Having the right kitchen tools make things so much easier when it comes to cooking. It's not necessary to buy every new gadget that pops up on store shelves but, it is necessary to have good quality essential tools. Here's some essential cooking tools that everyone should have in their kitchen.
A 6-quart Dutch Oven & Braising Pan
A 6-quart dutch oven is a must have in my kitchen. I cook practically everything in mine. I make tons of one pot meals, soups, pasta dishes, and anything else I can think of in mine. Dutch ovens are high quality enameled cast iron pots. They are great at evenly distributing heat, as well as retaining heat. They can be used on the stovetop as well as in the oven making them super versatile. Because they are made of cast iron they are super heavy so prepare to gain some arm strength lol. For years they've been coveted for their superior cooking results. Dutch ovens can cost anywhere from $300-$400. Luckily, there are brands that have great ones that cost under $100. I use the Lodge brand all the time and they're great.
The braising pan is just a shallow version of the 6-quart dutch oven.
Stoneware Skillets
I love using stoneware skillets. They're nonstick and free from harmful chemicals. They're also pretty nice looking and affordable.
A Cast Iron Skillet
These are the best for frying, baking and so much more! They retain heat extremely well making them efficient at cooking just about anything. If you take care of them they will literally last you a lifetime and can be passed down for generations making them a favorite among sentimental cooks everywhere.
Wooden Mixing Spoons
When you start using nonstick and enamel pans the last thing you want to do is scratch them up with metal spoons. A good wooden set is essential.
A Chef Knife
Having a good chef knife makes life so much easier. Especially when you're constantly cutting vegetables. They can get pretty pricey but you can also get some pretty great ones at a reasonable price. I use the one below.
XL Size Sheet Pans
Roasting vegetables and baking a big batch of cookies is so much easier when you have a large sheet pan. I find that the regular size sheet pans don't have enough room for all of my vegetables so I always have an extra large sheet pan with a cooling rack.
A Large Cutting Board
No one does more chopping than a person that eats a plant based diet. I know I spend at least 50% of my time in the kitchen chopping vegetables and small cutting board just wont do. I tend to use a plastic board most often. They are much easier to clean and care for than the wooden ones. I don't like to get the white ones because they can stain pretty easily.
A Food Processor
Nothing will change your cooking game like having a food processor. They make it easy to make so many different things. Everything from sauces, guacamole, sorbet, nut butters, shredded potatoes, dough, pesto and more. You can even use it to help chop and combine ingredients like onions and garlic. I love the Kitchen Aid one that I have now. It's super easy to clean and works like a charm.
An Instant Pot
Having an instant pot makes things just as easy as it sounds. You can literally throw ingredients into it and let it do it's magic. You can make stews, pressure cook jackfruit, make rice, soups, pastas, bread and so much more.
An Air Fryer
The most used item in my kitchen is definitely my Philips XXL air fryer. I've used several different brands and none of them preform as well as my Philips. It gets a large amount of food nice and crispy in no time! It's essential if you have kids. It's kind of expensive but worth every penny. I use mine 1-2 times a day to cook and even warm up certain foods. I've used mine for over 2 years and it's as good as new.
A Micro Plane
Micro planes make doing things like zesting citrus and grating garlic and ginger super quick and easy!
A Vitamix Blender
There is no comparison to a Vitamix Blender. They are super high power blenders that make a world of cool foods possible in minutes. Things like sorbet, smoothies, creams, soups, homemade flours, nut butters and so much more are made to perfection in Vitamix blenders. Once you have one you'll never need or want another blender!
Silicone Cooking Tongs
I love using tongs because they make it easy to turn food in pans without scratching the pans surface. They are also resistant to high temperatures.
Pyrex Measuring Cup Set
These are long lasting high quality tempered glass measuring cups that can withstand extreme temperatures and most importantly for me, they can withstand being dropped.
Kitchen Aid Mixer
Kitchen Aid mixers are the standard when it comes to "professional home cooks." They make mixing dough and batter super quick and easy. The results are always high quality. They're pretty expensive but are definitely worth the investment.
Silicone Spatulas
Silicone spatulas are great for safely flipping and turning foods, scraping bowls
A Whisk Set
Using a whisk will always give you a nice smooth result and is a must have in every kitchen.
A Mixing Bowl Set
Mixing bowls make mixing and storing food super easy and convenient.
A Baking Dish
Baking dishes are essential for making so many things. They are a must have in every kitchen.
A Lemon/Lime Juicer
These are super convenient for producing fresh lemon and lime juice.
A Salad Spinner
A salad spinner is great for cleaning greens! You can soak, rinse and spin them dry. How cool is that? Plus, they're pretty inexpensive.
If you want to see even more of the kitchen items I use make sure you visit my Let's Be Vegan Amazon.com Storefront to shop for the same items as me.
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