When I first began a vegan diet, I wasn’t sure what I was going to need in my vegan kitchen to cook healthier – and EASIER.
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Vegan cooking is often seen as difficult and time-consuming. But with these basic vegan kitchen essentials, you’ll find that cooking vegan is actually easier than ever!
These kitchen tools will make plant-based cooking much simpler for you. You don’t need a lot of fancy gadgets, these basic tools will get you started and keep you going for a long time.
Over the last five years of cooking vegan, I’ve collected kitchen appliances and tools that I use every single day!
They have been game-changers and they make vegan cooking very simple. I couldn’t live without these essential kitchen tools now.
I wish I would’ve had a list like this in the beginning so I knew what I needed. And, what I’d be using most frequently for vegan cooking.
What are the most essential vegan kitchen tools?
- Good Knives
- Blender
- Instant Pot
- Spiralizer
- Glass Containers
- Stasher Bags
- Large Food Processor
- Small Food Processor
- Vegetable Steamer
- Cutting Boards
- Small Blender
- Silicone Mats
- Great Colanders
- Salad Spinner
- Baking Trays
- Vegetable Peeler
- Spice Grinder
1. Good Knives (A great chef’s knife!)
This is THE most important tool in the kitchen! We’ve tried a few different knives and finally, have our favorite. The Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife is the go-to knife in our house. We love it and hope you will too!
It’s very important to keep it sharp to not cut yourself when it gets a bit dull. Using a dull knife can be very unsafe! The sharper it is, the safer it is. We use the Chef’s Choice Electric Knife Sharpening Station for all of our knife sharpening and it works great!
A good knife for cooking will not slip or slide on the food, making it so much easier to cut veggies.
A firmly gripped chef’s knife is also much less likely to slip off a cutting board than an unevenly weighted knife without a comfortable handle. The Chef’s knife is definitely the most essential kitchen tool.
2. Blender
There are so many blenders on the market! But, not all of them can grind up seeds and nuts to make creamy sauces such as hummus, pureed pumpkin for pie filling, spices for curry blends, and make perfect smoothies! it’s an ideal vegan kitchen essential – we all need one!
A high-speed blender with at least 700 watts of power is recommended for making creamy nut cheeses, sauces, and desserts that require lots of creaming or blending power.
The blender I use is the Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender. I’ve had it for a few years now and am obsessed with it! I use it for smoothies, soups, and sauces and have never had any problems. It’s an essential part of my kitchen, and very important for making healthy food!
Especially for smoothies. What would I do if I couldn’t quickly blend a green smoothie?
3. Instant Pot
You can create all sorts of delicious vegan main dishes in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. I often make chili, soup, curry, beans, and rice. You can also whip up potatoes, steamed vegetables, or saute right inside the inner pot.
Here are 11 of my favorite Instant Pot recipes!
It’s important to have these essential tools in your kitchen for a plant-based diet because they will help make healthy cooking easy, simple, and quick. And if it’s EASY, we’ll do it!
This is a big purchase. It took me a while to pull the trigger and buy one! I read many articles about Instant pot cooking and all of the benefits before buying one. Benefits such as quicker meals, one-pot cooking, less clean-up, healthy meals in a jiffy, and meals with lots of flavors locked in. Plus, I end up with lots of leftovers for additional healthy meals!
The one I bought and am SO happy with is the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, 6 quart.
It took me a bit of time but I finally bought it! And, this kitchen tool has been a game-changer. Once you have a few meals lined up that you make all the time, you’re good to go! It takes a little bit of practice to use it properly.
Before you know it, you’re a pro and can whip up a healthy dinner quickly and easily. The Instant Pot is a vegan must-have in the kitchen.
This post is all about the best vegan kitchen essentials.
4. Spiralizer
Replacing some of your pasta dishes with zucchini or sweet potatoes in “noodle” form is an instant, easy way to eat more vegetables!
Once you use a spiralizer, you won’t remember life before you had it!
I use my Spiralizer 7-Blade Vegetable Slicer mostly for warm dishes of zucchini noodles swirled with a yummy sauce like a tomato sauce or my favorite Vegan Alfredo Sauce. Sometimes, I’ll make a big batch of zucchini noodles and add them cold to salads. It’s definitely one of my top vegan kitchen essentials to recommend.
5. Glass Containers
I have been converting my plastic containers to glass over time and I truly love them! I love containers that seal very well. I definitely notice a difference when a container doesn’t seal tightly. Food just doesn’t stay as fresh and occasionally has made my fridge smelly.
Glass containers are the way to go for the most freshness!
I’m picky about these containers and like good ones. The glass containers I’ve chosen are the Amazon Basic Glass Locking Lids Food Storage Containers. They are my favorite so far!
6. Stasher Bags
I made the switch to Stasher bags (from ziplock bags) and am so happy that I did. They keep food very fresh and are so incredibly easy to use! They’re dishwasher safe which makes them even more likable.
7. Large Food Processor
Before I started a vegan, plant-based diet, I hardly used a food processor. Now, I use it all the time and it’s one of the most helpful and vegan essential kitchen tools I own! It’s a wonderful veggie chopper and whips vegan sauces together perfectly.
My favorite food processor (and the one I recommend!) is the Hamilton Beach 12-cup Stack & Snap Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, it’s the best!
8. Small Food Processor
The small food processor is perfect for dicing vegetables, making salsa, guacamole, and delicious plant-based dressings. Some people use it for peppercorns and nutmeg as well.
I use this small food processor mostly to chop veggies and make sauces and dressings! Which is very often! Making this kitchen tool one of my most favorite. My “go-to” small food processor is the Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor.
This post is all about the best vegan kitchen essentials.
9. Vegetable Steamer
A good vegetable steamer is one of the first things I bought on my vegan plant-based journey. And, I use it practically every day!
Steaming vegetables is one of the healthiest ways to cook them so it was important to me to have a great vegetable steamer. I use it so often, that I should probably have a few of them! My favorite vegetable steamer is this Oster Steamer Stainless Steel Cookware.
10. Cutting Boards
I’m obsessed with having the best cutting boards! The OXO Good Grips are my favorite cutting boards because they don’t slide on the counter and aren’t heavy! I love how sturdy and lightweight they are. These are at the top of the list for vegan kitchen essentials in my book.
11. Small Blender
This is the ultimate smaller-sized blender, the Ninja 400-Watt Blender/Food Processor (48-ounce pitcher and 16-ounce chopper bowl) It’s ideal for sauces, dressings, and even smoothies.
I make a lot of buddha bowls and veggie bowls for dinner and love to whip up a sauce to add to the veggie bowl!
This little blender is so perfect for that and is super easy to clean! I use it all the time and highly recommend it.
12. Silicone Mats
These non-stick silicone mats were recommended to me a few years ago, and now I can’t imagine cooking without them!
I use them all the time for baking veggies and potatoes in the oven. They eliminate the need for additional oil or parchment paper, making it a healthier way to bake!
13. Great Colanders
Great colanders didn’t seem like a big deal until I started eating a vegan plant-based diet.
Continuously washing vegetables, beans, lentils, sprouts, and rice made me realize that not only did I need amazing colanders but I needed multiple sizes! The best colanders are the OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless Steel. They’re sturdy and don’t slip around in the sink!
14. Salad Spinner
Oh, my favorite thing! A great salad spinner is very important if you’re eating a lot of mixed greens. (like I do!)
I wash so many greens on a regular basis that it’s definitely an essential kitchen tool! The OXO Good Grips Large Salad Spinner is my spinner of choice. It’s the best! Definitely a vegan staple for begininers.
15. Baking Trays
Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them, especially for the holidays or special occasions. Roasting really brings out the flavor of the vegetables and adds a savory flavor to them. These Wilton Easy Layers Sheet Cake pans are my favorite pans to use! Sturdy and heavy, they last forever and do a great job!
This post is all about the best vegan kitchen essentials.
16. Vegetable Peeler
A great vegetable peeler is super important to have in your kitchen. I’ve had a few that were terrible, and it not only made it harder to peel veggies, but it’s dangerous. You don’t want a vegetable peeler injury!
When you have a great vegetable peeler, your potatoes and carrots are done in a jiffy and with ease and comfort. This OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler is my favorite one. Easy to hold and use, and it stays sharp!
This post is all about the best vegan kitchen essentials.
17. Spice Grinder
Surprisingly, you can use your coffee grinder to grind up spices like cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cumin, and more! For this, we like the Hamilton Beach Fresh Grind Electric Coffee Grinder.
Yes, it’s a coffee grinder but does a fabulous job on spices too!
There are so many vegan kitchen tools that can make cooking easier, but it’s important to know which ones you need and what they’re used for.
By investing in the right equipment, you’ll find yourself preparing healthy meals with ease. My hope is that this article has piqued your interest in vegan cooking and this list of vegan kitchen essentials helps to make it easier!
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