The best flea market finds for your kitchen—Finnish food writer Satu Koivisto shares what to look for and where

The kitchen island, fridge, sideboard, and sofa are all from online flea markets. The kitchen drawer unit and ceiling light are from an antique shop. The glass jars and many of the dishes are from brick-and-mortar flea markets.

My principle, taken almost to a comical extreme, is to buy everything secondhand if possible. I’d rather go without something if I can’t find it at a flea market. I get joy from not having to buy new items.

I work as a food writer and love beautiful dishes. I also need them for my job, which makes it hard to resist a lovely plate, for instance. I’m always trying to find the right balance between what’s truly necessary. I really adore beautiful things!

For instance, I’m weak for Arabia tableware with the old pipe stamp. I’ve collected many exceptionally pretty plates from different sets whose names I don’t even know. One blue-flowered set is especially lovely. These days, finding them at flea markets takes some work. I also like Rörstrand and Gustavsberg dishes. I enjoy mixing different pieces together.

Satu Koivisto sewed her dress from curtains she found at a flea market and calls it her curtain dress. The sofa was bought on an online auction site, as were the blankets and the kitchen towel hanging in the back.

The living room table is from an online auction, as are the mismatched plates, fabric napkins, glasses, and cutlery.

I’ve picked up kitchen utensils at flea markets, like thin-bladed spatulas that are great for frying pancakes. You could also buy kitchen knives at flea markets. A friend of mine restores them, turning chipped blades into practically new ones.

I’ve also found cast-iron pans at flea markets, which I use for frying pancakes and eggs because of their excellent surface. Some of these pans were bought even 20 years ago—cast-iron pans last forever with proper care. If you scrub them with steel wool and season them, they’ll work amazingly well. It’s quite easy to find cast-iron pans at flea markets, so you don’t have to hunt for them.

At brick-and-mortar flea markets, it’s nice to be able to feel the fabrics. I enjoy buying old linen or half-linen tablecloths and fabric napkins from charity shops. The best ones feel sturdy and have a tightly woven fabric. They hold up well to daily use. Well-made linen cloths absorb really well, and I use them freely for all sorts of tasks, from drying salad, vegetables, and tofu. They do wear out eventually, but I’m lucky to have a good selection on hand.

I’m also fine with buying appliances from flea markets, and I’ve done so myself. Our fridge is from the Finnish online auction site Huuto.net. We needed another fridge, and it was unbelievable that we found the exact same model on an online flea market.

According to Satu, cast-iron pans are easy to find at flea markets, and with proper care, they last forever.

Satu’s most recent flea market find is the “most beautiful” chess set in the world, which she’s been happily playing with her youngest child. The blue vase next to it is from a recycling center, and it might be made by Kupittaan Savi. The sideboard is from an antique shop.

I also bought an immersion blender for my child, who wanted to start making paper from scratch. I didn’t want to use our usual one for that and risk dulling it, so a flea market find worked great! A friend of mine who teaches home economics told me she buys mixers from flea markets for her school classes. I always read the seller’s details to make sure the device is safe and works properly.

I believe that flea market finds don’t have to cost only a few cents. Older items can still be worth something. For instance, I often pay 1–5 euros each for kitchen towels.

Now I’m dreaming about new cereal bowls. Their rims chip easily with regular use. I keep a note on my phone about what we need, so I can stay focused when browsing flea markets.”

Satu is happy to pay several euros each for good-quality vintage kitchen towels.

Satu finds it hard to resist beautiful dishes.