What Every Kitchen Needs: According to Ina Garten

We've been talking a lot about essential kitchen equipment during the Kitchen Cure, encouraging you to jettison things you don't need and to make sure you do have the right equipment to make cooking a pleasure and not a pain. Of course, cooking gear is very subjective, according to how and what you cook. It's fun to hear what different cooks consider essential. Here is another list from the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten.

Ina Garten's list is definitely high-end, but still quite short. We like her style a lot — it can basically be summed up as: when you are in a place to afford it, buy a few high quality pots and pans, knives, and good kitchen appliances. She recommends a set of All-Clad pans, Wusthof knives, half-sheet pans from the restaurant supply store (I love mine!), a KitchenAid mixer, and just a few other things.

You can see her whole list here:

• Checklist for What Every House Needs - Kitchen Essentials by Ina Garten at House Beautiful

Also check out these other kitchen-related lists:
• Tabletop Essentials from Peri Wolfman
• Cleaning Essentials from Donna Smallin

(Images: House Beautiful; Sur La Table)

Comments (5)

I have the Williams-Sonoma glass bowls that Garten mentions. They're workhorses! I've used them nearly every day for the past seven years and there's nary a chip or crack. They're great for serving, too.

posted by heather77 on May 1st 2009 at 11:22am
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Just in case people are looking for cookware...Sur La Table seems to be having a sale on All Clad MC2.

posted by maggie (p/c) on May 1st 2009 at 11:33am
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scratch the brand names and i'm down with that list completely :)

posted by kdkaboom on May 1st 2009 at 12:58pm
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I like it that she has no gadgets on her list.

posted by rosebud on May 1st 2009 at 2:10pm
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list is fine, except for the knife sharpener. i was always under the impression that you should get your knives sharpened professionally.

posted by the chuck on May 1st 2009 at 5:12pm
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