On a recent kitchen clear-out, it occurred to me that they are certain appliances that I use every single week, and some that are gathering dust in the back shelves of my cramped laundry room. When I shared this with a couple of girlfriends, we found that we’re all pretty much on the same page. Given the fact that I cook from scratch almost everyday, it’s surprising how little I actually need, so here are the basics, except for pots, pans and knives, that I can’t live without. Would love to see if you have any to add to my list??
Bread Machine: I purchased the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 Home Bakery 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker a few years back and have never regretted it. I use it almost every week to make perfect loaves of bread and also fantastic pizza dough. I love that it’s Teflon-free and that it comes in this half size, which doesn’t take up too much counter space.
Magic Bullet: Can’t live without the Bullet. I make all my morning smoothies, dressings, sauces, and even whipped cream. I’m relieved that the plastic cup is BPA-free.
Immersion Blender: I use my Cuisinart Immersion Blender a lot in the winter when I’m making soups because it does away with the mess and hassle of having to transfer the soup to a blender.
Tongs: I use my Oxo tongs every single time I cook. I use them to toss salads, steam veggies, when frying virtually anything. Whenever I want to move food from one place to another, I use these tongs – totally couldn’t live without them!
Tea Kettle: My Cuisinart Perfectemp Tea Kettle is a life-saver because I drink tons of green and oolong tea and need to have the temperature really perfect so I don’t scorch the tea. It also boils water really fast for cooking.
I would add three: a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, a 12 inch All Clad Fry Pan..and a cast iron skillet. I use these more than anything..
Love those OXO tongs!
I would also say the Bullet, cast iron frying pan, and cast iron Dutch oven. I love a slow cooked one pan meal.
My Kitchenaid Artisan stand mixer, vintage cast iron dutch oven , box grater, large stainless steel stock pot and a plastic…I know terrible…fish breader contraption that came from Bass Pro Shops that I use for breading many things and it saves using plastic bags.
I would have to say my Thermomix, I can make basically anything from scratch with it, including flour, I make green smoothies, pizza dough, tahini, peanut and other nutbutters as well as cooking and steaming- it does the job of my old mixer, foodprocessor, cooktop etc, icecream maker so it cuts my list down (a bit) . My bread machine and auto sprouter get a good workout too!
Sophie, do you use a veggie steamer? If so, which one? I am having trouble finding one on the market that does not contain BPA. I have been steaming my veggies in a regular pot but am afraid that I am losing valuable nutrients in the water.
The only thing I use to steam my veggies now is my 360 Cookware saucepan. Although pricey, it is honesty the best way ever to steam your veggies. Check out their products – there’s a large box on our front page – it’s an investment that pays dividends…