What do all of the following 19 essential kitchen items have in common?

They are essential for me and the Gutsy kitchen I operate out of. And my hope is that you find at least one new thing for your kitchen, too!

I thought this post up after getting the Nutri Ninja Pro. The Ninja was used to whip up the first batches of baby food with great success. 

If you came to my house for a meal, you’d quickly realize that:

1. I am obsessed with the kitchen and
2. I likely have a kitchen tool or gadget for almost anything

Everyone is always asking what my top recommendations are for the Gutsy Girl’s Kitchen.

Whether you are able to go out and purchase all of the below now or save for them over time, I strongly recommend each and every single one of them.

{P.s. Want even more recommendations? I now have a spot for them on my blog for quick reference: Recommended Food Products, Recommended Kitchen Items, Recommended Supplements and Certified Gutsy}

19 Essential Kitchen Items

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Slow Cooker

Hands down, this is one of my favorite items to use in the kitchen. I use the Calphalon 7 qt. Digital Slow Cooker. I’m also basic and use THIS simple slow cooker.

You will notice that a lot of my recipes use the slow cooker. 

Slow and go; it’s such a great gut healing, cooking, and general life motto.

Once you purchase a slow cooker and practice a little with it, your life will forever be made.

Juicer

Having a fresh juice and a fresh smoothie are not the same things, especially if you are Gutsy. Why? A regular blender will not remove skins and other roughage. The juicer will.

(Read: Is My Fiber Helping or Hurting Me? The Gut Healing Process, Still Getting Nutrients & Juice Recipes.)

My juicer has not only saved me a few times from misery, but it also provides a ton of nutrients for optimal health that you might not get otherwise. I had and can recommend the BELLA NutriPro Juicer.

All of that said, I am currently on the hunt for a new one, so give me your best recommendations via the comments below!

Steamer

I would guess that I now do about 35% raw vegetables and 65% steamed or cooked in some way, shape or form.

When I was first starting out, though, I probably had about 95% of my vegetables steamed. The steamer is brilliant. It is just as simple as I made it out to be HERE.

Spiralizer

The Paderno Spiralizer is changing my foodie life (I am also considering buying Ali’s spiralizer). I use mine mostly to spiralize zucchini noodles.

This is a current favorite recipe I developed for Nutiva. There are so many ways to use the spiralizer!

Vitamix

I wanted a Vitamix initially so that I could make all my baby’s food in it, but once we had it, I quickly adapted to using it for almost everything.

Per the above, making smoothies and juices are different, but ultimately the gut should heal to a place where we can consume all the fiber a smoothie contains. Furthermore, having a Vitamix goes far beyond the smoothie.

With the Vitamix, you can make everything from smoothies to dressings and desserts to sauces, main entrees and more! A favorite recipe is from my friend Tess Masters (aka The Blender Girl): Tastes-Like-Ice-Cream Kale Shake. 

Wok

I teach people daily how to cook in bulk, divide and then conquer for eating healthy to heal the gut. The Wok allows you to create huge stir-fry meals. You can then divide and conquer them as you please.

Cutting Boards

You will definitely use a cutting board frequently. I use several. I had a client ask me what cutting boards I recommend. Hands down, I always say, “Epicurean.”

You must learn how to chop, slice, dice, de-skin, de-seed, cut and more when it comes to your fruits, vegetables, and meat.

Know that many cutting boards are prone to trapping bacteria. The Epicurean ones do not harbor these bacteria. I currently have 2 non-slip cutting boards, a serving board and a small and regular-sized slate board from the kitchen series. 

Food Processor

I received a food processor as a gift in February of 2013. And you better believe that I have done almost everything with my food processor. Having one will bring new meaning to “processed” in your kitchen.

I make everything from soups to sauces, fudge to casseroles and more in my food processor. The sky is the limit with a food processor.

In fact, I created a company from initial use of it! I have a Cuisinart 14-cup food processor, and I recommend that you don’t go any smaller than that.

Hand Blender

This will make your soups, sauces, puddings and (even) homemade applesauce super simple.

I use the Cuisinart Hand Blender, and what I love most about it is how easy it is to use plus how minimal the cleanup is afterward. It’s small so even if you have a smaller kitchen, it can fit anywhere.

Muffin Pan

Portion control, snacks and more! If you have a mini and regular-sized muffin tin, your life can be transformed instantaneously. Muffin tins aren’t just for muffins anymore. See the recipes section of the e-book for some good muffin-tin eats.

Baking pans of all sizes and shapes

I buy a ton of baking pans, but it’s not because I always use them for their intended purpose. Take for instance the “ice cream sandwich pan.”

I recently started using this to make “buns” for my burgers. Take a peek! I do this also with the mini muffin pan, cake pop pan and more.

Cast Iron

I have begun using Cast Iron in my kitchen.

And I will slowly, but surely, replace most of my cookware. Cast Iron (+ stainless steel) will come out as the shining star. You’ll be hearing a lot about me using these in future recipes.

Cheesecloth

I use the Cheesecloth mostly when I’m making my own milk, but I’ve also used in recipes like my Peppermint Hot Cacao and Lemon Curd.

I buy them cheap at the Dollar Store.

Garlic Zoom

Love garlic, but hate chopping it up all the time?

Enter the Garlic Zoom. Simply place your (peeled) garlic in and roll (aka “zoom”). It has saved me so much time! Side note: I also use it to mince ginger.

Mason Jars

There is not a Mason jar that I have yet to dislike. I love everything about the traditional Mason jar.

You can buy fancy Weck Mason Jars if you want, but the truth is that any and all Mason jars will do the trick.

I use these jars for storing and gifting mainly. I also use them for table decorations. Learn how HERE.

Lemon Squeezer

Lemon is a great addition to so many dishes. I use it in my daily dose(s) of broth. The lemon squeezer keeps it simple and clean.

NestPark Portable Drink Mixer

One of the best ways you’ll spend $14.99 on kitchen essentials. Why? Well, just look at how small and wonderful it is! For those of you who like making gut-healing lattes and/or just adding MCT Oil / other “bulletproof oils” to your coffee, this is your answer.

Take it on-the-go with you or use it in the comfort of your own home. Either way, you’ll get the frothiness desired without the need for any large, expensive equipment.

Nutri Ninja Pro

This blender allows you to make smaller portioned items with less mess and clean up.

I love how small the containers are, and that, if need be, can be portable. I’ll likely use this when I show you how I do smaller batches of baby food.

Instant Pot

And last, but certainly not least; the incredible Instant Pot. Make things in a hurry, saving you precious time. 

One of my favorite things to do with the Instant Pot is make broths; Vegetable Broth and Bone Broth. In fact, you can get my Instant Pot Vegetable Broth recipe HERE.

Not only do I enjoy the broths, but I’ve made beverages in the Instant Pot, probably thousands of hard-boiled eggs, and other miscellaneous items.

Truth be told, I probably don’t even use it as much as I could.

Wrap Up on My Kitchen Tools

I could go on-and-on with things that are in my kitchen, but these are the main ones for today.

The kitchen is really my jam, so perhaps I could do a follow-up to this post with even more things, such as coffee roasters, at some point?! Let me know if you like that idea.

To find the items listed in this post plus hundreds of other food, supplements, kitchen items, and more, get private access to A Gutsy Girl’s Master Resource Links HERE. 

What’s in your kitchen?!

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. 1. Start Here
   2. Steps to Real Food Meal Planning
   3. 90-Day Gut Healing Journal

Xox,
SKH