Inside The Kitchen Wish List Of An Ex-Chef & Food Writer

If you love cooking, you’ll know that the list of wants and needs for the kitchen is seemingly endless. There’s always a better cutting board, a bar stock, or an appliance that will top what you already have. To me, shopping for knives and pans and spice racks provides a greater dopamine hit than shopping for shoes. Perhaps that is an unpopular opinion, but I know my people are out there. Here’s what’s on my kitchen wish list at the moment, although I am positive I have missed something.

Mood board

First of all, this list is not without vision — there is so much I am trying to achieve in creating my kitchen wish list. It is not aimless, nor is it an amalgamation of things I want, it is a basket to create a life I will have, a kitchen I will cook in, my fantasy dream land. It will look something like this:

The chopping board

At the moment, my cutting board situation is pretty dire. Balancing a chopped onion, carrot and celery on an 8 inch circular slab is quite trying. In my heart of heart, I know that there is a hand made wood chopping block made for me, if only I could carve out the cash. Aside from that, my sole knife is one gifted to me by an estranged ex, tip chipped and blade near rusty. I dream of bespoke handles made from recycled Maldon boxes magnetically caught on my wall. Alas…

The bar

The bar, another happy place for foodies, sober or not. Making a drink is akin to making a potion, and I find all chefs to be sort of witch like. After a visit to Waterford in Ireland a few years back, it’s always been on my bucket list to one day make an investment for myself — a Waterford cocktail shaker. How chic? And resting on a vintage, dark wood bar cart with built-in storage to hide sticky bottles of spicy vodka and board games? Bar turned heaven.

Storage

The kryptonite for any kitchen lover is optimised counter space. Spice racks and fruit bowls, recycled jars and wall mounts — this is a bit of me. Currently, I am rummaging through a corner cabinet to find dried oregano, my spices swimming in spilled maldon smoked sea salt. My skin crawls as my moldy lemons scream for the bin from the bottom of a pile of potatos.

Pots and pans

If money were no thing, the first things I’d be purchasing are a gorgeous set of stainless steel pans. There is nothing hotter than flipping pasta by the wrist in an immaculately shined, silver vessel whilst the excess sauces simmers on the back burner. A note, no need to spend a fortune on a cast iron — seasoned properly and cared for immensely, a cheap cast iron will last you for the rest of your life, and your kids, and your grandkids (mines from the charity shop).

Functional decor

We all love a bit of functional decor. A clock on the wall, a spout for your oil, and a pot for your pinch, that’s luxury. But something I’ve always wanted to incorporate in my dream olive green and dark wood country side kitcheen with billowing linen curtains and a door out into the garden is a little bistro light on the counter, stimulating a bit of refridgerator light ambience without the refrigerator open, inviting dancing, secret chats and shadows cast on the walls as you simmer the broth. Big lights are no friend of mine.

Appliances

Ah, the things we actually need — toasters, and microwaves, and blenders. I’d be lying if I said my microwave was not the bane of my existence. It is old and stained and dicrepit and tired. One day, I will find myself the perfect microwave, my kettle will have a wooden handle and my toaster will have four slots, one day, I will make cinnamon buns with my stand mixer as I sip my perfect coffee that I made myself.

Miscellaneous dishware

And finally, the ones that have all the guests mming and aaing. Where did you get that tray? What a beautiful bowl plate? Thank you, because if I did not have bowl plates I think my life would fall into chaos. Wooden serving bowls and long serving trays: what maintains my manifestation of what my life will look like.

The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.