One of things that my husband and I strongly agreed with was to get high quality items so that we don't waste money on buying more every few years. Many people think that if you are frugal, then you are cheap. We just like a really good value so we wait for the best deals on the things that we want and need. There are quite a few things that we wouldn't be able to live without and since I spend so much time in the kitchen, my list is all of things in the kitchen.
1. Kitchen Aid Mixer- I love my mixer and use it all the time. My mom bought it for me for a Christmas gift probably about 12 years ago. It was under $100 and if it ever had a problem, I would totally get a new one... and would be super excited to get the more powerful older brother of my current one.
2. Cookie Sheets with Silpat liners- I got my current cookie sheets as a wedding present which I love. I looked online but they don't seem to sell them anymore. They are wonderful because they don't have any sides (like jelly roll pans) but they are a perfect size for my oven.
My first Silpat came as a gift from my friend Amy (THANKS!) and my husband bought me my second one so that I would have one for each cookie sheet. They protect the cookie sheets and they are wonderful because you don't need parchment paper or non-stick spray for anything you cook. The cookie sheets and silpats go together like peanut butter and jelly!!! I can't imagine loving one without the other.
3. Cheese Grater- When I started writing this list, I asked my husband what he thought and he said the cheese grater was high on his list. We had cheese grater and it broke, we had another and the handle welding failed and now we have the best cheese grater and we use it once or twice a week. We even asked for an extra one on our wish list because we were afraid that if it broke we would be grater less and that just can't happen in our house. I highly recommend investing in a cheese grater that you love to use because a bad cheese grater is something you always have to fight with- ours is Kitchen Aid.
4. Pizza Pan and OXO pizza cutter- I use this pan all the time because it cooks both sides without flipping. We actually got two for wedding presents and one as a Christmas gift so we have three. We are almost always using one, if not two at the same time. The best addition to this pan is the plastic OXO cutter so that you don't scratch the non-stick surface. I use the pan to cook frozen pizza, homemade pizza, breaded chicken, and not-fried zucchini. I reference them a lot in my recipes and you can get them for about $10 at Target so they are both great tools in our kitchen.
5. Bread machine- My husband got this for me back when we are dating... most people have a rule about not getting gifts with plugs but I have no such rule. I love presents that I will actually use and sadly that usually means something for the kitchen. I didn't use this for a long time but when I began my frugal adventure, I decided that I had to figure out how to make homemade bread. I pulled out this bread machine and after trying a few recipes, I have found my favorite sandwich bread and gotten much better on cinnamon rolls. I am still working on some of my other challenges like hot dog rolls which I am going to try to make this week.
6. Cookware- Another great wedding gift (and things that we got off the wedding registry) which we still use everyday. We have a number of pans that we don't use as often but we love the glass lids and the durable material that comes clean easily. We haven't had any problems in the 7-8 years that we have been using them. We decided on the Calphalon One infused anodized because they were a highly rated pan and they have glass lids and secure rivets. The pans we were using before had to be tightened a lot which is really bothersome when you are cooking and realize that you forgot to tighten the handle again. Sturdy pans are a great investment.
We got two more recently at the William-Sonoma outlet that were Calphalon tri-ply stainless steel. We wanted to get the same kind so that the lids would continue to be interchangeable. Many pans don't come with lids and we really wanted to make sure that we would have a lid to fit the new pans too!! The best advice that I have is pick a manufacturer that you like and stick with them because most of the pans are the same size.
7. Bowl Set- I got these great bowls from William-Sonoma (but mine are buttercup) which I thought at the time was a little extreme because I already have two sets of Henn pottery mixing bowls (yup, in blue and cranberry sponge) but they were hard to pull out because they were so heavy. The William-Sonoma ones nest so they fit inside each other and they have nonslip rubber ring on the bottom so that they don't move when you stir. I almost bought another set of them but mine are doing great so it will be awhile before I have to replace them.
8. Measuring Cups and Spoons- My husband's other most used kitchen item is the Pyrex measuring cup. He heats his water in the microwave for his oatmeal in the morning. We also use it to heat water for hot tea if there is only one person drinking it. In addition to the normal usage for measuring liquid ingredients for recipes. We have 5 different glass ones and we are always using them and at least half are in the dishwasher at the same time. I also love the great measuring cups and spoons from Willam-Sonoma. I bought the plastic and the metal ones but I tend to use the plastic ones more often. Of course, I have 5 different sets of measuring cups and spoons and often use multiple sets in a day of baking! I really like these because some of my other sets are hard to read the measurements and others have lost their round shape (which makes you wonder about the measuring accuracy).
9. Tea Kettle- We are not a coffee family (although we do have a nice coffee maker we got as a gift for others that visit). I had a tea kettle that was really cheap and it was getting gross so I decided that I was going to get a really nice one. My friend Ann recommended her's which was a Chantal (at least I think it was Ann and if I remember, her's was blue). My parents were here and they said that there tea kettle was getting rusty too so they wanted to get one too-copycats! We were out on a marathon shopping trip (which is standard with my parents) and they decided to get one at Macy's but I was holding out for the one that I wanted which I knew would be sitting at a great discount at Home Goods. I was so excited to see the stainless steel one there and I think that it was around $25-$30 (priced currently on amazon at $100). Mine still looks great and my parents are already on to another new one!!! A good investment goes a long way!!
I use it a few times a week to make fresh brewed ice tea. I love ice tea!! I used to drink Crystal Light but I had to stop drinking it when I was pregnant with my son which was quickly replaced with fresh brewed. I have now lost the taste for Crystal Light and prefer the fresh brewed. Sometimes it takes a little more work then the powdered tea but it is really worth it. It is like I am out at a restaurant for every cup of tea without the high price of drinks at restaurants since I normally get my tea bags with coupons!!
10. Blender- I love my Cuisnart blender. I got this while I was in college as a gift from my then boyfriend. It is a really high powered one that I used to make baby food for my son and make lots of different things including salsa. My husband doesn't like chunky salsa so it makes a really nice, smooth salsa. Have you ever blended your salsa?? I highly recommend that you try it sometime because it brings out the great flavor!! A good blender is super important for every kitchen.
11. Toaster Oven- I read a post a few years ago about how people have really strong feelings on whether to use a toaster or a toaster oven and some couples have to keep them side by side on the counter. We are a toaster oven family. We use it to make toast, bake chicken nuggets, and reheating pizza. We loved our toaster oven. We got a great one as a wedding shower gift and it just stopped working one day (of course it was 6 years old). It was a very sad day for us... of course, I did have an extra one in the basement. The sad part was that the new one wasn't as great as the old one. It was the kind we had before the really fancy one but it was no longer impressive to us. We might even get a fancier one next time but I guess it will be many years before we have to plan on it.
12. Henn baking pans- I love my Henn dishes, baking items and serving items. I wouldn't be able to live without all my beautiful pans. They all make me so happy which I guess is why I started selling them shortly after being at a few shows. I sold them to support my buying habit. It was a great job because I got the discount and the product super cheap and now I have tons of show from it. I wanted to work hard and be able to do it when I became a stay at home mom but their company didn't make it through the economic downturn so they no longer have consultants. The great news is that I still have tons to show for it which I use every day. The great thing about them is that they come clean really easily without too much scrubbing!
Hope you have enjoyed my top 12 things that I can't live without in the kitchen!! I look forward to hearing what items you can't live without!! Let me know :)
