Short-Term Rental Kitchen Stocking List — with Amazon Links
Photo by Odiseo Castrejon on Unsplash
Whether you are an experienced short-term rental owner, or a first-timer, it’s important to ensure that your home or condo has the minimum requirements for your guests!
In my series of postings, I will provide links for every item that you’ll need to stock for your STR home or AirBnB.
From 2008–2014, I owned and ran Argent Decor, a Vacation Home Furnishing Service, in Phoenix, Arizona. I worked off of a very similar list to provide turn-key packages for vacation homes and short-term rental properties.
With the popularity of Amazon, you can now order everything to complete your home, directly to your door!
The items below will all have 4+ star ratings, and in some cases, we have stocked them in our personal or STR home!
I am an Amazon Affiliate and may earn a small commission if you opt to purchase from my links — this does not impact your pricing in any way.
In some instances, I will give you a, “good” and, “better” option — if you have a more luxurious home, I highly suggest that you select the “better” option to be in line with your guests’ expectations.
ESSENTIALS:
COFFEE MAKER:
Kenmore 12 cup programmable stainless steel coffee maker
BETTER: Cuisinart 14 cup programmable coffee maker, multiple finish options
I don’t suggest Keurigs as the pods are quite expensive, not eco-friendly, and there are almost too many flavors to choose from.
Photo by Georgi Petrov on Unsplash
TOASTER OR SMALL OVEN:
Hamilton Beach 2-slice toaster with extra-wide slots (for bagels)
BETTER: Cuisinart Custom Classic Toaster Oven Broiler
BLENDER:
Black + Decker PowerCrush Countertop Blender
BETTER: Ninja Professional Plus Blender
SILVERWARE:
Briout Silverware Set, Service for 4
BETTER: Oneida Satin Sand Dune Set, 45 pieces. This style you can add on additional pieces in quantities of 4, which makes it incredibly customizable!
STEAK KNIVES:
Amazon Basics 8-Piece Steak Knife Set — we have these in our STR and they have proven durable and easy to care for.
BETTER: Zwilling 4 Piece Serrated Steak Knife Set
DRAWER ORGANIZER:
Aujen Expandable Kitchen Drawer Organizer — This one can be expanded to fit just about any kitchen drawer — order 2 so you have one for silverware, and one for kitchen utensils.
DISH SETS:
Simple is key — if down the road, a plate or bowl is broken, it is ideal to have a plain white set to swap in replacements.
Amazon Basics 16 Pc Porcelain Dining Set — for 4 this includes coffee mugs, so you won’t have to add them under the “drinkware” category.
Photo by Carlos Lindner on Unsplash
DRINKWARE:
Lowball Glasses, Highball Glasses: Libbey 16 Piece Tumbler and Rocks Glass Set
If you require a higher quantity, check out Libbey 24 Piece Tumbler and Rocks Glass Set
Plastic or Polycarbonate Cups: REALWAY Acrylic Drinking Cups I prefer these as they look more “grown up” than rainbow colors, and there is a lot of flexibility in styles and quantities.
WINE GLASSES: 1 per person, and stemless are ideal. They make spills less likely and are tougher to break.
Beneti Premium Stemless Wine Glass Set of 4
PITCHER: At least one. I suggest getting one that is glass, one that is plastic — especially if you have a pool.
Yirilan 2L Glass Pitcher
LocknLock 2Q Fridge Door Plastic Pitcher — the rectangular shape of this pitcher makes it ideal to fit in your refrigerator!
COOKWARE SET: I enjoy cooking on stainless steel and cast iron, however not all vacationers may be savvy enough to know how to use them properly. I suggest non-stick cookware for ease of cleaning and customer satisfaction.
Cooks Standard 8-Piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set
BETTER: Calphalon 10-Piece Non-Stick Kitchenware Set
BAKING DISH: Pyrex Deep Glass Baking Dish with Lid
Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash
KITCHEN UTENSILS: The most economical route is to find a set and add in any pieces it may be lacking.
Silicone Kitchen Utensils, 33 Piece Set
Brewin 5 Piece Chef Knife Set or BETTER: Henckels Modernist Razor-Sharp 6 Piece Studio Knife Set
Kitchen Towels — minimum of 10, so I prefer this set of 12 that comes in a variety of colors. Zeppoli Kitchen Hand Towels
Cutting Boards — at least two, so I aim for a large one and a smaller one.
Bino 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
Mixing Bowls — This set is handy as it comes with lids, in case your guests need to store leftovers. Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Airtight Lids
Oven Mitts — Gorilla Grip makes this silicone set that is sized for most adult hands to fit comfortably.
Strainer — The Gulex Stainless Steel Colander comes in 3QT and 5QT sizes.
Corkscrew — a Wing Corkscrew will get the job done; the BETTER version would be a Rabbit Wine Tool Kit.
Glass Food Containers, at least four — Vtopmark 8 Piece with Lids Glass
Storage Container Set — I prefer this set as it has 2 different sizes and is very affordable and well-rated.
Trash Can — Touchless is ideal, however battery-operated ones will need more maintenance. Pedal-opening ones are the way to go. Home Zone
Living 12 Gallon Kitchen Trash Can is slim enough to fit in tight spots but full sized for convenience.
EXTRAS:
These are items that aren’t required, but are “nice to have”. We did get a 4 out of 5 star review from a guest because we didn’t stock salt and pepper. It never occurred to us, as we never cook when on vacation!
If you plan to use your home personally on occasion and would enjoy having any of the below items, certainly pick them up for your visits.
COFFEE GRINDER: Black+Decker One-Touch Coffee Grinder
SLOW COOKER: Crock-Pot 7 Quart Slow Cooker
RICE COOKER: Black+Decker 6 Cup Rice Cooker
WAFFLE MAKER: We have this one, it is very user-friendly Oster Belgian Waffle Maker
Photo by Erick Palacio on Unsplash
KETTLE: In the U.S., tea isn’t nearly as popular as in other countries. If your area attracts international guests, a kettle is a desired kitchen item! Most of my clients with Argent Decor were from Canada and this was a “must-have” for them. Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Electric Kettle
PLASTIC PLATES: Strongly suggested if you have a swimming pool or outdoor dining area. EI 12 PC Wheat Straw Reusable Dinnerware Set
LARGE SERVING BOWLS: They can match your dishware, or be something more eclectic. MALACASA Serving Bowls, 110oz, Set of 2 If you prefer something unbreakable, this set is the way to go: US Acrylic Vista Clear Plastic 10" Bowls, Set of 3
SERVING PLATTERS: DELLING Large Serving Platters, Set of 3
SHOT GLASSES: Lillian Rose Set of 6 Glass Shot Glasses — I prefer these as they have heavy bases. For outdoors, a plastic set: Generic 12 Pc Heavy Base Unbreakable Acrylic Shot Glasses
ROASTING PAN: For the price of one basic pan, this set is four pieces with a lasagna pan, and looks impressive in stainless steel. Cook Pro 4-Piece All-in-1 Lasagna and Roasting Pans
COOKIE SHEETS: NutriChef 3-Piece Non-Stick Cookie Sheets
PIZZA PAN: Another very specific tool; most guests would probably be fine with cooking a pizza on a cookie sheet. GoodCook AirPerfect 15.75" Insulated Carbon Steel Pizza Pan
9" PAN: We’re brownie fans, so this one would get used in our home. Cuisinart 9" Chef’s Classic Non-Stick Bakeware Square Pan
GARLIC PRESS: Kitessensu Garlic Press
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
SHARON’S SUGGESTIONS:
Extra items worth considering.
SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS: Learn from my mistakes and stock Soeos Salt and Pepper Grinder Set — it looks impressive and comes pre-loaded.
AIR FRYER: A very convenient appliance to have, particularly if your home is in a hotter region. Guests can bake/fry food without turning on the oven and heating up your entire home. COSORI Air Fryer TurboBlaze 6 Quart Air Fryer
Another tip: When you visit your home, leave behind any spices/seasonings you may purchase. We rented a STR home in the same community as ours before we bought it, and that homeowner had left some local seasoning mixes and herbs. It was a nice surprise and we tried some new things we might not have otherwise.
You may already have some (or most!) of the above items in your home, particularly if it was already in a rental pool. Work off of this list to ensure you have all of the pieces your guests will enjoy when they book your home!
To read the rest of this series, please follow the below links:
Bathrooms
Outdoors
Laundry Room
Safety
Living Room
Dining Room
Bedrooms
Next-Level (Optional) Items
