If you haven’t caught on yet, I really like being in my kitchen. I spend a great majority of my time in there – experimenting, baking, burning, spilling, etc. I have several kitchen tools that I really love….and I have a really long list of kitchen tools that I would like to love – as I have extra money here and there, I buy something and remove it from the list. And yet, my list doesn’t seem to get any shorter. Hmmmm. Last year I gave you my five of my favorite kitchen tools – so this year I’m going to do it again.
This is my Mix N Mash from Pampered Chef….and I LOVE it! We use a lot of ground venison around here, and this little dandy tool makes my life a lot easier. A lovely workshop attendee (Thanks Maria!) sent me this and I use it at least a few times a week. It makes the job of browning meat a LOT easier. It gets all chopped up nice and evenly – it especially works great with ground turkey, which is sometimes hard to get chopped up with just a fork. I love it so much, I got one for my mom and she loves hers too! Does this keep me from pushing meat over the side of the skillet and burning it on the stove? Absolutely not. But it does make sure those pieces of meat I scoot over the side are nice and small. Amazon has a similar version that gets great reviews.
You’ve already read about how much I love my Butter Bell, but I had to include it on the list because it’s a new “tool” for the year. I’ve been using it for several months now and I love it more now than I did in the beginning! It works GREAT! I love being able to have nice, soft, spreadable butter anytime I want. And I want it a lot, since butter pairs well with so many things. I never know when I might NEED a piece of buttered bread. Now my butter doesn’t tear my bread all to thunder. That’s a winner in my book. I bought a few of these off Amazon for Christmas gifts. Spreading the butter love! Get it….spreading? Ha!
I wasn’t sure when I bought my Oster Immersion Blender that I was really going to love it……but I DO. It ROCKS! It keeps me from making a terrible mess every time I want to transfer something to the blender to puree. Does it keep me from splattering stuff all over the walls because I forget and accidently pull the stick up too high? Absolutely not – but it does keep me from spilling it all over the floor. It’s just a nice handy tool to have around. I’ve used it to make homemade mayonnaise and Crock Pot Sweet Potato Soup. You just stick the blender stick down in your pot and PRESTO, pureed soup. It’s like some kind of miracle. Warning – keep the stick submerged in the liquid. *Cough*
Okay, this one might seem weird. Seriously, Stacy? Kitchen shears are a favorite tool? Yep! I love these!!! I use them all throughout the day. My Kitchen Aid shears are awesome but you can easily pick up a pair at The Dollar Tree. Just buy a pair. I even gave my poor sister an extra pair of mine because she didn’t have any – I try to fix problems like that whenever I can. I use my shears to cut into bags, cut up meat, cut up pieces of food for Annie, cut my hair, cut the flowers, etc (just kidding on the last two). I clean them up with white vinegar and they’re good to go for the next time. I’m trying to save the world by having everyone buy kitchen shears. Amen.
This is without a doubt my favorite new tool of the year. My new Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. My mom bought it for my birthday and I’ve become an ice cream making fool! It makes it SO EASY that I just can’t help myself. I would make it every day if we could eat that much ice cream. I used to have the salt and ice version and I would make ice cream a few times a year. Now I’m making ice cream every couple weeks. It’s a beautiful thing. I’m dreaming about ice cream and creating concoctions like Butternut Ice Cream. You can be sure there are LOTS of ice cream recipes coming here.
So, there you have it. What’s your #1 favorite kitchen tool this year?
*NOTE: Some of the above links are Amazon affiliate links and I do get a small percentage if you purchase a product using my link. Thanks!
I have 2. First is a set of mixing bowls and measuring cups called pourfect. They are great and come in every size and when you buy them you get the set. They have handles and pour spouts and rubber bottoms. I got them off of QVC or HSN. My other must have are my lock and lock containers. They close tight and even when you pick the left over spaghetti sauce up out of the fridge and drop it, they stay closed. They are even great for my homemade cleaning wipes. You can use them for anything and they are dishwasher safe and don’t stain. You can get these on QVC and even Walmart.
QVC is so fun for looking at stuff like that!
My favorite kitchen tool this year is definitely my digital food scale. This past April I started working on eating healthier and losing weight (reached my goal weight, 30 pounds lost, in October *and there was much rejoicing*) and this little fella has been indispensable. Learning what an actual portion size is by weighing it out (especially chips, cereal and pasta) has been eye opening, awesome and rewarding.
I do love mine too. 🙂 Great tool!
I’ve been debating about a butter keeper — now you’ve convinced me!
You will LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love dishes and kitchen gadgets! Not sure why, because I don’t actually like to cook (gasp!). Why God did not gift me with knack and desire to cook, I do not know? But back to my amazing gadgets I love….. 1)my Trudeau pot strainer. So easy and so much less clean up than having to pour all the pasta into a separate collander. 2) My Kitchen Aid nesting/mixing bowls. 3 sizes for $20-$30….typically can be found at TJMaxx for the best price. They have a rubber-rimmed bottom for no-slip, a handy pour spout on one side and a lip-style handle on the other. 3) OXO Good Grips measuring cups. Rubberized handle with a “thumb groove” and measurements can be viewed from above/looking down the cup as you fill – what’s there NOT to love, I ask? (Also much better price than the Pampered Chef version. Can use a 20% coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond or can sometimes be found at TJMaxx) 4). Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan – best baking pan ever created.
I love my stoneware too!!!!!!!! It ROCKS!
I’ve been looking for something to keep my butter soft, you may have just made my day!! Hope they carry these in Amazon.ca! Off to look! Thanks!! 🙂
I’m just spreading the butter love! 🙂 Spread on my friend, spread on.
All of those are on my wish list. LOVE my immersion blender, until it died. I feel betrayed. I used it ALL the time. So, I sent Mark to get a cheap, second hand, stand mixer after a slightly too dramatic exclamation of “I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT A BLENDER”. So I could have something until we could get an immersion one. Mark went to DAV (our second hand store) and then since he couldn’t call me and he wanted his wife to survive the summer he got a new one. Now I have a new stand blender and am struggling with the thought of getting a immersion one because… well the stand one cost more then the $5 I thought it would.
My other favorite tools would have to be my nice food processor. It is one of the things that has survived a year of calamities in my kitchen. It is SAD how many lovely things I have ruined this year :(.
Hey we all do it…..I have a weird habit of breaking coffee pots. 🙂
I LOVE my Pampered Chef Food Chopper!!! I use it at least a few times a week dicing onions and peppers. It would take me an hour to dice the onions as small as my hubby wants them… with the Food Chopper, it takes 60 seconds. And it comes apart for easy cleaning! LOVE it!!!
Sounds a lot like my Slap Chop….which I LOVE! 🙂
My Kitchenaid Mixer is my favorite, but I’ve had it a couple of years. Just from this year, I would have to pick my Ninja blender/food processor/chopper. It came with three sized bowls and the best of all three that I’ve ever owned.
Ooooooooh. I saw that at BB&B. I’m envious my friend.
I <3 my Pampered Chef Mix and Mash too! All I just is ground turkey, and it would always be in big pieces – but this solved that problem!
I know!!!! It’s the BEST!