Must-Have Kitchen Gadgets

CONFESSION:  I am a kitchen gadget fanatic!  If my husband and I get separated in a store, he knows exactly here to find me.  LOL!  I’ll be in the kitchen department oohing and aahing over the plethora of gadgets for seemingly every kitchen need out there.  Luckily, I am not an impulse buyer and usually talk myself out of buying another gadget.  I’m also a thrifty person, so if I buy something, it needs to be reasonably priced and/or worth the cost.

My favorite gadgets fluctuate over time, but I do have several that stay pretty consistent because I use them practically daily.  Let’s have a look!

Favorite Gadget #1: Egg Slicer

I eat eggs every single day.  On the weekends I food prep and boil a batch of eggs to have ready to enjoy during the week.  I like to add them to my salads, have them on toast, or make egg salad lettuce boats with them.  I used to struggle with getting thin slices or hated the mess that ensued when I mashed the eggs.  So, I got myself an egg slicer and man… who knew this simple little product could bring such joy to my life and beauty to my dishes!  We eat as much with our eyes as our mouth so making your food look pretty is important!

This gadget is dirt cheap, easy to clean, and best of all—it works!  This is the egg slicer I use.  Honestly, do NOT spend your money on the more expensive egg slicers out there.  It’s SOOOOO unnecessary.  There are some that cost four times as much as this one.  CRAZY!  Why pay more when this one works great?

Favorite Gadget #2: Garlic Peeler

OMG you guys!!!!  I can’t begin to tell you how in love I am with this little thing.  I LOVE garlic but totally hate peeling it.  The onion thin skin sticks to your fingers and you can’t get it off, then they get all over the kitchen and make a mess.  You NEED this in your life!  All you do is put the garlic clove in the little tube and roll the tube back and forth in your hands (like you do when you’re trying to warm up your hands).  VOILA. . . the skin comes off effortlessly and you have beautifully “naked” cloves left behind!  GENIUS (and under $2.00, you seriously can’t go wrong)!  This is where I got my garlic peeler.

Favorite Gadget #3: Zoodle Maker

You might be wondering what in the world zoodles are and why you would want to make them.  Well, allow me to enlighten you!  LOL

Zoodles are noodles made from vegetables (usually zucchini).  They are a great substitute for pasta for those of us watching our waistlines or just don’t want the carb-induced coma that comes from a bowl of spaghetti.  There are tons of different zoodle makers out there, but like I said before, price is a big factor for me.  That, plus I don’t like big gadgets that take up counter space, are a pain to clean, or that I need to clear a cupboard to store them in.  Two more selling points for me were the little cleaning brushes that came with this one and the finger protector to avoid cuts—there’s nothing worse than cutting your knuckles on a blade. It also comes in a nifty little reusable storage box that doesn’t take up much space at all.  I use this zoodle maker at least 2-3 times per week.

Favorite Gadget #4: Immersion Blender

I use my immersion blender for a bunch of different things but mainly when making soups.  It’s so much easier to just stick the blender wand into the pot and blend away than to have to strain the soup, put the ingredients in a blender, and then pour them back in.

I had the same immersion blender for eons, and it finally bit the dust.  I ordered this beauty and can’t wait for it to arrive.  What I especially love about it is that the blender wand is detachable so you can easily wash it.  My old one was not detachable and it was a royal pain when it came time to washing it.  Frankly, I think I may have accidentally gotten the motor weight when washing it and that’s most likely why it died on me.  I’m happy to not deal with that problem anymore.  Just press a button and this immersion blender detaches from the motor for a thorough and easy washing.

Favorite Gadget #5: Hot Air Popper

When I get in a popcorn mood, I’ll eat it every single day.  I avoid the microwaveable popcorn bags because they’re loaded with preservatives and other junk that isn’t clean.  I add different seasonings (depending on my mood) to my hot air-popped popcorn and dig in.  I kid you not when I say that I’ve had the same hot air popper since I was in grad school (that’s well over 20 years now)!  Here’s my little antique.

My biggest gripe is that it doesn’t have an on/off switch, so you literally have to unplug it to get it to stop.  A minor inconvenience, and it still works, so I’m not replacing it just yet.  That hasn’t stopped me from scouting out its replacement for when the inevitable day arrives, though!  Hahaha…  This hot air popper is the one I’ve been eyeballing.  It has a retractable cord as well as an on/off button.  They offer it in red, pink and white.  I’d get it in white, because I’m THAT person who has to color coordinate her appliances.  Don’t judge me!  ?

Seriously, I can write for days about kitchen gadgets.  I may do another blog in the near future on some of my other favorites.  I’m a little obsessed with stuff that makes my healthy lifestyle easier.  It’s all about making sure we FUEL UP for a FIT LIFE!