My kitchen is my office. It’s my workplace but also a place of serenity. It’s where my creative side flourishes and it’s where I make the most messes. My kitchen is a tool to my health, it motivates me to get to the gym, it helps me to look and feel my best. I love my kitchen.
With that being said, I have a few items that I keep on deck to help make things easier when cooking, meal prepping, or just random items that are in the kitchen that I use on a daily basis. The list below is what I currently have, but there are a few things on my list (Air fryer, spiralizer, egg poacher) that aren’t added to the family just YET. Don’t worry, I’ll have them soon 🙂
I’m going to link these items to Amazon and also to their websites to check them out! Hope you enjoy!
Instant Pot
My Instant Pot is my new best friend. When I heard buzz about this sucker a few months back and saw a some food bloggers playing around with it, I knew I had to have it! The Instant Pot is an Electric Pressure Cooker that serves not only 1, but 7 purposes!
- Pressure Cooker
- Slow Cooker
- Rice Cooker
- Saut
- Canning
- Steamer
- Warmer
It’s the absolute best! I’ve cooked a 5lb pork roast in 1 hour before… If that doesn’t sell you on this baby, then I honestly don’t know what will. There are also a ton of Instant Pot recipes on my page as well as floating around the internet. Such a good buy!
Also be sure to check out https://www.corriecooks.com/instant-pot-recipe-index/as for other fun Instant Pot recipes!
Crock Pot
Put out by the companyHamilton Beach,this Crock Pot, or Slow Cooker, has been one of my favorite appliances since college. I’m 26 now and I’ve had it since I was 20! I give my Crock Pot credit for teaching me how to cook. Or just add things to a pot and turn it on 😉
This is one of those appliances that I love to keep handy because of it’s simplicity. It’s also great for the busy human who works all day away from home, but still has to feed people (or just themselves) at the end of the day. I love to toss a chili, soup, or sausage stew in here in the morning and have the house smelling divine by the time I come home. It also has a LOW and HIGH setting to cook your food at a certain temperature, depending on when you will arrive home to eat.
Blender
I honestly don’t need the massive $800 Vitamix Blender that everyone on the Internet seems to have nowadays. Of course it would be nice, but I’m on a budget here people. Not everyone can afford a 1 million dollar blender. So I have my KitchenAid Diamond Blender that works just beautifully. It has 6 speed settings and does exactly what I need it to! I use this for smoothies, salad dressings, and sauces.
Food Processor
This little guy has been through hell and back. My KitchenAid is one of the most expensive items I keep in my kitchen but I originally purchased it for the production of my Pump&Crunch Protein Bars. Making and selling a few hundred of my bars a week is going to need some heavy duty, durable equipment. And this Food Processor has hung in there with me through it from day 1!
My Protein Bars are the only thing I use my Food Processor for, but with the different blades and pieces to this appliance, you could chop/slice veggies, make zoodles, honestly, the options are endless! This is one of my favorites.
Berkey Water Filter
And now, to the star of the show… THE BERKEY WATER FILTER. #1 favorite thing in my kitchen – and I don’t even cook with it! I drink a TON of water every day, and my Berkey ensures that I’m drinking clean, nontoxic water free of bacteria, viruses, and volatile organic compounds. The Berkey is considered the world standard in it’s class because it uses micro-filtration; meaning the filter pores are so small that organisms cannot pass through. You can fill it with any water source (Even Louisiana Bayou water) and it will produce the cleanest, most pure water for drinking. We use Berkey water in our cooking, when we make coffee, and of course to drink – essentially everything we do in the kitchen. We even give our Sugar Bear Pupper the goooood stuff. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Immersion Blender
This is one of those items that was on my list of “wants”. I saw my dad use his in the kitchen to blend soups and make sauces/dressings. I’ve also seen quite a few Whole30ers use this immersion blender to make their Whole30 Mayo or Ranch as well.
I’ve absolutely loved using mine as a time-saver and also a “mess-saver” in the kitchen especially when blending soups. Before I had it, I would have to transfer the boiling hot chunks soup to the blender, blend it in batches, dirty about 42 bowls, create a total disaster, burn myself in the process, and THEN it would be blended. With my Immersion Blender, I don’t even have to take it out of the pan! And with the whisk setting, I can also beat eggs like a MOFO.
I’ve used my Immersion Blender when preparing mySweet Potato & Andouille Sausage Soup,Lemon Tahini Sauce,Mashed Cauliflower, and more!
Hand-Held Frother
This hand held Frother is a fairly recent purchase and a great one! I purchased this frother strictly for my bulletproof coffees and I’m so glad I did. It’s simple and does the job well. Even if I’m not doing a BulletProof Coffee, I can still use my frother to create that foam on the top of my cup of coffee. Great to have on hand if you ever need it. Super affordable as well!
Wine Bottle Opener
This wine bottle opener is (I’ll admit) a little extra, BUT it’s well worth the Le Creuset branding. I received this 3-Piece Gift Set for Christmas last year and I’m so thankful for it! You don’t realize how great a wine bottle opener can actually be until you’re spoiled with the best. It’s so easy to use, stays in it’s box so it’s preserved, and comes with all the pieces you need!
I’m actually slowly but surely starting a Le Creuset collection because I absolutely love their cookware and they’re so beautiful. The colors are so much fun! I started collecting all thecool colors like dark/light blue, purple, grey, etc. The pieces are a bit pricey, but they’re amazing.
The 3-Piece Gift Set is currently out of stock on the website and I can’t find it on Amazon, but I’ve linked another one below!
Salt & Pepper Grinders
These guys are another one of my favorites in the kitchen. They are so incredibly cool, super extra the boujee, but cool as hell. My dad is an Amazon crazed human and always finds the greatest kitchen tools, so I told him I had to have the salt & pepper grinders. Sure enough, my birthday rolled around and he got me my own shiny set. They’re gravy triggered and even light up when you tip it to the side… click dat link and like the website days “don’t hesitate to purchase” lol.
Olive Oil Sprayer
The joy of oil in “spray” form without the harmful effects of the chemicals found in most cooking sprays! I remember growing up using Pam Cooking Spray to cook my eggs, pancakes, etc. This kitchen gadget is perfect because you can put any type of oil you like it in and it sprays super similar to the cooking sprays found at the store. The sprays we all know and love contain propane, nitrous oxide, GMO’s, and propellants, all which are approved by the FDA, but I choose to keep those out of my house. Which is why I love my oil sprayer!
Hand-Held Spiralizer
This guy. This spiralizer was actually handed down to me from my dad because he gotthis one. I like my little hand held spiralizer because it’s tiny, fits in all drawers, and is super convenient and easy to clean. Eventually, I’d like to step it up and get the heavy duty veggie spiralizer, but for now, I love my hand-held one!
I use it a lot, mainly for zucchini noodles. We LOVE zoodles and red gravy, and use them as the pasta replacement. So delicious and incredibly easy to make. I’ll post a recipe soon for you guys!
Essential Oil Diffuser
I absolutely love my Diffuser. It’s something that I don’t necessarily use every day, and to be quite honest with you, I forget about it sometimes. I just moved recently so it came out of the cabinet and now I’m actually keeping it on the kitchen counter. I love to diffuse Peppermint, Eucalyptus, and Lavender while I’m working and Purification, Lemon, and Orange after I cook to clear the air and make it smell fresh. I actually diffused Peppermint and a Christmas Cheer oil I have the other day and my house smelled like December. It freshens the air and honestly, makes me a happier person when I am diffusing. If you want more information on Young Living essential oils and their diffuser products, click the link below to visit their website. Young Living is the best in the biz and I highly recommend their products!
This is just about everything I own, besides pots and pans. Thank you for reading and visiting my site! If you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me through myContactPage!
Yours In health,
Cail
