
A Beautifully Mediocre Mamas 8 Kitchen Essentials.
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If your house is anything like mine, the kitchen is where everything goes down. The cooking, crying, meltdowns, bill paying, hotwheel car racing, important life changing conversations, anything and everything happens in the kitchen. I feel like I spend a majority of my time there and I’m ok with it, I feel content. It’s where I enjoy my coffee in the morning, where I bake banana bread, cook meals for my family, and where I write 90% of my blog posts after my son is asleep.
I have probably a few too many kitchen gadgets… please tell me I’m not alone? But a handful of those items I actually use all the time and couldn’t live without, eight of them to be exact. I tried rounding it up or down… but I found myself taking out essentials or adding things just for the sake of getting to a nice number like ten… so I said to hell with it, eight it is:) Here are this Beautifully Mediocre Mamas eight kitchen essentials:)
1. Pioneer Woman Mixing Bowls
I am so in love with these mixing bowls, its a little ridiculous. Ree Drummond is my spirit animal. We got them as a wedding gift and I use at least one of them almost daily. They are sturdy and high quality, come in 5 different sizes, each with a lid, and are freaking adorable<3 I love them so much, I even used them to serve several dishes at my wedding!
2. Coffee Pot with Reusable Filter
This isn’t the exact coffee pot I have but it’s similar! Apparently they don’t make mine anymore? But anyways, reusable filters. Maybe you are all far ahead of me but I had no idea, until about 2 years ago, that they were really even a thing. You never have to worry about running out of coffee filters and you can be more eco friendly, it’s a win win!
3. Immersion Blender
I put an immersion blender on our wedding registry with one dish in mind, my roasted butternut squash soup. Aside from that, I wasn’t really sureΒ when in the hell I would use it. But I can assure you, I have found so many more uses for it since then! It is great for everything from salsas to homemade hummus! Basically anything I would need a blender, or even food processor for, I can use my immersion blender. A much less bulky thing to pull from the cupboard and with half the cleanup.
4. Cast Iron Skillet
A good cast iron skillet is really an indispensable tool in the kitchen. It took me awhile to really get the hang of keeping mine seasoned, but once you get it right, there’s no going back. I know have 3 different sizes and use them for everything from breakfast to desserts!
5. Dutch Oven
If you’ve taken a look around my blog at all than you know, I am obsessed with my dutch oven. I use it several times a week. Perfect for making a crap ton of soup on the stove or low and slow roasts in the oven. Since it’s cast iron, it holds the perfect temperature and will keep things warm forever! If you’re looking for a few recipes to break yours in, check out my roasted butternut squash soup and veggie chili!
6. Nonstick Silicone Baking Mats
Ok, if I’m being completely honest, these were one of those gifts I stuck on our wedding registry because I needed more items on the wedding registry. Don’t judge, you all did it. I’m not a huge baker so I really didn’t think they would get a ton of use, but I have surprised myself. I have used these countless times since our wedding, for everything from baking cookies to roasting chicken legs! Eco friendly because you aren’t wasting tin foil or parchment paper, super reasonably priced, and very easy to clean!
7. Large Bamboo Cutting Board
I have always enjoyed cooking. But not until after I had Everest and became a stay at home mama did I really start meal planning and using as much fresh produce as possible! I now use my big cutting board CONSTANTLY! And I love bamboo because it is dense so it resists absorbing water, and has antimicrobial properties!
8. Cuisinart Knives
These knives were a gift from a dear friend of ours and I seriously love them. I love not having them in a block on the counter, which is what I had for many years of my adult life. Mostly because I feel like it’s safer with a wild toddler climbing all over the house, but also because who in the world has room on their counters for yet another thing? Not me. I love the sleeves because it is yet another barrier between my kid and the actual knife, the colors are super fun, and they work great!
Hopefully something on this list speaks to you or is just what you’ve been looking for:) Or maybe you’re like me and you don’t really need any of it but Amazon Prime often gets the best of you… Either way, these are the essentials in my kitchen, I’d love to hear what some of yours are!
XoXo,
The Beautifully Mediocre Mama


12 Comments
cendu
You’ve curated a great list of essentials for any mama. I’m still gathering things as a I go, I need me a filter-less coffee maker, my old one just broke and I’m currently boiling and straining coffee like some kinda pioneer. Thanks for the great ideas.
MaloreyMB
Thank you! Hahaha ya gotta do what you gotta do to get that coffee mama! I hear ya there, I’m currently on my second cup of the day! And I LOVE my filter-less coffee pot, so convenient and one less thing to remember to put on my grocery list!
Kristie| Girl Mom Chaos
Yes, yes, yes to the coffee pot with the re-usable filter! Love ours. I need a new cutting board so I’m going to check out that bamboo one! Thanks for sharing this list.
MaloreyMB
I love the reusable filter! So convenient! And bamboo cutting boards are where it’s at, we have had ours for several years and its holding up like its brand new still:)
Raina Ross
Those cuisinart knives are life! This is such a great list… why have I never heard of the silicone baking mats?!?!?!
MaloreyMB
Oh girl you need yourself some silicone baking mats! Game changer, nothing will ever stick again!
Marna Altman
What a great list of essentials. Honestly my favorite part is all the happy and alive patterns and colors. Cooking and dishes must be a lot less of a chore with these products. I love a standard item with a twist that makes me smile.
MaloreyMB
Thank you! And I completely agree, we spend so much time in the kitchen, might as well make it bright and inviting!
Lachelle
I love love love kitchen gadgets and tools so this post is right up my alley. I some things on this list already like the dutch oven and the cast iron skillet. I’m in the market for colorful knives and mixing bowls. I love how bright items pep up the kitchen.
MaloreyMB
These mixing bowls are seriously my favorite thing in my kitchen, so adorable and amazing quality! And they are so cute that you can serve right out of them as well, less dishes!
Amanda
Iβve been trying to get my coffee pot again (my husband is against caffeine lol) I manage pretty well but the cold months make me long for my coffee! Cast iron is definitely an essential for me though. Great list!
MaloreyMB
I love me a good cup of coffee on a chilly morning!