My Favorite Kitchen Helps

I was doing the dishes today and thinking about the kitchen helps that really do make this lifestyle easier.  I don't like a lot of unnecessary gadgets, but there are things that I use almost every single day that make cooking and preparing my food quick and easy.


Instant Pot


I use my Instant Pot almost every day.  I make dried beans in it all the time, which is so much cheaper and healthier than buying canned.  I also use it to make vegetable stock, which again saves a lot of money.  It's great for soups, stews, and refried beans.



Vitamix



I also use my Vitamix every day.  I would be lost without it!  I use it for soup, sauces, condiments, and most important of all, Frosties!  :)





Microplane Grater

 

I love this grater!  I use it all the time for grating ginger and citrus zest!

Pampered Chef Garlic Press
 
I definitely use my garlic press every day!  I love garlic and the flavor and health benefits it offers.  I like this press because I don't have to peel the garlic first.






Pampered Chef Citrus Juicer

I have an electric citrus juicer that I use if I'm juicing a lot of fruit, but I love this little hand juicer when I'm just using one lemon, lime, or orange to flavor a recipe.  It gets a lot of use around here!





Salad Spinner

I've had this salad spinner for years, and it gets so much use that there's a crack in the bowl that my husband actually duct-taped!  Classy, I know.  I guess it's time to get a new one!




Pampered Chef Food Chopper



This food chopper seemed like a gadget that may not be necessary, but I use it every day!  It's great for finely chopping onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers for soups and salads, and it's much quicker (at least for me!) than chopping by hand.



Henckels Four-Star Knives



Of course I use my knives all the time.  I love my Henckels knives, and I also have a couple of ceramic knives that I really like.  They chip easily, but if you're careful with them, they work really well because they stay so sharp.



Matfer Exopat Nonstick Baking Mat



I use my nonstick baking mats for baking veggie burgers, potato wedges, oatmeal on the go, tortilla chips...anything that would stick to the pan since I don't use oil.  I use it in place of parchment paper, which saves money and resources!




Canning Jars - in all sizes

I use canning jars for storage for all of my sauces, condiments, and leftovers.

Stainless Steel 2-cup Measuring Cup

I love my 2-cup measuring cup.  I must have a lot of recipes that call for 2 cups of an ingredient, because I use this a lot.  I know that I could just use my 1-cup measuring cup twice, but this saves me 30 seconds by just measuring it once!  Okay, so I don't need it.  But, I still love it!  :)

5-ounce Measuring Glass - Measures ounces and tablespoons



I use this little measuring cup all the time!  I love measuring liquid tablespoons by just pouring the liquid into this cup instead of measuring it a tablespoon at a time.  It's quicker and less messy!



Pampered Chef Measure-All Cup - for House Mayo and other thick ingredients

This is another gadget that isn't necessary but I love it.  I use it for measuring House Mayo, applesauce, refried beans...anything that doesn't come out of a measuring cup easily.



Silicone Baking/Muffin Cups



These are great for oil-free muffins because the muffins just slip right out of them.  I won't lie, though; they're a real pain to clean!  I soak them and then turn them inside-out and clean each little ridge.  Even so, after they dry there always seems to be a couple of them that still have muffin residue in them!



Potato Masher

I had a potato masher for years and never used it.  Now I use it all the time for mashed potatoes, refried beans, and for mashing chickpeas to make Mercury-Free "Tuna" Salad.

Peeler

I know a peeler is really basic, but I love my OXO peeler!  I used to have an awful one, so I dreaded peeling fruits and veggies.  This one is so much easier and I'm all about less frustration in the kitchen!