Cooking healthy meals at home is a must if you want to lose weight. Creating a healthy kitchen requires a little planning, but it also shouldn’t feel like a chore.
If you want to make cooking at home more fun, you need a few ingredients. The essentials of a healthy kitchen are love, fresh ingredients, and kitchen gadgets. Take a look at this list of kitchen tools that are a must for any kitchen. These tools are fun, a little geeky, and offer a range of uses. Most of all, they make cooking easier, faster and fun.
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1. Catch the Instant Pot Craze
Have you caught the Instant Pot craze? Why not?
The Instant Pot has taken kitchens by storm over the last year and a half. The reason why? You can replace a lot of your kitchen tools for one. Not only that, but you can cook dinner, walk away and do something else.
That can free up a lot of time spent standing over the stove.
Depending on the model you get, the functionality and size will differ. The main functions that you’ll get across devices are a rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, saute, and warmer.
The Smart Wifi Model makes cooking easier. You can connect the Instant Pot to WiFi, and then use the app to create recipes that are pre-programmed.
This is a great gift for people who love to cook but don’t have a lot of time. You can make a great meal for the family in about 30 minutes.
The Instant Pot cooks rice better than any rice cooker. You’ll also want to check out this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Curry.
2. Thermomix
I never heard of Thermomix until I lived in Spain. Ever since that introduction, I have been fascinated by this kitchen device.
Thermomix was developed in Europe as a way to have all of your essential kitchen tools in your kitchen. Compared to what you’d see in the U.S. the kitchens are smaller and storage space can be limited.
There’s a need to free up space and have the ability to cook foods in a hurry. That’s where the Thermomix comes in.
Thermomix is a 12 in one cooking appliance that replaces the blender, steamer, scale, bread machine, chopper, and more.
You can cook just about anything in the Thermomix. It has recipes built into the device, and it guides you along the way. Even if you’re not a professional chef, you cannot screw these recipes up. You’re giving step by step instructions on how to cook the meals.
The distribution model of the Thermomix in also interesting. It’s sold directly to consumers. You won’t find it in retail stores. It is the most expensive healthy kitchen tool on this list at $1,500, but there are payment plans available?
The big question around the Thermomix is whether or not it’s worth that much money. If your kitchen tools are in at the point where they need to be replaced, then yes it is.
If you want to get a feel for the Thermomix without investing $1500, there’s a kid’s version for $99.
3. WiFi Aero Garden
You wouldn’t think that gardening could get geeky. It can.
Growing herbs indoors usually means that you have to set the plants on a window sill so they get enough light. That can be a challenge because windowsills are small and cold.
The Aero Garden comes WiFi enabled with LED lights. You don’t have to put the plants on a window sill, just on the counter where ever you have space.
Here’s where it gets geeky. Since it’s WiFi enabled, all you need to do is download the app and you will be reminded to water your herbs. Even if you have little confidence in your gardening skills, the app will walk you through the growing process.
Seriously, you can’t go wrong with this.
You’ll have fresh herbs on demand to give your healthy meals tons of fresh flavors.
4. Ninja Blender
Do you remember when the Vitamix hit the market and everyone was wondering if a blender is really worth $400?
Well, you don’t have to wonder about that anymore. The Ninja series of blenders have hit the market and they’re much more comparable to the Vitamix – without the hefty price tag.
There are several different models of the Ninja, and the one that’s right for you will depend on your needs.
If you want to make smoothies, the Ninja makes it easy. You put your ingredients in the blender, then you just hit the button. The Ninja will make your smoothie. It’s timed and will pulse automatically to blend everything together.
Looking for something to replace the Vitamix? Then go for the professional-grade Ninja Blender.
In case your curious, Ninja has its own line of cookers to take on the Instant Pot, too.
5. Food Processor
Can’t get enough cooking gadgets? Then, of course, you’re going to want to get a food processor. Which one is the right food processor for your needs?
When it comes to creating a healthy kitchen, you want to have something that’s easy to use and easy to clean.
You can’t go wrong with a Cuisinart. It’s been the standard for food processors for a long, long time. Cuisinart has food processor models based on size. The one that’s right for you depends on your needs. If you cook for one or two people in a small space, then an 8 cup food processor is all you need.
6. Herb Saver
I’ve been there so many times. I buy or get fresh herbs from the garden, and I don’t use them in time. I wind up wasting most of them. You will need this if you get the Aero Garden.
It’s painful to do over and over. I wish I’d known about the herb saver ages ago. I would have been able to keep those herbs fresh.
An herb saver is a great compliment to a healthy kitchen by keeping herbs fresh for weeks instead of days. The cost ranges between $15 – $40 for one, which makes it an affordable investment to make healthier, flavorful meals.
7. Preserve Produce
Fresh produce is a staple in a healthy kitchen.
Similar to extending the life of your herbs, you want to extend the life and freshness of fruits and vegetables.
It’s easy to keep produce fresh with Freshpaper liners for your refrigerator doors. They are naturally infused with spices that have antibacterial properties, which keeps your food fresher for a longer period of time.
You may be concerned about the maple smell permeating other food in your fridge. You’ll be surprised to learn that there’s nothing to worry about. Just enjoy your fresh produce.
8. Drop Scale
You’re cooking a meal and realize you’re out of a really important ingredient. You really can’t (or don’t feel like) heading to the store to get it. What do you do?
Well, if you’re using the Drop scale and app, you can get suggestions for other ingredients that will work.
Drop will help you cook healthy meals with detailed instructions and make adjustments on the fly if you’re doubling or scaling a recipe back.
9. Knife set
A good knife is essential to any healthy kitchen. Sharp knives are safer to use, make cooking easier and more enjoyable.
The knife set you choose needs to be within your budget and should have a variety of knives. Look for an 8” chef’s knife, a slicer for cutting meat, a utility knife, and a paring knife.
Your knife set should also feel good in your hands. A well-designed and balanced handle are important in choosing your knife set.
You can get an amazing knife set, no matter what your budget is.
10. Air Fryer for Less Fat
The air fryer is another healthy kitchen tool that you can use to make your life a lot easier. It’s a great way to enjoy fried foods without the grease and fat. That doesn’t mean that you should indulge yourself by having fried foods every night. That won’t help you lose weight.
I’ve tried it for roasting vegetables and it works great. My mom uses it for cooking chicken and salmon.
I’ve fried zucchini in the air fryer and it’s fantastic. The only downside to having an air fryer is space. An air fryer is pretty bulky t have in the kitchen, and you can really only cook foods in small batches.
The positives? Food cooks most foods faster than a regular oven. It’s also a healthy option if you enjoy fried foods and are looking for an alternative way to cook.
Which brand should you get? Philips makes one that is pretty good, but I personally favor this one by Cosori. I love the presets and the convenience of it.
11. Herb Stripper
Sometimes, the simplest gadgets are the most useful. This is the least techy item on the list, and it’s really just a piece of plastic. Yet, as you’re adopting healthier habits and cooking with more greens and herbs, you’ll find this is worth the $8.
Trying to pry herbs and leaves from the stems can be a pain, and this little kitchen gadget takes care of that easily. Just slip the herb through the proper sized hole and it strips the leaves off for you.
12. What’s a Smart Coffee Maker?
Do you need a connected coffee maker? No, but is it a cool kitchen gadget to have? Absolutely.
Personally, I make coffee in a traditional moka pot, but I can certainly appreciate the tech geekiness of having a connected coffee maker.
You can be the baddest barista on the block by controlling your coffee machine with your phone. It’s perfect if you want a cup of coffee and don’t want to get out of bed to make it. You just need to have someone bring it to you.
Some machines are also integrated with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
What if you prefer to have an espresso or café latte rather than a big pot of coffee? There’s the Illy Y5 Iperespresso maker. This connects to the Amazon Dash Replenishment Services. It will reorder coffee automatically when you’re running low.
13. Cutting Board with Storage Drawers
Yes, you need cutting boards in your healthy kitchen. What would make cutting easier? A cutting board with storage drawers. It makes food prep so easy because you don’t have to chop one vegetable and put it in a bowl that you have to wash later. Then do the same with the rest of your ingredients.
Chop up one ingredient, slide it into a drawer. Do the same with the next ingredient. Use when ready. It takes up way less space than having different bowls lined up.
14. Vegetable Spiralizer
This is another one that is a low-tech gadget and can help you make healthy cooking a lot more fun. It’s easy to get tired of roasting or steaming vegetables. Ok, I can never get tired of roasting veggies, but I do like to have variety in my diet.
Which vegetables are great for spiralizing? Zucchini is the most obvious one. Did you know that you can also do bell peppers, cucumbers, beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, apples, cabbages, and onions?
You have a lot of different options with the spiralizer.
15. Can an Immersion Blender Make Smoothies?
We’ve taken a look at a several all-in-one healthy kitchen tools on this list. What if you’re just looking for something simple to whip up dressings and smoothies?
For those reasons, an immersion blender would be a great choice. With the average price being about $30, it’s not a financial drain, either.
The biggest question is can an immersion blender make smoothies? You can. Immersion blenders don’t have the power as a countertop blender, but they can make smoothies and chop up frozen fruit without a problem.
The Essentials for a Healthy Kitchen
The most essential part of a healthy lifestyle is how you connect to food. If you’re constantly in a rush and you don’t have the time to make a perfect, healthy gourmet meal, there are plenty of kitchen tools that will help make life easier.
These gadgets that are perfect for a healthy kitchen will make you fall in love with cooking. Cooking no longer has to be a chore, but it can be a source of creative expression. It can truly be a joy without taking an entire day.
Want to know more about eating healthy? Check out the Free Printable Food Journal.
