Happy Happy Day you guys! Many of you know I am in the kitchen all the time. I absolutely love to cook and entertain. When the mood hits, I put on my apron, pour a glass of wine and get to it! Today I want to share with you my favorite kitchen gadgets. Using them certainly makes cooking more fun and a lot easier.
1.Blender
The blender is a multifunctional gadget that helps make life much easier in the kitchen. Not only can it help you get through your chop list quickly, it can emulsify sauces, grind spices, and is a must use when making salad dressing. What is important to consider when purchasing your blender is the amount of actual power it has. The higher the wattage the more work it can put in. Low wattage blenders are good for making salad dressing, whipping cream and anything that does not require a lot of chopping. High wattage blenders can break down vegetables, create flour from nuts and seeds, mix ingredients together to form pastes and make a serious smoothie without having to stop and scrape it down after a few pulses.
Blenders come in many styles and colors, so making it fit your kitchen is an easy task. The bowl of the blender also comes in several finishes to include glass, plastic and stainless steel. I like using glass because it allows me to see what’s going on while using, is easy to clean and looks great.
2. Air Fryer
No kitchen can be complete without an air fryer. Why? Because it makes frying anything fast, has easy clean up, and helps cut down on using a lot of fat in your cooking. One of my favorite items to cook in the air fryer is my PBJ Wings. The recipe is available in the mtWTF to cook volume 3.0. The wings cook fast and turn out nice and crunchy without the added fat. Just yummy. Another benefit to having an air fryer is the climate! No more heating up the house because you have hot grease going. LOL It’s just a cleaner, healthier, more cost effective way to create great recipes with the fried taste and feel.
3. Lemon Juicer
Is it me or does it seem like every recipe calls for lemon or lime juice? That being the case, it is absolutely necessary to have a good juicer. The benefits of using a juicer include abstracting more juice; straining out the seeds and minimizing mess. My preference is a manual juicer because they are small and require minimal space for storage, easy to clean and easy to use. The new models include strainers/ presses for both lemons and limes. They also come in many colors which will make it easy to match your décor.
4. Cast Iron Skillet
A cast iron pan is one of those things that serve many purposes in the kitchen. It is durable, has even heat distribution which makes cooking a breeze and is every easy to clean. The pans require a small amount of maintenance like coating with oil after cleaning. Because of the seasoned coating, you can cook anything and enjoy the benefits of a nonstick surface without using Teflon. This pan is great for frying, sautéing and cooking items that start on the stove and needs to be moved to the oven to finish. One of my favorite recipes to make in the cast iron skillet is Smothered Chicken. you simply fry the chicken in the pan, add thickeners and liquid and finish in the oven. The recipe is available in the mtWTF to cook 2.0. You can do that without changing pans! Cast iron pans last forever and can be passed down for generations.
5. Dutch Oven
The Dutch oven is also a multipurpose pot used for braising meats, deep frying, boiling pasta, making soup and even baking breads and cakes. The pot allows you to brown meat on top of the stove and transfer to the oven to finish. The thick sides help maintain a even high temp heat that makes browning in the oven easy as well. I love making my Apple Meatloaf in this pan because it cooks quickly and turns a beautiful brown without drying out. Check out mtWTF to cook 1.0 to get the recipe. The pan is versatile enough to cook in and serve directly from the pot. My preference is the Cast iron Dutch oven with the flat lid. I love it because it is 2 pans in one. You can cook in the pot and in the lid which is a great time saver.
* Pressure Cooker *
One of the most underrated items in the kitchen is the pressure cooker. I believe many people may shy away from it because it can be considered difficult to use. Once you get the hang of it, you will find yourself using it to cook everything. One of my favorite recipes to cook in the pressure cooker is Pulled Pork Sliders which can be found in mtWTF to Cook 2.0. When preparing this recipe in the pressure cooker, you are able to brown the meat and cook it until tender in half the time. The pressure cooker is a multifunctional kitchen must have when you need to cook a long cook item quickly while maintaining tenderness and maximizing flavor.
SHOP THESE GADGETS ON LIKE TO KNOW IT.Do you guys agree these are must have gadgets for the kitchen? Do you use any of them? lets discuss in the comments or on Facebook or Instagram @nlovewithjasmine.
