Today I´m sharing my favorite kitchen appliances and utensils that will make your life easier when cooking for you and your family, as they do for me.
Also sharing tips on how each appliance makes my life easier in the kitchen!
You need the right kitchen tools to help you enjoy your time cooking, and some will leave you time for doing other stuff. These I use almost every day, and I know you will enjoy them too!
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Start with things that will help you not be every day in the kitchen, babysitting your food all the time.
A little preparation and you can have sorted out all your day and a couple of minutes in the kitchen to have delicious meals ready.
This list is perfect for the newbie, the home cook, or anyone like me that loves kitchen tools and appliances. You can even save this list as gift ideas for your foodie loved one! So let's get to it.
1. Slow Cooker
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A Slow Cooker is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets because you can add all the ingredients you want to cook and then let it sit until it is ready. They are cheap, great for making stews, or even beans and legumes.
It does not consume a ton of energy, and it's a great option to cook cheaper cuts of meat that would probably need a lot of time cooking. It’s an excellent meal-prep tool and doubling the recipes for bigger crowds, depending on the size you buy. You can cook in it from breakfast up to dessert, very versatile.
2. High-Speed Blender
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A High-Speed Blender is a must in my kitchen. I bought a blender and a food processor bundle, so it was two for one. Perfect for smoothies, pureeing soups, even making different kinds of nut butter. An excellent tool for meal planning.
3. Food Processor
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A food processor will make chopping veggies a breeze. If you don't enjoy it, this is your best friend for that. Perfect for avoiding watery eyes due to chopping onions.
You could also use it to make doughs and even use it to ground boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts to make breakfast sausage. Also, you can use it to make cauliflower rice.
4. Air fryer
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If you are a fan of fried food, but you want to cut down the calories, I would suggest trying the air fryer. It is simple to use and with a fraction of the oil, or in some cases none at all, you will have a "fried" taste to what you are cooking.
It has worked wonders in my kitchen if I want to make corn tortillas a typical Panamanian breakfast, I add a little bit of oil and wait approximately 6 minutes, and they turn out crunchy as I like them. I have also made chicken tenders, french fries, yuca sticks. The meats cooked in it are juicy and ready in no time.
If you have a big family, I would recommend getting the bigger model, so you would be able to make larger quantities. Different models look like ovens and others with the basket feature.
It's also excellent for reheating foods.
5. Instant Pot
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I couldn't skip this handy dandy kitchen gadget. One of the reasons I love it so much is convenience, 0 babysittings which I appreciate when I’m busy working.
The Instant Pot has different models, and If you have a family of 2-4, I would suggest getting a 6 QTs one. You can cook enough and have leftovers. I use mine every week, and I’m yet to try the yogurt function on it.
And it gives a quick result in most cases. You can prepare chicken meals in about 15 minutes total! You can make about everything in it, from savory to sweet dishes.
It´s perfect for making cheesecakes and cooking dry beans in a fraction of the time. In case you want to check out some recipes, you can go to my Instant Pot recipes collection.
6. Kitchen Timer
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A kitchen timer is always helpful when you need to keep track of cooking or baking something. You can carry it with you and return it to the kitchen once the time is off.
The bonus you can use to keep track of your to-do list items, so you don’t use your phone, would most likely keep you distracted from work stuff.
7. Personal Blender
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With a personal blender, you can prepare your smoothie and use the same cup on the go. I love my NutriBullet; it has been with me for more than ten years and has kept strong. I use it for smoothies, sauces; you name it, perfect when I don´t want to dirty the big blender, plus it is not as loud as the other one. You can try it out by making my blueberry smoothie.
8. Immersion Blender
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An immersion blender is another option to avoid using your big blender if you don’t prefer to. It´s excellent for blending hot soups in the same pot, and you could also make mayonnaise. Plus, it’s easy to clean and is fantastic for small countertops or small kitchens since it’s not so space-consuming. The one I got can be disarmed and stored in a drawer.
9. Stand or Hand Mixers
If you enjoy baking, this is a must in your kitchen. It’ll help knead or mix things faster, and you can even use them to shred chicken quickly. If you have enough counter space and bake at least every week, maybe a stand mixer is for you. But if you have a small kitchen or bake now and then, a hand mixer will be the right one for you.
10. Food Storage Containers
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If you are a meal prep person, food storage containers are a staple in every kitchen. I love that they are so versatile. You could bake in some of them, others you can even freeze in them. The glass ones are preferred because they are stain and odor-resistant.
You can also use the food storage containers to marinate meats or even bake your favorite cake in them.
In this category, I’ll add 8 oz mason jars as well. They are simple to use, and you can stack them up. Plus, you can get them in different sizes, from 4 oz up to 64 oz. You can use them to store grains like rice, oats, lentils, etc.
11. Digital Food Thermometer
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With a digital food thermometer, you will always make sure you are cooking your meals to the proper temperature. Perfect for cooking meats, on the grill, or in the oven.
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12.Baking sheets
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The heavy-duty baking sheet is your best friend when baking in your oven. They are perfect for making cakes, cookies, and sheet pan meals (favorite veggies and protein). These are a great meal prep tool.
13. Silicone Mat
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Created for easy clean-up and prevent sticking, line a baking tray or use it to stretch out or knead your dough. The silicone mat is easy to use and also avoids too much browning or burning. You can use it in replacement for parchment paper or aluminum foil!
14. Kitchen Scale
A kitchen scale is perfect for baking precisely. Plus, you can skip using measuring cups and measure each ingredient in the order needed using the weight.
It’s also perfect for portion control. I own one that has last me quite some time now. I usually buy extra batteries in case I need them. So I weigh my protein once cooked, so I know my correct intake.
15. Salad Spinner
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If you want to keep your veggies dry after washing, making them last longer in the fridge, use a salad spinner to dry it out. It’ll help lettuce and other produce increase their shelf life in the fridge. Store them after dried.
16. Knife Sharpener
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Every kitchen needs to have sharp knives that will make your life easier. A dull blade can contribute to kitchen accidents. So be sure always to use your knife sharpener.
17. Ground Meat Chopper
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If you’re a fan of ground meat, ground turkey, you need this ground meat chopper in your life! It’ll always help you avoid lumpy ground beef. Use it when browning your meat.
18. Ice Cube Trays
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These are a time-saver, perfect for freezing herbs and tomato paste or even stock or broth and then using it later. You should always have ice cube trays. Even use them to store coffee and use them to make iced coffee. If you get the ones with cover makes the freezer storage a breeze and easier to organize.
19. Silicone Bags / Plastic Bags
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Ziploc or silicone bags of different sizes and the freezer ones are the best. You can use them to organize your freezer. When I buy meat in bulk, I usually separate smaller packs in the freezer bags and store them in the freezer. It makes thawing easier as well.
If you love marinating your meats, you can also use silicone ones since you can wash them also a great option.
20. Mandolin
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Want to chop your veggies simply and uniformly, use a mandolin, always the same width. Be careful and use a glove with safety first. I chop all types of veggies with it. It’s so easy to use.
21. Hands-free pot strainer
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A pot strainer, this one is hands-free, with no more pasta falling into the sink. You can use it when you need to drain anything after cooking, not only pasta. You avoid burning yourself with the steam. Extend your hands out and let it do its magic.
22. Oil Sprayer
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You won't need to buy those spray cans with an oil sprayer, which are sometimes filled with not-so-good stuff for you. If you buy large bottles of oil, refill each spray bottle, which will help you spend less money. Perfect for cooking eggs, basting food in your air fryer, even adding to salads or sautéing vegetables.
There you have it, my list of 22 favorite kitchen appliances to make your life easier when cooking. You can select a couple of these and have them on hand, always depending on your cooking needs and kitchen space.
I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know in the comments which are your favorite kitchen gadgets that make your life easier?
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