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)