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I am always looking for tools to save time preparing meals. When I became a mom, this became an even more important endeavor. Compiled below is a list of items that I have purchased (or been gifted) that have saved sooo much time and effort!
1. Instant Pot
If you don’t have this already, PLEASE do yourself a favor and get on this train. I was hesitant at first, but after receiving one for Christmas, and actually using it- I will never go back. This is my go to gadget for cooking vegetables in lightning speed- cooking chicken with no effort and making baked potatoes in half the time. Plus, once you turn on the instant pot, you just let it do its thing. This gives you so much freedom to do other things while it does all the work.
2. Garlic Zoom
I have talked about this little gadget once before. Freshly minced garlic adds so much flavor to a multitude of dishes. But man, mincing garlic by hand is a pain. Insert this little gadget. I have had this little guy for 5 years now and its still going strong. This is especially impressive because it has definitely been used AT LEAST once a week the entire time I’ve owned it. Bonus points goes to this one for the sheer fact that my husband and child also love to help mince the garlic since this little thing is basically a car that you push back and forth.
3. Snap n Strain
Gone are the days when you need to have multiple sized strainers in your cabinets. Not only is this a big space saver, it also saves dishes! Just clip this onto the pot or pan that you’re cooking with and strain right from the it. I love the fact that it can go right in the dishwasher with everything else and takes up 1/4 of the space a standard strainer would.
4. Onion chopper
Do you hate chopping onions as much as I do? I hate it so much, I used to always ask my husband to do it for me. After several months of this, I finally decided to try to find a gadget to do it for us instead. This thing is fantastic! And Sharp!! So sharp! I pull out my onion, peel the skin off, cut it in half and put it in this chopper. And boom, done. It’s also nice that this has a little container that it all goes in so I can leave it here until I am ready for it, I’ve also been known to put it in the fridge for cooking the next morning. This does more than just onions too!
5. Avocado slicer
This is the newest addition to my collection. Just a bit ago, I was at my grandmas house and she pulled out this heavenly gadget. In one fell swoop (okay probably 3 to be realistic) the avocado was cut, seed removed and sliced. My husband and son are huge avocado eaters and this has saved so much time! For $10 this is the gadget we all need.
6. Not your mamas toaster
Right before our wedding our toaster started to die. So, I registered for this and I am so glad I did! (thanks Lisa!) This toaster is one of the best additions to our kitchen. It may not seem like a lot, but the fact that there are 2 presets and a COUNTDOWN to when your toast is done is the best thing ever. I like my toast considerably more done than my husband and the fact that we both have a button just for us is wonderful. And it may sound silly that I like knowing that my toast would be done in 2 minutes and 10 seconds but there is a lot you can get done in that time!
7. Alexa
Initially my husband did not like the idea of having an “Alexa” in the house. I had to warm him up to the idea. These days, he has fully embraced the technology genius that Amazon’s creation is and we have 4 including the new one with the clock in it for our new alarm clock. Here are all the things I ask Alexa about while I am in the kitchen:
Alexa, add onions to my shopping list. Alexa, how long do I cook sweet potatoes for in the instant pot. Alexa, play “Old Macdonald had a farm” by Grover. Alexa, play Country music. Alexa, whats on my shopping list. Alexa, what’s on my camping trip list. And the list goes on.
But I must say, the best thing is the shopping list feature. It connects to the app on your phone, so once you get to the grocery store, you have it right there already.
8. Dutch Oven
I’ve seen so many recipes that wanted you to cook something on stove top and then transfer it directly (in the pan) into the oven. Uhhh. I did not have any pots or pans that were rated for that. Insert the dutch oven. Another wonderful wedding registry item, I had no idea what I was missing. Honestly, this is primarily used for bread in my house. I have never made much bread before, but it is soooo easy to bake in this. What an easy way to impress your in laws or friends, with fresh home made french bread. This is a must have for me now. I am so happy to use it! (Thanks Tiffany!)
9. Electric Kettle
My husband loves french press coffee. The old method of putting a kettle on the stovetop is slow and a bit dangerous with a toddler around. I love this electric kettle for many reasons. It is lightning fast. We are not waiting around for 10 minutes for the water to boil anymore. It has an auto shut off. As a mom to a toddler, sometimes we forget things and it’s nice to know that if we forgot to turn this off, it would turn off on its own. In addition to the auto shut off, I love the fact that if it runs out of water it will turn off too. With a standard kettle you would have a major problem if it ran out of water in the pot and continued to be heated. And lastly, it’s really neat to watch. With such a beautiful LED light, watching the water boil is a bit mesmerizing. Just ask my toddler!
Tell me in the comments what your favorite kitchen gadget it!
1 Comment
http://limelightonline.Co.uk/author/sinkblue58/
April 1, 2020 at 2:12 amPretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog
and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts.
After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!