Suggestions for kitchen equipment?

romachel1978
romachel1978 Posts: 36 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
We were and still a bit stuck in the convenience food rut. With working full time and two young girls, it is quicker and easier. We are making great strides to change this so we can eliminate the processed completely. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for good quality, useful kitchen equipment that makes it a bit quicker/easier and helps to free up some time. With homework, activities, baths... I would love anything that helps make the prep a bit faster but don't have money to waste trying out a bunch of different gadgets. Would love some input!!

Replies

  • WithWhatsLeft
    WithWhatsLeft Posts: 196 Member
    Well, I love my crock pots. I have a huge one I can fit a large chicken in and a smaller one for things like chicken breasts, pork chops, etc. They are pretty handy!

    A digital scale is good to have as well.

    Food sealers are great - you can cook in large batches on the weekend, then portion things out (spaghetti sauce, chili, etc) and freeze them.

    Hope this gives you some ideas.
  • sheepotato
    sheepotato Posts: 600 Member
    edited January 2015
    I got an electric pressure cooker in 2012, I've used it at least once a day since. It was expensive at the time, but it's really been worth it. It's like a crockpot but only takes 1/4th the time. A cheaper alternative is a rice cooker.

    Ditto on the digital scale, besides making food logging more effective it makes food prep more convenient.

    An electric tea kettle has been really useful for me (mostly because we don't have a microwave.) I use it for oatmeal, hot teas, french press coffee and to boil water faster when I'm pressed for time.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I think you should get what works for you...buy it as you need it.

    Tupperware has been my best investment. I can put my frozen fruit in a bunch of bowls and take one out every night. I can cook big batches of food and not have it go to waste. And I can just wipe the pan out and put the next stuff in. Don't even have to do all the clean up, cook a bunch of stuff in a row, put it in it's containers, pop it in the freezer and then clean up once.

    My freezer is packed with Tupperware. :)

    If you have a big family, a big freezer night be a good investment. But that would only be necessary if you actually are cooking and freezing a lot and need the space. I wouldn't advise someone to buy a big freezer because they might use it, lol. :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Definitely a crock pot!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Gadgets I use:
    Slow cooker
    Food processor
    Hand held mixer
    Stick blender
    Bread machine- use to make bread or make dough for things like pizza
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    +1 (2?) on the crock pot/slow cooker. I can throw something in there in the morning, and come home to a lovely cooked stew or chili or whatever. If your family eats lots of rice dishes, a rice cooker (a BIG one) can be useful, too. I can make an entire beans, meat, rice, and veggie meal right in one pot, and never have to turn on the stove (other than to precook beans and meat, if necessary).

    Use those cookers to batch cook big portions, and portion it all into tupperware type containers and refrigerate/freeze for quick "fast food". Take one of those for lunch, too, instead of leaving leftovers uneaten.
  • singer201
    singer201 Posts: 563 Member
    edited January 2015
    The things I use most often: small and large Santoku or chef knives for chopping veggies and cutting cooked meats, several paring knives, smaller serrated knife for cutting tomatoes, good potato peeler (Ikea has one that is my favorite! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30175140/), cast iron skillet, ceramic non-stick skillet (for eggs and fish), stainless steel/clad cookware (I used Revereware in the early years, graduated to LeCreuset recently), assortment of bamboo utensils, spoons, turners, etc., silicone spatulas, non-scratch tongs, grater, couple of assorted size glass or ceramic baking dishes, salad spinner, small enameled cast iron covered Dutch oven, digital scale. I use a countertop oven/toaster for baking dishes that take 30 minutes or less (more efficient than heating up the big gas oven).

    I prepare dinner every evening, a varied meat dish (sometimes prepared earlier in the day or "planned overs"), salad, potatoes--sweet or white, and fruit, in 30 minutes or so.
  • singer201
    singer201 Posts: 563 Member
    I definitely recommend a food sealer if you buy meats or cheeses in larger quantities or want to precook larger batches of recipes and portion out for meals. It's the best way of maintaining good quality of frozen items.
  • romachel1978
    romachel1978 Posts: 36 Member
    Thank you so much for all of the great ideas! I will definitely look into them :) Love the idea of a crockpot! It would be great to have the meal ready when we get home.
  • sizesixorbust
    sizesixorbust Posts: 114 Member
    i also have an electric tea kettle and i LOVE it!! crockpots are fun. i also have a steamer which is cool when you use it but takes up a lot of space and is annoying to clean because of all the parts. love a george foreman grill too, but it's also a pain to clean.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Kitchen appliances I use:

    Food scale
    Crockpot
    Ninja blender
    Tea kettle
    Toaster
    KitchenAid stand mixer
    Coffee maker
    George Foreman grill
    Waffle maker
    Pancake griddle
    Popcorn popper
    Bread maker

    I also have tons of Tupperware to meal prep and freeze food.

  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    I have a fuzzy logic rice cooker that I love...I know, I know, making rice is pretty easy on the stovetop...but making WHOLE grains, exotic grains, etc is effortless with the rice cooker, and cleanup is so easy. It removed every excuse for plain white rice, making Quinoa and spelt and brown rice is now too easy not to do instead!
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
    My go-to kitchen appliances:

    Crock-pot
    Food scale
    Immersion blender
    Keurig
    Electric wine bottle opener :p

    My fiance just bought me a Ninja blender with a food processor attachment. I am super excited to use it!

    I also have a mini food processor and a hand mixer, but I don't use those often.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    Things I use daily:
    Food scale
    Nutribullet
    10 inch cast iron pan
    My good knife (wicked sharp)
    Cutting boards
    Coffee pot
    Pyrex liquid measuring cups

    Things I use weekly
    Immersion blender
    Crock pot

    I'm pretty minimalist in the kitchen, but my meals wouldn't get made without these things.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I'm not big on gadgets so I vote for an extra set of measuring cups and liquid measuring cup plus obviously a scale. Good sharp knives too.
  • peanuttyist
    peanuttyist Posts: 19
    Food Sealer - great to pre portion meals and snacks and keeps food freezer safe
    Food Scale - use it daily
    Vita-Mix - wish I used it daily - but when I do I love it
    Immersion Blender/choper - itsp well over 20 yrs old and works like new - love it
    Indoor Electric Grill - same as out but its in - my fav

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Crockpot. Grill/panini thingie. Good knives. Kitchenaid mixer. Heavy pans.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Knives! Yes! Sharp knives make all the difference in food prep. :)
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Ninety-nine percent of everything I cook I cook in a skillet or sauce pan. I most frequently use a chefs knife. And pretty anything can be stirred with a wooden spoon in a large mixing bowl. Anything beyond that may be useful, but certainly not required.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
    I love using my crock pot but I think it makes chicken taste weird lol. I just got a Ninja kitchen system for Christmas (was hoping for a Vitamix but I Googled it and I guess they are comparable but the Ninja is a lot less costly). The system comes with a blender set, a food processor set, and two to-go cups. I find it so easy to make smoothies in the morning because the togo cups attach right onto the blade, you blend it, then just remove the cup, remove the blade, and replace it with a lid. It has really changed my mornings dramatically. The whole system is easy to clean so I like that as well.
  • romachel1978
    romachel1978 Posts: 36 Member
    I definitely need to invest in a good set of kitchen knives. In the past, it wasn't something I thought was worth the extra money however, now that we are doing alot more prep in the kitchen, I can see why they would be !!
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    I love my Cutco knives - expensive but worth every penny, lifetime guarantee and sharpening if they ever need it. Bought them as I needed over a number of years. My go to pot is a "wok-pot" - this is a wok with a flat pot bottom that sits right n my elective range and has a handle and lid just like a regular stove top pot/pan. Very easy to make many different dishes and when you add the rice cooker it is the perfect combination in my opinion! We gave up all processed, prepackaged foods, three years ago and have never looked back.
  • mrsKOrtiz
    mrsKOrtiz Posts: 949 Member
    Steamer, crock pot, food scale, blender, a chopper!
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