sauces, coating things, serving popcorn, salad. So good to have in all the sizes and because they stack, they are easy to store.
10. Cutting Board
I’ve been using this exact cutting board since I lived with my parents. It’s sturdy, good quality and comes in a bunch of sizes. Highly recommend!
12. Tonic Whisk
I treat my morning hot drinks like a smoothie, packing in all the extras. This whisk makes it super easy to add mushroom powders, MCT oil, cinnamon, etc. without having to pull out the blender. And it’s so much cuter than the others on the market. OBSESSED.
11. Deli Containers
Every commercial kitchen uses these and since I opened Kokomo, they are my preference because of how they stack in your fridge and how you can store them stacked and organized. You can keep a bunch of different sizes on hand, and it won’t crowd your kitchen. I use the small (250 ml) for dressings, medium (500 ml) for single serving leftovers that are easy to grab and the large (1 litre) for big portion prep items like soup, rice, curry, etc.
12. Tonic Whisk
This is the second time this bad boy has made it to one of my ‘must-have’ lists. I use it daily to mix coffee with MCT oil and mushroom powders, but also as a quick mixer for oil / vinegar dressings. So easy to grab, use and then clean without having to pull out the blender. And it’s so much cuter than the others on the market. It’s green and pink! OBSESSED.
13. BONUS: Weigh Scale
I forgot to include this above, but it is so helpful in converting recipes or if you track macros, etc. It seems intimidating but it’s literally $20 and I’m always so happy I have access to one when I need it.