This will be an ongoing list of a few of my favorite kitchen items!
Lodge Silicone Magnet Trivet: This has 3 magnets on it so you can tap your pan to it and it will stick to the bottom so you can move your hot pan anywhere without fumbling a hot pad around. This also makes it easier for kids cooking so they aren’t trying to carry a hot pan and a hot pad.
Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Cups & Spoons Set: These are stainless steel, so no more melting in the dishwasher, or when you set them too close to a burner (me all of the time 🤦♀️). They are magnetic which is ah-mazing! BEST OF ALL- they have 1/3, 2/3, & 3/4 measuring cups.
WHY are so many measuring cups missing some or all of these? You had ONE job measuring cup company! 😂😂 The spoons also have all the different measurements and are double sided. So if you need 1/2 tsp in the same recipe for 2 different ingredients, you don’t have to worry about making 2 spoons dirty or washing in between. Dare I say, these are life altering. 😂
Cast Iron Skillet: You can never go wrong with a good cast iron skillet! With the right care, it will likely outlive you! If cooking and caring for cast intimidates you, be sure to check out my Guide to Caring & Cooking with Cast Iron!
Hamilton Beach 4-in-1 Electric Immersion Hand Blender with Handheld Blending Stick: Full disclosure, this is not the EXACT Hamilton Beach Immersion blender that I own. My mom bought me mine for Christmas while I was in high school because I was on a milk shake kick! So this immersion blender is already 5 years old….OK, more like pushing 20 years ago.😬 The new version has a stainless steel blending wand which is a big upgrade! My plastic wand has seen better days, but keeps on trucking along! It also has a chopping bowl attachment that mine did not come with. This is great for whipping up homemade mayo, sauces, and thickening soups right in the pot! Once you have it on hand, you’ll find you have so many uses for it!
Ninja Blender: This thing is a night/day difference from my old crappy blender! I use to have to add SO much liquid to get anything going. The Ninja Blender is also amazing from those “mom drinks” that need to be made once in awhile ;).
Veggie Chopper: This thing is awesome at dicing veggies quickly! AND the kids can use it and I don’t have to worry about them losing a finger. Also great for those that garden and can and need to put up a lot of food quickly!
Electric Cheese Grater: I am kind of obsessed with this thing! We go through soooo much cheese! This is preventing me from looking like the Hulk from shredding so much by hand. We also use it for veggies and grating cold butter for things like scones. Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents (like cellulose) to prevent the shreds from clumping together and may also be made of a lower quality cheese.
Freshly shredded cheese tastes SO MUCH better and melts better! Buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself is often cheaper than buying pre-shredded cheese too. If you’re not already shredding your own cheese, give it a shot!
Shot Glasses for Measuring: I have this smaller size & this larger size on hand. These are not just great for bartenders ;). They are perfect for measuring your liquid measurements quickly! If you decide you want to use them for making drinks also…no judgment here! 😉
Commercial Oneida Easy Crank Can Opener Heavy Duty: For some reason, we are incredibly good at having can openers break on us in this house. It got so out of control, that one year we jokingly got my husband 3 or 4 can openers for part of his birthday because he was getting so mad at the can openers constantly not working! In walks the Commercial Oneida Easy Crank Can Opener Heavy Duty!!! After reading and researching we have finally found a can opener that has held up against the test of time compared to the others we have tried. I love the crank on it also!
Amazon Echo Show: This might sound crazy, but this is one of my most used “tools” in the kitchen! I’m constantly having her divide recipes in 1/2, do the math for me when I am feeding my sourdough starter, giving me substitutions for ingredients, and playing my favorite tunes & podcasts! All hands free, instead of trying to dig out my phone every time and constantly washing the dough off my hands to do so. The Echo Show 8 is the newer released version of the one I have. A more budget friendly version would be The Echo Show 5 . But the Echo Show 15 is something I dream of on a daily basis lol! A smart kitchen TV that also displays your calendar and have everything the other versions have! Someday….😂.
Knives:
Mercer Culinary 10-Inch Wide Wavy Edge Bread Knife: If you follow along on The Good Stuff Bake Shop & Food Blog you may have already heard me brag up this bread knife! Most bread knives that come in knife sets aren’t worth a darn! They tear through the bread instead of making a clean slice. The bagel on the left was cut with this Mercer Culinary Knife and the bagel on the right was cut with a bread knife from a fairly nice knife set. Big difference! If you are making your own bread and your crumb isn’t coming out the way you think it should, it might not be you, it might just be your knife!
Premium Japanese Stainless Steel Chef’s Knife: A good knife is so important in the kitchen! This is the perfect entry level knife for all around chopping/dicing. It makes chopping up veggies a breeze! If you’re looking to make a bigger investment this Black Forged Japanese Chef Knife with AUS-8 Alloy Steel, Japanese Santoku Knife is a step above!
Mercer Culinary Ultimate White, 6 inch Curved Boning Knife: This thing is SO sharp and so amazing to use when doing any sort of slicing or filleting with meat! Until you try a good sharp knife like this, you don’t realize what you are missing out on! My husband and kids often try to smuggle it out of the kitchen for butchering their deer. 😂
Thermometers:
These are my go-to thermometers that make grilling, smoking and even baking way easier and way more accurate.
🔥 Quick-cook? Use this probe thermometer.
I actually have two—one lives by the grill, the other stays in the kitchen for baking. It’s perfect for checking temps on the fly. If you’ve ever had something I baked and noticed a little probe mark- that’s how I make sure it’s done without cutting into every single item. 😅
💨 Smoking low and slow? This wireless thermometer is where it’s at.
I use this on my smoker to monitor the temp from my phone—no more trusting the built-in gauge (which is usually off anyway). One probe keeps an eye on the smoker, the others go right into the meat. You can even set up alerts so it tells you when each cut hits the perfect temp. Also, no lifting the lid and losing heat or smoke every time you check!
This is the leveled up option I wish I had, because we all have dreams, right? 😂
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Be sure to PIN my FAVORITE Kitchen Items for later!
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