Here are 5 kitchen tools that are actually useful. Celebrate National Cooking Day September 25!
I have several kitchen gadgets that I’ve accumulated over the years. Some I thought would be life-changers. One that’s coming to mind is the juicer I got as a wedding gift. I was so excited to juice and be my healthiest self! Like I said, life changing, right? Well, not so much. Maybe they’ve come a long way with juicer technology since I got mine, but I found it to be the biggest pain to clean. I think I got a half a cup of juice and about an hour of clean up each time I used it. Aarg! Lesson learned!
The following is a short list of five tools that help me to cook meals with ease (and generally be a healthier eater). Unlike the juicer I once had, I find these to all to be easy to clean and my go-tos on a regular basis. Pick up one of these tools for yourself and celebrate National Cooking Day by cooking up a delicious dinner tonight!
1) Instant Pot
Why I love it:
Honestly, I would have this thing if I ONLY cooked chicken in it. Put a couple packs of chicken thighs in the Instant Pot with a cup of chicken broth and you’ll be amazed at the shredded chicken you get! Perfect for tacos, a salad, fried rice, chicken salad, etc. I also love cooking chili with it.
Try it yourself:
Chicken thighs – Place two packages of chicken thighs in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of liquid (I typically use chicken broth). Use the “Manual" setting with "High Pressure". If thawed, cook about 30-35 minutes. If frozen, cook about 35-45 minutes. Pull chicken out and place in a large flat dish, season and use the “Ground Meat Stomper” (see number 4 below) to get chicken shredded.
Chili – Try this low carb chili recipe from Wholesome Yum
2) Meatball Scooper
Why I love it:
This is probably a bit of my “Type A” personality coming out, but when I cook, I like things to be uniform. One of my favorite meal prep items to cook, and have uniform, is meatballs! I know when I use the meatball scooper that each ball will be almost the exact same size and this makes it easy for me to quickly put a meal together later, knowing that about three meatballs will fill me up. The diameter of the scoop I have is about two inches.
Try it yourself:
Here are two of my favorite meatball recipes:
3) Glass Storage Containers
Why I love them:
I have glass storage containers in several sizes, but I find the 6-cup, 3-cup and 1-cup sizes to be the most useful.
I use the 6-cup containers to store leftovers, cut-up cold veggies, open packages of cheese or cold-cuts.
The 3-cup size is perfect for meal prep. I often put together several individual meals, one in each container, so they are all set in the fridge. What I love about these containers is they are easy to pop in the oven or microwave whenever you’re ready to eat, no need to transfer to a heat-safe dish. Additionally, they clean up well in the dishwasher and don’t get discolored like plastic sometimes does. I almost never use plastic bags (woo-hoo, less waste!) to store open packages, instead I put the open package in one of my glass storage containers to stay fresh.
I use the 1-cup containers for dessert cups, a serving of nuts or dip, or to store a small amount of leftovers.
4) Ground Meat Stomper
Why I love it:
In my mind, this is called a “ground meat stomper,” but there probably is a better, more proper name for it. Seriously, this thing is awesome! I can quickly create the perfect ground beef or turkey crumbles in a frying pan and it’s way easier than any other tool I’ve used. I also love this tool for combining raw meat with ingredients to make things like burgers or meatballs. It makes quick work of incorporating all the mix-ins and your hands stay clean!
Try it yourself:
I got mine through Pampered Chef many years ago. I have seen similar tools at Target and other retailers. If you regularly cook up ground varieties of beef, turkey, or chicken in a frying pan, you won’t regret this purchase.
5) Digital Food Scale
Why I love it:
Some of you may be thinking: “boo-hiss!” at this one and I totally get it. Food scales make me think of dieting and that’s generally no fun! But, I have to say, I do love my digital food scale. I have found it to be so handy in putting together recipes. For example, there is a cold broccoli salad that I enjoy making. I can put a big bowl on my scale and measure the weight of the ingredients rather than dirtying up measuring cups/spoons. Also, and again this is my type A personality trait coming through, I love to weigh out a snack-sized serving of almonds (30g by the way) or cheese (1oz.). Additionally, I use the scale to measure out raw burger portions before making patties and putting them on the grill. This ensures I end up with equal portions.
Thank you for visiting my blog! Stay tuned for additional posts coming up to celebrate National Cooking Day!
Please note: I have no affiliation with any brands pictured or mentioned in this post.
Please contact me at amy@ardesignsolutions.com or 763-400-9345 if you need freelance graphic design or marketing support.
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