Food blogger or not, cooking accessories are fun and purposeful for anyone getting dirty in the kitchen. These are a few of my can’t live without kitchen tools that make my job as a food blogger and really just everyday cooking so much easier. From the avid chef, to the novice parent trying to dabble in making a few homemade recipes, having the right kitchen gadgets can make the cooking experience that much more enjoyable. So let’s get to it! Here’s the round up of my Kitchen Must Haves:
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Our Place Always Pan and Perfect Pot
This duo was actually a semi recent purchase of mine after retiring the frying pan I’d had all through college that was on its last leg. Both items are GREAT quality and the Always Pan serves as a fry pan, saute pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, and it comes with a wooden spatula that fits perfectly on the pan’s spoon rest. The Perfect Pot serves as a stockpot, dutch oven, saucepot, roasting rack, steamer, strainer, and braiser and matches my Always Pan which makes for a lovely kitchen aesthetic;) Both items have a ceramic non-stick and non-toxic coating and compatible with all cooktops and they’re discounted when you purchase the bundle!
What recipes I use my Our Place cookware for:
Always Pan
Perfect Pot
Ninja Foodi Grill
Some may say I’m ~obsessed~ with my Ninja Foodi Grill. But that’s okay because it’s kind of true! Especially living in an apartment where a real grill isn’t feasible, this appliance is a go to of mine. It’s space efficient, easy to use, and easy to clean. Seriously, if you want one ‘bulky’ kitchen item, let it be this.
What recipes I use my Ninja Foodi Grill for:
Immersion Blender
There’s nothing worse than finishing up a recipe you’ve worked hard on to a sink overflowing with dishes. What if I told you you can have a smooth and creamy soup without having to wash your entire blender pitcher, blades, and the lid. I present to you the immersion blender. I love using this for pureeing soups in the same pot I’ve been cooking in, for emulsifying dressings, and for making batters for pancakes or waffles. I’m all for efficiency when it comes to cooking… less dishes = more efficient. It’s also super affordable!
What recipes I use my immersion blender for:
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette
- Dairy Free White Chicken Chili
- Spicy Sausage and Cauliflower Gnocchi Soup
Electric Hand Mixer
I’m not against a stand mixer. In fact, I’m in love with this KitchenAid Stand Mixer, BUT for all intents and purposes, my hand mixer is my go to these days. First and foremost it’s way more affordable than a stand mixer (we’re talking hundreds of dollars difference), but it’s also compact and easy to store.
What recipes I use my hand mixer for:
Accessories
- Cookie Scooper: I use mine often, not just for cookies, but also meatballs, truffles, and energy bites (basically anything needing to be shaped round).
- Veggie Chopper: This makes chopping veggies so efficient and each piece is perfectly alike in size (great for food photography😊) Also, no crying when dicing onions!
- Hand Held Juicer: You’ll get way more lemon/lime juice out of this compared to squeezing by hand and I love that it catches the seeds.
- Meat Grinder: Because a spatula just doesn’t do it for me with ground meat. I use this for making meatballs (check out these Cocktail Meatballs), burgers (yes the Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers), and whenever I’m browning meat in the skillet (Sweet Thai Chicken and Veggie Bowl, Skinny Turkey Enchiladas)
And thats the Kitchen Must Haves list! These are the items that work best for me with regards to ease, efficiency, and storage. If you want something specific from this list and use one of my links to purchase it, it directly supports me. Feel free to share this post with anyone!! Happy cooking!
This blog post was super helpful as someone trying to get more into cooking! Purchasing a veggie chopper asap!