For the Home: Modern Kitchen Essentials

In my previous home article, I shared my home decor style with you. I enjoyed writing that post so much, I wanted to start creating more content about living spaces.

Today’s post will be inspirational and practical, so if your kitchen decor style is modern, this post will surely fit your kitchen essentials checklist and aesthetics!

I love cooking and have always preferred cooking over baking since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Considering I’ve had a ton of time to experiment in the kitchen lately, I wanted to share a list of kitchen items I personally think are essential.

As always, I’ll be sharing the style I’m working towards, what I already own, and what I’m thinking about purchasing!

Nespresso Vertuo machine

As much as I love Starbucks, there’s nothing satisfying as making a good cup of Joe in your own home and having a quiet moment to yourself. I’ve been eyeing this coffee and espresso machine for awhile, so if you have one, let me know your thoughts on it in the comments below!

Cire Trudon candle

One thing I have the habit of doing is lighting a food-related candle in my kitchen, especially after I just cooked fish or seafood. I tend to go for citrus scents like lemon or grapefruit and this boujee mimosa candle is on my wishlist!

Marble fruit bowl

I’d fill this with beautiful bowl with apples or lemons. Apples are easily a quick healthy snack option while lemons remind me to drink my morning digestion shot of ACV/lemon, water, and cayenne pepper.

Black kitchen towels

I’ve owned a lot of different-colored kitchen towels over the years and they all wear/stain so easily. Maybe black won’t be so bad? We’ll see!

Coffee/tea canisters

At $1.99 each, I’m thinking of forgoing traditional spice jars and getting these coffee/tea canisters and purchasing these modern spice labels on Etsy. What do you guys think?

Artisan glass canisters

I don’t like the farmhouse style with the brown lids, but I love these glass containers with black wooden lids! These sustainable jars will be perfect to store dry foods.

Cookbook stand

With my cookbook collection growing, this stand will keep my books clean from all the inevitable splatters, ha! And I love the handy conversion chart on the left for reference too!

Non-stick wooden cooking utensil set

I need to replace my wooden cooking utensils as the set I bought nearly five years ago has worn down. And like an idiot, I washed them in the dishwasher too. Oy! This set will be a great replacement!

Le Crueset Dutch Oven

I heard that a Dutch oven is one of the best kitchen tools you can invest in. You can cook in it, make soups, bread, and so much more! Since my kitchen is all-white, I love the idea of contrasting it with this black dutch oven. I’m currently saving to invest in one because I think it’ll be well worth it.

Cutco knife set

The knife set of my dreams is one of my absolute top kitchen essentials! My best friend’s mom invested in a small set about 15 years ago. I got a chance to try them and loved them so much that I put them on my wish list. I love that the quality is so high on these, that I have the ability to pass them down to my future children!

Black ladder

I believe one of the best kitchen essentials is a step ladder to reach those high places. A modern step ladder is needed, especially when it folds down to a slim two inches for easy storage!

Gold bottle opener

I own this bottle opener and love that it’s heavy in weight. The gold is a pretty polished brass, not a yellow gold. It’s much more beautiful in person. For just under $10, this is a perfect addition to your kitchen drawers or bar cart!

WellnessMats mat

To keep a lot of high-quality kitchen items lasting longer, I like to hand-wash them. And as someone who has knee and hip pain from time to time, this mat helps helps you to cook and clean in comfort. After seeing a lot of 5-star reviews, I put one on my wishlist. Now, to decide what color!

Velvet pot holders

I bought short KitchenAid oven mitts years ago thinking they would do. Well, after using them for awhile, I think I’ll have to upgrade mine to a longer length, ha!

All-Clad stainless steel cookware

If you’re a regular around here, you know I’m all about investing in items I know I’ll use for years to come. Investing in cookware is no different than investing in a wool coat. This stainless steel set is definitely at the top of kitchen essentials and are perfect if you’re looking to switch over from non-stick. The key is to let the pan heat evenly first before cooking your food in it, then it will become non-stick over time!

As a bonus to this post, I also wanted to share some great recipes I’ve been fortunate enough to try in the kitchen.

These dishes turned out so great! And because they’re delicious, they have a permanent place in my recipe box!

Marinated cherry tomatoes

These are so yummy and are perfect to use to top salads!

Creamy mushroom chicken

My best friend made this dish for me after I cooked for her and we threw it over some pasta. The results were amazing!

Kat Tanita’s chocolate chip cookies

Kat’s cookies are my kind of cookies! If you’re looking for cookies that aren’t overly sweet, these are it! If you want them more sweet, just add more chocolate chips! I’ll be making these again with less chocolate chips next time!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and found it very useful, especially if your home decor style is similar to mine. Whatever your needs are, I hope you find some quality items based on my recommendations.

What are your must-haves when it comes to kitchen essentials? Let me know your thoughts!