Hi Friends!
Let’s take a little kitchen tour today, shall we? There are A LOT of kitchen tools, gadgets and equipment out there. I thought it might be fun to roundup a few of the things in MY kitchen that I use most often and share them with you guys! Plus, I want to hear what YOUR favorites are!
My Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets
I’ll link to the ones that I have, but please know that I’m not getting paid to say any of this. Just sharing some gadgets I love that were either purchased with my own money or given to me as gifts by family and friends!
1. Cuisinart 11 cup food processor . Although I have an 11 cup, I personally think that a 9 cup would do just fine for most home cooks. I use mine to make nut butter and energy balls almost weekly. I use the shredding attachment to shred carrots, zucchini, apples, etc when I’m baking! So much easier than hand grating. I also have this mini-prep 4 cup food processor and I love it! It’s the perfect size when I just need to make a small batch of breadcrumbs or oat flour or something like that and don’t want to drag out the big one. I also use it to make hummus and banana froyo.
2. Le Creuset 5 1/2 Quart Round French Oven. The one I have is actually hunter green and I’m pretty much obsessed with it. I’ve only had mine for a year or so but I’ve been coveting them pretty much since childhood. Le Creuset is expensive…and I no matter how many times I looked at this, I could never bring myself to spend the money. Last Christmas, hubby surprised me with one! I use it all.the.time. It’s my go to for soups, stews and other stovetop dishes. I also bake bread in it! My opinion is that it’s definitely worth the money and will last forever if you take care of it. Quick tip: Before you buy one full price, check Marshall’s, Home Goods & TJ Maxx. They almost always have them on sale!
3. Kitchenaid 3-Speed Immersion Blender. I got this as a wedding present and I’ll be the first to admit I thought it was stupid. And even now, I don’t think I utilize it to its fullest potential..but I have come to love it. I mostly use this to puree soups and sauces. It’s so much easier than having to transfer it to a blender. However, it also comes with some awesome attachments, like a whisk…which you could use to beat egg whites and a chopper which can chop up nuts or graham crackers for a crust. Side note- Mine has a cord…but if you’re going to buy one…for the love- get a cordless one!
4. Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer. One of my absolute favorite kitchen gadgets. I use this to spray my pans before baking and to mist olive oil onto my veggies before roasting. It’s great for portion control because, as we know, oils are very calorie dense. This helps you evenly coat whatever you’re cooking without going overboard!
5. OXO Salad Spinner. Another simple kitchen tool that I use every week. Mine is big enough to hold a whole head of lettuce, so I chop or tear the lettuce up, rinse it and spin it dry. Sometimes I take out the strainer insert, dump the lettuce back into the container and just store it in there with the top on. Having lettuce chopped, washed and ready to eat makes it way more likely that we’ll eat salad during the week. I also use this when I’m making sweet potato chips. I let my sweet potato slices soak in a bowl of water before baking. This helps remove some of the sugar so they don’t burn as easily! After they’ve soaked, I use the salad spinner to spin them dry before baking!
6. George Foreman Grill. When we lived in an apartment after college, I used this all the time to grill our chicken and burgers. Mine is big enough to hold 3-4 chicken breasts. Now that we have a house and an actual grill, I use it less for meat and more for things like quesadillas, paninis, etc.
7. Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat. If you bake at all, you need one of these. Or two. Seriously. I use them for baking things like cookies in the oven and I also use them on my counter when I’m rolling out dough!
8. OXO Good Grips Mandoline Slicer. I inherited this from my mom and I love it. I use it to make sweet potato chips, apple chips, etc and it’s so much easier than doing it by hand because it makes it easy to get all the chips the same thickness. You can also turn the dial and it lets you julienne veggies for garnishes, fries and more!
9. Fagor Duo Pressure Cooker. If I was going to recommend one must-have out of these ten items, this would be it! My parents gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago and it is amazing. Mine is a 10 quart but I think an 8 quart would be fine too. I use it every weekend. You may remember that I wrote a whole post about why I love my pressure cooker. I use it to cook dried beans, without soaking, in 20 minutes. I use it to hard boil my eggs in under 10 minutes. I use it to make risotto without having to sit there and stir the whole time. You can use it to cook meat, make stews and so much more!
10. Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Probably my favorite wedding present. I literally stalked my wedding registry for this item and may have squealed a little when I saw someone bought it! I love my hand mixer if I’m just whipping up a quick batch of cookies, but if I’m going on a baking marathon…I always use the stand mixer! I also use it often when I’m making bread or pizza dough because it does the kneading for me. Plus there are so many fun attachments you can get to make everything from meatballs to shredded veggies.
So there you go! I’m in my kitchen a lot…so I definitely have more favorites…might have to do a part 2 🙂 It would definitely include my crockpot…which I use ALL the time…and my french press coffee maker!!
Let’s chat:
What are your favorite kitchen gadgets?!
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
I have a lot of the things pictured here! I LOVE the oil spray mister. I LOVE my oxo spinner and my le creuset pot. I have only seen pressure cookers on tv cooking shows but have never know of anyone that owns one. So cool- must check that out. I am thoroughly enjoying my ice cream maker but am about to put it away for a little break. 🙂
I ADORE that food processor, except I HATE cleaning it. LOL! I have to say, my favorite kitchen gadget is definitely my blender… And my good ol’ KNIFE that I have had since senior or junior year in high school, LOL! Still works 🙂
I love my food processor, spiralizer, and mandoline slicer. I NEED a vitamix! I have such limited counter space that I don’t have that many large gadgets. That’s what I really need..a new kitchen!
What a great and useful list! Love all the tips you include throughout – especially about sweet potato chips.
I am starting out in my own place so slowly building up my own appliances! I use my blender on a daily basis (works well for smoothies, soups, dips, etc.). Couldn’t live without it! Love a good quality vegetable peeler (very versatile) and am a big fan of the silipat mats! I’ve also started using my vegetable spiralizer a lot more (initially bought as sort of a novelty appliance but now quite useful).
I have 1,2 and 10, would love 3 & 4, 5 broke. SUPER curious about the baking mats now!
I don’t know why I still don’t have a Silpat!
This list comes at a perfect time because topping my to-do list this week is to finalize my wedding registry. There’s a lot of kitchen things that we need (to replace the copious amounts of hand me downs we have) and these are some great suggestions! Thanks!
I’ve been considering getting a pressure cooker. My mom has one and whenever she uses it I love what she makes. The meats are always fall off-the-bone tender.
For me my favorite gadget is my Cuisine Art food processor, and I agree, the Misto..LOVE IT!
I would put my coffee pot on the top of the list- and actually I just got a french press and it is fabulous- LOVE my stand mixer, immersion blender, food processor as well. You forgot to mention cleaning and spinning berries when referring to the salad spinner!!! So many people haven’t thought of that when I rave about mine!! I must pick up the baking mat and the oil spritzer, though! Great post! 🙂
You had me at “shredding attachment.” lol. Even though we have a Ninja (which I love), I’ve been wanting a food processor that can shred. It will save oodles of time when making anything with shredded veggies.
And seriously, it’s like you’ve been reading my mind. We stopped buying cooking spray a while ago and use a little olive oil instead but I know we use more than necessary at times. I have been telling my hubby that an oil sprayer is a need, and I need it ASAP. I guess I know what I’ll be buying soon.
Love this post, you make me want to go buy all new kitchen gadgets.
I could use an immersion blender when I made apple butter in the crock pot! Haha I have a Kitchenaid mixer that I just started using and LOVE it! So over the hand mixer, haha I also got a food processor for my wedding shower, with no real hopes of knowing what to use it for. It has become my best friend! Love it!!
I LOVE my food processor, blender and salad spinner but really, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my coffee maker. 😉
Food processor is definitely up there with my all-time favorites because I make peanut butter, energy bars and banana soft serve often! I also love our Silpat, KitchenAid mixer, and Blendtec Blender!
Im not a big cook–but LOVE LOVE LOVE my vitamix.
I’m all about my blender and food processor. Couldn’t live without them! I also use my oil mister on a daily basis as well as my keurig. Couldn’t do without my daily dose of coffee!
My younger brother gave me a George Foreman for my birthday a year or two ago. I have to admit I thought it was kind of ridiculous, but Man o Man, was I wrong!
I use it almost daily for everything from meat to fries. I can’t imagine why someone would buy a Panini press for the life of me when the George foreman can do that and so much more!
You listed most of mine! Can you believe I JUST used the grating attachment on my Cuinsinart 12-cup food processor for the FIRST time this week?! Mind. Blown.
I have pretty much all of those except the baking mats and love them! My favorite at the holidays is my kitchen aid mixer! Other than that, I use the others all the time and love them all – I also can’t live without my crockpot, it’s so versatile!! I have to get some of those baking mats!
I’ve wanted a misto forever, but I always forget about it! I need to just buy myself one today 🙂
have you made nut butter in your little cuisinart? i broke mine trying to make sunflower seed butter…
With 3 very busy kids, I would be lost without my crockpot!
In fact, I’ll be filling it this morning before we leave for school so that we come home to a healthy, hearty dinner (before running out to taekwondo and meet the teacher night)
I love my Le Creuset stuff. Worth every penny – but I got a few pieces on sale!
I seriously want every single gadget you listed!!
In college I lived off of a George Foreman Grill seriously. I want about half the other gadgets though, I know what to add on my Christmas want list!
I love my immersion blender! I also love my Magic Bullet blender. It doesn’t do as much as a lot of other blenders out there, but it’s the easiest and quickest way to make a smoothie just for myself. It’s so easy to clean!
I love most of those, but still haven’t tried the pressure cooker and I’ve always wanted a mandoline. We love our Bullet blender , Williams and Sonoma Cherry pitter, my lime squeezer (bought in mexico) , and of course were would I be without my, my Nespresso pixie espresso maker. I hope know one from a third world country reads this… cherry pitter? really? haha
What runwiki said, exactly — are we the same person? hmmm Except the espresso maker, swap that for a tea infuser
I love my silipat, but my misto doesn’t spray very well! I think I need to get a new one. I’m dying for one of the big food processors…I only have the mini one!
I LOVE my kitchen aid stand mixer. I think we have the same color! (Unless you randomly chose a picture online…). I love that I can mix anything and walk away or do other prep while it’s mixing. My other favorite kitchen gadget? My slow cooker. Love me some pulled pork… and love even more coming home to a delicious smelling home and dinner ready!
I want a mandoline so bad! It’s one of those things I don’t think about until I go to make sweet potato chips. My favorite gadget has to be my Vitamix. It gets used about 3 times a day or more. Sad it’s being recalled and I’ll have to go without it for a few weeks!
Very helpful! Can’t wait until I can actually afford to buy some of these… (Poor college student problems lol! I think i can handle the salad spinner, though.) I do have a George Foreman though and I absolutely LOVE it!
I might have to put a few of these on the Christmas list! New gadgets scare me put now that you’ve laid out their uses it will be easier!
Love this list! I am moving into my first apartment soon, I have about half of these items but “need” to go shopping for the rest 😉
I love your blog because you and your husband have the same taste in food as my boyfriend and I. Reading your blog posts about what you eat gives me some really great ideas for when we move in together and I’ll be cooking for the two of us.
You can tell you are my daughter! So glad you love the pressure cooker. Now that my kitchen space is limited, I miss the George. I would add my microplane grater to the list and my small heavy 1/2 sheet size jelly roll pan that I use for roasting veggies etc more than baking. Great post!
My favorite kitchen gadgets are definitely the Kitchen Aid mixers and cookie scoopers. You get evenly baked cookies this way so some aren’t burnt while others are half raw!
Awesome list! I couldn’t live without my immersion blender or food processor. I have to try the oil mister – I don’t know why I keep buying the canned stuff!
My KitchenAid stand mixer is by far my favorite kitchen gadget!! I also love my grater and spatulas – kind of boring but they are essential 🙂
I adore my food processor and silpat too! I got a garlic press about a year ago and I literally use it EVERY day! My blender also gets a ton of use because of how much I love smoothies! 🙂
hands down the standing mixer and food processor is my favorite too. I am really intrigued by few products here – the french oven and oil spray, I need that ASAP. i really liked my tiny electric grill but now I got a grill pan and its amazing too. thanks for sharing your gadgets.
I love this topic! Also, now I need to add a pressure cooker to my christmas list.
My favorite kitchen gadgets are:
1. Rice cooker – Used nearly daily to make steel cut oats on the timer setting so they’re ready for breakfast and I also use it for dinners and weekend food prep all the time.
2. Blendtec blender – this was a wedding gift that I didn’t even know I wanted but it’s awesome. I love making smoothies and whole juices as an easy way to get more veggies in.
3. French press – a necessity.
I’ll agree with your list on a lot of the rest:
Immersion blender – use it so much more than I thought I would!
Food processor –
Mandoline slicer –
Silpat –
Misto –
Fun post!
This post is great! I do have any of the things you mentioned. I love my food processor and the immersion blender. I have never heard of a salad spinner but I like the idea of it.
I’ve heard of those baking mats and how great they are! I need to just get one or two already. I love my waffle maker, coffee maker, food processor, George Foreman (we call it the GF :)), and my Kitchen Aid stand mixer!
A food processor is on my kitchen wishlist. So is a Le Creuset, but I don’t really know how I’d use it. The Misto olive oil sprayer has become one of my favorite tools even though I didn’t think we needed one. Now I see it’s perfect for pans and portion control just like you said.
I love pretty much all of those! My Kitchenaid stand mixer, immersion blender, food processor and Vitamix are definitely my favorites! 🙂
Hey we’re kitchenaid mixer sisters!! Have you named yours? Mine is named Martha while my bf’s Mom named hers Julia, after two of our favourite bakers. 🙂
I love our immersion blender! I use it for everything! Our’s is a little more high-powered and has an attachment so it can be used as a food processor as well… AMAZING!
Other things I love? The KitchenAid, obviously…AND our knives–People don’t realize how much easier food prep is with a good knife…such a good investment! It’s mind boggling to me that people don’t buy at least one good knife. I also love our French Press and the crockpot…and we have a mini blender (the Big Boss) we use for grinding coffee, making smoothies and other random tasks…. and last but not least, my pastry blender, old school but gets the job done.
Love posts like this since I am not good at any of this!!! Now if only I could afford to get them all & have a personal chef & clean up person! 😉
I am hating comment luv lately – works on some blogs & not others! 😉
When 29 is Too Old to “Make It”; When Looking Healthy Becomes Fat http://truth2beingfit.com/2013/09/18/when-29-is-too-old-to-make-it-when-looking-healthy-becomes-fat.aspx
Looove your list Lindsay! I’m always looking for gadget ideas. I’m with Jody – not my strong area so I like stalking RDs like you 🙂
This post is great… so helpful!
Vitamix, food processor, and stand mixer are hands down my essentials!
I’d never heard or seen half those gadgets before- thanks for the overview! My favourite kitchen gadget would probably be my blender- smoothies/sauces in no time? Yes please.
Mine are most definitely my Vitamix, my coffee pot, my French Press and my Oster Food Processor. I also love my mini slow cooker, George Foreman and a simple saucepan my mom gave me that I like to boil water in for hot tea. Many of your items are on my kitchen appliance wish list, along with a juicer:) Great idea for a post!
I agree with all of these but I have to say that the Silpat is awesome! Perfectly baked cookies every single time
I absolutely agree with several of these including the Silicone baking mats – being lazy with the cleanup I also use an oven liner. But my all time favorite gadget, the one I treasure above even a potato peeler, is my bread machine. Not coming down to the fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread ready for breakfast is unthinkable, period.
Great post!! I love my pressure cooker too. I don’t know how I went without it for so long!!
Thanks, Lindsay, this is a great list! I’m going to pin this so I can refer back to it later…like when I don’t live in a Brooklyn apartment with a small kitchen & no counterspace!! 😉
haha good idea 🙂
I must agree that the food processor is a hit in this list. I am one person who regularly uses the processor (like my blender). And yes, it is quite difficult to clean it!