It is said that time is money, and it might as well be. Time can never be regained or replaced, so you should try to save as much of it as possible. This doesn’t just mean that you need to spend less time on unimportant tasks; we all know how important it is to take care of our health and family responsibilities first before taking on anything else. What many people don’t realize though is the importance of saving time in other aspects, such as cooking and cleaning up after eating a meal. If your kitchen has gadgets that will help make food prep go faster, then you are already ahead of the game. So what are some useful tools every kitchen should have?
1) Microwavable Gadgets
You might think that this is far too simple to mention, but it makes a huge difference on your cooking time if you own these items. Of course, some microwavable items are better than others. For example, this review of a microwavable egg poacher, or containers that help you cook things like rice faster in the microwave can cut down your cooking time astronomically. This is particularly good for breakfast time or if you eat a lot of rice dishes. One other big advantage that microwaves have over stovetops is that you need far less water if any at all on most things, so your cleaning up process will be much faster. This also saves on the number of dishes you have to do afterward.
2) Juicer & Blender/Mixer
If you are serious about your health habits, then you might want to consider buying a juicer or a blender/mixer. These kitchen gadgets make nutritious drinks and smoothies at the push of a button. Smoothie time will pass by as you blend your favorite fruit or vegetable beverage, without having to worry about cleaning up small spills on the countertop. When you buy a blender with a sealed lid, it eliminates the clean-up of spilled liquids from those times when you accidentally tip it over.
If you want to enjoy juices that are full of flavor, then look for juicers or blenders with large capacities. You can decant your juice right into one of those stylish glass dispensers for fresh juice on tap. A blender is a great time-saving kitchen appliance. You can use these appliances to prepare more than just juice; they’re great for making creamy milkshakes and frozen cocktails too. You can even blend your fruits and vegetables quickly to prepare delicious sauces and soups.
3) Food Chopper & Processor
For slicing and dicing smaller foods like herbs and nuts, a food chopper and processor will do the job more efficiently than doing it by hand. You can use this for preparing salsa, pesto sauce and of course chopping up onions without crying. 🙂 But what’s best about these appliances is that they can chop large quantities of food stuff in a short amount of time.
4) Steamer
Forget about using that old aluminum or stainless steel baskets. We all know the importance of steaming vegetables to retain their essential vitamins and nutrients. Steaming veggies, fish, chicken, or beef is much healthier than frying them in oil or butter, but it takes more time; until you own a steamer. When you want to cook fish, vegetables, and other types of food quickly and conveniently, a steamer is all you need.
A steamer works by suspending the food above boiling water; or steam from boiled water so that it cooks evenly and thoroughly. Then you can prepare your favorite dishes quickly and with less mess. You also won’t require as many pots and pans to do this task. This also means that there’s no messy clean-up afterward as well. There are many different types of steamers available. I suggest buying one with folding shelves for easy storage when not in use.
5) Slow Cooker
When you are busy with other tasks, the slow cooker is your best friend. You can set it up in the morning to prepare a wholesome meal for you or your family by dinner time. If you’re short on time during the day, you can quickly reheat the food without worrying about burning it. That’s because unlike conventional cooking methods which require high heat to cook food evenly and thoroughly, the low heat of a slow cooker allows even distribution of heat that gently cooks food throughout – making sure that moisture content remains constant so there are no dry spots. I have one of these awesome items myself.
6) Stand Mixer
This is another useful tool to make life easier around the kitchen. It can take days or sometimes weeks to make bread, cakes, and other baked goods manually without having one of these handy items. A stand mixer comes with many attachments. Most models come with beaters, dough hooks, spatulas, and even whisks. You can use them for mixing up all types of bread (cakes too), preparing whipped cream, or mixing batters in no time at all.
7) Rice Cooker
Cooking rice can be a time-consuming process. It can also be a messy chore too, considering the number of pots and pans you have to use to do it. In fact, you could dirty up all your dishes just by cooking one type of food item alone. That’s why buying a rice cooker is an excellent idea. A rice cooker will allow you to fix lots of different types of grains without much hassle at all. You’ll have perfectly cooked rice every single time – plus you’ll save money because there will be no more need for buying those expensive microwavable packets or microwaveable cups.
It can be difficult to use your time wisely, but it is possible. These are just a few of the tools that have helped me save time in my kitchen and we hope they will help you too. Whether it’s cooking food or making bread/cakes, these items make life easier when trying to do everything at once.
