What is a Capsule Kitchen? Must-Have Gear for the Perfect Capsule Kitchen | Gear Heads

You've heard of a capsule wardrobe. Enter: a capsule kitchen. Hannah and Lisa walk you through the core basic essentials that will allow you to do the most recipes with the least gear.

Hannah:

Lisa:

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[shigemorif]

I would say one essential thing to consider is what cuisine do you typically cook. I was brought up with Japanese food and primarily cook that cuisine along with Korean and Chinese. So, cooking chopsticks are a must (both the longer ones and everyday ones) and essentially replace the tongs. Also, I would opt for a different type of skillet and a rice cooker is a must. So I think consider what you normally cook first and then make your decisions. Oh, also a strainer! lol.

[VioletPhoenix]

I’d be really interested in a Part 2 video. If these items are your base pieces, what would be your tier 2 items (in clothing terms, your accessories)? I’d have a blender, a food processor, a paring knife, a serrated knife, a sheet pan, a solid cooking spoon, a slotted spoon or spider, food storage containers, and a scale as my tier 2 items.

[stevyd]

I remember when I moved from the college dorm to my first apt. in 1977. My first cooking purchase was an 8" cast iron skillet. I still use it often. Now I'm downsizing out of the family home (since 1953) and I found my great grandma's 12" cast iron covered chicken fryer hiding in the basement. A bit forlorn but 3 hours later, a bit of steel wool, oil, and some hot oven time, it's good as new.

[DanteYewToob]

You know why Oxo always wins, because they actually accept criticism and change. They actually watch reviews and listen to feedback and adjust accordingly.

I bought an Oxo product from Amazon and it came broken and my mom called the Oxo number instead of the Amazon link and they sent us a new one for free as well as a discount code for our inconvenience even though it was the shipping that broke it. Hands down the best customer service we’ve ever had but what truly blew me away was when we told them it broke, they didn’t send us to some customer service rep, we were immediately transferred to a department that handles that stuff and they asked how it broke, where it broke, if it was being used… etc. they made an effort to understand so they could potentially improve the product. That’s really freaking cool!


So yeah, Oxo wins all the time because they actually care and they make tools for restaurants and chefs who use them hard and often!

To be honest Oxo reminds me of some motorcycle gear companies, because some companies; if you crash in the gear - will replace it for free if you send them the gear you crashed in so they can analyze the helmets, stitching, pads… etc to see how it wears, where it breaks… etc. a bunch of the big brands do that. It seems Oxo is doing the equivalent for food equipment which is awesome!

[CarrieMtn]

As a person who travels in a camper- it is important to have a capsule kitchen. I also have a kettle- easier to pour hot water. And a jelly roll sheet pan with a silpat liner, a pair of kitchen scissors, a veggie peeler and a blender. That’s about it.

[NeonSonOfXenon]

So I kind of had my own little capsule kitchen when I used to go bike packing. It was:
A wok, which could serve as a saucepan, a saute pan, a skillet, a stockpot, and so much more
A flat wooden lid for the wok which I used as a cutting board
A long handled spatula
A Chinese chef knife, which is like a chef knife but rectangular. Nice for scooping and tenderizing in addition to chopping, slicing, etc
A plastic measuring cup I found at a thrift shop, which I also used for mixing
A pair of chopsticks, which I used as tongs, a whisk, and for eating.
A small butane camping stove

Most of it was able to fit into the wok and pack neatly into one of my pannier bags along with some seasonings and oil. I usually did my cooking at picnic areas with food from local markets, mostly sautes, steamed meals, and braises. Nothing super fancy, but it was a lot of fun

[potapotapotapotapotapota]

The way I figured this out was to compile a list of my favourite common recipes and identify all the equipment used in each of them. Then I tallied the recurrence of each piece of equipment and found out what was used all the time.

Coming in at number 1 was bowls, then chopping boards, chef's knife, cup measures, measuring scale and jug, whisk, scraping spatula, normal spatula, pans, sieve, tongs, takeaway containers, paper towels, forks and spoons. And for appliances you've got stovetop, oven and fridge.

[lsamoa]

You'll need a sauce pan and a colander too, I can't imagine a kitchen without these

[MsShaunaM]

If I were to add one more item to make a baker's dozen, if you will, it would be a digital scale. It greatly improves accuracy when baking.

I will also admit that I have a cast iron addiction. A great place to look for cast iron is at an antiques and second-hand shops. It may be in rough shape, but a little elbow grease and patience will bring it back to like-new condition.

[dulcie]

I would include a good sheet pan. I use mine often and love it.
P.s. I use cast iron pans as well. I love them. 💗

[AmyAnnetteHenion]

This video came just in time – I’m outfitting my very first apartment kitchen from scratch and this helps immensely!

[SnickersWasHere]

I actually had to ponder this question myself when I moved into my apartment after losing everything. There are some things that I found to also be essential.

A whisk, a wooden spoon, a wine key, a peeler, a sieve, a colander, a baking sheet (with parchment and aluminum foil to match), a saucepan, and I also picked up a large pestle & mortar. One could argue that the pestle & mortar isn't essential, but if you find yourself making thai curry paste, jerk chicken sauce, grinding whole spices, making pesto's, and overall needing whole things ground up into pastes/sauces, it's an essential if you don't have a food processor, spice grinder, or blender.

The only thing I actually felt like I forgot when I moved in was butcher's twine and a toaster.

[Lizzy]

I would add three things to your excellent list of kitchen essentials. A good paring knife because a huge chef's knife just cannot do what a paring knife can - I use mine constantly. I would add a stainless steel skillet option to the list to cook those acidic (tomato-based and citrus-based) dishes that should not be cooked in cast iron. And finally, a saucepan (about 2 or 3 quarts). How could anybody get along without a simple saucepan? It is the single most used pan in my kitchen. More equipment reviews, please ladies, I love them.

[anitaroberts]

One more vote for a good sheet pan being a must. This is a good list. The Le Creuset is out of my price range but I'm quite satisfied w/ the Lodge Dutch oven (same size) that I got on sale for $75. I, too, am a fan of Oxo kitchen gear.

[Spacecadet]

Been following ATK since 2011 and I am happy to say that I have every single item they presented here! The only thing I would add for a capsule kitchen is a sheet pan, they are so versatile and I use them all the time. ( I also have the ATK recommended sheet pans, hah)

[elizabethdirks]

Must have been a couple years by now when I bought the DiOro spatula after watching your spatula review video. It truly is the best spatula I have ever used. After A LOT of use, it did have a corner come off (while dishwashing?), so I contacted DiOro and they sent me a new one within the week! Because they honored their guarantee, I bought their flat pancake spatula along with it because, although I trust your review that metal fish one is great, nothing can ever bring me to put a metal spatula into any cookware. 😊 Thanks Lisa, Hanna, and ATK team.

[trublgrl]

I don't have a cooking channel and people think I'm sponsored by Oxo. I recommend just about every Oxo product I own as the best I've ever had, from paring knife to salad spinner to spatulas of all types, Oxo just puts more effort into creating the most useful and well-thought out product designs.

[Hiker_who_Sews]

I love that my set of dry measuring cups includes 2/3 and 3/4.

[stephaniehannar]

A kitchen scale. Game changer. Like the thermometer I thought of it as a luxury item. Love my Best Buy oxo one. Love oxo everything that I have from your videos. Thank you!!

[Jay-ezjd]

Yes, I have to say, every Oxo product I’ve ever used is top notch. They do have some good products