Must have kitchen equipment
Must have kitchen equipment
Espresso machines! No offense, but I haven't used a drip coffee maker in years. However, I'd take a fancy programmable drip coffee maker that would have my cup of coffee ready (with a grinder for freshly ground coffee when I wake up), but other than that, I've been there and done that., other than that I currently have a Imusa macchinetta, a Bodum French Press, and a Brim Moka pot, and a De’Longhi espresso machine. I know some don't get the hype, but you'd have to be a coffee connoisseur to understand why I don't mind using so many different brewing devices. I recommend subscribing to James Hoffman's YouTube channel if you are new to all things coffee.
Food processer- I currently have a 10-year old Black+Decker mini food processer from a Wal-Mart black Friday special. It works well but I can only work ingredients in small batches so I stick to chopping, dicing, and mincing aromatics. I'd like a larger food processer to make crumble, create pizza dough, biscuits, and pie dough while saving my arms and wrists from the repetitive motions. I'd also make large batches of humus and salsas- I love making dips.
Stand mixer- I want to throw the ingredients in the mixer and have both hands free to scrape the sides of the bowl and add more of different ingredients at the same time. I have played around with purchasing one at full price and shopping for a refurbished model from a very reputable brand during Black Friday specials. I just haven't had that much difficulty with my hand mixer to trade up, but it I had the space, I definitely would have it on the counter.
Ice cream maker- I LOVE making ice cream and my boyfriend enjoys the creative flavors. There's something about creating your own flavors from your favorite cookies and other desserts. I currently make ice cream with my students using the Ziploc bag and rock salt method. At home I make no-churn ice cream using my hand mixer on a high speed. I'm just curious to see how different the consistency is and how much time it would save if I had a machine. I have yet to receive any complaints with the methods I currently use so...
Current kitchen items I could not live without:
For making Desserts
Dough measuring mat- usually made of silicone, helps me avoid having to cut and recut excess pie crust. Uniformity is important, I use this when making mini apple pies and I haven't had to under stuffed a pie since.
Turntable cake stand- I have an inexpensive cake stand and it gets the job done much better than me struggling to smooth icing while rotating around a rectangle table or trying to slowly slide the cake base. They are as inexpensive as $12. Don't forget a cake slicer, if you are making 2+ layered cakes and don't want to divide and bake the batter using double the number of pans. Cake slicers also make cupcake and brownie sandwiches easier to slice evenly.
Cooling wire rack- I tried to bake large batches while rotating multiple cookie sheets and trivets but it’s not nearly as effective as moving cookies to the cooling rack. The circulation of air will definitely have your cookies tin-ready in no time.
French fry slicer- I used to watch my mom use a slicer with ease and crank out fries within minutes. I do enjoy slicing my own steak fries, but there’s something about being able to convert whole potatoes into fry shape using a single motion. Not to mention using the machine for other veggies you may substitute for French fries.
Air fryer- I've had my current Bella air fryer from Best Buy for almost 3 years now (it was a beginning of the pandemic purchase). Since then, I've perfected a number of foods in the air fryer and have even played around with desserts like cinnamon rolls. I've had my eye on the Ninja air fryer which can cook two items at different temperatures in separate compartments, but it would take up more space than my current air fryer- which I still like.
Espresso bean grinder- fresh ground beans taste much different from the pre-ground coffee you purchase in the store. Ever wonder why people buy coffee and ground it before traveling home? Try it and make coffee right afterwards and you will buy a grinder for your home. The best part is being able to adjust the grind size depending on the drink you are making. I currently have a manual adjustable hand burr grinder but am searching for an espresso machine with an attached grinder.
