5 Things Nobody Needs in Their Kitchen After 50
Full disclosure: I’m not 50 — yet — but in just over two years, I’ll hit that milestone. It has me thinking about my life, goals I still want to accomplish, places I still want to visit, and possessions I no longer need. And most of those possessions happen to be in my kitchen!
I work from home and love taking advantage of the convenience it provides me to cook almost all my meals. My menu is pretty basic — we’re talking chicken breasts in the air fryer or microwavable, steam-in-the-bag veggies — things that don’t require complicated gadgets, appliances, or other supplies. Yet somehow my kitchen is bursting at the seams with trendy appliances (I needed that Ninja Creami that I only used once) and gadgets I expected to make meal prepping easier (sigh, I never did use that egg slicer or apple corer).
I want to start my new decade with a minimalist approach, and I’m ready to get started by identifying kitchen items I can officially do away with. With the help of Gerrit Jan Reinders, decluttering and cleaning expert and founder of BOXIE24, here are five kitchen items I officially give you permission to release from your life after 50!
1. Specialty Appliances
When I got engaged and started registering for wedding gifts, someone told me to “go for it” and add the fun, viral appliances I would like but would never buy for myself. I’m here to say that is terrible advice — because I did and accumulated so many useless items! From a specialty popsicle maker to a countertop panini maker — they were all clunky, space-suckers that were hard to clean and even harder to use.
“Those one-use trendy tools that promised to revolutionize — such as quesadilla makers, egg cookers, or avocado slicers — gather more dust than they ever get used,” Reinders says. “Once over 50, we discover multifunction tools work better for us than one-use devices. I’ve assisted many clients in eliminating bread makers they used twice, yogurt makers that made sense at the time, and pasta makers never utilized after the first night’s spaghetti dinner. Much of these machines’ jobs can be quite easily done by a good chef’s knife and some basic equipment in the kitchen.”
2. “Aspirational” Entertaining Sets
When we bought our first home, I scoured every HomeGoods in a 20-mile radius for the best in entertaining wares. I needed a punch bowl that doubled as a cake stand. A three-tier taco tray? Muy Bien! My new home was the perfect space to host parties, and I envisioned using all these finds. Well, things didn’t go as planned. Yes, I have thrown plenty of parties and love hosting — but I don’t love lugging out those entertaining sets and pieces. I know it’s wasteful, but I tend to end up using paper goods instead. I don’t have the energy for cleaning up (especially anything that is “handwash only”) and I’ve amassed such a big collection that I can’t ever find anything.
“You know your entertaining style by age 50. If you haven’t been called into service in the last five years with those fondue sets, punch bowls, or decorative platters, it’s time to say goodbye,” Reinders says. “The reality is that big parties occur around food you enjoy cooking, not fancy arrangements that get you stressed. Retain only what works in the way you host now, not the way you wanted to host.”
3. Sophisticated Gadgets
I have garlic presses, pizza cutters, meat shredders, peelers, and more overflowing out of my gadget drawer. But recently, I realized I go for a knife before sorting through any of my endless gadget options. And guess what? Knives always do the job. It’s also made me realize that less is more. On the other hand, Reinders explains that as we age, joint issues make some kitchen devices less comfortable.
“Hand[held] can openers requiring a lot of hand strength, gadgets with extremely small buttons, or items with annoying grips need to be replaced with ergonomic versions,” he says. “I’ve watched clients struggle with garlic presses requiring a lot of pressure or peelers annoying their wrists when there are easier products out there. After 50, prioritizing comfort isn’t just nice — it’s necessary for continuing to enjoy cooking without pain.” For the record? I do not have this issue yet, but I’m all for being proactive!
4. “Someday” Baking Supplies
I admit, baking is not my strong suit. Yet every time I go strawberry picking or get inspired by a TV segment that makes it look so easy, I find myself stocking up on baking supplies. And guess what? They never get used! But I hesitate to get rid of them because what if one day I decide to make holiday cookies or turn those strawberries I picked into muffins? I know it’s never happening, and Reinders wholeheartedly agrees.
“With decades in the kitchen behind you, you know what kind of baking you like. If you haven’t baked those specialty foods in years, chances are you won’t begin now,” he says. “I’ve assisted clients in clearing out whole cabinets by freeing specialty baking equipment that symbolized ideals rather than reality. Only keep what enables the cooking you actually do, not what you think you may do.”
5. Trendy Cookbooks
I love thumbing through beautiful cookbooks, dreaming of serving a fish like Ina or a cake like Martha. In fact, I have an entire bookshelf of cookbooks — from “aspirational” dishes to “easy 20-minute meals.” Alas, I don’t have the patience to flip through books until I find a recipe with ingredients I recognize and is in my skill level!
Like with the other items on the list, once you’re past 50, you usually know your cooking style, likes, and dislikes. But Reinders says to hold onto only the books you actually use, be it the older standbys with your annotations or more recent books that truly speak to your heart. “I’ve assisted clients in digitizing beloved recipes from books they hardly ever remove from the shelf so they may eliminate enormous sections of their shelves while keeping recipes significant to them,” he says.
What do you think about these items you should get rid of after 50? Let us know in the comments below!
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: 5 Things Nobody Needs in Their Kitchen After 50