stocking your kitchen: the basics

The key to a well-stocked pantry is an organized pantry. How do you know what’s lurking in the pantry if it’s not well organized? Arrange your most-used ingredients in spots that are most easily accessible. Label containers, as needed. Alphabetize your spices so they’re easy to find, and if your pantry is packed, compile a list of everything you have and hang it on the wall. Cross out items on the list as they are used up. Keep a running list of things you need at the grocery store too. Maintaining an organized, well-stocked pantry will help you in making meal decisions, and it will save you from purchasing duplicate ingredients at the market.

pantry basics

General

Baking powder

Baking soda

Bread crumbs (Italian and panko)

Chocolate (unsweetened and white)

Chocolate chips (semisweet, bittersweet, milk, miniature)

Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

Cornmeal

Cornstarch

Couscous

Dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, apricots, figs)

Flour (all-purpose and whole wheat)

Graham crackers

Nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds)

Oats

Pasta (spaghetti, orzo, penne, elbows, egg noodles)

Polenta (not quick-cooking)

Rice (white, brown, Arborio)

Sugar (white, brown, powdered)

Yeast (active dry)

Cans, Jars and Bottles

Applesauce (unsweetened)

Barbecue sauce

Beans (kidney, black, white, garbanzo, refried, chili)

Broth (vegetable, chicken, beef)

Capers

Chipotles in adobo sauce

Coconut milk

Corn syrup (light)

Honey

Horseradish

Jam (strawberry and apricot)

Ketchup

Marinara sauce

Mayonnaise

Milk (evaporated and sweetened-condensed)

Molasses (dark)

Mustard (yellow, whole grain, Dijon)

Nutella

Oils (canola, olive, nonstick spray)

Olives (black and Kalamata)

Oreo cookies

Peanut butter

Pumpkin puree

Roasted red peppers

Salsa

Shortening

Soy sauce

Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

Syrup (maple)

Tabasco sauce

Tomatoes (paste, sauce, crushed, chopped, Ro-Tel)

Vanilla extract

Vinegar (white, white wine, red wine, cider, balsamic, rice)

Worcestershire sauce

herbs and spices

When you purchase a new spice or herb, stick a round label on the bottom of the jar with the current date. Ground spices are good for 2 to 3 years, herbs like oregano and basil will be okay for 1 to 3 years, and whole spices/seeds are good for 4 years. Adding a labeled date will help you remember when it’s time to replace that spice.

Allspice

Basil

Bay leaves

Celery salt

Chili powder

Cinnamon

Cloves

Cumin

Curry powder

Garlic powder

Ginger

Italian seasoning

Mustard powder

Nutmeg

Onion powder

Oregano

Paprika (regular and smoked)

Pepper (ground black pepper, peppercorns for freshly ground, white, cayenne)

Red pepper flakes

Salt (Kosher, sea, table, garlic, onion)

fresh herbs

Purchasing fresh herbs every time a recipe calls for them can be downright expensive (and unnecessary!). If you have a little space in your yard (or even an outdoor spot where you can tend to containers), head to your local nursery to purchase some potting soil and small herb plant starters so you can grow your own fresh herb garden. Plant herbs that you use most in your cooking, and cut off sprigs as you need them. You’ll save a boatload of money in the end.

Grow Your Own

Basil

Chives

Cilantro

Dill

Italian parsley

Mint

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

the refrigerator

Having an organized refrigerator is just as important as having an organized pantry. There are just a few key ingredients that I always keep in my refrigerator and freezer. These are all things that are utilized often in recipes and last-minute meal ideas.

Refrigerated Basics

Bacon

Bread

Butter (salted and unsalted)

Buttermilk

Cheese (Parmesan, cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, feta)

Cream cheese

Eggs (large)

Milk

Orange juice

Ravioli

Sour cream

Tortillas (flour and corn)

Yogurt (plain)

Must-Have Produce

Carrots

Celery

Garlic

Ginger

Lemons

Limes

Onions (red and white)

Salad greens

Shallots

Tomatoes (pear and/or vine-ripened)

Always in the Freezer

Chicken (breasts and thighs)

Chopped spinach

Corn

Frozen fruits

Ground beef

Ground turkey

Peas

Pie crust

Puff pastry

Sweet Italian sausage

the liquor cabinet

If you keep a liquor cabinet, you’re likely to have some of the basics already. Here’s a bare minimum of what I like to keep on hand, always making sure I have dry white and red wines since those are both used frequently in my cooking.

Beer

Club soda

Dry sherry

Grand Marnier

Grenadine

Kahlúa

Rum (light and dark)

Sparkling water

Tequila

Triple Sec or Cointreau

Vodka

Wine (red and white)

must-have kitchen tools and appliances

I’m guilty of owning a special tool that cuts an avocado into slices, another that promises to scrub a potato better than I can do it myself, and also a tool to help me get started on peeling an orange. I don’t use any of these gadgets, however. There are plenty of kitchen tools and appliances in my kitchen that I do use, though. These are special things that every kitchen should be equipped with since they make being in the kitchen that much easier.

Blender

Bowls (big for mixing and small for prep)

Cake pans (round 8- or 9-inch)

Can opener

Casserole dishes (2- and 3-quart)

Cheese shredder

Cutting boards

Food processor

Hand mixer

Knives (a good set)

Loaf pan (4 × 8- or 5 × 9-inch)

Measuring cups and spoons (metal are the most accurate)

Meat thermometer

Microplane (for zesting)

Pots and pans (a good set—some nonstick and some metal)

Pyrex measuring cup (for ounces)

Rectangular dish (Pyrex 9 × 13-inch)

Rimmed cookie sheets

Roasting pan with a rack

Rubber spatulas

Slotted spoon

Spatulas (big for cooking and small for cookies)

Square pan (8 × 8- or 9 × 9-inch)

Strainer (fine-mesh and pasta drainer)

Toaster or toaster oven

Tongs

Vegetable peeler

Whisk

Wooden spoons (round and square-edged)

optional kitchen tools
(for your wish list)

If you happen to enjoy cooking and you plan to do it often, the following items should be added to your kitchen, too. These are the tools and appliances that you don’t absolutely have to have in your kitchen, but you’ll be better equipped to be more of a rock star in the kitchen if you do.

Candy thermometer (for accurate temperatures)

Cast-iron skillet (searing steaks, skillet baking)

Citrus press or juicer (easy juicing)

Cookie dough scoopers (so easy for baking cookies)

Decorator tips (for decorating cupcakes and cakes)

Dutch oven (slow cooking on the stove)

Ice cream scoop (for ice cream, but also to scoop pancake and muffin batter)

Immersion blender (for pureeing soups)

Kitchen scale (for accuracy and easy measuring)

Mandoline (for thin slicing)

Mini chopper or food processor (for the small jobs)

Muffin pans (if you like to bake muffins and cupcakes)

Offset spatula (for frosting cakes)

Pastry brush (for brushing … everything)

Piping bags (cloth or disposable—for decorating cupcakes and cakes)

Silicone (Silpat) baking mats (for baking)

Slow cooker (easy dinners)

Springform pan (9-inch for cheesecakes)

Stand mixer (easy mixing and kneading)

Waffle iron (if you like to make waffles)