I decided to do things a little bit different with today’s round up. Instead of focusing on style-related items, I am breaking out a list of my absolute favorite kitchen gadgets and small appliances.
I feel like everyone has those little tools that really help them out on a daily basis…that is true for me at least! They are somewhat small things I can’t live without, and I would recommend that everyone have on hand in their own home. Without further ado, here are mine…I own every one of these gadgets myself, so I can personally vouch for how much I need them on a regular basis!
What kitchen tools can you not live without?
1. Fante’s Garlic Press – Bed Bath & Beyond. Ok, everyone needs a garlic press…but I am not talking about any press in general. I’ve owned more than one in the past, and I found that this simple one is my favorite. The garlic presses that feature the little teeth on them instead of being flat? I find myself picking pieces of garlic out from between the teeth and it drives me nuts. Save yourself the trouble, and get one of these.
2. Tovolo® King Cube Ice Tray – Bed Bath & Beyond. I recently picked one of these silicone jumbo ice cube trays, and it is my new favorite tool for keeping my cocktails cool. Large cubes melt at a slower rate than the regular, small version…so your drink does not get watered down as quickly. Score!
3. OXO Stainless Steel Cookie Scoop – Target. These little cookie scoops are my favorite! The scoop is about the size of a melon baller, and it makes the perfect, two bite cookie. Speaking of melon ballers, I’ve used it as one too.
4. OXO Angled Measuring Cup – Target. Why do I love this angled measuring cup? Because I don’t have to crouch down to get at eye level with the cup to see where my liquid line is at. The angle portion inside the cup tells you the measurement from above – how convenient!
5. Flexible Chopping Mats – Target. These chopping mats are used daily in my kitchen. I like them much better than a “traditional” cutting board. The fact that you can bend/fold them makes it really easy to pour your chopped vegetables into a pan or pot. Plus, I consider them to be disposable – I don’t feel bad about throwing them away every so often to replace them with a fresh set.
6. JarKey® – The Container Store. I was terrible at opening jars until I got my hands on this tool. It’s oh so simple, I wish I would have thought of it myself and made millions. Basically, the JarKey pops the little bubble seal on top of jars…making it extremely easy to twist them open afterward. I am helpless without this thing.
7. SodaStream – Bed Bath & Beyond. I’ve had my SodaStream for about a year now, and it has become a regular tool in our arsenal. Although Justin and I don’t drink soda all the time, we really enjoy being able to make sodas and sparkling water with this machine. Our favorite flavor is the cranberry raspberry, but there are many we enjoy.
8. Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processor – Macy*s. Even if you have a large food processor, I suggest having this mini one as well! When you don’t feel like chopping an onion or a jalapeno by hand or need to pulse a small items/amounts (salad dressing, etc.), this is a great option. The smaller container is easier to grab out from the cabinets, and the cleanup is a cinch.
9. Breville Electric Wok – Macy*s. Believe it or not, I asked for this wok as a wedding present INSTEAD of a stand mixer. In the future, I’d like to get a wok for the stove top that I can season, but this electric wok is one of my favorite tools. I use it to make stir fry, but also utilize it when I make soup, filling for stuffed peppers, and the like. It heats up lightning fast and distributes the heat evenly. Having room for this small appliance in my kitchen is an absolute must.
10. Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Popper – Target. Last but not least: one of the small appliances that gets an insane amount of use in my kitchen. I am kind of a popcorn junkie – it’s one of my favorite snacks. I used to pop microwave bags on the regular, but now that I acquired this hot air popper at Christmas, I’m never going back to the microwave. The popcorn tastes better, and it is cheaper to make (one jar of kernels probably lasts me at least 3 times as long as a box with microwave bags does, and they cost the same amount). Adding your own fresh toppings is always a plus – for me it is a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle/spray of white truffle oil. And I’ve NEVER had a burned kernel come out of this machine. Worth every penny of the $27 price tag, if you ask me.
I need a new garlic press so bad – I’ll check that one out! And we have a popcorn machine too (ours is actually a bigger, almost “theater-style” popcorn maker, and we ADORE it! The popcorn is SO SO much better!
I’ve actually seen the same one (style wise at least) at Home Goods and bought it for my mom…for $3. It also comes with a handy dandy little tool – a plastic “plunger” with teeth that go through the holes in the press…pops out the extra garlic when you clean!
And I’m jealous of your big popcorn maker! I actually made a bag of microwave popcorn the other day because I was curious…and was shocked at how different and stale it tasted in comparison!
OMG…I love this list. 🙂 I agree with quite a few of these, especially the cookie scoop. Makes baking SO easy! One of the tools I can’t live without is a silicone spatula. I’m pretty sure I have about 20 of those…they’re great!
Oh man, silicone spatulas are also a must! It was hard to narrow my list to 10…I might have to do another post later with an additional 10!
Those cookie scoops rock my world!
Aren’t they great? They definitely make the perfect, round cookie. I don’t know how I’d do it without the scoop!
I have so many of these gadgets, this post made me giggle. So the ice cube tray – put fruit in them before freezing with water. Once the ice melts, it will infuse your cocktail with fruit flavor. It’s awesome with moscow mules and spritzers!
Definitely something fun to do with those cubes when I have extra berries sitting around. I also need to make some with cranberry juice or something like that – I always add cranberry to my vodka tonics, so a cran cube would be a good option!
Great list! And a few good suggestions as well. I’ve never actually used an electric Wok so I’d be curious to try that out. My all-time favorite kitchen item is my Le Creuset frying pan. I use it all the time and I swear my food (especially chicken) tastes better and it always stays moist. I want the dutch oven next!
I should not admit this, but I have one of the Dutch ovens that I got for a wedding gift…and I haven’t used it yet (3 years now). I’m scared to put it on my glass cooktop for some reason! Darn thing weighs over 20lbs. But I’m dying to try something out inside of it…
I have an glass cook-top as well and it works perfect. Still an arm workout though!
I love my dutch oven and if you have solid racks in your oven you could use it in there as well!
Good call – never thought about using it in the oven!
I’m with you on the garlic press for sure! I use my every night I cook…literally. I can’t live without garlic yet I hate having to chop up the little suckers (unless I’m making bruschetta or pico de gallo-then it’s a must). I also LOVE my microplane…I zest citrus fruit all the time. Can’t live without my emulsion blender, Keurig, or Houdini wine bottle opener either 🙂 The list could go on and on!!!
Oh yes, the wine opener! How could I forget such an essential tool….lol!!! 🙂
And I also use garlic pretty much every night. I can’t live without it. I don’t know how anyone can live without it! 😉
I’m going to need to get most of the items on this list! Our kitchen is a little bare right now, and I find myself getting frustrated when I don’t have tools that are really helpful. Those flexible cutting mats seem like a must have in our kitchen. And the popcorn maker too!
I don’t think I could function without those mats! A “regular” cutting board is so clunky in comparison…I have trouble with them!