Every chef knows that the secret to consistently great home cooking lies not in fancy equipment or exotic techniques, but in having the right ingredients at your fingertips. A well-stocked and diverse pantry is the key to making your meals more flavorful, creative and straightforward. You can only do so much with the basic perishable ingredients if you don’t have useful accoutrements to go along with them.
You need a well-stocked pantry to get dinner on the table night after night. In fact, many experts have identified “pantry-friendly” as a key cooking trend for 2024, reflecting how home cooks increasingly prioritize recipes based on ingredients they already have available. These aren’t just any ingredients though. Professional chefs consistently reach for certain staples that transform simple dishes into something memorable.
High-Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a great oil to have in addition to neutral-tasting oil. If you like to cook lots of Asian food, sesame oil is another oil that you will use frequently. The difference between basic olive oil and a quality extra virgin variety is like the difference between a whisper and a shout in terms of flavor impact. Olive oil, with its smooth and fruity flavor, is a staple in many kitchens and works well for sautéing, roasting, and dressing salads. Vegetable oil, known for its neutral taste and high smoke point, is ideal for frying and baking.
Professional chefs keep both finishing oils and cooking oils on hand because they serve different purposes. Neutral tasting oil with a high smoking point is great for any type of cooking. Many people like to use canola, vegetable, peanut, and/or grapeseed oil. Finishing oil is a type of oil that requires almost no cooking. These types of oil are often used in salad or to enhance the flavor or fragrance of the dish.
High-Impact Asian Condiments
Our experts picked black vinegar, fish sauce, and sesame oil as rising pantry staples. These ingredients might seem intimidating to home cooks, yet they’re the secret weapons that professional kitchens rely on to add depth and complexity to even the simplest dishes. Soy sauce is a multi-purpose ingredient that home cooks shouldn’t live without, says Ran.
Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce): one of my favorite ingredients and pantry staples, a signature item in Indonesian cuisine. It has a thicker consistency than regular soy sauce and is delicious in marinades for various proteins (chicken, pork, shrimp), seasoning in noodle and rice dishes, or used alone as a dipping sauce or garnish.
This accessibility is sparking a fire within home cooks. “People are curious and engaged about unfamiliar foods and willing to try them in a way they never were before,” says cookbook author and recipe editor Ivy Manning. Vora believes “Asian ingredients, particularly condiments, will become more mainstream for American home cooks.”
Quality Vinegars Beyond Basic White
Vinegar might be the most underutilized ingredient in the average home kitchen. Whether you’re making classic vinaigrettes, deglazing a pan, or whipping up a tangy marinade, quality vinegars are designed to elevate dishes. These aren’t your average pantry staples – they’re an upgrade to the vinegars typically on the grocery store shelves. Professional chefs understand that different vinegars serve different purposes and can dramatically alter a dish’s character.
Although different types of vinegar have different flavor profiles and different usages, having fewer items in the pantry makes cooking more approachable for a beginner. For that reason, I like to use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar because I find them to be most versatile. As you get more comfortable with cooking, you will find yourself collecting different types of vinegar.
Balsamic Vinegar can be used to finish many dishes and/or used in the marinade or salad dressing. Apple Cider Vinegar can be used in many marinades and sauces. Think of vinegar as the element that brightens and balances rich flavors, much like a squeeze of lemon can transform a heavy dish.
Canned Beans and Legumes
Unlike dried beans, which must be soaked overnight and then cooked, canned beans are ready in an instant. “I can make a quick meal of canned black beans, canned diced tomatoes, and a chopped onion and eat it cold as a salad, or heat it up and call it soup,” she says. Chickpeas make regular appearances in her salads, bean soups, vegetable soups, homemade hummus, and minestrone.
The versatility of canned legumes makes them invaluable for busy home cooks who want nutritious meals without extensive preparation. In order to make any meal feel more substantive, the chef says to stock lentils, canned chickpeas, canned black beans, quinoa, couscous, and a rice of your choice. “Red or green lentils are so inexpensive, and they’re packed with protein,” Patel explains. “They’re also versatile because they can be in a soup or made into a patty.”
Anchovy Paste or Fillets
Anchovies, says Lanning. “They’re hands-down the secret weapon of many delicious and time-tested culinary delights.” A little anchovy can do a lot in terms of flavor-boosting, Lanning says. “When used correctly, most folks wouldn’t even know anchovies were used. Instead, they will smile from ear to ear while eating a savory dish with depth and character.”
This ingredient terrifies many home cooks, yet professional chefs consider it essential for building umami in countless dishes. Kombu (dried kelp): A staple ingredient in almost every sauce, stock and soup I make to provide a layer of umami and depth of flavoring. It’s incredibly universal and shelf stable as it’s dried, which is my preferred way to use it. Kombu is also served pickled in vinegar or used fresh, commonly with sushi. Both anchovies and kombu provide that mysterious fifth taste that makes food more satisfying.
Canned Tomatoes and Tomato Paste
Keeping cans of these on hand means I am ready to throw them in a sauce or soup with a minute’s notice,” she says. “I go for the plain tomatoes, because they are the most versatile, which matches the global style of my cooking.” Quality canned tomatoes often taste better than fresh ones, especially when those fresh tomatoes are out of season.
For a powerhouse pantry addition, look no further than thick, concentrated tomato flavor, like Red Gold Tomato Paste, which is sustainably farmed, comes in the perfect size, and is loaded with key nutrients. “Tomato paste is, hands down, my favorite tomato product,” says Clare Langan, professionally-trained chef and editorial director at recipe site Feedfeed. “I always have a can handy for adding a bit of rich tomato flavor to pots of white beans, red wine-braised short ribs and in conjunction with other tomato products where I want a deeper flavor, such as Bolognese”
Whole Grains and Quality Pasta
When you have noodles, all-purpose flour, and whole grains (such as quinoa), you’ve got a strong base to build nourishing meals. Dried legumes (such as lentils) are another nutrient-rich way to start a recipe. The foundation of countless meals starts with grains and pasta, yet many home cooks default to the same few varieties.
Grains like rice, quinoa, couscous, and bulgur offer nutritional value and adaptability. They can be transformed into satisfying grain bowls, pilafs, and even delectable desserts like rice pudding. Professional chefs keep several types on hand because each brings its own texture and nutritional profile to the table.
There are many varieties of dried pasta available at the grocery store. Pasta made of farro, quinoa pastas, egg pastas with yellow noodles from the yolks, and semolina. Having variety means you can match the pasta shape and texture to your sauce, creating restaurant-quality results at home.
These eight pantry staples represent the difference between merely following recipes and truly cooking with confidence. With these essential ingredients always on hand, cooking at home becomes easier, more flavorful, and a lot more fun. Whether you’re pulling together a quick weeknight dinner, making a last-minute appetizer, or just trying to keep things interesting, a well-stocked kitchen gives you the flexibility to create without stress. Use these staples as a foundation and inspiration. Stock up, get creative, and enjoy the process of cooking at home!
