Essential Kitchen Appliances: What I Keep, What I Let Go, and How I Decide

As a mom of five, feeding my family is a big part of my day-to-day life. Between breakfasts, lunches, after-school snacks, and dinners (plus second dinners for the teens), I’m in my kitchen a lot. But that doesn’t mean I’m stockpiling every kitchen gadget under the sun.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to simplify what I use—and just as importantly, what I don’t. This blog post is all about the essential kitchen appliances I keep in my home, the ones I’ve decluttered, and how I decide what’s worth the space.

Because just like with toys, clothes, and paperwork… too many kitchen gadgets can make things feel overwhelming. And we’re not about that life here. But before I share mine with you…

How to Decide What Kitchen Appliances to Keep (and What to Let Go)

If your counters and cabinets are overflowing with gadgets, here’s how I recommend making decisions:

1. Ask: Do I actually use this?

If you haven’t used it in over a year, it’s probably not essential.

2. Does it fit in your space?

This is huge. If something is crowding your counters or causing cabinet chaos, it’s probably not worth it.

3. Does it serve more than one purpose?

Multi-use tools usually win out over single-task gadgets.

4. Is it simplifying your life—or making it harder?

If it’s more work to pull it out, clean it, and put it back than it is to do the task by hand… it might be time to let it go.

The Kitchen Appliances I Actually Use (and Love)

Let’s start with what’s in my kitchen right now—and why it earned a spot.

1. Magic Mill Dehydrator

This was one of my most recent purchases and I’m obsessed. I make bulk batches of fruit leather, dried apples, and other snacks using frozen organic fruit from Costco. It’s healthy, affordable, and a hit with my kids.

I’ve tried using my oven to dehydrate, but it never worked right. This dehydrator is quiet, efficient, and has six trays for big batch prep. You can read my full review [here].

2. KitchenAid Stand Mixer (with Ice Cream + Flour Mill Attachments)

This was gifted to us in 2020—during peak “everyone is baking” times. At first, I thought it would just take up space. But now? I use it almost daily.

Whipped cream
Homemade ice cream
Grinding wheat berries into flour
Mixing dough, batters, and everything in between

It’s fun, useful, and surprisingly kid-friendly. This is one appliance I will never get rid of.

3. Large Wok & Skillet

We use these for nearly every meal—especially the wok. Stir fries, sautéed veggies, fried rice, and even scrambled eggs for a crowd all happen here. No fuss, easy to clean, and durable.

4. Blender

It’s a staple. Smoothies, protein shakes, crepes, pancake batter—you name it. Especially in the summer, our blender is working overtime.

We love the ninja. They have sent us a few replacement parts for free over the years.

5. Hand Mixer

Great for when I don’t want to pull out the stand mixer. Smaller batches of cookies or quick whipped cream get done fast.

I don’t use it often, because we mainly use the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. But it’s great to have on hand for quick mixes or when the stand mixer is is use.

6. Griddle

For a long time I resisted the idea of owning one. “Why would I need a griddle when I have pans?” But now? It’s one of my favorite kitchen appliances.

We’re a big family with big appetites. The griddle helps me whip up grilled cheese, pancakes, French toast, and crepes fast and in bulk. Totally worth the space.

7. Toaster & Coffee Maker

Nothing fancy here for the toaster. Just the basics we use every day. Toast. Easy.

Coffee Maker? EXTRA fancy now. Not a requirement and definitely a splurge for us, avid coffee snobs.

The Kitchen Appliances I Don’t Have (and Don’t Miss)

Sometimes decluttering is just about realizing that simpler tools do the job just fine. Here are a few kitchen appliances I’ve intentionally let go of (or never brought into the house):

Crockpot – I know, it’s a classic. But we don’t use one. The Instapot kind of fills that role (more on that below), and I honestly prefer stovetop cooking.
Egg slicer, garlic press, apple slicer – A good knife and cutting board are all I need. These gadgets always felt like clutter to me.
Mini appliances that only do one job – I try to keep multi-use tools whenever possible.

Appliances I’m on the Fence About

Instapot

This one’s controversial. I own it… but I don’t love it.

Here’s why I keep it:

It fits in the space I have
It replaces a crockpot (kind of)
It works in a pinch for beans or soup

But I rarely use it. My family doesn’t like the texture of food that comes out of it, and I find it annoying to clean. That said, because it fits and isn’t causing chaos, it stays—for now.

Final Thoughts on Simplifying Your Kitchen

You don’t need every kitchen appliance under the sun to make homemade meals.

You just need the right ones. The ones you’ll use. The ones that support your season of life, your style of cooking, and the space you have. For me, it’s things like my dehydrator, my stand mixer, my wok, and my griddle.

If something’s just collecting dust, it’s okay to let it go—even if “everyone” says it’s essential.

You get to decide what essential kitchen appliances look like in your home.