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Cast Iron Skillets – Cast iron skillets are very cost effective!! My husband and I use cast iron skillets several times a day (literally). I use it for every meal that doesn’t involve an acidic ingredient (like tomatoes) because they’re convenient and easy to cook with AND easy to clean. They are my favorite! Read my blog post about cast irons skillets to learn why they’re beneficial and how to clean them (it’s easier than you think).
Meat Thermometer – I swear by using a thermometer to never undercook or overcook meat. Undercooking is an obvious one, but many people don’t realize that they are overcooking meat, making it much less enjoyable! Having a meat thermometer will make sure you never overcook meat again, meaning you’ll always have a tender and juicy result. It also can come in handy when you first start sourdough bread making because you can test the internal temperature of the loaf before removing it from the oven.
Wusthof Knife Set (or at least having a chef’s knife set) – Okay hear me out. These knives are expensive and I am very well aware. But as an avid cooker, there is truly nothing better than having a good knife set. It is the best investment you can make in your kitchen and cooking because it makes it SO much easier and enjoyable. I truly cannot stand knives that make cooking a pain because it feels like everything is difficult to cut. I love the buttery smooth and easy cutting that a high quality knife set offers. There’s truly nothing like it. My husband and I own the 15 piece set, but you can start smaller! You can start with the 9 piece set or 6 piece set and slowly buy more knives over time. OR you could at least JUST have the chef’s knife set, which is what you will be using most for cooking!
Tea Kettle – I had put this tea kettle on our wedding registry and I was truly stoked when it was bought. I absolutely adore it. I keep it on my stove at all times because it adds such a beautiful warmth to our kitchen. And of course, I love a hot tea at the end of the day 🙂
Wooden Serving Utensils – I get compliments on these ALL the time. They are so pretty! I have used them every day for almost a year and they are still holding up better than any other serving utensil I’ve bought, therefore making them one of my favorite kitchen essentials!
Glass Tupperware Set – having glass storage is an unquestionable essential for me because it’s truly the easiest way to reduce plastic exposure (along with a nice reusable tumbler for water). Plastic Tupperware is particularly dangerous because all those chemicals are leaching into your food. Not cool! Glass storage is very important in my opinion. This particular set is the one that I use and I love it. I also use a couple larger storage containers for the bigger leftovers we have.
Blender – My husband and I have this inexpensive blender and it works great! I’ve been loving making smoothies lately so it comes in handy quite a bit.
6 QT Braiser – This comes in VERY handy for cooking larger dishes like chilis, spaghetti sauce, meal-prepping, etc.
Crock Pot / Slow Cooker – Having a slow cooker is an essential for me because they really help with prepping fresh meals ahead of time. I make this white chicken chili all the time and it’s so great to be able to put all the ingredients into the slow cooker, then be able to leave the house for 6 hours and it’s ready to go when I get home!
Organization – I use organizer racks for organizing Tupperware lids, cast iron skillets, and cookware lids. I also use a shelf organizer to create more space and organize my dinner plates, bowls, glass cups and coffee cups.
Soap Dispensers – I adore these soap dispensers because they are cute AND they help me not dry out my hands too much. I don’t prefer to use dish soap if I’m just washing my hands, so I like having the option to use a moisturizing hand soap in those occasions.
Wooden Salt and Pepper Dispensers – These are yet another aesthetic item I love in our kitchen! They’re so beautiful and they’ve held up perfectly after almost a year of having them so far.
Openable Silicone Straws – These are my favorite straws because they’re so easy to clean.
