13 things I don't keep in my kitchen as a chef

• I'm a professional chef, and there are several ingredients and appliances I keep out of my kitchen.
• I'm not a fan of premade things like powdered drink mixes, seasoning blends, and garlic paste.

As a professional chef, I've learned a lot about what I do and don't need in my kitchen.

Now that everyone seems to be discussing the best ways to downsize and declutter, I put together a list of the ingredients, basics, and appliances I don't buy.

Fresh fruit and herbs taste better than powdered drink mixes.

Powdered drink mixes often come in unsettling neon colors and have a lengthy list of ingredients.

But my top reason for steering clear of them is because it's easy to make delicious, naturally flavored drinks at home with fresh fruit, herbs, and good old water.

Generic white bread doesn't hold a candle to bakery loaves.

Bread isn't meant to last for days, and you shouldn't be able to squish a slice into a marble-sized ball between your palms.

I'm not saying everyone needs to make their own bread, but I think it's worth it to shell out a few extra dollars for the good stuff from a trusted bakery. You'll skip the added preservatives and enjoy a better-tasting loaf.

I never risk ruining a recipe with premade seasoning blends.

I prefer to make my own seasonings with the contents of my spice cabinet, rather than leave the flavor of my dish in the hands of a large-scale spice manufacturer.

In particular, store-bought blends that contain salt or sugar make it harder to maintain control of the final flavor of a dish.

I don't think tofu presses are a very necessary gadget.

I love crispy baked or pan-seared tofu as much as the next person, but you can press out the excess liquid all on your own — no single-use gadget necessary.

All you need to do is wrap the block in a clean dish towel and balance a heavy pot on top of it for a few minutes before cooking.

Silicone egg cups are cute, but they don't poach better than tried-and-true methods.

Colorful, rubbery egg cups are tiny, adorable, and fun-looking. Nevertheless, they don't have a place in my kitchen.

Eggs have been poached for centuries without getting silicone involved.

Fancy whisks with wire bulbs on the end actually make mixing harder.

Fancy, modern whisks — you know, the kind with a knob of tangled wire on the bottom — aren't for me.

That little lump prevents you from making contact with the bottom of your bowl or pan, essentially making the job of whisking impossible.

I avoid those and look for smooth-bottomed balloon whisks instead.

Fresh garlic is so much better than premade paste varieties.

Pre-mashed garlic is convenient. But when it comes to flavor, the tube stuff can't compare to freshly minced, smashed, or grated garlic.

The extra minute it takes to prepare fresh garlic for your meal is definitely worth it.

A serrated knife can do everything a bagel cutter claims to.

Maybe I just don't eat enough bagels, but I've found that a regular bread knife with a serrated edge does a great job of slicing them open.

I'll never need a special bagel cutter for that.

Salad dressing is one of the easiest things to make, so I don't buy premade bottles.

Making your own salad dressing shows your greens the respect they deserve.

If you have oil and any kind of vinegar on hand, you can whip up a tasty dressing in under two minutes. Bonus points if you add fresh garlic.

Food choppers are another waste of space in my kitchen drawers.

Multipurpose choppers and slicers lie somewhere in between a food processor (a highly useful appliance) and a knife (a staple).

But if you really want the chopping, mincing, or dicing done right, do it yourself. I wouldn't rely on a one-size-fits-all appliance to achieve the uniform knife cuts I want for a presentable, evenly cooked dish.

Store-bought smoothies are loaded with unnecessary ingredients

I love a creamy, vibrant fruit smoothie, but I've yet to try a premixed version that comes close to a freshly blended drink.

The bottled kind is also often loaded with added sugars I don't want or need.

I have access to clean tap water, so there's no reason for me to buy bottles.

If I'm somewhere with the luxury of clean and drinkable tap water, that's what I'm going to drink.

I'll happily skip the plastic waste, extra money, and lost storage space that come with buying bottled water.

You don't need a bread machine to make your own loaves.

If you're committing to making your own bread, don't let the marketing noise convince you that you need a bread machine.

As long as you have two hands and an oven, you can make a simple loaf with the age-old ingredients of flour, water, salt, and yeast.

This story was originally published in October 2021 and most recently updated on October 16, 2024.