Wednesday, June 22, 2011

5 Must Have Tools for the Frugal Kitchen

Let's face it, If you're committed to eating healthy and frugal then you're going to spend some time in that kitchen of yours. You'll be planning and cooking meals that are full of good old home cooking and for all the chopping and mixing and stirring you'll be doing, it's a good idea to have some tools that are going to make your life easier. We don't live in the days where all you need is a good rolling pin, a quality frying pan and an apron to make a good meal. We've got a vast and sometimes complicated array of tools at our disposal. So here are the five tools that I can't do without in my own kitchen. They are loyal friends that I use everyday of my life and if it weren't for them, we wouldn't be eating as good as we do.




A Food Processor: It's nothing fancy and probably to most people, the one I own is outdated. But that baby can cut onions without making me cry, grates cheese without any of my knuckles in the mix and grinds graham crackers into crust at the push of a button and with zero mess.




A Blender: We use it for smoothies, pourable pancake batter, quick quiche, pureeing fruit for syrups, and homemade salad dressings. It's not only fast and easy to mix things in but rather than cleaning out a mixing bowl and a whisk you've only got one thing to wash when it's all said and done.




A Garlic Peeler: I use fresh garlic everyday. I mean it....we use a lot of garlic! I used to hate trying to peel off those sticky paper thin layers of skin. But in our house, garlic powder is an abomination. It's fresh or nothing. With this little gadget I am frustrated no more.



No Slip Nestable Mixing Bowls: I have a two sets of 5 different sized, nesting, stainless mixing bowls that I use all the time. Yes, I said two sets. I get tons of use out of these and just one in each size wasn't enough. They have rubber bottoms so they don't slide off the counter and spill when I'm stirring and there is a size for every need from giant batches of potato salad to holding egg yolks for a special dessert. And the stainless set is even pretty and shiny enough that sometimes I serve right out of them.



Electric Skillet: With six of us in this house, there is no stove top skillet that can hold enough pancakes, fried eggs or sausage links where I'll actually be able to sit and eat with the rest of the family. It seems without this gadget I was doomed to the task of fry cook and never to be a diner at my own table. Now I can cook meals in one batch and actually get to eat it while it's hot. Hallelujah! Plus, I highly recommend one with a lid to keep any splatters under control.

What tools of the trade do you find yourself relying on the most?

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Crockpot!

Nicole said...

CROCK POT and gas grill.

Thrifty-Chicky said...

Cutting Boards that go into the dishwasher. A good set of knives. And my use it everyday couldn't live without it...my iron skillet.

Deb Wolf said...

My crockpot, bread maker (for bread dough and jam making), my Pampered Chef slap-chop and my pressure cooker are all in regular use.

Jackie said...

Food processor like you said, and my Kitchen Aide Mixer. Such a life saver!

Unknown said...

I agree def. a crockpot. Deb- I am looking into the breakmaker jam making.. .never heard of that.. very interesting!

Anonymous said...

Our outdoor grill. My husband LOVES to grill and it tastes like we're eating something special, even if it's just hot dogs.

Jennifer said...

I love spatulas, and really good, sharp knives, and pyrex everything :)

Anonymous said...

It wasn't cheap to buy, but my kitchen aid mixer is used almost daily. It kneads bread for me, whips cream, and mixes up all sorts of baking goodies. With it, I make about 90% of our bread and other baked goods, saving us huge amounts of money. Last night, we wanted burgers, so I made up some large 60 minute yeast buns and didn't need to make a run to the store despite my lack of planning.

Other than that, my food processor, the magic bullet (it was a gift, but I use it far more than expected, and my yogurt maker (gift, but used weekly)are my favourites.

Anonymous said...

I would add a toaster,crockpot, and hand mixer to that list.
I could do well without the garlic 'thing' but the rest are indeed must haves for a good frugal kitchen.

We take our electric skillet with us when we go camping. It is perfect for that...I actually have 2 of those and can make enough food for all of us in one setting.

Unknown said...

What kind of Blender do you have? I have an older one that smells horrible when I make my smoothies - so I stopped.
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

It's definitely an investment, but my Vitamix is the best tool I have in my kitchen. It does everything--smoothies, bread, grinds grain, chops onions, makes soup, etc., etc.--I couldn't live without it!