6 Tips to Creating a Minimalist Kitchen

Even if you don’t cook as much as you’d like to, your kitchen is still one of the most-used rooms in your home. Which is precisely why simplifying this space is one of the best decisions you could ever make.

And yet, unfortunately, the pressure to clutter up our kitchens is real. Every day, we’re inundated with images of the latest cookware and gadgets; every day, we feel the pressure to keep piling up our kitchens with more stuff – even when we likely have zero room to spare.

Making the choice to have a clutter-free kitchen will make you happier. Trust us on this one!

When you invest in quality cookware (as opposed to quantity) and only keep the gadgets and appliances that you truly use, you’ll be so thankful for the space that this creates in your life. A minimalist kitchen looks cleaner, more chic, and more Zen than a kitchen crammed with junk.

Get inspired to keep the clutter at bay, for good: follow our easy, tried-and-true tips for creating a minimalist kitchen.

1) Dump your microwave

Sure, you may find yourself initially balking at this tip. You may be thinking, Get rid of my microwave? I may as well get rid of my refrigerator! But, here’s the thing: you can get by just fine without it… we promise.

Your stovetop or oven can do everything that your microwave does. And, bonus: your food will taste better. It’s true! Microwaves may heat your meals faster than the oven or stovetop, but they also zap your food of its flavor and quality. Not only this, but by giving up your microwave, you’ll undoubtedly be inspired to cook more and eat less processed, pre-packaged food.

So, try going without your microwave for a few weeks – you may be surprised at how easy it is to exist without one.

2) Say no to too many knives

If you’re anything like most people, you currently have approximately 27 knives nestled in your kitchen drawers and on your countertop.

There’s the knife set that Aunt Betty gifted you for your wedding, the assortment of knives from Target from your college days, and the 6-7 bread knives you’ve somehow accumulated over the years. And yet, despite having all these cutting tools to choose from, you probably use 3 of them, at most.

Because, unless you’re in culinary school (or maybe not even then), you don’t need more knives – you need better knives. Invest in a quality chef’s knife (one that doesn’t come from Bed, Bath and Beyond), a paring knife, and a bread knife – and get rid of that clunky knife set on your counter, for good!

3) Only keep dishware that you use

No, we’re not advocating for throwing out all your grandmother’s china. But, we are saying that you should only keep dishes that you use – most of us don’t need to have 25-30 plates cluttering our cabinets or four different kinds of wine glasses.

In truth, you only need enough dishes for as many people as there are in your family: 2-3 glasses per person is plenty. Take the time to figure out which dishes you don’t use, and schlep them to Goodwill ASAP.

4) Get rid of your extra gadgets

It’s time to get to know the difference between essential kitchen gadgets and superfluous ones.

For instance: while a vegetable peeler comes in handy, a garlic press’s value is debatable, at best. And, real talk: why would one ever need an avocado slicer, when a simple knife does the trick just fine?

The more technologically advanced our world becomes, the more high-tech kitchen gadgets seem to be popping up everywhere. We get it – there’s serious pressure to own a KitchenAid mixer (even if you never bake), and when it seems like everyone else has an egg separator, you should get one too, right? Wrong.

So many of the gadgets in our kitchens today never even see the light of day, simply because they serve no purpose. When it comes to gadgets, simple is best, and quality matters most.

5) Pare down your cookware

We’ve all seen that friend or family member’s insanely equipped kitchen – the one that looks like it should be featured on a Food Network cooking show. But, chances are: they’re not using half that stuff!

That’s because, when it comes to cookware, there isn’t a whole lot that you need. One cutting board is plenty; you really don’t need one in every size and shape. And, while most of us have an array of various pots and pans, there are just a few key items that you really need: one large stock pot, a Dutch oven, a cast iron pan, and a couple other frying pans and sauce pots of varying sizes.

If you want to get crazy, you could even throw a wok in that mix. But, otherwise, you don’t need to crowd your space with dozens of pots and pans. Invest in a few high-quality items, and throw out that tagine that you never use.

6) Store items appropriately

Storage is everything in a minimalist kitchen. Once you’ve gotten rid of all the unnecessary junk that’s been crowding your kitchen for years, it’s time to figure out how to store the items you do have. Get creative!

Build a spice rack for attractively storing all your spices (and take this time to throw out any expired or unused items!), go through your pantry and store items in sleek glass canisters, or invest in a hanging pot rack. Now’s the time to figure out how to most effectively store your items, to help create space and ease in your kitchen.