Some Cooking Essentials for the Survival Kitchen

ByKen J. Last Update
essentials for cooking in the survival kitchen

Lets list some of the essentials for cooking in what I call the survival kitchen. A kitchen that’s set up for prepping & preparedness for ‘just in case’. Maybe due to the potential for supply chain issues, or any of the many possibly disruptive events. Whatever the motivation for your own survival kitchen, what are some of the so called staple items or essentials that you should have?

I’m not talking about every little thing. That list could be quite long. Most every kitchen already is set up with many of the ordinary essentials.

Instead, lets try to focus it down to so called essentials from a preparedness outlook. For example, if the power is out (what if for a long time..). Or, do you have enough of commonly used ‘essentials’. Yes it’s a matter of opinion, but that’s a good place to start.

So I’m going to look at it from the perspective of hardware/appliance essentials, and food-related essentials for cooking/preparing.

Survival Kitchen Appliance Essentials

  • Butane fueled portable stove/burner. I like the Iwatani brand (Japan). I wrote about that awhile ago (Indoor Butane Stove). And don’t forget the extra fuel canisters.
  • Hand grain/flour mill. Used to grind up most any grain for further processing or consumption. A related article with several choices (here).
  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven. For cooking over a fire (or in the coals) – just in case (good example on amzn). I bought one years ago, along with a tripod to hold it.
  • Manual can opener. So many of us have electric can openers. But a good quality manual one is a must. I’ve always like OXO the best.
  • Coffee Percolator. Electricity out? No problem. Well I suppose you could also stock up with freeze-dried coffee instead (or in addition to).
  • Countertop gravity-fed water filter. Oh my, this is quite essential in my opinion. Most of you know the one I prefer… (USA Berkey Filters)

Survival Kitchen Cooking Essentials

  • Oils. I can’t imagine cooking without a supply of oils. I stock Olive oil,
    Avocado oil (has a higher temp. smoke point), and Coconut oil (because I like it with some things). Store extra in freezer for shelf life longevity.
  • Salt & Pepper. Though everyone has it, but do you have enough bulk? I use Kosher (meats), and Redmond (most else). For pepper, I store plenty of peppercorns and use with a grinder (tastes better that way anyway).
  • Yeast for making breads. Many preppers have a supply of wheat for breads. Unless you’re doing a sourdough method, a supply of yeast sure helps! (Here’s how to) store yeast long term.
  • Baking Soda, Baking Powder. Again, a baking essential. Got enough?
  • Herbs, Spices. We all have our own favorites. Choose those which you use the most, and buy it in bulk.
  • Canned butter. For when your fridge/freezer is no longer powered to keep dairy fresh. Maybe a luxury essential, and it’s expensive, but it’s butter.. (an article about Red Feather)

Okay, I’ll stop there for the moment. Lets hear from you. What would you add to these lists as far as what you might consider cooking essentials (staples) for the survival kitchen? This assumes you already have enough various foods for ‘just in case’.