Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a thing. You can subscribe via email. or rss feed. Or join me on Facebook or Twitter o4 follow me on Pinterest

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Must Have Tools in the Kitchen


IMG_5855
I used to be a gadget person in the kitchen, sometimes they work well sometimes they don’t. Some gadgets you use often and really get your money out of them, others sit in the back of the cupboard taking up space. Truth be told if I had to pack up and move to temporary housing there are only a few I would take with me.
Cast Iron Pans – I could say soo much about cast iron pans, they are the one essential I can’t live with out. If I had to go to a desert island this is one of the things I would take. I used to think I wanted some fancy enamel coated cast iron pans, the ones with the French name. Now that I have well seasoned cast iron pans I can see how useful they are.  We even cook eggs in our pans. The key is a well seasoned pan. Now you may think that cast iron pans cost a lot., I think the most I have ever spent on a cast iron pan is for my grill/griddle pan. It is a two burner pan. I think I paid $14 for it.(tip- I bought this at a sporting goods store in the camping , department).  While cast iron pans can be found at ALL price points, you can  save money getting cast iron pans  look beyond the department stores, and kitchen stores, try camping and sporting good stores, try thrift stores and yard sales. 
IMG_4657
Wooden Cutting Boards
Last year I looked into what would be the best type of cutting board to have, like you I am not only concerned with being Green but being safe. At this time last year I had both plastic and wooden cutting boards, I would use the plastic for meat and the wooden for produce. What I found out when I did the research is that wooden cutting boards are healthier for you. It seems that plastic boards develop micro fissures, whereas wooden boards are self healing. Believe it or not they are also easy to care for.
IMG_3328
Electric Tea Kettle
A few years ago I wanted to get a new teapot, one that would hopefully be my last tea pot. Upon researching tea pots I found out that the ones with the best reviews were Electric Tea Pots. We were able to find one at a reasonable price in a near by store.  Deacon G opted to get me it for my birthday and got the 1.5 liter one. We use our tea pot for so much more making tea or coffee. The eclectic tea kettle is so efficient it can boil 1.5 liters of water in about 3 minutes. This saves us so much energy and time when we are cooking. We pre-boil our water for cooking things like rice or pasta.
Crock Pot
I use my crockpot at least once, probably more like twice a week. In busy family it is definitely an essential. We use it to prepare not only meals but to make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Overnight Crock Pot Broth.

What are YOUR Kitchen Must Haves?

4 comments:

m said...

I like your list. Mine would include One Great Knife and canning jars, which are my favorite for food storage--from oats and pasta in the pantry to cut-up fruit or leftover soup in the fridge.

Lisa - the Granola Catholic said...

Yes, a good knife is worth it weight in salt. I love using my canning jars for everything. I even freeze leftovers in them and use them to take my lunch to school.

Rosemary/sonrie said...

I agree with the cast iron, wood boards, and crock pots. Also with good knives and lots of glass jars. I use a kettle on the stove - mostly in the winter. These are indispensable!

Treasa Éire said...

I use sectioned containers all the time. We pack our lunches every day, so we use them often. We have several very nice knives, and some great baking pans. I like to use non-electric kitchen tools because depending on electricity can sometimes disappoint.

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by. I love my visitors, and I love your comments too!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Thanks for joining me here, if you enjoy what you see take a moment and join me you can, Subscribe by RSS Feed or find me on Twitter or Facebook and Pinterest