How to Stock Your Homestead Kitchen for a Self Reliant Home

Before you move to your homestead, you’re probably dreaming of your kitchen. Sunshine streaming in, homemade pies cooling on the counter, and a from-scratch dinner on the stove. So much of the homesteading lifestyle revolves around food. Cooking is one of those skills to build while you wait for your homestead.

And to have that busy and productive kitchen you’re dreaming of, you’ll need a few supplies. Here are the best homestead kitchen supplies you need for your simple, from scratch lifestyle.

1. Cast Iron Cookware

There’s something about cast iron pans that just say “homestead”, isn’t there? They last forever because they are so sturdy, and their timeless design means they will look pretty in your kitchen forever too.

Cast iron requires special care and seasoning, but it’s totally worth it for how durable and flexible it is. It can go from stove to oven to dining room and can help you prepare everything from sourdough pancakes to baked beans.

For the best quality, look for a vintage cast iron pan. It’s lighter weight and is hand-sanded to be extra smooth. If you don’t want to go hunting for vintage cookware, check out Lodge’s new Blacklock line, designed to have a similar feel to old-fashioned cast iron.

2. Canning Supplies

What would a homestead be without a garden, and what good would a homesteading kitchen be if it couldn’t preserve all that garden goodness?

Granite Ware 8 Piece Enamelware Water bath canning Pot with Canning kit and Rack. Canning Supplies Starter KitKalave Canning Funnel, Food Grade Stainless Steel Canning Funnels with Strainer, Wide Mouth Funnels for Kitchen Use, Canning Supplies Kit for Wide and Regular Mason Jars – 3 Pack (Small and Large)Norpro Canning Essentials Boxed Set, 6 Piece Set300 Waterproof Canning Labels for Jars Labels Food Labels Round for Food Container Spice Lids Canister Food Storage Canning Supplies 2 InchPrepworks by Progressive Canning Scoop, Nylon

 

And a country kitchen is more than a place to charge your phone and boil water, it’s a place where you’ll create everything from pickles to marmalade to canned tomatoes. To do that, you’ll need some canning supplies.

If you want to assemble your own water bath canning items, you can find specific recommendations here. To make it easy, all you need is a big water bath canner, canning jars, and an accessory kit to get you started.

Get the canning accessory kit here.

3. Mason Jars

More than just canning jars, you’ll find dozens of uses for mason jars in your homesteading kitchen. They are perfect for simple storage of bulk ingredients like rice and oats, as well as homemade goodies like yogurt and salad dressing.

These jars can also be vases for cut flowers, shakers, lidded drinking cups, and much more. They will be one of those homestead kitchen tools that is beautiful and practical.

You’ll want an assortment of sizes (half pint, pint, and quart) in both wide mouth and standard mouth, as well as some reusable lids for simple storage.

You can find classic pint-sized Ball canning jars here.

4. Stand Mixer

A homestead kitchen is a from-scratch kitchen, and a stand mixer will be put to good use.

Perfect for everything from baking a cake to mixing up meatballs to whipping up egg whites into meringue, a stand mixer does the hard work for you. You can even use it to knead bread dough using the dough hook.

And of course, there are plenty of accessories that will make it even more useful. You can turn your stand mixer into an ice cream maker, a meat grinder, and a pasta machine.

This is one of the most expensive items on this list, so you’ll want to do your research. The most popular brands are Kitchen-aid and Bosch, with many people saying the Bosch is much more powerful. I have a Bosch and use it daily to knead double and triple recipes of bread.

I recommend a Bosch + hand mixer or a Kitchenaid + bread machine. (The Kitchenaid can knead dough, but it’s hard on the machine.)

5. Kitchen Scale

When you need one, you need one. And for so many homestead kitchen projects, you will need one! A kitchen scale is helpful for sourdough bread baking and canning. It’s absolutely essential for soap making.

Many everyday recipes like muffins and other baked goods are easier when measured by weight as well. You don’t have to wash measuring cups, and a kitchen scale makes it easy to measure messy ingredients like honey.

The handiest kitchen scales have a function called baker’s math that let you measure your ingredients by percentage. A very handy kitchen tool that will make your life easier even when it’s not totally essential.

You can find a sturdy scale with Baker’s Math here.

6. Bread Machine

Yes, a stand mixer is okay for kneading dough, but if you expect to bake a lot of bread in your kitchen (many homesteaders are bread bakers!), a bread machine will be worth its weight in gold. It simplifies the process of baking bread by taking care of the mixing, kneading, rising, and baking of bread.

Kitchen in the box Bread Maker Machine with Gluten-Free Setting, 2LB 1.5LB 1LB Automatic Breadmaker with Homemade Cycle, 15-in-1 Stainless Steel Bread Maker with Recipes-SilverZojirushi BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, 2 lb. loaf of bread, Stainless Steel/BlackBread Machine Magic: 139 Exciting New Recipes Created Especially for Use in All Types of Bread Machines

 

I don’t use mine for baking, just kneading and rising, so I have a very basic and affordable model. It makes recipes from sourdough to yeasted coffee cake easy and hands-off. It’s probably my favorite homesteading kitchen appliance.

My recommended, basic model bread machine is available on Amazon.

7. Good Chef’s Knife

There will plenty of chopping and slicing in your kitchen when you are dealing with lots of garden produce and homemade bread. And having one really good knife is something you won’t regret.

A set of kitchen knives is fine, but focus on finding that one special knife that you love and use for everything. If you invest in a nice quality knife and learn how to sharpened it properly, it will be one those kitchen supplies that lasts a lifetime.

8. Pressure Canner

I know we’ve already discussed canning equipment, but pressure canning is sort of its own beast.

You can very happily preserve tons of food at home using only water bath canning, but pressure canning gives you a lot more options. Pressure canners heat food to a hotter temperature than water bath canners, so you can use them for foods that aren’t acidic. That means carrots, canned potatoes, corn, Grandma’s tomato sauce, and even meats can be preserved at home.

It’s not for everyone, but for the serious homesteading kitchen, a pressure canner is a wonderful thing to have.

The All-American is an investment that will last a lifetime.

9. Grain Mill

Grinding your own grain sounds very self-sufficient, doesn’t it? And many people swear by baking with fresh milled flour. The benefits of using grain milled at home include a more nutritious flour, better flavor in your baked goods, and the ability to store large quantities of wheat, as whole grains have a much longer shelf life than flour. But to do this, you’l need a grain mill.

I’ve never personally done this, so I can’t recommend anything. But here is a great article on choosing the best grain mill that can help you.

10. Big Stock Pot

Everyone needs a great big stainless steel stock pot. They are perfect for cooking large quantities of food like pasta or soup for serving a crowd. They are also great for prepping big batches for preserving or cooking ahead.

11. Food Dehydrator

Dehydrating food is a great way to store garden items long-term. If you love raisins and dried fruit, you’ll definitely get use out of it.

But don’t discount it even if you don’t love dried foods. It’s useful for so many things that can be hard to get right in a humid climate, like

• dried herbs
• garlic powder and onion powder
• dried orange slices for country-style Christmas decorations
• beef jerky
• potpourri

I use and recommend the Nesco dehydrator for something that’s not too pricey.

12. Yogurt Maker

If you have your own dairy source (or even if you don’t!), a yogurt maker will be one of those kitchen pieces that save you the most money. You can make large quantities of yogurt for a very affordable price if you do it yourself.

And yogurt makers are one of those affordable, easy-to-store pieces that come in so handy. Yes, you can use a crock pot or Instant Pot, but nothing is as easy as the yogurt maker!

This yogurt maker is simple and affordable.

13. Deep Freezer

Canning (even pressure canning) isn’t the best way to store everything. Fresh meat, certain vegetables, and baked goods will keep best when they are frozen. Even some dehydrated foods will last longer if they are frozen after you dehydrate them.

If you have the space for a chest freezer, it can be a great addition to the homesteading kitchen. You can often pick these up at garage sales or get used ones online for a great price.

14. Stick Blender

Once you have one, you’ll wonder how you ever functioned without it! No more blending soups in the blender in small batches (annoying). You can use it to smooth cooked beans, blend jams, and so much more.

But most importantly, you need it for soap making! If you are at all interested in making soap in your homesteading kitchen, a stick blender will be essential.

They are very inexpensive and take up hardly any room.

15. Dish Towels and Cleaning Cloths

The unsung heroes of a cost-conscious and eco-friendly kitchen are undoubtedly the dish towels and cleaning cloths. Opting for these reusable staples instead of disposable paper products not only saves money in the long run but also reduces waste.

Keep a healthy stock of dish towels handy for drying hands, dishes, and fresh produce, while cleaning cloths stand ready to tackle spills, wipe down surfaces, and shine up appliances. By laundering and reusing them, you’re embodying the homesteading spirit of resourcefulness and self-sufficiency​​.

16. Versatile Mason Jar Toppers

Whether you’re sipping homemade lemonade, shaking up a vinaigrette, storing dried herbs, or displaying a bouquet of wildflowers, there’s a mason jar topper for that.

Invest in a selection of toppers designed for different uses – from pour spouts and sippers to shakers and non-leak seals. They’ll elevate your jars from mere storage solutions to multi-functional tools that embody the creativity and adaptability of homestead living

A well-equipped kitchen is the heart of a homestead. It’s not just about the tools, but the memories you create and the self-sufficiency you nurture with every meal prepared and every jar preserved.

Pick one area of your kitchen that feels cluttered or one tool that you’ve been making do without, and make that your first project. Whether it’s organizing your spices to make meal prep easier or investing in a quality chef’s knife that will last a lifetime, each small step you take is a move toward the kitchen of your dreams.

Embrace the process of building your homestead kitchen piece by piece. It’s about the journey– growing, and becoming more connected to the food you eat and the life you live.

I hope on this list of homesteading kitchen essentials you’ll find something helpful to you. Good luck on your journey.