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I've been talking a lot this month about kitchen organizing. Maybe it's the cold weather? Maybe I'm nesting? Who knows?! I just seem to have an obsession with being in the kitchen.

My dear friend Kim O'Donnel recently wrote a post over on the Washington Post website explaining her essential "20." These are the things that she uses so often she insists that she make space for them in her kitchen.

I found the list creation to be a fun activity. Many of these items would be unitaskers in other people's kitchens, but because they are used daily and weekly in our home, they are truly vital in my kitchen. What are your kitchen essentials? How do you store and use them? And, more importantly, why? Here are 10 of my kitchen essentials:

My Le Creuset enameled cast iron skillet and French oven are my go-to pieces for most everything I make on the stove or in the oven. I leave my skillet on the stove top at all times (it's red, it's happy, it's artwork) and store my French oven in the cupboard with my other pots and pans. The French oven takes up a lot of space, but is worth it. (And, we have a Le Creuset outlet store nearby, which means I purchased both of these for 60% off their MSRP!)
Sea salt and spice rubs from the Aloha Spice Company. The chicken and pork rub is always stocked in my pantry and is used a great deal on simple dinners in our house. The sea salt is great on eggs, meats, and even tofu. My favorite of the sea salts is their smoked flavor, which unfortunately isn't currently available on their website.
Single-serve Nespresso espresso machine. (I should note, when we bought this unit, it was half the price of the current listing. Wow, is it expensive now!) I can honestly say that this espresso maker saved my marriage. My husband likes his coffee bitter and strong, I like mine smooth and medium. Since we both work from home, we used to have fights every day about the awful coffee the other person made. Now, there are no more fights. Additionally, we use the hot water straight from the machine to make hot cereal, tea, and anything requiring hot water. It sits on our counter all the time and says, "drink coffee in peace!"
Rancho Gordo heirloom beans are another must-have item in my pantry. The garbanzo beans become homemade hummus, the midnight black beans are made into soups and burritos, and the butter beans (not currently listed on the site) are great with ham and spices. Their dried popping corn is also delicious.
After falling in love with the American Pie pizza cookbook by Peter Reinhart, I started using a pizza/bread baking stone. In my convection oven, it turns out beautiful pizza crusts every time. I also use it when I make pita and other breads. I keep it in my oven when not in use, and simply rest it on the counter when I need to bake and not use it.
Along the lines of the last item, is my pizza peel. I wouldn't be able to transport my pizzas any other way. It has a hole on its handle and is stored hanging on the wall in my kitchen.
Steel cut oats from McCann's are my breakfast food of choice. I make a pot on Sunday morning, refrigerate it, and scoop out of it throughout the week. I'll add a teaspoon of maple syrup or a little brown sugar or cinnamon to change it up from day to day. Sometimes I'll toss in a handful of dried fruit and a little extra water when I'm making it up on Sunday. Delicious and good for you.
I am blessed to have a Penzey's Spices only a few miles from my house. I buy all of my curries (Garam Masala and Balti are staples) and dried spices there. Their cinnamons are fantastic, too.
Prepared to be blown away, but one of my essential kitchen items is a bread machine. I make whole wheat bread twice a week, and this machine saves me so much time from when I used to bake bread in my oven. Since I control what goes into the bread, I know that it is healthy, contains no preservatives, and is lower in calories than anything I can buy at a grocery store. I regularly make specialty and breakfast breads in it, too. Since I use it many times a week, it's not a unitasker. However, if you don't routinely make homemade bread, don't buy this as it takes up a large amount of counter space.
Last, but certainly not least, on my list of 10 items are flavored olive oils. When the warm, fresh bread is ready to be sliced, I must do a taste-test immediately. A little flavored olive oil makes the perfect dipping sauce. Sometimes I make my own and other times I pick some up at O&CO. It's also great to set on the table as a pre-dinner appetizer.

Clearing clutter is about making space for the things you cherish and use. Do you have kitchen clutter you can remove to make space for your essential items? Let us know about your essential 10 in the comments.

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