Down sizing, what Kitchenware and utensils are essential and what do you don't need..
I’m about to downsize from a large family home into a much smaller 1860s cottage (about 1,600 sq ft) with a much smaller kitchen and less storage, and I’m trying to figure out what cookware and kitchen tools are actually worth keeping.
For context: I’ve been living for the past five years in the house my parents built over 50 years ago. After spending many years living abroad, I came back during COVID to help care for my elderly parents. Over the years, this house became the storage place for cookware and utensils from multiple deceased relatives, so there is a lot here.
Even before my parents passed, I helped pare down about half of what my mother had accumulated, but there’s still far more kitchen equipment than I can realistically take with me.
I’m trying to be intentional about what I keep. I suspect I have a bit of undiagnosed ADD, and clutter tends to overwhelm me, so I want a simple, functional kitchen rather than drawers and cabinets packed with rarely used gadgets. I also really like the look of an open kitchen with a few well-chosen pots and pans hanging visibly rather than a lot of hidden excess.
For those of you who cook regularly:
If you were starting fresh in a smaller kitchen, what would be your essential cookware and tools?
What’s truly worth keeping, and what kitchen items do people tend to hold onto even though they rarely use them?
I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who has downsized and had to build a practical, uncluttered cooking setup.