9 Must-Have Kitchen Appliances and Tools for Making Meals in No Time
Eating a home cooked meal is always enjoyable. But sometimes, the hours of prep that go into your favorite dinner can make it easier to stick with frozen kits or unhealthy takeout.
By shortening the work that goes into the nightly food grind, it becomes easier to put a hot meal on the table without burning out. If you need to save some time in the kitchen, the following appliances and tools are a must for every home kitchen.
Immersion Blender
Immersion blenders are an affordable tool that can help you in a multitude of ways in the kitchen. These compact blending devices can be used to make smoothies, sauces, whipped cream, or salad dressings in a flash.
One of our favorite times to use an immersion blender is when making creamy, blended soups. Blend ingredients together right in the pot as they heat and skip the inconvenience of pouring the soup into a stand-alone blender.
Mandolin
For flawless and evenly cut fruits and vegetables, a mandolin can save you more than half of your prep time. Slice up a few apples to make apple chips or use the tool to cut up cucumbers, onions, and peppers for salad.
Having a mandolin makes it easy to make homemade au gratin potatoes as well. Just make sure to follow the safety instructions included with the tool.
Stand Mixer
No kitchen is complete without a stand mixer. Use it to whip up batters for baked desserts or breakfast treats like muffins or banana bread. They’re also great for shredding chicken for casseroles or quick skillet meals.
Take advantage of attachments available for stand mixers as well. You can use yours to slice vegetables, make pasta, or whip up a batch of fresh ice cream.
Food Processor
A food processor is one of the most versatile pieces of kitchen equipment available. You’ll want to keep yours nearby for shredding and chopping all your dinner ingredients, like cheese, chicken, or vegetables.
You can also whip up your own pesto or dips. A food processor can save you plenty of prep time while offering you the chance to make healthier homemade versions of your favorite products.
Kitchen Shears
Kitchen shears are incredibly sharp, heavy-duty tools that can quickly take your ingredients from raw to prepped in no time. Cut up raw bacon for easier frying or prepare a whole chicken for cooking.
You can also use them to quickly cut up herbs or slice pizza. They’re a safer alternative for plenty of kitchen tasks.
Stock Pot with Colander Lid
Whether you’re making pasta, boiled potatoes, or anything else that needs to be drained before serving, a stock pot with a built-in colander can save time, dishes, and frustration.
Once your ingredients are cooked, simply lock on the lid, carefully grab the pot using a potholder that shields your hands from the steam, and drain the water out through the top. You’ll then be ready to mash, add sauce, or serve.
Pressure Cooker
A pressure cooker utilizes the power of steam to speed up cooking times. It’s ideal for braised meats, stews, whole chickens, beans, risotto, and more.
You’ll be able to cook your favorite dishes up to 70% faster, which means your fancy Sunday-worthy dinner can now be made on a Tuesday in less than an hour.
Garlic Press
Using fresh garlic is one of the easiest ways to enhance the overall flavor profile of a dish, but peeling and mincing garlic can be time consuming.
Don’t reach for the garlic powder just yet. Instead, use a garlic press. Simply place a garlic clove inside the gadget (no need to remove the peel) and press down. Your garlic is extracted, ready to use.
Coffee Maker
Manual coffee makers will no doubt prepare good quality coffee, but if you want to save your back and time, latest coffee makers with smart technology can make your life easy. They come with features like auto start, auto shut-off, water level indicator, auto-clean etc.
You can get your own restaurant quality espresso at home at qavashop.com.
A good meal doesn’t have to take all day to make. With a kitchen stocked with time-saving tools, you can put your favorite dish on the table in a matter of minutes, not hours. Spend less time prepping and cooking and spend more time with your friends and family enjoying the fruits of your (shortened) labor.
Author Bio
Amanda Bentley has 5 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry and currently works as a Content writer at Qavashop. Qavashop.com is an online store for all the “coffee aficionados” located in the GCC. Apart from providing its customers with quality coffee machines and consumables, it also provides them with skilled, knowledgeable advice on how to make their own restaurant quality espresso at home.