For me, one of the biggest blessings to come out of this season was the ability and time to practice and perfect my cooking skills and habits. Also, the extra time to organize my entire life allowed me to find some cooking items I had forgotten about! Today I am sharing a few kitchen items you might not have known you needed and a few of the shining stars in my kitchen. 

Miniature Food Processor- My neighbor received this from her wedding registry, and I was amazed! I never knew there was a food processor this small. Maybe it’s only me, but I used to think all food processors were these huge, clunky devices that would take up so much space in my cabinet- but not this one! It fits so conveniently into the same cabinet as my toaster and hand mixer. 

Hand-held Mixer- A (famous) Kitchenaid stand mixer was passed down to me from my grandmother, but we are pretty limited here on counter space, so we decided to register for a hand mixer. I couldn’t be happier with ours, it really gets the job done, and so far I have been able to get by, even when a recipe calls for a stand mixer. 

Crockpot (with timer)- I jokingly texted my friend (+ May 2021 bride) with the advice of double checking the crockpot she registers for is the one with the timer- but I am honestly so serious about this! It really helps when you are at work all day and need to put something in the crockpot before you leave in the morning but it doesn’t need to cook for that long! The timer switches it to “keep warm” without needing to do anything. Genius! 

Air fryer- This was something Preston brought into our marriage (we didn’t register for one!), and I honestly didn’t know how much we would use it. I knew it was great for his bachelor lifestyle cooking, but it took me a few months to really get the idea of it. Now I actually love it, and I find myself asking him if we can make sides, or make freezer food in it pretty often. One of my favorite aspects of it is the ability to oomph up freezer food- it tastes so much better and is easier than using the oven. Just search “how to prepare _____ in air fryer” on google and someone is bound to have done it before. I recommend the 1-4 quart size. 

Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker- This is one of my most used kitchen tools! It used to immediate the heck out of me, but now I feel like a pro! There are so many possibilities with this little machine! I highly recommend finding a good recipe resource on Instant Pot meals (like halfbakedharvest’s pressure cooker page!) so you’re not just stuck with it and unsure on where to go from there! This is on crazy sale right now by the way! I recommend the 6 qt size! 

Blender- I am going to preface this by saying, wait until this goes on sale! It is a great blender, but I just don’t think I would pay $99 for a blender that so often goes on sale. 

Nespresso Machine- Ah, I am so in love with this. It really makes me want to get a real espresso machine in the future when I have more counter space! I highly recommend this machine for anyone looking to up their coffee game with limited space like us! 

Acorn spice cleaner- Okay this isn’t in the same category as the rest of the items I am sharing here today, but I wanted to give this amazing cleaner its own special spot on the blog. It smells HEAVENLY. I need you all to try it! 

I hope this gave some insight into my favorite kitchen tools and what I love about each product. I am honestly just so blessed to love cooking and have this extra time to experiment in the kitchen. I hope I keep this passion for cooking forever.