Cooking is just not as much fun without a few gadgets.  I believe in gadgets with multiple purposes, that don’t take up too much room and aren’t crazy expensive.  Now, that’s not to say I don’t get a wild hair on occasion and buy something less practical, and maybe even too expensive, because I do.  But having just the right tools when you need them is really indispensable.

My strategy is to recognize that I need something after multiple, and I do mean multiple, occasions of needing said gadget/utensil.  This usually happens over a period of several months, and once I finally get to the right store that has exactly the thing I am looking for, then I buy it.  If you have this sort of discipline, then your drawers and cabinets will not be filled with failed items that never met your expectations and therefore they are not useful or used.  It works for me.

This page is dedicated to things I find indispensable in my kitchen.  Things that have proven tried and true, and perhaps a few things that are fun to have because they inspire you to do something different.

Here is a the #1 gadget used in my kitchen.  I actually have the 650 watt version, which I am not sure they sell in the US.  I have not owned a blender in 4 years and I have not missed it.  This makes my smoothies, purées my soups, processes my pesto and I even make peanut and flax-seed butter in the mini chopper.  This takes care of the food processor, blender and immersion blender.

We love to juice in our house.  Juicing can be time-consuming if you don’t have the right juicer.  The more powerful the juicer, the less time you spend chopping up fruits and vegetables.  Juicing is one of the best ways to get the most vitamins and nutrients out of your fruits and vegetables.  You want to buy the most powerful one you can afford with the widest mouth possible.  The larger the opening, the better it is.  My dad found this one on QVC for a great price and I am now in love with this Australian brand, Breville.  You can put a whole apple or orange in the mouth of this one, so your juice is ready in minutes.  We use this 3-5 times a week depending on the season.  See my juice recipes for ideas of fruit and vegetable combinations.