10 Cooking Essentials

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Out of necessity during the COVID-19 induced quarantine, I rediscovered my love for cooking.  I’ve spent lots of time in the kitchen over the past four months and have found that there are certain items in my kitchen that I simply don’t know what I’d do without.  I wanted to share my list of 10 cooking essentials that I recommend you get in your kitchen to make your cooking experience easier.  

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Air Fryer

I’ll admit that I was a little late to the game adding this item to my kitchen.  After listening to my friends go on and on about the delicious meals that they had prepared for their families with the help of this handy item, I decided to take the plunge and add one to my own kitchen.  I purchased and used the Magic Chef Air Fryer for several months before upgrading to the Pampered Chef Air Fryer.  My favorite thing to make in the air fryer is chicken wings.  In about 20 minutes, you’ll have the crispiest, most flavorful chicken wings.  The most shockingly delicious thing that I’ve prepared in my air fryer is ribeye steaks!  

Quality Knife Set

Emphasis on the word quality!  I tried to take the cheap way out with my first knife set and quickly learned the meaning of “you get what you pay for.”  I recently purchased a set from Rada Cutlery.  I am a little mad at myself for not doing this sooner.  The ease of paring fruits and vegetables is unmatched when using a quality knife.  

Kitchen Shears

I used to wonder why my mom was so persnickety about her kitchen shears.  Then, I grew up and got my own kitchen and now I know!  Kitchen shears are so handy for tasks like trimming meats, breaking up bunches of grapes, and slicing fresh herbs.  I really don’t know how I was getting by without a great pair of kitchen shears.  

Smooth Edge Can Opener 

It’s like a regular can opener, but better.  If you don’t have a smooth edge can opener, get one.  Fast.  I love opening a can of fruit or veggies and not worrying about cutting my finger on the sharp edge that regular can openers leave behind.  

Pot with draining lid.

Pots with draining lids are so underrated.  I cannot express how handy this kitchen contraption is when you are draining pasta or vegetables.  With it, you don’t have to stop to search for a colander, nor do you have an extra dish to wash. 

Cutting Board 

I grab my cutting board almost every time I prepare a meal.  It’s very rare that I don’t have to cut, slice, or dice something to go in a recipe so it’s nice to have a quality cutting board on hand.  

Chopper

If you chop veggies regularly, then you really need a chopper in your kitchen.  Chopping onions (without tears), bell peppers, and celery are my favorite things to do with this kitchen essential.  I own one that I purchased from The Pampered Chef several years ago and it still chops like a charm. 

Mandoline

We eat lots of salads at my house.  Slicing items like cucumbers, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, and cheeses is a breeze with a slicer.  I highly recommend you adding a mandoline to your kitchen if you frequently slice veggies and cheeses.  It will save you lots of time. 

Wooden Spoons

Do I even need to explain?  Wooden spoons are so versatile.  I grab them when I am using nonstick pans that I don’t want to scratch up.  They are also great to stir hot soups since they don’t transfer heat the way other utensils do.  

Nonstick Frying Pan

From frying eggs and making pancakes to sauteeing vegetables and fish, nonstick frying pans are so useful. I have a set from T-fal that are my absolute faves.  

These are ten items that make preparing meals easy.  I grab these items more than the others in my kitchen when I’m making a meal for my family.  What are the go-to items in your kitchen?