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Must-have kitchen tools and utensils?


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Hello everyone!

 

I'm new here - just signed up yesterday. I'm currently halfway through It Starts With Food and am thinking about starting Whole30. Right now I'm laying out the groundwork (since preparation is key) and was wondering if any seasoned Whole30-ers out there could give me some tips on kitchen tools? I know that having the right pots, pans, kitchen utensils, etc. will make cooking a lot less intimidating and a lot easier/more fun. Could you guys also provide links to your recommendations so I know where to purchase them (preferably Amazon)? Since I'm just starting this program, I don't need anything too professional or expensive - just quality tools that can get the job done. 

 

So far I've ordered the cookbook Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan, and I'm thinking about trying Nom Nom Paleo by Michelle Tam after. I've also been reading through their blogs and other Whole30 sites for tips, meal plans, advice, etc.

 

Thank you!  :D

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The only kitchen item I've purchased since starting to eat mostly Whole30-style is a julienne peeler, which I use for making zucchini noodles. I wouldn't say that's a requirement, but it is fun to have.

 

But my kitchen was already stocked with basics - pots, skillets, chef's and paring knives. Do you cook much now? What do you already have? I'd think at minimum you'd need...

 

- good knives - doesn't have to be the most expensive, but good, sharp knives are safer and make cooking much more enjoyable!

- sautee/frying pans (I love my cast iron, bought at Target, but anything basic would do; cast iron does require a bit of care occasionally)

- saucepans

- a big Dutch oven or soup/stockpot

- utensils: tongs, wooden flat spoons, slotted spoons, spatulas

- baking sheets

- a blender, immesion blender or food processor - I use my food processor for everything (sauces/marinades, shredding vegetables, that's just the start), but it's an investment. For making mayo and sauces, an inexpensive immersion blender or regular blender should get you started.

 

Aside from the knives, you can make delicious meals with those things on any budget. If you don't have them and don't have a lot of cash to allocate, don't feel like you have to spend a ton on the high quality stuff. (That said, if you can afford a decent quality frying pan, a cast iron Dutch oven, decent baking sheets... those investments do pay off!)

 

I cook from Well Fed, Well Fed 2 and Nom Nom Paleo pretty much every week. I love them all. :)

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The only kitchen item I've purchased since starting to eat mostly Whole30-style is a julienne peeler, which I use for making zucchini noodles. I wouldn't say that's a requirement, but it is fun to have.

 

But my kitchen was already stocked with basics - pots, skillets, chef's and paring knives. Do you cook much now? What do you already have? I'd think at minimum you'd need...

 

- good knives - doesn't have to be the most expensive, but good, sharp knives are safer and make cooking much more enjoyable!

- sautee/frying pans (I love my cast iron, bought at Target, but anything basic would do; cast iron does require a bit of care occasionally)

- saucepans

- a big Dutch oven or soup/stockpot

- utensils: tongs, wooden flat spoons, slotted spoons, spatulas

- baking sheets

- a blender, immesion blender or food processor - I use my food processor for everything (sauces/marinades, shredding vegetables, that's just the start), but it's an investment. For making mayo and sauces, an inexpensive immersion blender or regular blender should get you started.

 

Aside from the knives, you can make delicious meals with those things on any budget. If you don't have them and don't have a lot of cash to allocate, don't feel like you have to spend a ton on the high quality stuff. (That said, if you can afford a decent quality frying pan, a cast iron Dutch oven, decent baking sheets... those investments do pay off!)

 

I cook from Well Fed, Well Fed 2 and Nom Nom Paleo pretty much every week. I love them all. :)

 

I'm 18 and just graduated high school, so I've never really needed to cook until now. Other than conventional pots, pans, and knives there isn't too much in my kitchen. That's about to change!

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I'm 18 and just graduated high school, so I've never really needed to cook until now. Other than conventional pots, pans, and knives there isn't too much in my kitchen. That's about to change!

 

Those will get you pretty far just by themselves. :) Good luck!! Start simple but I bet you'll be cooking up a storm in no time.

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You can definitely make it through just on pots and pans if you're limited in budget, and you will be fine. And I definitely agree that starting simple is best, no matter what kitchen equipment you have.

 

But...if you have the money for one major purchase...I think it should be a high quality food processor (with all the different blades). I used my food processor at least 5 times a week (sometimes even more than once a day) to make things like mashed cauliflower, sauces for chili, salsa, mayo. I also use it to shred sweet potatoes for sweet potato hash. It was an absolute godsend! You can certainly grate sweet potatoes by hand, mash cauli with a potato masher, etc...but with the amount of cooking that you're going to be doing, you'll want to save time where ever you can. I would recommend the Cuisinart brand. I am on a pretty tight budget, so I don't splurge often on things, but I think a high quality food processor is an investment in your health and your time that will last.

 

I would also recommend a crockpot. I used mine once a week on average, but unlike with the food processor, I don't think you have to go top of the line with crockpots. Something midrange like Hamilton Beach will be fine. 

 

Amazon is a great place to buy these things because you can often find them for cheaper than in stores. I get most of my kitchen appliances from Amazon.

 

Another way you might consider going about it is...You mentioned that you're doing a lot prep (which is awesome! it really will make things easier!)...one of the things I did when prepping was search for a lot of recipes and then I printed out a bunch that I wanted to try (and then I made a folder, categorizing and alphabetizing said recipes...nerdy I know). If you are doing the same thing or marking recipes in a cookbook, look through those recipes and see if they require any kind of special tools. Then do some googling  for "how to X without a Y" to see if there are alternatives to the tool the recipes recommend. This could help you figure out what you really need versus what you might be able to do without.

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Check out your local Goodwill, or other second-hand store.  You can frequently get used crockpots for a song.  Just insist they let you plug it in and make sure it works on both temps. 

I got my KitchenAid stand mixer at Goodwill for $20.  It's an older model and weighs a ton, but it came with all the attachments and as anyone who has ever owned one can tell you, you can't kill them. 

My food processor came from Lowe's.  It was the last one of that model and had been the floor model, so it had all the paperwork and attachments for about half the price anywhere else.  All that was missing was the box.  I never think to look for small appliances in a home improvement store and I guess a lot of other people don't either.

I bought a manual julienne peeler, which is adequate, but recently splurged on this:

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1394135853&sr=1-1&keywords=spiral+slicer

 

Easy to clean, and it uses much more of the zucchini than the peeler does, so saves me money in the long run.

 

I also have a mandolin, but rarely use it.  I wouldn't bother.  You can slice everything you need in your food processor.  All I ever do with the mandolin is cut myself when I try to clean it.

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1MaryAnn, I was given a mandoline awhile back and felt the exact same way! Not worth it for what I'd use it for, and a little scary. My food processor does what I need just fine - I rarely (never?) need anything sliced thinner than it can do.

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- a blender, immesion blender or food processor - I use my food processor for everything (sauces/marinades, shredding vegetables, that's just the start), but it's an investment. For making mayo and sauces, an inexpensive immersion blender or regular blender should get you started.

 

 

What food processor do you have? I'm looking for one that will chop peppers, mushroom, carrots, etc into slices...not necessarily tiny minuscule strips...like this: http://tinyurl.com/m939e3x

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I don't have a blade that will slice to that thickness, though one might exist. The way most food processors work is that you put either a blade (for doughs or liquids/sauces) or a disc (for shredding, slicing) in, depending on what you want. The slicing disc that came with mine is thinner than that - maybe 1/8"? But there might be a disc that will do them that thick. Really, though, you can slice up a pepper in about thirty seconds with a knife, so not really worth it if you're just slicing one or two!

 

Here's a link to a bunch of discs so you can see what I mean. My processor is this one, or one very similar to it. Cuisinart is a good, well-known brand. So is KitchenAid.

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So I'm trying to decide what sized cuisinart food processor I should get...I've never used one, so I'm not sure how fast the machine fills up. Here's the link of all the different sizes: http://tinyurl.com/mp9lt3f

 

I'm leaning towards the 7 cup one but I was also thinking since I'm already spending $100 should I just pay $50 more for a larger size...the food processor will last several years and be a long-term benefit anyways. Thoughts?

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I bought the little mini 4 cup cuisinart food processor thinking "I'm a single girl, what do I need all that capacity for?" boy was I wrong. I really wish I'd bought the 7 cup at least. I don't think I need the giant 12 or 14 cup one, but definately the 7-9 cup would be good. Especially for things like mashed or riced cauliflower.

 

As far as other must haves, I also love my julienne peeler for making zoodles. I also make wider noodles using a regular vegetable peeler. Other than that, the only kitchen things I use on a weekly basis are my non-stick skillets, sauce pans, large soup pot, crock pot, blender, wooden spoons, nylon spatulas and serving spoons/slotted spoons, and my 8" chef's knife.

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  • 1 year later...

I picked up the Premium Food Processor (with Dice kit) attachment for my Kitchenaid Pro stand mixer. What a great investment with Whole 30! That thing diced my plate of potatoes, peppers and onions in seconds. They were evenly diced too. We made a breakfast hash to go with eggs and the Whole 30 compliant chicken apple sausage found on this site. I will say this is a must have if you have the stand mixer already. 

 

The Veggetti Pro Spiralizer was my other purchase. I hated zucchini before and now I can't stop eating them. I don't think I will ever go back to regular pasta. This meat and potatoes guy is growing into a true veggi lover. I owe it to having the right tools in the kitchen, which make it a joy rather than a chore.

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Here are some of my must haves in no particular order:

 

very sharp knives (they can be expensive, but make life so much easier)

george foreman grill (may be the single greatest invention ever)

measuring cup (I'm very precise with measuring ingredients I add)

microwave (I cook all of my broccoli in the microwave)

good, heavy pots and pans (expensive, but worth it)

shaker

blender

food processor
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