When I got married my wife and I got a bunch of wedding gifts for the kitchen that we thought we would be using all the time. As it turns out, we didn’t end up using all the gadgets we got for our wedding all the time. Some of it yes, but most of it no. I really only use a handful of all the gadgets we got from our wedding. Along the way in this Primal journey I’ve picked up a few more kitchen essentials that I use everyday. Listed below are my top kitchen essentials:
Chef Knife & Pairing Knife
You really only need 2 knives in the kitchen. A Chef’s knife (or Santoku, whatever your preference), and a pairing knife. Other than that, I’ve really never needed any of those other knives that come in the kits you get for a wedding gift or that you see in the big box stores. I got these Cutco knives as a wedding gift and I love them. They’re made in the USA by the same company that makes the knives for our marines: Kabar. You can check out their site to learn about picking them up from a Cutco representative. Otherwise I suggest this Wustof santoku and pairing knife. Cutco link.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
I use this skillet all the time. Sometimes it’s annoying when trying to clean it because it’s super heavy. But it’s nice to have another made in USA product that I use in the kitchen all the time. Most dishes can be cooked in this from bacon, eggs, brussels sprouts, etc… My wife has a hard time using this because certain foods still stick and because it’s heavy. So to make it easier for her we use this skillet from time to time. When the non-stick coating wears out (which is probably what causes cancer) we’ll just buy a new one. Amazon link.
Baking Sheets
You may need a couple of these for roasting veggies. We roast a lot of veggies tossed in butter, olive oil, lard or coconut oil. We do use the steamer from time to time and add butter after steaming, but roasting is different. It brings out a whole different flavor, but most importantly you can set it and forget it (until the timer goes off). It’s also easy to clean up if you use aluminum foil. Amazon link.
Microwave Steamer
For when you’re really in a jam to have a side of veggies for dinner and don’t have time to warm the oven you can use a steamer and add fat and spices after they’re done steaming. Super easy cleanup after and it’s a fast way to add more veggies to your plate. We use this a lot with broccoli, cabbage or carrots. Amazon link.
Meat Thermometer
I never understood the beef hand pressing doneness technique people do. I don’t trust chicken that could potentially be undercooked and Pork temperature is important to watch so you’re not chewing on a brick. So, that’s why I use a meat thermometer. I like to make sure my chicken is up to 165° and everything else I can cook and serve at whatever doneness people desire. Amazon link.
Julienne Peeler
We ate a lot of spaghetti before going Primal. This tool and a zucchini plant in our garden at home has allowed us to continue to feed that spaghetti craving (addiction). Using this tool to make noodles out of zucchini is super easy. For each meal we use about 2 medium sized zucchinis per person. After we make the noodles we just put them in a covered microwave safe container and microwave for 2 minutes and you’re good to go. Amazon link.
Food Processor
This was an expensive kitchen essential that we got as a wedding gift and we use it all time. Primarily when making cauliflower rice, which we do a lot. But I use it for nut butters, slicing jerky and a variety of other recipes. We don’t have some gnarly expensive blender, but this one does exactly what we need it to do. Amazon link.
Bonavita
I have a lot of ways to make coffee at home from a Chemex, to the Aeropress, to the Clever Coffee Dripper. But the Bonavita is what gets used the most. I just measure out my coffee with this scale, grind it up and brew. Makes a great cup of coffee without having to be too hands on. Amazon link.
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