What kitchen gadget is essential?

[lindseylulu]

This will be my first whole30 and I'm knee deep in reading all the guidelines and rules   I'm now trying to meal plan and my question is in regards to tools you need in the kitchen, namely a pressure cooker and food processor...if you could share with me the absolute essentials in cooking gadgets I would greatly appreciate it!! My husband is on board as well and I want to make sure we are very successful!!

[AprilS]

Hi lindseylulu,

 

I love to cook and have successfully completed a Whole60.  A pressure cooker would definitely be #1 on my list followed closely by a food processor and a stick blender (make sure to get all metal, a plastic shaft can warp in hot soup etc).

 

I make bone marrow broth in the pressure cooker and then pressure cook any combo of veg and puree with the stick blender.  I do this every week.  It is great comfort food and helps get in the veg servings.  My whole family (just normal eaters) loves it.  

 

I also make beef stew, shredded pork, stewed chicken etc etc etc in the pressure cooker.  It is a life saver when short on time, like everyday!  Plus is makes quick work of veg.  

 

My favorite W30 cookbooks are Well Fed 1 & 2, and Nom Nom Paleo.  In that order.  Feel free to reply if you have any more Q's or want food suggestions.

 

I am starting day 0 on Jan 1, would love to chat during the W30 if you like.

 

Wish you all the best!

April 

[ladyshanny]

My "must haves" are my immersion (stick) blender and a good SHARP knife.  Food processor is nice, for sure...but in the absence of a lot of disposable income (those buggers are pricey), the same can be achieved with a solid chef's knife.

 

The other absolute must have, cannot live without it item for me is a fully stocked spice cabinet. Right now I'm at 45 individual spices and 6 or 7 spice blends that I make.  You can make the exact same chicken or beef taste a dozen different ways depending on what you season with.

[ShannonM816]

I've never used a pressure cooker, but can't live without my crockpot/slow cooker -- but I think that's more a matter of what I'm familiar with than anything else. I did two W30's successfully without a food processor, although I have since bought one and love it. I do highly recommend getting an immersion blender, because by far the easiest way to make mayonnaise is using this recipe -- not to mention it's great for making creamy blended soups right in the pot, rather than having to transfer them to a blender/food processor.

[jent103]

Threads like these are so funny to me, because different people give such different answers! For example, it has never occurred to me to invest in a pressure cooker. My (cheap) immersion blender broke months ago and I haven't replaced it, and I use my slow cooker once every month or two. But I use my food processor multiple times a week for everything.

 

If you're just starting out, maybe keep it simple and don't make any major purchases at first, but take note of which recipes you want to make but can't, or which ones would be way easier, with a specific piece of equipment. I think the answer to this is so dependent on how and what you cook. I do agree that if you don't have decent knives, that would be a first step for sure.

[kirkor]

Crock pot, definitely. So many days I'll get home from a long day at work, and the fact that a hot compliant meal is already waiting for me just makes me feel on top of the world!

[drjeni]

I just bought myself an instant pot - which is a combo pressure cooker and slow cooker in one gadget, a must for tiny kitchens and the one appliance cost as much as either of the separate ones. I'm so excited to try it out! That said, I did my last whole30 without it I agree with an earlier post that a food processor, which I use almost daily, and a solid sharp knife are the most critical. I know both can be spendy but check freecycle.org and craigslist. I also heartily second the comment about spices! Ensuring the huge amounts of veg are well-seasoned was critical to my making it through my first whole30!