essentials for your whole30 kitchen
“I am 50 years old, and was treated for hormone imbalance, hypothyroidism, and Ankylosing Spondylitis. I had been dealing with AS since 1998, and on a drug called Enbrel that I desperately wanted to discontinue. I was convinced it was the reason for my fatigue, weight gain, grey complexion, insomnia, uncontrollable appetite, loss of endurance, muscle loss, and body aches. I did my first Whole30 in February 2013. After 30 days, my cholesterol and triglycerides were better than normal, I had lost weight (20 pounds), my skin wasn’t grey, I could exercise longer and feel good afterward, and I was sleeping better. All wins, so I stuck with it! About 90 days in, I went off the Enbrel. So here it is—you changed my life!”
—Diane W., Evansville, IN
We’re starting things off with what we consider the necessities. You should already have most of these things in your kitchen, unless you’ve been living off nothing but take-out and microwave meals for the last decade. Which, thanks to today’s fast-food, convenience-food, eat-it-in-your-car culture, isn’t actually uncommon. So if that’s the case, we’re not judging.
But we’re awfully glad you’re here.
If you’re ready to invest in your Whole30 experience now, but aren’t sure what you need, this is a detailed list of our essentials and “nice-to-haves.” However, we understand you may not be able to purchase a bunch of new kitchen tools before you start your Whole30, and that’s totally okay. You can cook your way through the book by getting creative with the tools you have on hand, and skip the recipes requiring something specific (like a food processor) that you’re missing. We purposefully made these recipes simple to prep, cook, and serve so that no one would be left out. That one cutting board you have will be working hard, but the point is, it will work.
So don’t stress about this stuff, okay? You’re here, you’re committed, and we’re about to walk you through the basics in a way that (we hope) leaves you as excited about getting into your kitchen as we are to get you there.
Pots and Pans
You’ll use a variety of pots and pans throughout your Whole30, but while they make a pan for every occasion, you just need a few of the most versatile. As for pots, buy a set of three or four—something that ranges from a small (1 to 2 quart) saucepan to a large (3 to 4 quart) Dutch oven. This should cover everything from sauces (like our Balsamic Glaze) to a larger dish (like the Pulled Pork Carnitas).
You’ll want two frying pans (also called skillets): one should be a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet. These are great for taking dishes like our Frittata straight from the stovetop to the oven, and will last you a lifetime. It’s also nice to have one non-stick pan for eggs, and if you’re only buying two, get them both in a large size. (It’s better to have the versatility of two big pans.)
If you can buy one more pan, a large high-walled sauté pan with a cover is an excellent choice for things like Cauliflower Rice or our Chicken Cacciatore.
Strainer
A strainer serves double-duty, allowing you to drain water from boiled vegetables or broths (like our Bone Broths), and functioning as a steamer when placed inside a large stockpot. (You could also buy one large pot with a steamer/strainer insert, if you want to be really fancy.)
It’s nice to have two strainers—one fine mesh hand-held strainer to filter out smaller particles of food, and a larger one with bigger holes for straining out larger pieces and steaming.
Measuring Cups and Spoons
You’ll need at least one basic set of measuring cups and spoons, but we highly recommend doubling up, especially if you aren’t comfortable eyeballing measurements. You’d be surprised how many times you’ll need a teaspoon as you cook your way through this book.
It’s also a good idea to have at least one larger glass measuring cup with a pouring spout—something that can handle three or four cups at a time. You’ll use this for things like our Basic Mayonnaise, or any recipe that calls for more than a cup of broth.
Baking Sheets
You won’t be making chocolate chip cookies on the Whole30, but you will be roasting and baking lots of meat and vegetables in the oven. Make sure you have at least two baking sheets, so you don’t crowd your sweet potatoes when they’re roasting. (See our vegetable roasting tips.)
Cutting Boards
We’ll be up front about this: there is a lot of chopping in your future. (Just take Melissa’s lead and think of it as stress relief.) To ensure you aren’t constantly running between the counter and the sink, you should have at least three cutting boards—different sizes are also really nice. (Why break out your largest board just to mince a clove of garlic?)
We’re generally not fans of plastic cutting boards, even though they’re cheap and easy to wash. One recent study found more bacteria are recovered from plastic surfaces than wood, and the plastic is easy to mar with your knife, which means plastic gets into your food. No bueno. However, if you want a cheap cutting board for car camping or as backup, plastic will do the trick.
Bamboo is a good option, and relatively inexpensive, but they’re so hard they tend to dull knives fast. (We’ll get to that.) Maple is a splurge, but boy will it look pretty sitting on your kitchen counter, and it’s kind to knives. Our favorite cutting boards are made from recycled wood fiber—they’re eco-friendly, a snap to clean, and dry super fast.
Knives
We know you have knives, but do you have Whole30-worthy knives? Investing in a few good, sharp knives will make your Whole30 experience more enjoyable than eating almond butter straight off the spoon.
And that is pretty enjoyable.
Your knife options are even more complicated than your pot and pan options, so let’s just talk about the basics. You’ll want to get three knives—a paring knife for small cuts (like dicing an apple), an 8-inch chef’s knife designed for chopping, and a long, thin slicing knife for carving things like Braised Beef Brisket and the turkey from our Holiday Dinner.
Look for knives that are all one piece (not a blade and handle joined together), and spend some money here. Trust us, this is one investment that will pay you back every single time you cook.
Oh, and don’t forget the knife sharpener. If you’re like us, you’ll become slightly obsessed with making sure your knives slice through tomatoes like butter.
Food Processor
We know this sounds like an expensive tool, but there are a number of excellent products to fit any budget. But first, what’s the difference between a food processor and a blender?
Blenders only blend if the food is soft and there’s enough liquid in the mixture; for many of our sauces (like the Romesco Sauce) or mashes (like the Cauliflower Mash), there just isn’t enough liquid to work. You could use a hand-held immersion blender—those are incredibly versatile, make small jobs like Basic Mayonnaise) a snap, and clean up in five seconds flat—but those don’t chop anywhere near as finely as a food processor, sometimes leaving you with chunks of ingredients in what should be a smooth final product.
A food processor is designed to take solid ingredients and chop, shred, or mix them to a perfect consistency. You can use them to finely chop cilantro or parsley for our Chimichurri, dice tomatoes for our Salsa, or smooth out our Tangy BBQ Sauce.
If you’re cooking for one, you may be able to get away with a mini-food processor for around $25. However, these only process foods in small batches (usually just two or three cups at a time), and if you’re doubling our Cauliflower Mash recipe for a family of four, that small motor will be working awfully hard. However, that doesn’t mean you need a $400 professional-grade appliance; there are plenty of seven-to-ten cup food processors available for between $40 and $100—some are even combination blenders/food processors, saving you money and counter space.
Meat Thermometer
This is one of the most important tools for the budding chef. Cooking meat and poultry to just the right degree—not too raw, not overdone, just right—takes time, attention, and lots of practice, but using a meat thermometer is like cheating in a good way. We’ve given you the perfect cooking temperature for dishes like Perfect Whole Roasted Chicken, Perfect Grilled Steak, and Walnut-Crusted Pork Tenderloin. By taking the guesswork out of when your meat is ready to remove from the oven, you’re far more likely to nail the perfect level of doneness on the first try, and avoid having to choke down expensive meat that you accidentally overcooked.
Make sure you get a meat thermometer (designed to tell you the internal temperature of meat) and not an oven thermometer (designed to tell you how hot your oven really is on the inside). Look for something that says “instant read” (though these actually take about 20 seconds to get up to the right temperature)—you should be able to find one for around $10.
Parchment Paper
You’re probably used to lining your baking sheets and dishes with aluminum foil—which means you’re also used to your more delicate meats and veggies sticking to the foil like crazy. This is where parchment paper comes in. It’s a moisture-resistant paper specially treated for oven use, keeping your dishes clean and your No-Fuss Salmon Cakes, Chicken Meatballs, or Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes sliding onto the spatula with ease. At about $3 a roll, this is a great investment for easy Whole30 kitchen clean up.