When I shared the list of what I’m loving the other week, a lot of people asked for a full pantry & kitchen staples list.
If you’re refreshing your kitchen for spring or helping someone set up a new apartment, these are my go-to’s in every category to keep your kitchen running smoothly and make cooking enjoyable.
I’m starting with my pantry staples—if you’re looking for tools and equipment recommendations, scroll down!
Pantry Staples
Spices & Seasonings
We get a lot of spices at the shuk in Israel and store them in the fridge. I’ve linked my favorite brands for you here!
Black Peppercorns
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Oregano
Ground Cumin
Ground Turmeric
Za’atar
Oils & Vinegars
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Avocado Oil (or another neutral oil)
Toasted Sesame Oil
Coconut Oil
White Vinegar
Rice Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Pantry
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce, most likely Rao’s to make magic sauce
Rice
Dried Pasta in shapes my kids will eat
Chickpeas
Medjool Dates, for desserts
Vegetable Broth - love Bonafide
Honey
Dry Goods
All-Purpose Flour
Bread Flour (Adi uses this for sourdough, you may not need it!)
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Whole Oats
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Dark Chocolate Chips
Nuts & Seeds
Raw, unsalted cashews
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds, I like a black & white mix
Sliced Almonds
Fridge & Freezer Staples
White Miso Paste - this can usually be found near the tofu in the refrigerated section near produce. Essential for miso vinaigrette.
Dijon Mustard
Mayonnaise
Tamari or Soy Sauce
Maple Syrup
Pickles, Olives, and/or Capers
Homemade Bone Broth (freezer)
Sourdough Bread, we store it in the freezer
Pita, we buy it fresh and usually eat it immediately, but you can store it in the freezer
Tortillas are a great freezer staple! Just warm them up in a frying pan.
On My Regular Grocery List
Every week I fill my cart with these staples and then think about what else we’ll need for meals for the week.
Fridge & Freezer
Mini Cucumbers
Whole Milk Cottage Cheese
Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, parsley, dill)
Eggs - My kids eat a LOT of them (in this economy 😅)
Small mozzarella balls to pack in lunches
Garlic
Lemons
Onions and/or shallots
Red Bell Peppers for lunches and salads
Frozen Edamame
RISE Cold Brew, which now has a home in my drink fridge
Pantry
Grains - Farro, Freekeh, Bulgur, Quinoa, Lentils
Nori - My youngest likes to eat it with salmon and rice
Soba Noodles
Jarred Artichokes
Canned Tuna
Breadcrumbs
GroundUp Nut Butter - My nut butter of choice! Use MELISSA10 to get 10% off your first order.
Kitchen Staples
Knives & Other Blades
THE Knife - This cleaver-like knife is what I reach for most often. It’s great for everything, from microchopping salads to cutting meat.
My Favorite Knife of the Moment - I’ve been loving this one recently for chopping just about everything.
Paring Knife - Great for cutting smaller or fewer produce.
Serrated Knife - I love this little one for cutting bread and tomatoes.
Tomato Knife - Like the above, great for thinly slicing ripe summer tomatoes and bread.
Kitchen Scissors - A good pair that can do anything (cut herbs, break down meat, cut pizza) is so helpful in the kitchen.
Mandoline - Watch your fingers!
Microplane - How I make dressings bursting with garlic but without huge pieces.
Y Peeler - A good peeler is essential.
Cooking Tools
Wooden Utensils - These are great on all cookware and are perfect for soups and sautés.
Wooden Tongs - I use these for just about everything, including toast and meatballs.
Long Metal Tweezers - Same as above.
Metal Tongs - Great for toast or mixing salads.
Pastry Brush - Get just the right amount of oil on roasted veggies with an easy-to-clean brush.
Whisk - I love the grip on this handle.
Salad Spinner - Perfectly wash and dry everything, like lettuce, herbs, leeks, and more.
Citrus Juicer - My favorite!
Can Opener - Adi bought this for me so I’d stop cutting myself on the one we had.
Spatula - Scrape everything out of a bowl, blender, or food processor.
Bench Scraper - A great mess-free way to transfer chopped onions, carrots, garlic, etc. from board to pan.
Mixing Bowls - Good, lightweight mixing bowls make cooking and cleaning so much easier.
Cutting Board - I use this wooden board most of the time; for meat and beets (anything that would stain my big block), I use this board. A good wooden cutting board is a great housewarming gift!
Measuring Spoons - Or just measure with your heart.
Pots & Pans
Stainless Steel Pan - I use this for just about everything. It’s great on the stove and in the oven.
Griddle - Perfect for pancakes!
Baking Sheets - My go-to bakeware for just about anything.
Muffin Tin - A must-have in my kitchen.
Braiser - A deeper pan like this is great for one-pot meals and braising meat.
Stock Pot - For soups and stocks.
Square Pan - I use mine for snacking cakes, brownies, and blondies.
Organization & Cleaning
POP Containers - These keep everything in my pantry perfectly fresh. Great for all dry goods!
Jars - We get a lot of spices from the shuk in Israel, so it’s great to transfer them from bags into containers.
Turntables - These hold SO much. I use mine for various olive oils, vinegar, and other bottles in my cabinet and pantry to make them easy to find.
Sponges - These sponges are a lifesaver to get stuck-on grease off my stainless steel. (And they’re made by my dad!)
Appliances
Food Processor - I love that this has a smaller footprint than larger food processors so it doesn’t take up as much space.
Blender - I use this every day; it’s a great investment. If you want something smaller, I also like this one.
Stand Mixer - A must-have if you want to bake a lot of bread, cookies, etc.
Hand Mixer - Requires more attention than the stand mixer but great for shredding chicken.
Air Fryer - Having this is like having an extra oven—which makes cooking so much faster and easier.
Kettle - Ours is electric, so we can keep the stovetop open while we cook (and it looks great on the counter).
Pizza Oven - This is more of a nice-to-have than a must-have, but we LOVE ours if you have the space.
Drink Fridge - Like the above, if you have space this is great (and frees up space in your fridge).
Need more recommendations? Throw it in the chat!
YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Ahh Thank you my brain can work a little less this week. We LOVE you!!!
Still want to know why the markers get thrown out ??? 🤔🤔🤔