Here on Get Well With Em, I like to share recipes and wellness tips that are accessible for everyone. My meals won’t take a ton of hours int eh kitchen, and the products I recommend won’t break the bank.
If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, yesterday you received my guide to quick and healthy meal prep bowls. ( If you want in on this, just leave your e-mail in the subscription bar up top or on the right of your screen, and I’ll send that your way ASAP! ) Today, I want to give you a list of kitchen tools that I use all the time. If you’re new to cooking, put these on your wish list. Next time a birthday or special occasion rolls around, pick something from your list! Seriously, every time someone asks me what I want as a gift, you better bet there’s a kitchen tool of some sort on my list.
This list is made with a budget in mind. I truly believe each of these items will be regularly used in your kitchen.
In fact, you can get a lot of these things from thrift stores like Goodwill or The Salvation Army. I just got a bread pan the other day for less than $1. Before you say it’s gross to use kitchen tools from someone else’s kitchen, go look at the quality of items in your local store. You’d be surprised how clean and unused things are that people give away. All of those wannabe chefs that never got around to using their gadgets. Go swipe up their discarded goods. You won’t be one of those people donating your goods. You’ve got me to guide you and I promise, cooking isn’t as hard as you might think.
Now that I mentioned that pan, I’m over here dreaming up some yummy breads to share with you all. But before I get off on a tangent, let’s get to my list of 10 kitchen tools you need, shall we?
10 Kitchen Tools Every New Chef Needs
- A high-powered blender : I LOVE my Ninja blender. I got it as a birthday or Christmas gift a few years ago, and I use it almost every day. How else would I create beautiful smoothie bowls?
- Pyrex Baking Dish: Each week, I roast chicken in my dish for meal prep. This is 100% necessary. They’re also extremely affordable, and overflowing from all thrift stores!
- Sharp Set of Knives: Chop, chop, chop. I don’t think this one needs an explannation.
- Cast-Iron Skillet: My mom surprised me with a cast-iron skillet for Christmas this year, and I’m obsessed. Not only can I make breakfast skillets like the one below, but I recently started cooking Brussel sprouts in them, and GAME CHANGER. I saw some at T.J. Maxx the other day, just a little PSA for ya.
- Food Processor : This is one of the pricier items on my list, but trust me, it pays for itself really quickly. Cauliflower rice is way expensive. If you pulse it in your food processor, you can save yourself a ton of money. I also use mine to slice veggies really quickly, and you know how the saying goes: time is money!
- Saucepan: Another standard item. What would life be without our soups and sauces?
- Slow-Cooker: My Slow-Cooker Pork Banh Mi Salad isn’t going to just make itself! You can also make overnight oats in your slow-cooker, chili, applesauce, and much more. Again, check thrift stores or shop sales. These don’t have to break the bank.
- Tupperware Containers : All that meal prepping needs somewhere to go. I have the Rubbermaid pack that I linked to, but there are a ton of options out there. Make sure you pick one that has big enough containers to fit your massive salads in there.
- Cutting Board: Where all the chop, chop, chop magic happens!
- Zester: Adding lime, lemon or orange zest to roasted veggies, smoothies, or in your own dressing is a game changer.
That’s it! The 10 kitchen tools you need for success in the kitchen. Yes, there are a ton of other fun things out there, like the inspiralizer and instant pot, but those aren’t necessary. Once you reach Top Chef status, feel free to add new things to your kitchen. For now, get your basics covered and get cooking!
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