My Favorite Kitchen Tools

There are several kitchen tools that make my job much easier! So, I thought I’d share them with you. While these tools are not required, they definitely help get the job done. We AIPers spend so much time cooking for ourselves that it is nice to have tools that can take some of the workload off. Click on the links for an up close view.

• The tool I use the most is probably my food processor. It can mash quite a bit of white sweet potatoes or yuca for dough in a matter of seconds. I have killed several cheap food processors trying to do this, so I finally splurged and got a good one. The price tag is scary, but to me, it’s well worth it. I can also slice, dice, julienne, shred, etc. There are so many attachments to make prepping food so much easier!
• I also use my stand mixer fairly often. I have also burned up quite a few hand mixers in my time. But, my grandmother bought me a nice stand mixer many years ago when I had a little cheesecake side business and it still works great. These things last forever, which makes them worth the investment. I use my stand mixer to make things like gnocchi and doughs for tortillas or rolls. You can add a lot to the bowl and mix at once without overheating it.
• The last expensive tool I use is my high-speed blender. A food processor and a blender can do a lot of the same things. But, a blender is better for things like smoothies or crushing ice. I use it to make sauces also. Once again, I feel it is important to have a good blender, as I have burned up several.

Those are my splurge tools. I have learned over the years that you get what you pay for. After burning up so many cheap appliances, I now spend the money on good ones and they last many years. So, even though they’re expensive at first, they are probably cheaper in the long run because I don’t have to keep replacing them anymore. Now, on to the cheaper kitchen tools I love!

• My family loves tacos! Sometimes we will have them twice a week. Which means lots of homemade tortillas! When I first started making my own tortillas I did not have a tortilla press. It can absolutely be done without. You can use a rolling pin, or even just your hands to flatten the dough. But, a tortilla press gets the job done much quicker and you will end up with more uniform tortillas. They are fairly inexpensive, so if you make a lot of tortillas, you will find it well worth it.
• Good knives are important so you don’t cut yourself when prepping food. I used to have a giant knife set with every kind of knife you can think of. But, I only ever used a few of them. So, when it was time to replace them, I got a smaller set. It has just enough knives for everything I need and also comes with a sharpener so they can be kept nice and sharp at all times. I like this knife set because it’s stainless steel and I don’t have to worry about the handles coming off. They are also ergonomic so they don’t hurt my wrist when I’m cutting a lot. The set also comes with kitchen shears, which are great for cutting tortillas into triangles to make tortilla chips.
• I like to make a lot of food so that I have leftovers for lunch the next day. So, good storage containers are important for that. I like these because they are glass. I try to avoid plastic as much as possible. They do have plastic lids, but it doesn’t touch the food. I haven’t found a better option yet. The lids are BPA-free at least. I also store food in mason jars of all sizes. They’re great for sauces!
• This next tool is more my daughter’s favorite than it is mine. She is the guacamole maker whenever we have tacos or something else that guac goes good with. So, she got a “guacamole bowl” for Christmas last year. It’s actually called a Mortar and Pestle. If you make guacamole often, this can be very helpful. It’s just like what you see in an authentic Mexican restaurant when they make guac at your table. It makes smashing the avocado so much easier!
• If you like fresh pineapples, you will love this tool! It peels, slices and cores the pineapple all at the same time. I always made such a mess with pineapples before I discovered this tool. Now, I can cut all of the pineapple out and leave the juice in so that I can drink it when I’m done. I love pineapple juice! I also use the intact shell as a decorative bowl to serve food in. It’s a really neat tool!

There are many other kitchen tools that can be helpful. These are just some of my favorites. Are there any kitchen tools you can’t live without? I’d love to hear what you use to make cooking easier for you! Comment below and let me know your favorite!