Cooking Equipment You Can't Live Without

When it comes to cooking, you're only as good as your tools. However, you do not need every gadget under the sun to make delicious food in a reasonable amount of time. The tools below are part of our 'minimal' kitchen. Many of these tools have dual purpose which is how you know they are the ones to buy. Others will just collect dust! 

1. Citrus press

Keep your hands sticky-free with this tool. Squeeze all the juice for lemon/limes without the juices going everywhere. We squeeze my citrus into a container for use later on. 

2. Tongs

Kitchen tongs are so important. Most people feel comfortable using a spatula or wooden spoon for everything. Tongs give you so much control with grabbing food, hot handles, tossing vegetables in a hot pan, tossing a salad, grilling, and so much more! In fact, you will not see a spatula or wooden spoon on the line in a restaurant. Getting used to using tongs is all you need to have complete control of your cooking experience. 

3. Microplane (Or handheld grater)

We like to think of this guy as a flavor emphasizer. Yes, you can get citrus zest, which is explosive with flavor, but you can also grate garlic (knife skills hack), grate fresh cheese, or grate spices. Not to mention this is much easier to clean than a old fashioned grater. 

4. Small Immersion Blender. (Nutribullet, Ninja, etc) 

Make silky smooth hummus, nut butter, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and of course SMOOTHIES! This small blender can keep up with the fancier machines, but SO easy to clean. I make my morning smoothie and then simply rinse and lay it dry. Definitely give it a soapy scrub if you're making something with strong flavors like garlic. 

5. Parchment Paper

Everything that goes into the oven should be resting on parchment paper. Scrubbing baking sheets just won't even be a thing anymore. Not to mention the paper helps to get the food crispy and brown. Say hello to the most delicious roasted potatoes of your life!

6. Sharp Chef's Knife

This is the single most important thing in your kitchen. Cut vegetables, meat, really, everything with ease. Having a sharp knife will improve your eating experience and cooking experience, but more importantly, it will keep you safe. A sharp knife if you happen to slip will just give you a nice clean cut where if you miss with a dull knife you will probably need stitches. Your chef's knife has SO many purposes but here's just a few: carving a chicken, trimming meat, cutting all vegetables, cutting pastry, opening coconuts, and more! 

Invest in just a few things and you will find yourself making dishes with ease and very little cleanup. Now, who can pass that up?