I never really pictured myself falling as in love with cooking as I have. Something about it fulfills my instinct to nourish others, especially my family, in the most literal sense. It doesn’t mean I’m always singing merrily as I prepare dinner with tired kids at my feet, but with the girls out of the toughest of the toddler phases, my joy in the kitchen is back in full force and growing. Over the past eight years of cooking for my family, I’ve come across a few basic kitchen tools that I believe every home cook needs. These items make cooking easier, more efficient, and therefore, more enjoyable. Come on into my kitchen and let me show you the items I can’t live without!
Manual Citrus Press
I use my citrus squeezer every single day. It’s made of metal, not plastic, which not only makes it durable but also powerful with little effort. It is able to extract a maximum amount of juice from lemons and limes, and even small oranges. I use it to squeeze lemons on avocado toast and in water, limes for finishing touches on Mexican or Indian dishes (or margaritas…), and it’s a great kitchen tool for the girls to play around with too.
Milk Frother
Not only is this frother ideal for mixing cream into coffee, it also works well to blend apple cider vinegar in with honey, lemon, and hot water. We use it for hot chocolate, hot toddies, and any other drink that needs a good whisking. We have the cheap Ikea version ($2, I believe), but it’s on its last legs and when it goes I will be purchasing this powerful milk frother with a wider whisk.
Quality Glass Mixing Bowls
I had my eye on these for months at Sur La Table. I don’t know why I waited so long, but it certainly made the heart grow fonder because now I LOVE my glass mixing bowls. They are durable, simple in design, and work beautifully for all the sourdough bread I make. I love that they look so pretty that they can double for a serving dish for salads and pilafs.
A Good Vegetable Peeler and Garlic Press
I don’t buy baby carrots. I’ve tried because I know they are convenient, but they taste like watered down nothings to me, so I always buy the big ones. Because of that, a good peeler with an easy grip handle is necessary to not only make peeling efficient, but easy for kids to do (it’s always Hailey’s task).
As for garlic presses, I’ve owned both the squeeze kind and the press/mincer. If you go squeeze, I highly recommend a heavy duty press because they are actually easier to use. I usually use my mincer garlic press because I find it easy to use and clean, plus the girls love using it to see what other things they can “squish” with it (like avocado, beans, or bananas!).
A Kitchen Scale
I never pictured myself using one of these, but I now use my electric kitchen scale on a weekly basis to bake sourdough bread. I do not consider myself a baker because the exact science stuff isn’t my jam, but I’m wondering now if I should give more baking recipes that offer gram measurements a try because I’ve realized just how much more precise weight is for baking over the typical cups measurement. Who else owns a kitchen scale? What do you use it for?
A High-Speed Blender
Despite not being a huge smoothie-maker, my Blendtec Designer Series with the WildSide Jar is still on my must have list. I use it for easily blending together cashew creams, sauces for grain bowls, our weekly ginger turmeric tonic, nut milks occasionally, and more. Maybe I’ll hop on the smoothie train once the weather warms up!
Salad Spinner
If you are a greens eater, this is a non-negotiable. The clam shells full of pre-washed baby greens are great, but when growing things in the garden (I have high hopes for a successful garden this year!) or buying leafy vegetables from the farmers market, it is incredibly helpful to have a salad spinner to speed up the washing and drying process. Plus, it’s another great task for toddlers who want to help in the kitchen!
A Kitchen Scraper
Possibly the best bang for your buck in the use:cost ratio. This scraper might just be my favorite kitchen item. It’s a godsend for cleaning up flour, scraping play-doh off tables, cutting dough, forming granola bars, slicing brownies- you get the picture.
Though I’ve streamlined and organized my kitchen and am not looking to add much more to it, there are a couple items that are on my to-buy list because I’ve had my eye on them for so long and I really think I’d use them regularly:
- Salad Chopper : I’ve seen Katy and Julie, among others, absolutely rave about this product. Since we are entering the season of salads, I’m ready to hop on board the chopped salad train.
- Rice Cooker with Porridge Setting : I know so many of you have encouraged me to get the InstantPot, but I’ve looked into in depth and I really want this rice cooker instead. I have an electric pressure cooker but rarely use it, but I adore my little rice cooker and am ready to upgrade.
- Knife Sharpener : Having a quality knife makes a HUGE difference in cooking enjoyment and a knife sharpener is an inexpensive way to get the most out of your knife. We’ve used one for years, and I’m ready to snag another.
I’d love to hear your favorite kitchen must-haves items!
Which kitchen tools make your life easier?
julie says
YES YES YES to the salad chopper!!!! You will LOVE it! I swear it makes me enjoy salads at home 10,000 times more! Also, I love your glass mixing bowls and the way they double as serving bowls. I know you know I’ve been on a CLEAN ALL THE THINGS kick for a while now and this seems like a great way to streamline some of our kitchen storage/baking items.
Molly says
I must have that salad chopper! I feel like it would seem more like a restaurant salad at home!
Brittany Dixon says
I just bought it. I blame it on today’s sunshine getting me ready for spring and summer salads! 🙂
Paolo Ubiadas says
For me nothing would be better than my blender and water heater. I think that those two are essential for someone working at home.
Gitisha Goel says
Its my Kitchen aid mixer, good cutting board and sharp knives. If Instant pot counts then that tops my list. I use it everyday sometimes twice a day too.
Laura says
Great list! I have the same yellow citrus squeezer! I love the color and it is very functional. I use my food processor all the time, for salsas, date bars, curry paste, and sometimes when I am really in a hurry to chop onions, garlic and tomato. I love your dedication to cooking! I have a professional background in cooking, although I am a teacher now. I still have a passion for it, and cook every day, although some days are rough and rushed with work and little ones. I am still in the “cook one handed while carrying me or listen to me scream on the floor phase” with my littlest. Sometimes he is content playing in the sink. We are also in the middle of a major kitchen renovation so I have to turn a blind eye to the exposed 2 by 4s and old, half broken electric cooktop. I seriously fantasize about a year or two in the future, cooking calmly in my new kitchen and gas cooktop!
Happy cooking! Nothing better than cooking for those you love!
Brittany Dixon says
I didn’t know you had a professional background in cooking! Tell me more! What did you do?
Laura says
I got my culinary degree in Pittsburgh when I was 19 then moved out to Colorado Springs to take a job at the Broadmoor! After that I moved on to banquet cooking, mostly weddings which was so much fun! I went back to school when I was 24 and got my engineering degree, worked as an engineer for 5 years, then left to teach math!
John J. says
My “must have in the kitchen” is my wonderful wife who nourishes me so well!! Looking forward to seeing you with her there this weekend! 🙂
Brittany Dixon says
She’s a pro after all the years she’s been cooking us all such great food. So grateful for her for that! Excited to see you soon!
sherry says
I’ve been needing a knife sharpener so I just ordered two–so don’t go out and buy one 😉
Brittany Dixon says
Awww thanks mama! 🙂
Tiffany of Rattles and Pearls says
I definitely need a salad chopper!!
Brittany Dixon says
I just bought it. I couldn’t wait any longer! 🙂
Erica says
Check the big farmer’s market in Charlotte for little spinach and romaine plants this month! I’ve gotten them there before and they did so great in my garden. I was ripping off leaves for months to make salads and the plants were much heartier than my own seed starters I’ve tried before. We have a more traditional rice cooker which cooks two ways, you put water in the bottom and then put in a pot of rice with water inside the pot so it both simmers and steams. You can also put in an additional rack to steam veggies while the rice cooks or just use it for steaming. Cook time is controlled by how much water is added to the bottom of the pot. It’s a handy gadget we use several times a week, but we also eat a lot of rice 😉
Jess says
My salad chopper arrived yesterday and I used it last night. It’s awesome. You will love it!
Katie says
I love love love my vitamix. I have the same rice cooker you’re looking at and it’s great- you wouldn’t regret that purchase! I mostly use it for rice but I have used it for oats too and works great for that purpose as well.
Liz says
These are all gadgets more than tools, and they aren’t exactly *necessary* but make life in the kitchen so much easier and more enjoyable for me:
Food processor – for pie crust, making sauces, shredding cheese, chopping veggies, desserts, etc
KitchenAid – meatloaf, desserts of all kinds, banana bread, whipped cream, etc
Breach machine: I scored a free one years ago on a local free cycling moms group, and use it ALL the time. Mostly just the dough cycle, to make pizza dough, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, and sometimes fresh bread too.
And of course, my Instant Pot: rice, hard boiled eggs, any soup is seriously better and so much faster in the IP, veggies, meatballs, mac and cheese, and so many more things.
I also agree with you on the salad spinner, and I learned the hard way that I must have a good rolling pin (mine broke and I found myself having to use a wine bottle to roll out a pie crust! Ha!). I need to get a kitchen scraper, that looks handy!
Alison Aiken says
I love our salad spinner. It also makes a great toy/kitchen entertainment when I’m not using it! Sharp knives are key and ours are so dull right now. I keep thinking I’ll get them professionally sharpened as ours doesn’t seem to be good enough. I also love the immersion blender for soups and sauces. I’ve heard such great things about the instant pot that I’m really considering it. We use my husband’s grandmother’s old crock pot right now-I think it’s time for an upgrade!
Giáo dục trẻ thơ says
oh, It is useful with me.
Thanks you so much!!!!
Kyla Jocson says
YES to salad spinner and high-end blender! I do not know how to survive the week without them, me being a shake lover and a salad addict! 🙂