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What Kitchen Item Can You Not Live Without?

This question dawned on me while I was making my morning latte.  For our wedding we got loads of Macys gift cards and I really wanted an espresso machine to make my daily latte.  I got the cheapest, smallest one for fear that I wouldn't use it and it would be money down the drain.  But 18 months later, I am still using it every day with dreams of a more grand machine one day.....and I realized, I can't live without this!  Well, I could really, but I wouldn't want to.

A close second is my mini-spatula from Pampered Chef....I love that thing!

What can't you live without in your kitchen?

Re: What Kitchen Item Can You Not Live Without?

  • My grill pan and thongs - I LOVE my Calphalon grill pan, it makes my chicken seem like I grilled it outside on the BBQ. And I love cooking with thongs now that I'm used to it.
  • oh good question!

    I couldn't live without my kitchenaid mixer.  It wasn't a wedding gift, I've had it since college.  I bake a lot and also make homemade egg noodles for MH quite often and it makes it go so much faster.

    I also couldn't live without a tea kettle, I use it at least 2 times a day.

    Other than that, all the wedding gifts were awesome - new cookware, good knives, china.  Things I wouldn't buy myself but really wanted.  BUT, I think I could live without those items and be just fine.

  • I also love my grill pan, but I think I really couldn't live without my convection oven.  It's a toaster and oven in one unit, about the size of a small microwave.  I can cook up 1-2 chicken breasts, reheat leftovers super quickly, or bake a side dish while the real oven is baking a main course.  I hate microwaving food (weird, I know, but it ruins the texture of everything), and it's so nice not having to turn on the gigantic oven for one small thing.

    When my parents gave it to us, I thought "What the heck am I gonna do with this?" but now I use it every day.  I freaking love that thing.

    image
  • Good question.  I would say my cast iron cookware (burglers beware!).  I have a large fry pan that was actually MH's grandmothers' pan.  It is seasoned to perfection, nothing ever sticks to it.  Then I got some of Martha Stewarts enameld cast iron pans (big and little) - now I would have loved Le Cruset instead but those are expensive!  The pots are awesome for soups.
  • I can not live without my Calphalon cookware.  The pans, the roaster, and the pots.  I can't discriminate and just pick one.  They are all equally loved in my home.  To be honest, I had no idea that people would even spend the money and buy us this stuff.  Its not cheap.  But we were so blessed to receive these items as wedding gifts.  I felt like a grown-up using them.  I finally understood what my mother said when she told me to always buy the best stuff.  The best feature is the non-stick on the pots and pans.  I've used other non-stick items but nothing compares.

    Wow, I just read that back and it sure sounds like I'm a spokesperson for them!!

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  • imagemrsdarling:

    I also love my grill pan, but I think I really couldn't live without my convection oven.  It's a toaster and oven in one unit, about the size of a small microwave.  I can cook up 1-2 chicken breasts, reheat leftovers super quickly, or bake a side dish while the real oven is baking a main course.  I hate microwaving food (weird, I know, but it ruins the texture of everything), and it's so nice not having to turn on the gigantic oven for one small thing.

    Oooooo.....I must check into this....I HATE microwaving food too.  Limp leftover pizza is NAS-TY.  Although it does keep me from eating it!  Wink  Off to Google convection ovens....

  • Coffee pot and microwave.

    All this time without having a functional kitchen, I learned that I could do without almost anything except my coffee pot and microwave.

    Kinda sad, isn't it?  Huh? 

  • imageAmy4773:
    imagemrsdarling:

    I also love my grill pan, but I think I really couldn't live without my convection oven.  It's a toaster and oven in one unit, about the size of a small microwave.  I can cook up 1-2 chicken breasts, reheat leftovers super quickly, or bake a side dish while the real oven is baking a main course.  I hate microwaving food (weird, I know, but it ruins the texture of everything), and it's so nice not having to turn on the gigantic oven for one small thing.

    Oooooo.....I must check into this....I HATE microwaving food too.  Limp leftover pizza is NAS-TY.  Although it does keep me from eating it!  Wink  Off to Google convection ovens....

    I used to hate microwaving food too, but I think I've just kinda gotten used to it.

  • It's a toss-up between my Kitchenaid stand mixer (a birthday gift from MH when we first started dating....I use it constantly!) and the 7 1/2-quart Le Creuset that we got as a wedding gift.  I call my "Sunday Pot" because I generally make veggie soup, homemade applesauce, and other casseroles with it on Sundays.  I don't know how I lived without it!
    image
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  • My food processor, measuring cups and food scale! :-).
  • Definitely my cutting boards and knives.  We have a tiny kitchen and I'm always cutting or chopping up vegs and fruit on the board placed on the very small countertop that we have.  I use them almost everyday.
  • Definitely our toaster oven.  Obviously, it toasts things, but it's also a quick and easy way to bake a small dish without needing to turn on the big oven.  And no need to microwave things that taste way better crispy -- like pizza, chicken nuggets, and fries.

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  • definitely my KA stand mixer!!! a close second would be my digital kitchen scale :) i bake more than i cook, so those are more important to me than any pots/pans
  • Definitely my grilling pan. Both DH & I use it every day......
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  • imageannasan_k:
    Good question.  I would say my cast iron cookware (burglers beware!).  I have a large fry pan that was actually MH's grandmothers' pan.  It is seasoned to perfection, nothing ever sticks to it.  Then I got some of Martha Stewarts enameld cast iron pans (big and little) - now I would have loved Le Cruset instead but those are expensive!  The pots are awesome for soups.

    I have a le Cruset and that's definitely the one thing I couldn't live with out. Tongs come in a close second in a tie with my henkels chef's knife.

  • imagekaesha:

    imageannasan_k:
    Good question.  I would say my cast iron cookware (burglers beware!).  I have a large fry pan that was actually MH's grandmothers' pan.  It is seasoned to perfection, nothing ever sticks to it.  Then I got some of Martha Stewarts enameld cast iron pans (big and little) - now I would have loved Le Cruset instead but those are expensive!  The pots are awesome for soups.

    I have a le Cruset and that's definitely the one thing I couldn't live with out. Tongs come in a close second in a tie with my henkels chef's knife.

    Ohhh, I have pot envy!  :)  My mom has a pretty blue Le Creuset that I might have to "borrow" - hee hee.

  • I love my wok, wooden spatula, wooden chopsticks, and deep fryer. I also love our Le Creuset cast-iron pot but it's not something I can't live without. I love Pyrex baking glassware for baking. I also want a grill pan but we don't have one yet =)
    Sept 2008 Wedding | May 2010 & Mar 2012 Babies
  • Am I really the first person to say my knife set? I can make do with crappy pots and pans, but I could NOT cook without a good set of knives! My mom gave me a sahweet set of Henkels when I first moved out as a kind of housewarming gift (I cooked for my family from about the age of 13, so she knew I'd love them).

    ETA: oops, missed this the first time around! Guess I'm the second person then lol.

    imageKalani:
    Definitely my cutting boards and knives.

  • imageeyeheartmike:
    My grill pan and thongs - I LOVE my Calphalon grill pan, it makes my chicken seem like I grilled it outside on the BBQ. And I love cooking with thongs now that I'm used to it.

    I bet your husband loves your thongs, too.

    ... now that you're used to it.

    JK

    My favorite is the food processor. We have a KA, but I haven't put it to good use. If you love your KA mixer, what baked goods do you usually mix with it? Any great secrets?

    image
    Newlyweds since 2007
  • My garlic press from pampered Chef. You just throw that garlic in there-no need to peel and some how it just comes out. Amazing.
    DS- 4 years old, Natural m/c @ 7 weeks-12/1/09. Infertility issues- low ovarian reserve- low AMH and high FSH. Looking into adoption. Trying to figure out where to go with your little one? My favorite website is: Trekaroo AlternaTickers - Cool, free Web tickers
  • My "Cutco" brand knife set. I bought them when I was in college 15 (yes, 15) years ago and they've NEVER been sharpened.  Cutco guarantees their sharpness for life and I can say that's totally true.  They are as sharp today as they were the day I got them.  Well worth the cost if you're looking for good knives.

     www.cutco.com

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