For many people, the kitchen is a creative playground. You can experiment with all sorts of recipes, and also have some much-needed time to yourself. However, it can sometimes feel as if you have exhausted every meal option that you can think of, but new recipes aren’t catching your eye.
When stuck in this cycle it is important to remember that a new selection of recipes may not be the answer. Instead, perhaps it is time to look at your range of kitchen appliances. These machines can give you a brand new avenue to pursue something different, so which items do you need. Let’s dive into some of the most essential kitchen appliances and explain how to use them. Perhaps this advice will get your creative cogs turning once more.
Salad Spinner
Eating healthy gets increasingly more difficult when you are busy. Work and family life can take their toll and it is far easier to whip up something comforting than it is to think about the nutrients or vitamins that you need.
Fortunately, a salad spinner could save you time when trying to create something healthy for your lunch. Just prepare your vegetables or salad leaves and place them in the appliance.
The spinning blades will wash and remove the excess water from the greens so that your dressing will soak into the leaves as planned.
Therefore, you can create a range of unique and healthy dishes that contain very few calories.
Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are slowly becoming a necessity in modern cooking. These simple appliances allow you to cook one meal or side dish without much effort.
The appliance works by gradually heating the food from the base while creating steam. This steam cooks your food while also making sure that no moisture is lost during the process.
You can use this appliance to cook up a curry, casserole, steaks, lasagne, bread, and much more.
However, one of the hardest things to get right when it comes to cooking is rice. It is a simple process yet it always seems to go wrong.
That is why you should give slow cooker rice a try. All you need to do is add the rice and water to the pot while the low heat creates perfect slow cooker rice every time.
Rice is an essential part of many dishes, such as curry or ratatouille, so make sure you are getting it right by using a slow cooker.
Meat Thermometer
Just as rice is a difficult dish to predict, a joint of meat is also tricky to get right every time. These large plates of chicken, pork, beef, or lamb are usually put in the oven for a period of time that is based on their weight.
However, this is not an exact science, and predicting wrong can leave you with dry or chewy meat. Since these meats are usually the center of an important roast, such as those needed for Christmas and Thanksgiving, you do not want to end up making this mistake.
The cooking guidelines are a good place to start when cooking something like this; however, you can also find out more information about the state of your meat by checking the temperature.
You can place a meat thermometer in several parts of the joint and the digital screen on top will tell you the temperature.
Therefore, you can tell if the meat is consistently cooked through without the risk of burning yourself. A meat thermometer is an appliance you need to create consistently roasted meat for every occasion.
Burger Maker
While a full-on roast dinner is perfect for a formal occasion, you will find that burgers are the complete opposite. These quick sandwiches provide you with an easy recipe for a more relaxed environment. Whether is it a summer barbeque or your kid’s party, burgers always go down a treat.
Unfortunately, burgers can sometimes be difficult to get right, especially if you are hosting a large gathering. This is why you may find it easier to invest in a burger maker.
This small appliance comes with two patty shapers and a press to create the perfect burger with one push. Then all you need to do is slip them under the grill for fifteen minutes.
Air Fryer
The newest trend in the kitchen is the air fryer. These heating appliances can fry up foods in minutes, and they are a healthy alternative to regular deep-frying methods.
All you need to do is add your food to the tray and wait as the hot air circulates to create a fried meal that is crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside.
You can use this appliance to create all manner of dishes with ease, from homemade fish fingers to potato wedges.
Food Processor
As mentioned above, you do not always have the time to make all of the recipes that you want. Some of the more mundane tasks take too long to complete, such as cutting or chopping vegetables, which means that you often have to neglect some key dishes.
Also, let’s not mention how frustrating cutting up an onion can be.
By using a food processor, you can quickly achieve all of these goals. Just place your vegetables into the pot and let the high-powered blades do the work.
These appliances come with a variety of settings, which means that you can use your food processor for simple chopping or shredding vegetables.
This means that you can improve your meals while also creating some healthy smoothies. What’s more, the mixing function on some food processors makes it a fundamental tool for baking.
Summary
A good cook knows how to work with a simple oven and hob system; however, this does always provide the best results. Why not expand your kitchen by investing in some of these handy appliances?
You can’t go wrong by adding more to your culinary repertoire, so make sure you have everything you need to expand these horizons.
