My Six Favorite Kitchen Tools

Thursday, July 17, 2014

If you have read my blog much, you probably know by now that I love to cook.  Today I wanted to share with you a few kitchen items that I think are indispensable, and I will tell you why!


1.  Pizza stone:  We make pitas, naan bread and especially pizza on this ALL THE TIME!  Supposedly it helps regulate the oven temperature, which I can't prove, but my oven seems to be pretty consistent, so I will trust it is doing its job.  It also helps to make what I consider to be "the perfect pizza crust".  I love a thin and slightly crispy half whole wheat crust, and the pizza crust give it just enough crunch on the bottom on sides, and a nice soft middle.  

2.  A Good Blender:  I didn't know a good blender was important until I got one.  For Christmas, my mom bought me a blend-tech.  It has revolutionized my life.  I tell Adam about once a week how much I love our blender.  I make smoothies (I used to be a big time smoothie hater, but now that I can get the texture so smooth, I really love making them!), salsa, pureed soups and I am really looking forward to making my own baby food in them for our baby!  If you don't have one, you should probably get one.  They are definitely an investment, but if you cook a lot, it makes life so much happier!

3.  Sharp Knives:  Adam absolutely detests using a dull knife to cut food.  A few years ago, his parents bought him a $8 set of two large chopping knives from Costco.  We use them everyday and they are still as sharp as ever.  Do yourself a favor and buy some sharp knives.  They don't even have to be very expensive, but they will make a world of difference when you cook!  

4.  Round Cake Pan:  I have actually only made cake in this pan once or twice, but I use it about 2 times per week.  I own an 8" round pan that I used the most often, and I toast nuts in it (for salads, primarily) it is a great size for homemade croutons if there are only one or two of you.  If you are making a single serving of something with roasted veggies, this is a great size of pan.  I just hate dirtying my cookie sheet for something as small as a handful of toasted nuts to top pasta or a salad.

5.  Rubber Spatulas:  We have 3 of them and I wish we had a few more.  They are great on a non-stick surface, perfect for starting bread, mixing pasta sauce, curries, and much, much more.

6.  Silicone baking mat:  Terrific for making granola, cookies, bread, roasting vegetables and probably many other things. Plus, you don't have to spray it because it is a non-stick surface.  Just don't wash them in the dishwasher, and be careful when you use knives or scissors around them.  We ruined our first one by cutting through it...

Do I sound boring or what!  I am curious, do you have any kitchen items that you think are a must-have?


31 comments

  1. Hello! I found you through Merrick. I love cooking too! We are also expecting our first baby in January! Are you going to find out if it's a boy or girl?

    I would have to say my favorite kitchen appliance is our toaster oven! We use it every day. We don't have a microwave and I hardly use my oven. It's nice in the summer not to heat up the kitchen. I use it for baking potatoes, baking chicken, toast, roasting vegetables, reheating leftovers. Everything!
    I also love my Vitamix!
    Have a joyful day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christine, We are DEFINITELY finding out gender! I am always amazed and impressed when people wait! Since this is our first, I am impatient to buy clothes, baby gear and such and I think picking a name is going to be extremely hard for us, so I think knowing will be a good thing for us! Congratulations on your baby! How exciting!
      I have never owned a toaster over, but I have heard rave reviews from others! Maybe one of these days I will have to try it out! You are giving them a great recommendation! Especially in very hot Texas!
      Thanks for your comment!

      Delete
  2. I love the rubber spatulas! I use mine all of the time now. I've also found that a really good set of mixing bowls is important, because I hate when I have to scrap down the sides to get extra batter out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dana, mixing bowls are huge! I have a giant set of glass ones that have about 12 pieces and stack inside themselves. I really like them, but they are not always easy to scrape out, so that is a great one! I actually also feel like having relatively heavy duty mixing bowls is good too, so you don't have to hang onto the bowl quite so much when you mix. I hate super duper lightweight ones.

      Delete
  3. A good zester! I was dying at Mom's without one. I use mine allllll the time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Holding your knife, place the edge of the blade on the sharpener at 20-30 degree angle. The angle is important as it will make sure the knife stays sharp. If you attempt to sharpen the knife at an improper angle it will make the knife much more dull than before. HenryKnives

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome things here. I am very satisfied to see your post. Thanks so much and I'm having a look ahead to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?

    My Site Contract here Please: UFC 202

    My Site Contract here Please: UFC 202 Live

    My Site Contract here Please: UFC 202 Live Free

    My Site Contract here Please: FREE UFC 202 Stream

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pizza stones are a must, even if you’re not making pizzas from scratch. Any dough that you place on them will end up evenly and perfectly cooked, and it works well for cookies and other pastries, provided that you spray it with a non-stick spray beforehand. Also really easy to clean off after you’re done using it!

    Lisa @ Westinghouse Small Appliances

    ReplyDelete
  7. Awesome things here. I am very satisfied to see your post. Visit here

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing information on Kitchen Tools,Also check here Best air purifier

    ReplyDelete
  9. Knives are important tools for every kitchen, thanks for sharing .Also check here our website to know
    best washing machine reviews

    ReplyDelete
  10. very interesting article. Keep sharing this type of article
    Also, check here best trimmer for men review

    ReplyDelete
  11. very interesting article. Keep sharing this type of article and help us
    Also, check here best loreal paris foundation review

    ReplyDelete
  12. Awesome things here. I am very satisfied to see your post. VISIT HERE

    ReplyDelete
  13. Book your cheapest flight ticket with exclusive deals in uslocalflightbooking.us. We offer USA Domestic Flight Tickets for US Local in Cheap price. US air flight, united airlines flights, USA air tickets, US local cheap flight Ticket, American airline tickets, US plane tickets, United air, Local flight, flights in local, Domestic air ticketing, local domestic flight, USA internal flight, cheapest air ticket, cheap flight of local, Delta flight, book cheap flight.


    USA FLIGHT BOOKING

    https://uslocalflightbooking.us/

    ReplyDelete
  14. https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/
    https://ufc217.stream/

    ReplyDelete
  15. You can send billions of instant messages subsequent to getting administrations from the Mass SMS specialist co-op. Indeed, even today, various ventures are running inventive SMS battles for high deal. Incorporate SMS portal API into your product and keep up a database of clients like area, age, birthday, name and versatile number. With this you can send tweak your mass SMS battle by remembering SMS are significantly more inclined to be opened than messages.

    ReplyDelete
  16. If there's one nutrient that's an absolute must in your diet, it's protein. Protein is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of your muscle tissue. Without it, your body would lack an important part needed for muscle mass to even exist.best multivitamin

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses.whey protein review

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for this amazing kitchen tools which you have mentioned but have your ever tried best multivitamin supplements in India 2018

    ReplyDelete
  20. The content i found here is really extraordinary, Thanks for sharing these article with us
    check here






    ReplyDelete
  21. Amazing information. thanks for sharing this helpful information.
    If you are looking for best air conditioners, best air coolers for upcoming summer. visit here.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Measure & Whisk: Real food cooking with a dash of minimalist living © . Harlie Ave Design .