I don’t know how about you but every month we collect more and more kitchen gadgets… they are all useful… to a point, I guess, but we are simply running out of space in the kitchen to store them. With so many new products on the market it is impossible to have them all. Mark is nagging me again to “clean up” some of the less used items… invariable making space for new gadgets to arrive soon 😉
This got me thinking… if I were to get rid of all the less essential kitchen products and were allowed to keep only three things which would three would it be?
Well… my kitchen would have knives, chopping boards and a kitchen timer!
Knives – they take the number one spot on my kitchen must haves list.
I can’t imagine doing any cooking without a good knife. I am not sure how my gran did it but she used to have one sharp knife… one knife in the entire kitchen and believe me she cooked a lot.
Mark is a little bit knives obsessed, we even had to find a dedicated large kitchen drawer to accommodate all his sharp, proper (how he likes to call them) knives. A good knife can make any cooking related task so much easier… peeling, chopping or slicing when paired with a good, sharp knife isn’t all that scary.
Lately we were given a set of Precision Chef Knives from Edge of Belgravia. Well, each of these knives not only look like a hundred bucks they also perform as one. Despite being stainless steel they feel quite light, almost like a ceramic knife; this said they do offer perfect balance and being super sharp outstanding performance. Highly recommended if you are on the market for new knives.
Chopping boards – this is my must have number two.
I know some people could easily function without a chopping board or boards like in my case, but I can’t.
I used to favour heavy wooden chopping boards until one day when I prepared myself a fruit smoothie with hint of garlic and onion leftover from the night before… well, the board was washed properly of this I am sure but some of the flavours must have imbedded into the knife marks in the board and then stuck to my fruit once I was chopping them up. Since that day we have replaced all the wooden boards with thin plastic ones… I think we got them from Ikea; fairly cheap ones but they come in a selection of colours so it was easy enough to assign a specific colour to a specific type of food that you will be chopping on it. I do like them; they are light and bendy so moving prepared ingredients from a work top to a pot isn’t a big deal and as they are cheap you can replace them more often without breaking your bank balance.
Kitchen timer – third and last spot on my kitchen must haves list.
Well, I know that there are a lot of other useful items I could pick but I am unable to cook without it.
Sometimes I have 1000s of thoughts in my head all at once and the attention span of a toddler so you see without a reminder in the form of a loud buzzing noise I would never remember to remove things from the oven until they are very well done (sacrificial burnt offerings as Mark likes to call them) and most likely uneatable or until the fire alarm reminds me it is time to stop cooking the eggs which were done well before the entirety of the water has evaporated into the air.
My kitchen timer isn’t super lush, I think I picked it up on the cheap from a TKMaxx but it does the job well and that is all that counts.
My fourth would be a temperature reader with a probe but as I only allowed myself three things for this list I can’t have it, bah.
So, these are my top three kitchen must haves.
Which three kitchen essentials would you put on your list?
Hmmm well I don’t cook but my husband dee abd we gave so much unused crap in ours. I would keep the kettle cops and spoons lol
In an ideal world my top kitchen must have would be a proper cappuccino maker 😉 decent scissors and washing up gloves too!! Kaz x
We do not have a kitchen timer and I think it would benefit me getting one. We often go by the time of the clock but it is so easy to forget the time you started cooking food.
My knife game could probably be stronger :(. I must admit they hardly even slice! I may have to invest in a sharpener :). I never use a timer either, so this is probably something I should invest in! I usually just cook until I think it’s done.. Something I picked up from my Nana! 🙂
– A
i don’t have a kitchen timer, my cooker has one built in but i don’t really use it.
Good knives and chopping boards are essential for me. They go hand in hand.
Daniella | Freshly Pressed Beauty
I’m a total kitchen gadget geek. In fact, I need a bigger kitchen ha! Don’t forget to add good baking trays and pans to your list 😉 x
I actually need a new set of knives so thank you for reminding me
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I totally agree! I’m actually asking for a new set of knives for Christmas!
Mine would have to be SHARP knives… mine are so blunt at the moment, my boiled egg/dippy egg timer that goes in the pan with the eggs and shows how far cooked through the egg will be, and probably my saucepans! 🙂
Mine would have to be my magimix, knives and weighing cups. I’ve never actually used a timer but I should invest.
I think it would have to be my knives, hand held mixer and colander x
I’d go for my Kitchen Aid, Egg Separator & a slotted spoon – I have rubbish knives!
I think a timer is a great idea! I am forever trying to remember or setting an alarm on my phone.
I actually don’t have a kitchen timer, it is something I should really invest in. x
A saucepan, a wooden spoon and food processor! Though knives and chopping boards would be necessary in my kitchen too 🙂
My kitchen is so small so we have to keep the clutter and kitchen things to a minimum…..
I couldn’t live without my timer either….I get distracted too easily. lol
I agree with you. We are running out of space on our worktops already.
We have recently bought a really expensive set of knifes and that is my best buy. We cook everything from scratch so a good knife I’n my opinion is a must have. x
I am so glad that I found your post, because I am a mess in the kitchen and this post was so helpful, I definitely need a kitchen timer, it is really useful. Thanks for the great post and info! 😀
I never ever use a timer, though my mum uses one for everything x
I wouldn’t be able to cook or bake anything without it 🙂
I couldn’t agree more about kitchen clutter. Where does it all come from? Love your tips. I actually don’t have a kitchen timer *gasp*
A good knife is essential. My best knife is around the size of a paring knife, but it’s ultra sharp. I’d like more, but decent knives are quite expensive! As for timers, I don’t know what I did before i had one!
I keep telling my boyfriend we need more chopping boards but he thinks I’m mad! Haha! I seriously need a timer though…its one of those things you just forget until you need it!
Holly x
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I would have to agree with knives and a chopping board because they’re essentials but I would choose a blender as I make a lot of sauces and things with it. x
I agree for the timer…. I have two, just in case one will die… it ends in a disaster when the baking time for a cake is wrong :o)
Indeed.
I have a new kitchen scales with a timer so it will do as my back-up 🙂