Modern life is fast-paced, and your kitchen and what it’s stocked with should reflect that. That is why you should check that you have easy access to the following 10 essential kitchen items.
1. Coffee machine
With coffee the price it is these days, no kitchen is complete without a coffee machine, which allows you to make delicious caffeinated drinks in the comfort of your own home. Indeed, making coffee at home and decanting it into a travel mug saves you a small fortune and ensures that you still enjoy high-quality filter coffee.
There is a range of different types of coffee machines available, from the simplest coffee percolators to the ones that not only make a range of different types of coffee but will heat and froth your milk as well.
2. Meat thermometer
If you don’t already have a meat thermometer, you need to go straight out today and buy one. These small, inexpensive gadgets are incredibly easy to use and provide you with the peace of mind you need, concerning how well your meat is cooked.
To use them, all you need to do is insert them into the thickest part of the meat and take a temperature reading. If this reading is the same or above the temperature required for that meat to be cooked until it’s well done, then you know it will be safe to eat. You can use meat thermometers for all types of cooking, including pan frying, air frying and grilling. For the best value option, choose a small battery-operated meat thermometer.
However, if you’re looking to splash more robust thermometers that can be placed in joints of meat at the beginning of cooking and left for the duration of cooking, allowing you to constantly track the temperature on a connected app and be a good investment.
3. Tongs
Tongs are a crucial kitchen supply for anyone who does not have hands that feel no pain, as they can help to prevent burning while cooking. Indeed, tongues allow you to pick up items that are hot easily because of the fear of dropping them, and long-handled tools allow you to reach into the back of the oven without endangering the delicate skin on the backs of your hands and wrists.
4. Air fryer
Air fryers are wonderful inventions that allow you to cook a wide range of foods without overusing oil. The key benefit of an Airfryer is that it will produce food that is crispy in the way that traditionally fried food is, using only around a tablespoon of oil.
Air fryers can do this because they circulate what little oil there is by pushing air around the cooking drawer. There are many different air fryer options to consider, from single drawers, double drawers, stacked drawers for small kitchens, and even XL drawers with dividers for maximum flexibility.
5. Silicone bakeware
Silicone bakeware is incredibly useful in any modern kitchen. First of all, it can be used in a range of devices, including the oven and air fryer. Using silicone trays inside the air prior drawers can make keeping them clean much easier.
Secondly, with silicone bakeware, it’s very easy to remove any item you have cooked. Muffins, cupcakes and larger cakes are released with ease, particularly if you have greased the tray beforehand. Additionally, silicone bakeware is easy to clean. In most cases, it can just be placed in the dishwasher, saving the need to scrub each tray individually.
6. A well-organised fridge
It’s not enough these days to have a well-stocked fridge, because just like the rest of your kitchen, is space needs to be well organised. This means investing in some orgorganisationalaws and trays that allow you to separate out the different types of foods and drinks you keep in your refrigerator, so they stay tidy, are easy to access, and use up as little room as possible.
A great tip here is to choose products that are space-saving when stacked to fill your fridge. For example, some of the best spring water brands provide bottles that are stacked together cleverly. Using these allows you to more efficiently utilize the space you have in your refrigerator by around 35%, helping you to stay hydrated and organize at the same time.
7. Lemon squeezer
You may think that the simple task of squeezing a lemon couldn’t get any easier. However, separating a citrus fruit from its juice can be quite challenging, especially if the fruit contains many pips and seeds. That is where a good quality lemon squeezer comes in. A lemon squeezer will be designed to exert the most pressure on the fruit and so maximize the amount of juice that is produced. A good lemon squeezer will also provide a provision to catch any pips or seeds, making adding the juice to the dish you are cooking much faster and simpler.
8. High-quality chef knives
The difference between a pork quality kitchen knife and a high-quality chef’s knife is like night and day. A poor quality kitchen knife will leave you sawing away at a tomato as if it were a plank of wood, resulting in a pulpy mess. A premium kitchen knife, on the other hand, will make slicing through just about anything as smooth as butter. What that means is no more squash tomatoes, fighting to get fish bones out of the fish, or mangled pieces of meat.
9. A decent can opener
If you have ever struggled to open a can of tuna with the cheap can opener, only to have sprayed fishy water all over yourself and your kitchen, you’ll know just how important the can opener can be. Yes, they may seem a little expensive when it comes to the initial outline; however, your future self will be thanking you every single time you need to open a can.
Choose between a sturdy handheld can opener, preferably with rubber handles to make it easier to grip, or an electric can opener that will automate this task for you. Also, be sure that the cans open if you choose to leave the can lids smooth to the touch, so they are safe and easy to clean and recycle.
