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Everything you need for your short-term rental kitchen

Of all the rooms in your short-term rental, the kitchen probably has the most items, so there's a high probability you'll forget a supply or two... unless you have a superb list (with links!) to refer to... so here it is!


A note on your STR kitchen, before we get into the list: don't skimp on the supplies you provide. This full kitchen stock costs under $1,200. It won't take you long to recoup the costs of your kitchen investment, and guests will appreciate the extra thought you put into your property.


Cooking stuff

  • Pots and pans These seem to suffer the worst wear and tear of most other things in the kitchen, so I don't recommend spending a ton. But don't get a $30 set, either. Just know that guests will absolutely use metal utensils an scratch up the bottoms of your pot and pans, and they will never do a great job of washing them. Be prepared to replace at least once a year. Try these...

  • Bakeware I love this set because they're so pretty. Plus the slight wavy texture hides some scratches. They have a nice weight to them, so they feel solid.

  • Cooking utensils I recommend silicone rather than metal, which will scratch your pots and pans even faster. Choose a dark colored silicone, in case it gets stained by tomato sauce. These come with a utensil caddy, but I prefer to buy something prettier that matches my kitchen's decor.

  • Kitchen gadgets I love that these are all packaged together in one affordable kit. Guests will love that you have some less popular kitchen gadgets, like a garlic press and a grater.

  • Colanders I don't know if it's just me, but when we go on vacation, we always make spaghetti. Maybe because it requires so few ingredients and serves a crowd. Steer clear of those mesh colanders. Pasta tends to stick to them, making them hard to wash. And we've seen that guests won't go out of their way to clean your kitchen supplies thoroughly.

  • Cutting board It's hard picking the perfect cutting board for a short-term rental. Plastic and wood both get cut marks and stains, which will make guests question the cleanliness of your home. We recommend glass cutting boards or this composite material.

  • Oven mitts and potholders Get something patterned and/or dark in color, so stains don't show as well. Also get something washable, so your cleaners can toss them in the laundry every once in a while.

  • Trivets If you don't want guests putting piping hot pots, pans and dishes directly on your countertops or tabletops, you must provide trivets. I like these silicone trivets, which can be rinsed and wiped clean easily.

  • Mixing bowl set I like that these serve two purposes - they can be used for mixing and serving, but because they come with lids, they an also be used for food storage. So many rentals don't think to provide food storage for guests, but vacationers have leftovers, too!

  • Measuring cups This is an item that's easy to forget, but it's so important! I recommend glass, since plastic can warp, fade, and stain.

  • Electric mixer This is an amenity I don't think most guests are expecting you to have, but it's so inexpensive, why not include it? If you want to get fancy, you could have a stand mixer, but for most guests, a handheld electric mixer is fine.

  • Measuring cups and spoons The utensil set I recommended above comes with measuring cups and spoons, but just in case you don't buy that set, make sure to have measuring cups and spoons for guests.

  • Salt and pepper grinders Yes, you could just get the $1 salt and pepper shakers from the grocery store and call it a day. But these are so pretty and make your kitchen and dining table feel elevated. You'll also need to fill these regularly with salt and pepper, so make sure to have that on hand.

  • Food storage containers Like I said above, guests have leftovers, too! Provide some food storage containers and they will love you forever. We've tried going the plastic route, but they tend to get lost (probably because the perceived value is lower). So we've started investing in glass.

Appliances

  • Coffee maker The most important thing in your short-term rental!! You can certainly upgrade to something quite fancy and guests will love it. This one is a mid-range coffee maker. We like it because the carafe is stainless steel, so it won't break.

  • Keurig This is optional. When we are just trying to get a place listed and keep our costs down, we forgo the Keurig, but once we start making some money on our rental and want to reinvest in our place, we add this amenity in. Don't forget to provide some K-cups for your guests!


  • Toaster This isn't something you need to invest heavily in. We like this one because it has the countdown timer, so it's probably a bit of a novelty for guests compared to what they have at home.


  • Electric can opener Manual can openers can get rusty and gross and they can be hard for people with arthritis to use. Electric can openers are a nice amenity to provide to guests, and they don't cost that much.

  • Blender While you could go the boujee route and get a Vitamix, a regular blender is probably fine for most guests. This one has a glass jar, so it feels pretty high quality for the price.

Dinnerware and serveware

  • Dinnerware set I cannot say enough about this super basic dinnerware from Corelle. It's lightweight, goes with everything, and, most importantly, it's unbreakable. This is key for short-term rentals. Guests are not treating your supplies as carefully as you would, so getting unbreakable dinnerware is a great investment.

  • Mugs I prefer to buy a mix of fun, unmatching mugs from various places to add some personality. But if you don't have time to mug shop, these are a good, inexpensive mug option.

  • Pitcher Guests will appeciate a large container they can make tea, lemonade, or mixed drinks in. You could get something beautiful and fancy, but a plastic pitcher works just fine, too.

  • Wine glasses Please provide wine glasses. Could be these, could be another kind.

  • Drinking glasses I tried getting acrylic (aka plastic) drinking glasses, but I found they didn't wear well. We just go with glass now. Yes, some break. But they're not too expensive to replace as needed. This product has two sizes of glasses, and can be used for everyday use, as well as beer.

  • Knife set So many short-term rentals have the worst knives of life. Don't be one of those places. I wouldn't recommend you get a super expensive knife set (unless you have a luxury property with a chef's kitchen), but this set is pretty decent.

  • Silverware set I recommend something medium-quality here. There's no need to overspend on utensils.

Other random (but necessary) stuff

  • Bag clips These are one of those really inexpensive things that show your guests you have an eye for the details.

  • Cushioned kitchen mat This shows that you care about your guests' comfort - you want them to be comfortable even while washing dishes!

  • Dish drying mat I like these more than traditional drying racks, which are kind of an eyesore and take up a ton of room. These mats are easy to leave out, they work well to absorb water, and you can throw them in the washing machine.

  • Corkscrew Don't leave guests high and dry. You'll want at least one of these.


And that is your short-term rental kitchen shopping list! Did I miss anything?

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