Kitchen MVPs: The Everyday Tools That Make Cooking Easier

I’m the type of person who likes to have multiple things on the stove, microwave, oven, and every appliance under the sun at a time. I like time management. I am a very chaotic person in the kitchen, but I like to be organized, and these are some things that I use all the time in my kitchen. From essential kitchen tools to time-saving gadgets, I like using these items to make my life easier, save time, and stay safe every day.

Essential Kitchen Tools

Have you ever heard the saying “a dull knife is a dangerous knife,” or “a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one”? It’s true. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have nicked myself on a dull knife. I am a clumsy person, but I take safety very seriously (most of the time), especially when it comes to sharp objects. All you need is one good knife. Would I like to have an entire knife block? Yes. Are those expensive? Also yes. Two years ago when I was still living in the dorms at my university, I bought this $10 Cuisinart Knife, and I have used it ever since. It is still super sharp, and trust me when I say I use this thing at least three times a day. Safe to say it is a good product.

Next is a meat thermometer. I got salmonella about two years ago, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was stuck in the mountains in Colorado, too weak to get up to grab water, and miserable. My poor friends had to deal with me for those two days, and none of us knew what to do. I got sick from old eggs, but that experience has stuck with me ever since. For about three months, I would not eat eggs. It didn’t matter if it was at a bed and breakfast, at home, or at a five star restaurant. I was scarred. As a result, I would be (and still am sometimes) one of those people who will cut my chicken into twenty tiny pieces to determine if there is any hint of pink on the inside. When I moved into my new apartment, I got a meat thermometer and it has saved me so much stress. I suggest buying one that is dishwasher safe for convenience (because sometimes I get lazy with washing dishes). I bought this $5 thermometer from Target, but there’s other options with digital screens that are easier to read. 

If you’re someone who likes to cook chicken a lot (or afraid of food poisoning), this is a must have item. 

I just got an apron, and I feel a little funny wearing it sometimes but it is truly a very convenient piece. I used to dirty so many dish towels and waste so many paper towels just to dry my hands or wipe something off. Every time I cook, I just wipe it on my apron and throw it in the washing machine when I’m done. I have an old apron from my mom, but there are tons of aprons out there ranging from $10 – $50+ in price.

An extra life hack is to keep it on when you’re eating, so if you spill, you don’t spill on your clothes! At times, I can be a messy eater so this extra hack helped me a lot.

The last kitchen tool I want to share with you is a Crock Pot . As a college student, this helps me save money and time, and it’s a great meal prepping resource. This is one of my most used items in my kitchen. Whenever I don’t know what to cook, I take out my Crock Pot and dump all of my left over veggies, protein, and anything else I never used in other recipes that week and leave it on all day long. I also have a fear of my kitchen bursting into flames (growing up, the fire department has come to our house a few times from burnt food). I never have to worry when I have the Crock Pot on. I usually like to throw everything in there before I go to class, and when I come back at night, my dinner is ready and waiting for me!

Time-Saving Gadgets

The next item is a blender. I like to make smoothies often, especially when I need to fit in some veggies into my day.I also don’t have a food processor, nor do I have the room for one, and a blender is a great alternative. One of my favorite things to do is blend up sauces, like marinara, and add vegetables in that way too. It adds more flavor to the store bought items, and it adds more nutrients into my meals! I like my Magic Bullet! It’s a little more expensive than some other items on this list, but I think the amount of times I have used it make it worth it.

Another way to cut up vegetables is a vegetable chopper.  I don’t have this item personally, But I thought it would be nice to add to this list. I bought it for my mom (I got my clumsiness from her), and she loves it. When I go home for breaks, I will use it to chip my vegetables, and the bottom dish doubles as a bowl to eat salads and other meals after! I will take any opportunity I can get to dirty less dishes. My mom’s fingers are no longer at risk when she’s cooking! 

On the same subject, my grandma got these lettuce scissors for me for Christmas. I laughed at first because they looked funny, and I thought they were impractical, to be completely honest. I am genuinely surprise at how often I use these, especially when I am in a hurry. I also will use them to cut other soft vegetables to make a quick salad. Plus, it is another way to stay safe in the kitchen!

Another item that I use all the time is a food scale. I like to hit certain protein goals every day, and I am terrible at guessing. A food scale is a super convenient way to help me every day, whether I am measuring for one meal, or helping me meal prep to gauge how much total protein is in a recipe. I also hate using measuring cups sometimes, so weighing the ingredients straight into the bowl is a great way to use fewer dishes and save time. 

Game-Changing Small Details

My biggest suggestion is put some music on!! A key to having a good time when learning any new skill is to surround yourself with things you already enjoy. Trying to work in silence can be awkward and boring sometimes, so having a fun playlist on in the background was a game changer for me.

Okay, hear me out: I never check for ingredients before I go to the grocery store, which is a bad habit of mine. However, my fridge is stainless steel, so whenever I realize I am out of a certain spice, snack, or ingredient, I think it’s much quicker to write it on the fridge than grab my phone, especially since I can get easily distracted once I turn it on. If you don’t have a stainless steel fridge, get a whiteboard! I also find it nice to have a reminder of your grocery list in front of you every day, instead of hidden somewhere in my notes app (where I might never find it again).

This next hack is one that I got from a friend a while back. Whenever you’re cutting, unwrapping, or cooking your food, always have a trash bowl to place your food scraps, fruit stickers, or egg shells into. Some people prefer to have one for vegetable scraps to make vegetable broth later, but I think this is more convenient. Rather than walking over to the trash every time you need to throw something away, throw it in a “garbage bowl” and toss anything in it at the end when you’re finished.

I hope you found this guide helpful, especially if you’re just starting out and building your kitchen collection. 

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