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Kitchen Tools I Actually Use Every Week (Family Cooking Essentials)
12 items
By
Shilpa Kerur
The tools that actually come out every week when I'm cooking for my family: fast prep, quick dinners, and big batches of beans and lentils.
Sections
3
Prep Workhorses
Weeknight Dinner Helpers
Read on the Blog
Prep Workhorses
Chopping, washing, and measuring go faster with these.
An affordable chef's knife that stays sharp and handles all the onion chopping. The one knife I'd keep if I could only have one.
Victorinox 8 Inch Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, Black
I weigh dried beans, lentils, and flour on this every week. The pull-out display is handy under a big bowl.
OXO Good Grips Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
Washes and dries greens and herbs in seconds. I also use it to drain rinsed beans.
OXO Good Grips 6.22 Qt Salad Spinner
A big, heavy maple board that stays put while you chop. Big enough for a whole pile of onions and peppers, and gentle on knife edges.
John Boos Block RA-Board Large Reversible Wood
Lemon zest, garlic, ginger, and Parmesan in seconds. Small enough for the utensil drawer and it goes right in the dishwasher.
Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater, Black
Weeknight Dinner Helpers
The appliances that get dinner on the table on busy nights.
Dried beans and chickpeas with no soaking, plus dal, rice, and soups. Mine runs at least three times a week.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multicooker
Crispy sweet potatoes, roasted chickpeas, and quick veggies without heating the oven.
Ninja AF101 Air Fryer, 4 Qt Capacity, 4-in-1 Crisp
Sears chicken, crisps potatoes, and goes straight into the oven. It comes with a silicone handle cover, so no grabbing a hot handle.
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
For soups, chili, and big pots of beans that simmer all afternoon. Six quarts feeds the whole family with leftovers, and the enamel cleans up easily.
Lodge 6 Qt Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Read on the Blog
How I put these tools to work in my kitchen.
My go-to method for a big batch of chickpeas in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
How to Cook Dried Chickpeas (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
27 ways to put that air fryer to work with sweet potatoes, from fries to dessert.
27 Air Fryer Sweet Potato Recipes (Crispy, Sweet & Savory)
Eleven easy fixes, including why a sharp knife and a scale make such a difference.
11 Common Cooking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
