Kitchen Tools
I’ll be honest – it has taken me 30 years to have a well-stocked kitchen. In my early days, I would find great deals at Salvation Army and Goodwill—like when I had an order for 30 quiches and only had 2 pans! My crockpot is 19 years old and still working fine, but I recently bought a new Cuisinart that lets me roast, brown/sauté, steam, slow cook. Needless to say, I love it! I use it several times a week! These are my favorite tools in my kitchen:
Bakeware
- Non stick pans
- Loaf pans (I have one glass and one metal)
- Non stick muffin tins (muffins and mini meatloaves)
- Cookie sheets (lots and lots of cookie sheets!)
Appliances
- Cast iron skillet (growing up I used cast iron so it is a bit of nostalgia and not really necessary. I use mine for cornbread and biscuits – which we rarely eat. It’s also perfect for venison—which I cook for others!)
- Food Processor (the more you spend, the better the product. I bought several at Salvation Army until I could afford the Cuisinart that I have now.)
- Break Maker (I used my bread maker quite a bit before having kids. Now that they are a little older, I find myself using it more – they LOVE making bread. Any time I can get kids in the kitchen helping and creating, I’m happy.)
- Juicer (I just bought my first juicer and I love it. I use it for juicing, making soup bases, curries, and I will use it for canning tomatoes this summer!)
Pots
- Stock pot
- Roasting pan (a large pan with sides)
- Two pans the same size (tip: I cook with one and use the other as a domed lid.)
- 3.5 quart pan
- 6 quart pot (boiling pasta)
Cookers
- Rice Cooker (cooking rice, potlenta, wheat berries)
- Slow Cooker
- Cuisanart Slow Cooker (I love it for steaming lots of veggies)