I’m not a big gadget person in the kitchen, unlike some people I know. *cough Lover cough* That said, I thought you might like to know what gadgets I do use, all of the time. And because I’m a firstborn, and therefore bossy, I’m telling you that you need these ten things in your kitchen, pronto. :) Pull out your wallets.
1. Hot Pot
I registered for this brand of hot pot when we got married. We are now on our second one, because I literally used the first one so much it died. What do I use it for, you ask? Welp, I use this hot pot to heat up water every.single.day. No lie. I use it for tea, for oatmeal, for making Jell-O. It heats up a cup’s worth of hot water in less than five minutes. It tucks away in a cabinet very easily, but 9 times out of 10, it’s on my counter because it gets used so much. Also? I’m a bit of a snob about my tea water. I hate heating up water in the microwave because it gets that nasty scum on the top of the water. And I hate the way my mug gets ridiculously hot in the microwave. Besides, while I love a pretty tea kettle, the hot pot heats up water about 1000x faster than a tea kettle. And yes, I measured the time. :) Seriously, you need this little appliance in your life.
2.Clean Edge Can Opener:
(Mine is a Pampered Chef one that I bought years ago)I love not having those raggedy edges on my cans - hello safety! It always takes other people a minute to figure out how to use my can opener, but I really do prefer it to the old kind. If you get one of these, you’ll probably also want a can strainer since you can’t use the lid because of the way this can opener works. By the way, you should always have a manual can opener in the house in case your power goes out!
3. Silicone Coated Wire Whisk
A coated wire whisk was one of those things that I thought, meh, I don’t really need that. Until I got one and gosh do I love this thing. Why, you ask? The coating means that it doesn’t scratch your pots. Bonus, it also does not make that metal on metal sound that drives me up the wall. And, it cleans up 137 times easier than a regular wire whisk. Mine hangs right next to my stove so that it’s always at arms reach.
4. Kitchen Scissors.
I’m trying to cut down on the amount of duplicate items we have in our house. But one of my must haves is a pair of scissors just for the kitchen. I use them more than you might think is possible. A short list of things I use them for? Snipping herbs into my cooking. Cutting open packaging. Cutting up meat. Cutting up bacon for anything. :D Cutting up food into bite sized pieces for the kiddos.I have a slot on my knife block that they go into so I always know where they are. These ones will cut just about anything, wash up very easily and have not rusted at all.
5. Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups
The fact that these are glass means that you can melt stuff in the microwave (hello butter, I love you!) in them. You can whisk up dressings, marinades and spreads in them. You can steam vegetables in them. II may be stating the obvious here, but they are great for pouring. I have the 1-cup, 2-cup and the 4-cup and I use them all constantly. Oh and because they are glass they still look the way they did the day I bought them.
6. Bamboo Cooking Utensils
I use these babies every single time I cook. Soups, sautees, sauces, you name it. They are awesome. You don’t have to worry about scratched pots, and they look great in a crock on the counter. I’ve been meaning to pick up a new set, since mine are starting to look a little worse for the wear, since I use them so much.
7. Garlic Press
(Mine is by Martha Stewart) We cook with a lot of garlic. Like, a lot. Most recipes call for the garlic to be diced, and there’s not much in the world I hate more than trying to dice up that little clove of garlic, and then dealing with the sticky, smelly residue that it leaves on my hands. A garlic press makes everything easier. Also, I just recently learned that you can press the clove without peeling it first. #lifechanger!
8. Pampered Chef Spatula.
Very, very rarely do I tell someone they need to buy a specific brand of something. But these Pampered Chef spatulas are the bomb. I have the mini, my friend Sara has the bigger one, and they are so perfect for serving baked goods I could cry. Too much? OK, they’re just awesome. They don’t bend, they’re not flimsy, they clean up easily - perfection.
9. Oxo Pro Vegetable Peeler
You know how when you peel ten pounds of potatoes a vegetable peeler starts cutting into your palm and becomes a permanent part of your arm? And how the blade works on like 65% of the potato, but then just stops working randomly? And it also does that wonky spinning thing so that the dull side is facing whatever you are peeling, and you are now just wasting your time? Yeah, that doesn’t happen to me anymore. This one is comfortable to hold in your hand, needs minimal effort to peel, and does it right every time. Go buy one today. You’ll thank me.
10. Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
Another gem that I registered for. These all hang next to my stove and get used constantly. I got metal because I didn’t want to worry about them warping or getting dull and scratched looking (I hate when things look old and used), and that was definitely the right call. If I ever needed to replace them, I might switch to these, just because I may or may not have bent the handles on mine a few times. They bend right back, but it’s still a little annoying.
So there you have it, ten of my favorite kitchen items that make my life a whole lot easier. Tell me, what gadgets can you not live without?
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