We’ve been a “cook at home” family since TJ + I got married. I’m not sure how we fell into that rhythm and routine, but I remember the day after we got back from our honeymoon, and there was literally nothing in the refrigerator or pantry, I headed right to the store to pick up the essentials so we could make dinner together. It’s just something we’ve done over the years and we’ve have enjoyed the process of trying out new dishes….
All that to say, we’ve come to rely on several products that have enabled us to cook healthy, nutritious, and easy meals that the entire family can enjoy and I thought I would share them with you today. They range from our favorite crockpot (I am team crockpot over here for those midweek meals…), new non-toxic cooking pans, to a simple avocado keeper (I mean, why didn’t I invent this???…). We’ve tested them, rely on them, and I’ve given a brief review of them below!
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PIZZA PANS: We’ve had these pans for at least 10 years, and they’ve always gotten a lot of use, but over the past several months pizza night has become a weekly occurrence in our home. We have two different types of pizza pans and this one is the best at getting the crust nice and crispy.
CROCKPOT + PRESSURE COOKER: I love using the crockpot for easy weeknight meals… anything from soups to shredded chicken tacos. With just a little beginning of the week planning, I can have an easy + healthy midweek meal for the entire family with minimal cooking. I also appreciate the pressure cooking option for those days that I forget to start the crockpot early enough.
BREVILLE TOASTER OVEN: In full disclosure, we use this more than our “real” oven. I love that it has so many great features- from broiling to reheating… and it doesn’t heat the entire house on a warm summer day. We bake breads in it, cook pizzas in it (it comes with a pizza pan that fits perfectly), and broil vegetables. It also has the ability to cook multiple dishes at one time (it comes with two cooking racks). We’ve had ours for two years now and it’s still in great condition. It’s a kitchen investment I can’t recommend more!
LINEN DISH TOWELS: These are so beautiful and perfect for drying dishes. I bought two sets of them so I always have them readily available.
MEASURING SPOONS + MEASURING CUPS: We received these off of our wedding registry, so 10 years ago, and they’re still good as new. I think we use them daily in all of our cooking.
GREENPAN FRYPANS: I recently asked for new cooking pan suggestions, as ours were 10 years old, and Greenpan was one of the most frequently recommended brands. They’re non-toxic to cook with, which I appreciate, and I love the Venice collection color-way. They’re coated with Thermolon Minerals Pro which helps them to withstand intense use and cleaning. We’ve been super happy with them since we received them (about 2ish weeks ago).
JUICER: A kitchen staple for any fresh juice needs… fresh lemon to marinate salmon, fresh squeezed orange juice for a mimosa… we have gotten so much use out of ours. I can hands down say that a juicer gets out more juice than simply squeezing with your hands….
SPIRALIZER: I’ve had one of these for several years now, and while it’s not something I use every single week, it is a tool that I am always happy that I have when I want spiralized noodles with dinner or lunch. I’ve had the handheld version and the more elaborate version and I prefer the handheld option much more. It’s easier to clean, and overall more user friendly, IMO.
IMMERSION BLENDER: This is another cooking tool that I’ve had for several years, and while I don’t use it with high frequency, when I do have a recipe that calls for it, I am always happy it’s on hand. It’s a much easier option for soups + a quick smoothie than pulling out a big blender (if you’re in a hurry). I always use it with fall soups.
WOODEN COOKING SPOONS: We use these daily in our home + have had them for two years… so good quality.
SILICONE COOKING UTENSILS: I was drawn to the two toned design of these, but they’re just as functional as they are pretty. They’re perfect for baking, soups, pasta, and on anything that has a non-stick surface that you don’t want to ruin.
SODASTREAM: I know I’ve shared this before as a favorite product, but we use this multiple times a day. It has three carbonation settings, so you can get as much carbonation as you want. It cuts down on waste and I also prefer the end result to store bought brands.
AVOCADO KEEPER: I purchased this several months ago as an easy way to preserve our avocados after only using half. It works really well on a small to medium avocado, but won’t fit a larger avocado if you keep the seed in it. I highly recommend though!
ZESTER: This is a more recent addition, but oh my gosh it makes a huge difference. We’ve been watching Ina Garten cooking shows and she was our inspiration to purchase this (mainly for one of her corn salads….). The zest of a lemon or lime adds such a pop of flavor to any dish and I don’t know what took me so long to purchase one.
SPATULA: Such a basic cooking tool, but we use it every day… we have several since we use them so much.
