I’ll admit, one of my weaknesses is kitchen accessories – Specifically white bowls, for some strange reason. When I’m out and about, it’s almost certain that I’ll come home with a white bowl of some sort. The good thing about this is, unlike other kitchen accessories or appliances and tools, you can find a great bowl for just a couple of bucks…so at least my weakness is an inexpensive one!
In terms of other tools that one might need in the kitchen, it really comes down to preference. What to you make regularly? How much storage to you have available? Would a specific tool or appliance help you regularly? How much does it cost? Over the years, I’ve spent way too much money on things that I didn’t really need, so let’s break it down. Here’s my list of Must or Bust items for my kitchen:
STAND MIXER:
Of course, these appliances are beautiful and they even seem to have some weird magical ability to make you look like a pro in the kitchen, even if it is just sitting, unused, on your counter. A stand mixer has so many enticing (and expensive) accessories that can easily make you believe that you NEEEEED it – another one of it’s magical abilities. But in reality, unless you make a lot of yeasty doughs, you really DON’T need this . They are expensive and bulky and heavy and cleaning them can be a real pain. I personally prefer a hand mixer over a stand mixer – unless the dough I’m making requires kneeding. So, if you’re a bread maker or use yeast frequently, this may be an item worth the splurge. If you stick to mostly cookies and cakes, a hand mixer is the way to go.
FOOD PROCESSOR:
This one for me is a MUST. I use my food processor just about every week. Just don’t confuse this with a Blender…they are very different tools. You’ll want a processor to achieve more of a chopped consistency to your ingredients…like for salsas, dips, or I even use it to replace a “cutter” when I make certain cookies, pie dough or biscuits. A good processor can be fairly pricey, but depending on what you frequently make, they can really be worth the price tag. If you’re going to invest in a processor, I would recommend getting a larger sized one, rather than a smaller version.
BLENDER:
This is another MUST for me. Different than a processor, a blender will puree your ingredients, giving you a smooth texture. A blender is the way to go for smoothies and I even use mine for many savory sauces. A blender won’t set you back too much financially and is a great tool to have on hand.
TOASTER:
I’ve never understood the need for a Toaster, so this appliance is a BUST in my mind. Toasters take up so much room on my much needed counter space AND they only hold 2 (sometimes 4 – which really just makes the appliance even bigger, taking up even more space) slices of bread. Toasters leave crumbs everywhere and they’re hard to clean…when was the last time you cleaned out your toaster???? I much prefer to use my oven broiler when making toast. I just lay out however many slices of bread I need/want onto a sheet pan and broil the bread until toasted. Then I flip the bread over to toast on the other side. This way, all of the toast I need is done at the same time and they can all be served and eaten nice and warm!