On May 13, 9:41*pm, Kajikit > wrote:
> There was an article in the NY Times today about the subject... sure
> we've all got kitchens FULL of stuff, but what's the most important
> and versatile?
>
> Mine a
>
> 1) a good 6 inch knife, kept nice and sharp (I have small hands and
> find a full-sized chef's knife very awkward to handle.)
> 2) 10 inch skillet (larger and smaller are useful but you can do
> almost anything in a 10-incher...)
> 3) 2 quart saucepan for cooking sauces/vegetables
> 4) 5 quart saucepan for anything larger
> 5) metal colander for draining and rinsing
> 6 large glass mixing bowl that fits in the microwave
> 7) vegetable peeler
> 8) a good can opener
> 9) nested set of measuring cups and spoons
> 10) large rectangular pyrex baking dish for roasting/baking
> 11) large sheet pan for baking cookies, pizzas, rolls etc.
> 12) set of cheap non-scratch kitchen tools including a lifter, a
> wooden spoon and a slotted spoon (actually I have many more, but those
> three are the basics.)

Essential?
I'd say
a heat source
a skillet with lid
a 3 qt. saucepan with lid
a very decent knife
cutting board
spatula
slotted spoon
veggie peeler
medium size mixing bowl

I have lived on a boat and I got by with the above. I had no oven,
just two burners.