As a food writer, I don’t just go to restaurants—though that is a huge part of my work. I also read cookbooks, study food history, and also learn to cook like a chef. I want to be the writer who can write about every aspect of food. So, rather than stick to the restaurant stuff, I decided to help people get a better idea of what my kitchen looks like.
To do this, I’m going to talk about my favorite food prep tools and why everyone should have them in their kitchens, too.
1-A Knife Set from KitchenAid
I got a KitchenAid knife set with a sharpener and cutting block. It is basically my life. Every chef needs to have a good knife kit, and for a while, I had an IKEA set. I stupidly thought it wouldn’t be that bad.
The IKEA set was stainless steel…and it friggin’ rusted. And they dulled after I basically sneezed on them. Never again. So far, I’ve had the KitchenAid set for about a year and have noticed no problems with it whatsoever. I love them.
2- 3-Cup Food Chopper from Hamilton Beach
I remember trying to chop food with a hand chopper. I hated it. This sucks, because I basically live on guac, shepherd’s salad, and salsa. Like, for real. I eat a sickening amount of it. So, what was I to do? Give up on my foods? Nope.
Hamilton Beach’s 3-cup food processor is what I got. I just have to push on the lid and everything gets chopped in seconds. Since I got it, I’ve started to go through about three pounds of tomatoes and onions per week. Take from that what you may.
3-A Food Steamer from Amazon
Yes, it’s true. I love me my wontons and steamed dumplings. If you’ve ever had a steamer, you already understand how magical it can be to bite into a dumpling fresh from the steamer.
But, there’s more to this issue than just my dumpling love. Since the bottom half can also be used to cook soups, it’s a great space-saving tool for people who want to have a lot more food prep tools in a lot less space.
4-A Turkish Coffee Pot from Destalya
Now that we’ve gotten a little bit more into the world of mutli-purpose food prep, let me introduce you to my coffee pot, my tea pot, my butter warmer, and my sauce heater: a Turkish coffee pot.
It’s small, it is amazingly good at evenly conducting heat, and makes sure that your tea gets heated fast. I “put the kettle on” at least four times a day thanks to my green tea habit, so this gets a ton of use.
5-A Crock Pot by Crock-Pot
Okay, raise your hands if you have one of these at home or knew I was going to say this. Okay, everyone? Well, maybe that makes sense. These are a darling of almost every household that involves crazy work hours.
When we use the slow cooker, we’re able to spend a day doing our thing. It’s all “set and forget.” Mine has a removable pot for easy cleaning, and honestly, I use the pot part as a baking dish from time to time. It’s amazingly versatile.
What’s Your Favorite Tool?
Kitchens are never one-size-fits all, especially when you live in a studio apartment like I do. There are always some food prep items or appliances that work better for some people than others. Hit me with your faves!
