8 Kitchen Splurges That Are Totally Worth It
Every foodie has the same dilemma when wandering the aisles of Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma. You want every gadget in the store (hello, stuffed burger press!), but you can’t exactly squeeze the entire retail contents of SLT in your kitchen. You’re the kind of cook who is dying to own this smart oven that tells you when dinner is ready and pins pics of dream kitchens as your hobby. So you understand why splurging on a few kitchen essentials is necessary. Here are eight pieces of must-have equipment that can revolutionize your culinary skills.
1. Vitamix Professional Series 500 ($649): This is the Bentley of blenders. Yes, the price tag is ghost-face-emoji frightening, BUT you can make a million things with this one blender. Picture hot homemade soups, better-than-your-juice-place smoothies, frozen desserts and all sorts of sauces. Make your own salsa, pesto, nut butters and Hollandaise sauce like a boss. Pro Tip: For cleaning, add a few drops of dish soap and warm water and turn on the blender for 60 seconds. That’s it! And if you’re a Costco member, you can often find the Vitamix for a great price.
2. Beverage Jar ($60): When hosting, a giant beverage jar is ideal for serving guests thirst-quenching drinks like rosemary watermelonade. Add slices of fresh fruit like lemons, strawberries or cucumber for a refreshing boost to ice cold water. Then dangle a cute chalkboard sign declaring the drink name.
3. Spiceologist Spice Blends ($12): After a successful Kickstarter campaign, food blogger Heather Scholten and spice guru Pete Taylor made their spice company, Spiceologist, a dream come true. With 12 different spice blends and rubs, there’s no limit to the ways your proteins will transform when paired with the likes of Black & Bleu (cajun seasoning mixed with bleu cheese powder) or how your dark chocolate brownies will go to a whole new level by sprinkling in some Raspberry Chipotle. Bonus: If your dad is a barbecue master, get 15% off with the code FD15 for Father’s Day.
4. Silpat Perfect Cookie Silicone Baking Mat ($25): Made in France, these baking mats are a baker’s BFF. The cookie mat has the outline of circles so you know where to perfectly place your dough. And you won’t have to grease your baking sheets or worry that your cookies will burn to a crisp. Pro Tip: Keep your mat clean using these instructions for a long life.
5. ScanPan Pro IQ Nonstick Deep Grill Pan ($150): Nonstick cookware has a bit of a bad rep for your health because the coating has been said to be made of toxic chemicals. But these Denmark-made pans are chemical-free, and you don’t need to use as much oil because nothing sticks to this guy. Plus, it’s heat-safe up to 500 degrees, so you can pop that frittata straight into the oven.
6. Pizza Stone ($50): If you live outside of Italy or New York City, you know that good pizza can be hard to find unless you make your own. To recreate that crispy crust and perfect pizza bubbles, a pizza stone in your oven or outdoor grill will turn any dough into a pie worthy of worship.
7. Aroma Rice Cooker ($50): Instead of standing at the stove hovering over a pot of rice, let the rice cooker do all the work for you. This 20-cup rice cooker can turn brown or white rice into fluffy grains. It even doubles as a slow cooker. Cook veggies in a steamer basket while your rice or quinoa cooks.
8. KitchenAid Stand Mixer ($570): Put this on your wedding registry or just stash away some savings for this must-have for bakers and gourmands. Whipping up chocolate chip cookies, pizza dough and cinnamon raisin bread is a breeze with this guy. Plus, different accessories like the pasta maker or ice cream maker attachments makes it the Swiss Army Knife of kitchen appliances.
What’s on your kitchen gadget wish list? Tell us in the comments!