Whether you’re trying to cook more at home or eat healthier for a better lifestyle, there are so many reasons why you would want to add or upgrade your cooking gear.
It’s always a good time to start but with so many different tools and equipment out there, it can be tough to find the essentials. For this reason, we have come up with a list of 7 gadgets you actually need in your kitchen.
Forget the days where you still use the kitchenware from your days at college. Once you start using them, you’ll be wondering what took you so long to get them in the first place.
1. The OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless Steel Colander
There are so many meals where you must drain water away from cooking on the stove. The OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless Steel Colander is one of the best around and is certainly worth the upgrade.
As the name suggests, the rim is easy to hold and it will not move as you toss the food in from the pan. The shape of the gadget has been designed to optimize how the water funnels from the holes, preventing any liquid from clogging your pasta, rice, vegetables, etc.
It may come with a big price tag for a colander but it will last for a long time and will pass every test you give it.
2. The My Weigh KD-8000 Scales
Modern kitchens tend to go for sleek designs rather than the bulkier models of the past. However, should you have space, the My Weigh KD-8000 will not disappoint.
The most important attribute of a set of weighing scales is its accuracy. This goes for both when adding and removing objects from the platforms. The KD-8000 is very accurate and displays an icon when the stable measurement is taken. It also comes with a cover to protect the buttons from excess ingredients.
In addition, the KD-8000 has multiple ways to measure the objects, including grams, ounces, pounds and a baker’s percentage, making it easy to weigh your goods.
3. The KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender
Blenders are vital for any modern-day kitchen. The KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender is great in terms of value for money and quality of the product. As noted by its name, it has five different speeds built-in so, making it great for chopping up and mixing all kinds of foods.
The controls are easy to understand, with each button providing enough resistance so you won’t have to worry about pressing the wrong one by accident.
Cleaning this blender is simple too. All components are dishwasher safe so load them up and you’re good to go.
Note that the jar is also BPA-free.
4. The Nutrichef Smart Bluetooth BBQ Grill Thermometer
No matter if you’re cooking inside in the winter or on the grill in the summer, it’s so important that the food is cooked at the right temperature. Put the heat on too high and you can easily char the food beyond saving, but put it on too cool and when it’s time to serve, it’ll be underdone or even raw.
This can be avoided with the Nutrichef Smart Bluetooth BBQ Grill Thermometer. According to Alex Denolm, writing for Gift Wits, this is one of the best digital thermometers on the market right now.
It connects to your cell phone and gives you real-time notifications about the temperature of your food, meaning you don’t have to stand next to the grill or oven the whole time. This means you will know the moment your food reaches the desired temperature.
Choose between Celcius or Fahrenheit readings and set multiple alerts for cooking different foods. The thermometer has a backlit LCD display making it easy to read the information on screen.
5. The Hamilton Beach 3-in-1Grill
Need a new grill to use your new digital thermometer? Look no further than the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Grill. It has several special features that make it one of the best in its class. For example, there are two reversible non-stick, PFOA-free plates with both flat and ridged grills on either side.
Now, usually, you would expect to lose a lot of cooking real estate where the two plates connect – but not on this kitchen gadget. It has 180 square inches of nearly seamless surface area, enough to cook four large pancakes, a few slices of bacon and a couple of eggs without a sweat.
The Hamilton Beach 3-in-1Grill is really easy to clean too. Simply remove and wash the plates without having to wash the entire unit. Plus, everything is dishwasher safe, including the grease tray included with the griddle.
To top it all off, each side of the unit comes with its own heating controls. This means you can adjust the temperature under each individual plate, giving you complete control of your cooking. This comes in handy when you’re grilling multiple foods at the same time.
6. Cheese Slicer and Tray with Cracker Well
No kitchen is ever complete without a cheese slicer. Thanks to this guide by CoolThingsChicago, you will never have to go without ever again.
One of their recommended gadgets is the cheese slicer and tray with crackers well. It allows you to cut and display all your cheese along with crackers and bites you want to serve alongside. This also makes cleanup a breeze since there’s only one dish to wash.
The beechwood style is durable, stylish, smooth and large enough that you can use it to feed a handful of guests with ease.
7. The Omega J8006 Juicer
The final gadget you actually need in your kitchen is the Omega J8006 Juicer. It’s oriented horizontally rather than vertically, meaning that it’s different from most other juicers. But that’s why it’s a must-have for your kitchen.
It produces a consistently high yield. The pulp to juice ratio is great so the taste remains unaffected. In fact, the taste is so good, you won’t notice much, if any difference from high-end products.
It’s high quality and available at a good price – what more do you want?
Photo by Becca Tapert