Kitchen Equipment

A solid set of basic quality kitchen tools and a few key electronic appliances will make your home cooking experiences a breeze. Appliances like a rice cooker and an Instant Pot are fabulous when you have less time to cook. Otherwise, I recommend the old school approach of cooking with fire on a gas stove, which is energetically more natural.

Do a kitchen clean out to get rid of unnecessary gadgets, aluminum, and plastic, minimising what you have or replacing what’s necessary with higher quality tools, one by one. A few good pots and knives will make your experience in the kitchen so much more enjoyable.

MATERIALS

Just like we favor high quality ingredients, it is equally important to select high quality cookware—this means nontoxic cookware rather than the chemically reactive ones. In Ayurvedic cooking, not only do we always think about what and how to cook but also the material of what we cook our food in—all of these practices will affect the medicinal properties of the food, and thus our health.

QUALITY

Save yourself the unnecessary frustration, unhealthy side effects, and long term expense from buying poor-quality cookware. If you can’t afford the highest quality equipment right now, identify your most needed piece and go for the medium grade. Keep a wish list of what you want, and slowly acquire the higher-quality ones over time.

SIZE

Select the size of your pots and pans according to the number of people you usually cook for.

COOKWARE MATERIALS

Healthy:

  • high-quality stainless steel lead-free clay
  • glass
  • seasoned cast-iron
  • stone
  • ceramic
  • unchipped enamel food-grade silicone

Unhealthy:

  • aluminum chemically-coated nonstick surfaces
  • lead-containing clay pots plastic
  • rusty iron
  • materials that mimic ceramic

Essential Tools

  • Small pot with lid
  • Medium pot with lid
  • Medium cast iron skillet or non-toxic non-stick pan (10-12”)
  • 6” cast iron skillet
  • Wok
  • one or two baking sheets: 9 x 13 inches, 13 x 18 inches
  • baking dishes: cake pan, 8 x 8-inch dish
  • steamer or steaming basket
  • 2 mesh strainers — small and big
  • Colander
  • 3 mixing bowls: small medium and large (stainless steel or glass)
  • Cutting board
  • A set of good knives — these will completely change your kitchen experience!
  • Mortar and pestle
  • Microplane
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Stainless steel measuring spoons
  • Stainless steel measuring cups
  • 2 mixing spoons
  • Spatula
  • Soup ladle
  • Whisk
  • Nut milk bag or cotton gauze
  • Jars for storing grains, legumes and spices
  • Glass storage containers
  • Coffee grinder or Nutribullet
Electronic appliances
  • Heavy duty blender like a Vitamix — if you’re cooking for 1 or even 2, a Nutribullet will suffice, but if you’re cooking for a family you’ll need something bigger
  • Food processor — not necessary, but very convenient
  • Instapot or Vitaclay

Reflective Questions

  1. Examine the kitchen knife you use most often: are you happy with its quality, the way it feels in your hand, and its sharpness? If not, what can you do to make it work better for you?
  2. Make your wish list of kitchen tools and appliances. Give away any tools and appliances you don’t need or use.
  3. Are you in the habit of using measuring tools? If so, what do you like about this? If not, how might this improve your dishes?