A minimalist kitchen will help you save money and time, not just on cooking, but also on cleaning because you just have fewer things! If you’re curious what’s in a minimalist kitchen, here are the really useful and time saving gadgets that help me cook from scratch.

*This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a small commission on your purchase.*

Time Saving Kitchen Utensils Every Minimalist Kitchen Needs

When we moved out of town and into the barn to build the #passiveaggressivehouse, one of the goals was a beautifully finished home to move into. It was going to take a year to build and we were going to go through every single thing we owned and only move over what we used and loved. Well, let me just tell you that is NOT what happened. One year stretched into almost two and half years. And the house was NOT finished when we moved in.

Instead of moving over only the things we used and loved, we moved over ever single piece of junk that I hadn’t managed to break while we lived in the barn. I once again stuffed drawers with junk in an effort to put stuff away. In the two and half years that we’ve been living in the house now, I’m finally, SLOWLY, going through everything again, and I will achieve my desired minimalist home. I will!

Just imagine. Clear counters. Shiny sink. No clutter in the kitchen. But still having a streamlined space that functions well and helps you cook healthy food quickly from scratch. That’s my goal and I am working hard to attain it. Kitchen utensils have historically been the bane of my existence. As a recovering Pampered Chef consultant, I used to have at least one of all the tools! All. of. them. Over the last two years , though, I have purged about 2/3 of my utensils. I’m now down to a select line-up of truly useful utensils. Here’s my list of thirteen time-saving kitchen utensils that I think every minimalist kitchen (or not!) needs to have.

1. Stainless Steel Handheld Citrus Juicer – I know you can squeeze a lemon in your hands, but I always end up with seeds everywhere so I prefer to use a juicer. I use it for everything from mixed drinks to the best guacamole ever!
2. Narrow Magnetic Nesting Measuring Spoons – I love my narrow measuring spoons and how well they fit in even the smallest of spice jars. A must have in a from scratch kitchen.
3. Good Quality Wine Bottle Opener – what can I say. I love a good bottle of wine. My current favorite is called the Prisoner. It’s a full bodied red from California and it’s a good things it’s pretty pricey, or I would be drinking it all the time!
4. Good Quality Can Opener – I don’t use a lot of canned goods in my cooking, but when I do, this OXO can opener does the trick very nicely. I never understood the electric can openers. My family never had one and I think they clutter up the counter top. What do you think?
5. Top Notch Potato Peeler  – I love this little potato peeler. It works really well for all types of garden fresh potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes too.
6. Microplane – This little tool is amazing. It’s under $15 and I use it almost every day. My sister gave this to me several years ago for Christmas and it gets a work out grating hard cheese, zesting citrus fruit, fresh ginger, and more. If you don’t have one of these, you need to get one!
7. High Quality Knife – the 5″ Santuko Wusthof is my favorite. I’ve had all the choppers, but over the years realized they are quick to dull and hard to clean. Get yourself a good knife and learn a few knife skills, and you can send all those miscellaneous choppers right on over to Goodwill!
8. Knife Sharpener – A simple Honing Rod is my husband’s go-to for keeping our knives sharp. You don’t need much – just a few passes over the blades and your knives will always be good to go! When was the last time you sharpened your knives???
9. Garlic Press – This might be a nice have and not a must have if you have made knife skills, but I love my garlic press. It opens all the way and is so easy to clean. So much nicer than the one I used to have from Pampered Chef.
10. Avocado Masher – a dear friend who happens to be a professional chef recommended this to me a while back and I love it! I know you can mash avocados with a fork or spoon, but this little avocado masher just makes it that much easier.
11. Whisk – I have two Pampered Chef whisks, a large and small one. I actually do use them both. 🙂
12. Scoopers – I also love my set of scoops from Pampered Chef as well. I have them in three sizes and they’re great for balling melon, and making consistent sized muffins and cookies. They look pretty similar to this set on Amazon.
13. Bamboo Utensils – I use these for everything. I love that they are plastic-free and made without  petrochemicals, paints or varnishes. They also won’t scratch your pans, so no concerns there either!
14. And finally, these Stackable Bowls. I know they’re not utensils, but I have to say how much I love these bowls. I’ve had other brands, and they always chip and break. If you’re looking for a nice space saving set of stackable bowls, get this set made by Duralex in France. They’re the best!

There you have it! My 13 favorite must have utensils for a minimalist kitchen. What would you add?