Top 5 Kitchen Must Haves
~ at 1915 House ~
I have a thing for kitchen appliances and gadgets, but not so much that I collect things just for the sake of collecting them. I have neither the space nor the patience to deal with extra clutter from things that are just fun but not functional. The kitchen items I choose to take up space in my home need to be functional, hard working and they must be things that I reach for often enough that they earn their keep. This is how my top 5 kitchen must haves was born.
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Kitchen Must Have #1
The tip top item on my list of “must-haves” is my kitchenaid stand mixer.
I put off purchasing one of these for the longest time because I thought surely it wouldn’t earn it’s keep -and let’s be honest – these darlings aren’t exactly cheap. That was over 13 years ago. Yep – I’ve had mine now for over 13 years and it still functions like a dream. I need to replace the paddle attachment due to a couple small chips in the coating, but it’s been used for thirteen. years. And, for several of those 13 years, I was making homemade bread with my kitchenaid stand mixer 4-5 times a week. Let me tell you, I’ve put this thing to the test. And even though I no longer bake all our bread every few days, we still use it 1-2 times a week and it has held up longer than I ever thought it would. It has been one of the best investments for our family. (And I’ll let you in on a little secret…….lean in a little closer…..my kitchenaid is a Certified Refurbished one!) Did you know you could buy them refurbished and save yourself $80 – $160 off the “brand new” price?! That’s what I did – because I really like to save money wherever I can. So yes – the very same mixer I love so much and ranted and raved about up above? It was NOT new when I bought it. It was a Certified Refurbished one. And I’ve had it for over 13 years. Score!! Of course, if buying a refurbished mixer isn’t your cup of tea, then there are gorgeous new ones that come in pretty much any color you can think of. Even “Raspberry“! But still…..if you want my two cents worth? Buy refurbished and save yourself the extra $80-$160.
Kitchen Must Have #2
Next on my list of favorites is this GIANT stainless steel bowl. It’s an 8 quart bowl! Why so huge, you ask? Well, I’m a person who is easily frustrated when I’m making a recipe, trying to mix the ingredients together only to realize that the bowl is too small and all the ingredients are starting to tumble over the sides of the bowl. Ugh. So annoying. So…..the problem is solved by making sure I have a large bowl on hand that has ample room for me to quite literally toss ingredients together and thoroughly incorporate whatever the recipe calls for. I reach for this bowl when I make my family’s favorite granola recipe, homemade pancake mix or just a vat of buttery, salty popcorn for movie night. It’s another one of my favorite kitchen must-haves that relieves the stress of “argh! the bowl is too small” situations. Sometimes it’s the little (or in this case, not so little) things.
Kitchen Must Have #3
I have more than my fair share of plastic storage containers in rotation, but I really prefer glass, for it’s functionality of freezer-to-fridge-to-oven capabilities AND for the fact that it’s not leaching any weird or scary chemicals into my family’s food. This is the set I own and reach for more than 90% of the time. I’ve had mine for years, and it’s holding up fantastically. It’s dishwasher safe, freezer safe and oven safe. Ideal for anyone who has leftovers or likes to prep ahead of time to make dinnertime easier on themselves. I like to put leftover Chicken Taco Bake in these – that way when we’re ready to eat leftovers, all we have to do is remove the lid and pop it in the oven or microwave – and lunch is served.
Kitchen Must Have #4
This funny looking thing is a Silpat. AKA a bakers best friend. Nothing sticks to these. *Nothing*. they’re easy to clean (just wipe them down with a hot damp cloth) and they keep your pans clean = less dishes to wash. Win, win…win! These are what I use for my Fluffy Biscuits recipe that my family drools over. There are several different options that are less expensive options and they work just as well. I have a Silpat as well as the more economical ones – and they all work great.
Kitchen Must Have #5
This is the crock pot I have (above ^ -except mine is red). My beloved Crock-Pot is a lifesaver on days when life is crazy and the little ones are melting down and hanging on me when it’s time to be making dinner. Oh, wait. That’s every day. 😉 Lol! But seriously. I probably use my crock pot 2-4 times a week – whether it’s just cooking up a pound of ground beef so it’s ready to be made into a crock of chili, making a melt-in-your-mouth roast beef or Chicken Taco Bake. I have reached for it a few times even this past week as I have been diligently working on my kitchen facelift. While I’ve been busy painting and priming…and painting some more, my crock pot has done all the work for me. It makes dinnertime so much less stressful – thank you, dear inventor of the crock pot.
I would love to know – what are your top 5 kitchen must haves?
Great list! I love my slow cooker and I have a red one and well, I have 5, but who is counting. That come in real handy at Christmas gatherings.
Aren’t slow cookers so great? 🙂 I’m so glad you stopped by Pamela!
We have a giant stainless steel bowl too and love it! I also second the Kitchen Aid. We actually lucked out and found ours marked down to $65 when we were doing our wedding registry. We thought for sure it was a mistake and so did the store so they scanned all of them and only that one was marked down and it really was that price. We bought it then and there. Not a thing was wrong with it and it works great 9 years later!
Tilisa – wow!! That is an amazingly good deal on a KitchenAid! 😮 What a great score! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment – and for sharing your great find. 🙂
This is a great list of things, I have also my favorite, a earthen ware pot in which I cook all my roasts. Brought it with me in my hand luggage when I came to Canada to get married, thing was supper heavy. Love how tender everything is when I cook it, and all I add is water and spices!
Oooo…Marjan, I’m sad to say I have no earthenware pots. But I bet it cooks everything to perfection!! 😀 Thanks for sharing here…I may need to keep my eyes open for my very own earthenware pot! 🙂
There are so many wonderful products out there these days that make life easier. I am thinking my number 1 product would actually be the crock pot. I use it all the time. I actually use my mothers mixer which is I don’t know how many years old. They work well and seem to last so long. Thanks for sharing.
Fiona – Crock pots are such lifesavers, aren’t they? 😀 And I love that you have and use your Mom’s mixer. Things that have been passed down are such treasures. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment – I really appreciate it. 🙂
I am in total agreement about making sure I have a large mixing bowl. Mine is Tupperware and I also hate when you can’t mix something because it is spilling over the sides. I finally got a Kitchenaid mixer after waiting 30 years! Woohoo!
Hi Melony! You are one patient woman – waiting 30 years for a kitchenaid. 😉 I bet you love it now- 😀 I so appreciate your comment and that you took the time to stop by. Welcome!
I am definitely going to check into that Silpat!! I don’t have a mixer, but I don’t bake. My favorite go to kitchen gadget is my new hand food processor from Pampered Chef! Best purchase I have made in a long time!! It is small so it doesn’t take up a lot of cabinet space and it chops everything!!!
Hi Susanne! I have heard so many good things about the new hand food processor from PC! Nice to hear that you love it, too – and you’re right…regular food processors take up a lot of room so your hand one would be ideal for saving space. 🙂 I’m so glad you stopped by and I appreciate that you took the time to comment! It means a lot to me.
Totally agree! Have everyone of those items, same brands except my Kitchen Aid is aqua!
Thank you for reminding us of the tools that get the work done in our kitchens!
Hi Debbie! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment – it means a lot to me. And an aqua kitchenaid (!) – I bet that looks so FUN! 😀 Thanks for hosting the fun Favorite Fives link up. 🙂
I have all of these except the Stainless Steel bowl, but I’ve been looking at them for a while. I also love glass and I use the kenetic snaplock something something that I picked up first at Marshalls. They are square, and they nest. I do have some plastic still but use them rarely, and never in the microwave. Oh, and my crockpot. I love it!! I’ll have to try out your Chicken Taco Bake recipe, it sounds so yummy!
Hi Toni! Right!! Never microwave in plastic – ? So fun to hear what other people have and like to use in their kitchens. ? Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment-I really appreciate it. ?
When I saw your top 5 must haves post on Facebook I thought to myself a kitchen aid has to be one of them- and it is:-) I use my kitchen aid all the time and everything else on this list I own and use. Such an informative post as to the reasons why these items should be in anyone’s kitchen. Great read!!
Hi Bekah!!! So fun to have you here! 😀 It doesn’t surprise me that you have and use all these same items – you’re such a great cook, girl! 😉 Happy you stopped by and took a moment to comment – I really appreciate it!:) <3
Well, I gotta get me some of this! Lovely and informative post! XOXO
Hi Susie! I’m glad you found the post informative – thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment! 🙂
I have two things from your list and I dream of owning a Kitchen Aid mixer one day…sigh
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Lisa! Just remember (whenever you do decide to get a kitchenaid) – refurbished can save you a ton of money and they really do work just as well as new! At least in my experience 😉