Tricia, the founder of Once A Month Meals and the queen of freezer cooking, shares her top 10 must-have kitchen items in this gift guide for cooks.
I started a series last week with Top Ten Christmas gift ideas. Last week focused on items to get the Once A Month Cook; today is all about what to get any cook (or want to be cook). Again, this isn’t a traditional gift guide where I have received all of these items to review. Some of these items I may have reviewed throughout the year but they have become staples in my kitchen nonetheless. All of these items are picked up and used on a regular basis in my kitchen no matter what I am cooking! (Yes, most of them are affiliate links.)
1. Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
I know it was on last week’s once a month cooking gift list but it is a MUST for this gift list as well. Every kitchen needs one of these! They are so practical and easy to use and they make dinner time and carry-in’s a snap. Even the most inexperienced cook can be a success with a slow cooker.
2. Rice Cooker
This rice cooker is absolutely amazing. It cooks rice, oatmeal, steams vegetables, and works as a slow cooker. It is programmable which means that you can program it before you head out for the day and have your rice or vegetables done when you return. It is as much of a help in the kitchen as the slow cooker!
3. Pampered Chef Mix N Chop
I’m really not sure what I did before this handy tool? Okay, I used a cooking spoon. But that isn’t the point. This little gadget is perfect for breaking up cooked meats especially hamburger. I use it regularly.
4. Oven Mitt
I reviewed one of these for the Mother’s Day Kitchen Gift Guide and it has become my go-to oven mitt. It is stylish yet practical. And most importantly, I have never burnt my hand using it.
5. Fresh Wave Odor Neutralizer
This isn’t exactly a cooking tool, but it is a product I won’t be without in my kitchen any longer. Whether it is the smell of onions, overdue trash removal or cooked broccoli that is stinking up my kitchen, this product can eliminate it! I was highly skeptical but it really does work. And I have since purchased packages of it for garbage and diaper pails to help neutralize those odors.
6. Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker
I used to live in the South, and I blame that for my sweet tea addiction. And I do mean addiction. In the summer months, this thing runs constantly. A little less in the winter months, but it does run. I love some sweet tea and having it ready in 10 minutes when I am having a *weak* moment is nothing to laugh at!
7. KitchenAid Stand Mixer
Of course, right? Who doesn’t have and love their KitchenAid Mixer? There are different varieties but by far this is the stand mixer to have! I love mine!
8. CUTCO Knives (not an affiliate link)
These are on last week’s list as well but I seriously don’t know how you get any cooking done without a good set of knives. I use knives in nearly every cooking adventure I pursue. Having good ones is a worthwhile investment.
9. Ninja Master Prep
I reviewed the last version as part of the Once A Month Mom Tweetup in 2009 and it has gotten A LOT of use! It is so versatile to use for chopping and drink making, whether it is a smoothie or a margarita. The multiple containers make it easy to chop different items in one swoop too!
10. Pressure Cooker
Okay, I have to admit, I haven’t received mine yet. But it is ordered, and I promise I am going to love it and use it at least once a week when it comes. You have heard of slow cookers, this is the opposite of that, it is a FAST cooker. You can cut the cooking time down to 1/3! Imagine a roast in 30 minutes instead of 90! And these aren’t your grandma’s pressure cookers. They have really been created with state-of-the-art technology for preventing explosions and burns. If you haven’t had a chance to try one out lately I encourage you to do so. They are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I reviewed a Fissler most recently.
Bonus Update: The Instant Pot
Tricia may have tried the traditional pressure cookers years ago, but we are now all addicted to our Instant Pots or programmable pressure cookers. They make pressure cooking ultra simple with one-touch cooking. We even have an Instant Pot Mini Menu and have adapted some of our favorite recipes!
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