My Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets...And a Few Regrets.
Have you seen how many Kitchen Gadgets there are now? I mean hello...... we are almost to the point of a Jetsons like kitchen where the food can be turned into an assembly line of automated yumminess! Hmm what do I want for a snack; I would like a fruit salad... just put your favorite types of fruit into a bin and it will come out pitted, peeled, sliced and ready for a photo op! Ok maybe we aren't quite that lucky yet, but seriously there is literally a gadget for everything. Now I tend to be a sucker for nifty new things.... I come from a long line of impulse buyers who have taught me that a reason can be made for buying ANYTHING! However, as I have gotten older and have had to move the copious amounts of stuff from kitchen to kitchen I have become more skeptical and realistic in my kitchen buys.
1. Crock Pot
This has been a staple from the get go. I use it as much now with a family as I did when I was single, kid free and had no discernible reason to make that much food at one time. There is nothing quite as handy as a set and forget type of cooking item. From work potlucks (hello nacho cheese) to an easy roast or chicken soup for when I'm too busy to deal with the stove and oven then uses are endless. Here is my favorite one so far. http://amzn.to/2t4gkag
2. Pampered Chef Mix & Chop
I have had this item for a good 10 years now. It is my go to meat cooking utensil. I use it for tacos, sausage, mixing onions, peppers etc. the list goes on. It is great for the times I am impatient and don't wait for my meat to fully defrost as it literally mixes and chops! Hence the name Mix & Chop. You can check it out here on Amazon http://amzn.to/2t3TMqk
Or my cousin is a Pampered Chef Consultant and can add you to a party...or host one for you woohoo! Check her out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefLaurel/
3. Apple Slicer/Corer
An oldie but a goodie.... especially now that I have kids. I recommend any that do not have plastic. I went through a few that had plastic handles... Apples are stronger than they appear! Again mine is pampered chef... OK I know I have a pampered chef problem, but to be honest I have never had anything go wrong with their products. They last and that is rare when it comes to gadgets! So again here is the one I have http://amzn.to/2t4vsEC
4. Garlic Press & Peeler
We eat quite a bit of Garlic, I love it and put it in everything. So needless to say having a quality peeler and press makes for a more streamlined cooking process. Again I find that a metal one lasts longer than plastic and that the garlic doesn't stick to it as much. http://amzn.to/2u9J41a
5. Spiralizer
So I jumped on this one a little late, I just got one last year. I was skeptical not going to lie. But I love it! Not only do I use it for squash and zucchini but also for carrots, potatoes and more. It is easy and makes for some fun noodle salads etc. Because I was skeptical I got this one http://amzn.to/2sR0ufb It was cheap so I figured if I didn't like it I wouldn't feel bad for not using it. This one has held up well... as much of an arm work out as it can be.
6. Flexible Cutting Mat
These are so handy! I use them all the time; I even keep some in my camping box. They are flexible and clean up nice and easy. Simply chop and dump into your crock pot, pan or storage container for easy freezing etc.
7. Quality Blender
I have had my Vita-Mix for a solid 10 years....and my Grandma had it for a good 10 before that. So it has been used FREQUENTLY for at least 20 years. I haven't had to do anything to it, no servicing, no blade sharpening nothing. Is it as fancy as the newer models? Nope, but it works and works and works. Smoothies, margaritas, salsas etc. still makes them without a problem. http://amzn.to/2uSgyP6
8. Wine Aerator
Wine..... need I say more? Seriously though I got one of these for my birthday a few years ago and it works. Now, I don't buy the best wine and I tend to forget to let it breathe before a girls night in so this helps smooth it out. Plus it looks fancy and is a good conversation starter! http://amzn.to/2vdJFvQ
9. Veggie Chopper
Again with the Pampered Chef, like I said I have a problem. I love this for Onions, I pretty much exclusively use this for chopping onions as I hate chopping them by hand. I have used it for other things; celery, tomatoes, carrots etc. It works great for everything and is easy to clean! http://amzn.to/2ujmC63
10. Cast Iron Skillet
I know this is not necessarily a gadget... but it is a tool! A tool that I use all the time. Baking cornbread, cooking steaks or chicken it does it all. Heavy duty, easy to clean and can double as a weapon. What else do you need. http://amzn.to/2u9HpIN
Now for a couple things that I really don't use. Maybe I will eventually.... or maybe when my kiddos are old enough to help in the kitchen they will come in handy. But for now they are regrets.
1. Pineapple corer/slicer
I was never able to make these work well. The time it took and muscle strength needed to use one of these wasn't worth it. So it sat in my tool drawer unused...maybe if I had a stainless steel one it would have worked better.... hmmm?
2. Salad Spinner
Something about soggy lettuce just doesn't do it for me. I always ended up having to use a towel to dry off the lettuce that I just spun around. So now I just rinse and towel off like I did before purchasing the salad spinner and it takes up a lot of space. I do have friends who swear by these.... I just don't.
3. Novelty slicer
Yes, I'm talking about the avocado, egg, strawberry, watermelon (this one intrigues me though) slicers. I'm pretty handy with a knife so it has never been a big deal for me to just slice up some banana or avocado really quick. So for now these stay in my gadget drawer without a second thought as to pulling them out to use. These might be fun for my kids when they are older though and prevent any cuts from knives so......they might make the list later on.
4. Juicer
Now I understand how this might be in the essential category for some people. I am not one of those people. I tried Juicing... I wanted to love juicing and my husband tried to love juicing. We just did not; it was messy and wasteful as we didn't cook with the leftover fiber. Smoothies are just easier for us and I'm OK with that!
What are your favorite Gadgets & Tools? Please add any comments and must have ideas for my next shopping splurge.