Shopping Guide: Cooking & Baking
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If you read some of my blog posts, it’s likely you might see me talk about the importance of having the right tools in the kitchen for the job. I’m not one to need every single appliance and gadget that’s out there, however, there are definitely some tools that make life in the kitchen a lot easier!
Appliances
Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor
this comes in handy for cooking, but even more so in a variety of my food preservation projects! We also have a Cuisinart Blender that is helpful for some kitchen projects too, like my Serrano Pepper Hot Sauce. We also use it for smoothies and margaritas!
Slow Cooker
we actually don’t cook with our slow cooker often, but they do come in handy for certain things. We usually end up using ours during party situations for keeping a dip or sausages warm.
Electric Smoker
we love cooking with our electric smoker, though we do it a lot more in the summer. My husband created this Easy Smoked Fish recipe by using this smoker, which is actually my favorite way to have fish now!
Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
honestly, since we bought our electric smoker we don’t use the charcoal grill as much as we used to. We do still use it though, mostly on weekends in the summer. My favorite thing to grill is Grilled Chicken Shawarma!
Anova Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
my sister and brother-in-law gave us our sous vide as a gift. We are still experimenting with it, but I made low-temperature pasteurized dill pickles with it last year and won a purple ribbon at the local county fair with them!
6-Quart Instant Pot
this is such a cool invention. It’s so nice to be able to pressure cook things for dinner instead of hauling out the big All-American 21.5-Quart Pressure Canner. I also sometimes make yogurt in my instant pot, which is really convenient and easy.
Air Fryer
we primarily use our air fryer for making homemade french fries and wedge potatoes. It works so well for them! My husband calls them “fair fries.”
Oster Breadmaker
I snagged an old breadmaker from my mom’s basement after I started making sourdough recipes last year. It works so great for the kneading process, which for some sourdough bread recipes is 15-20 minutes. I usually bake the bread or whatever else I’m making in the oven and just use the breadmaker for the kneading process.
Electric Roaster
everyone should have one of these. They are perfect for large holiday meals when your oven gets full of all of your sides. We actually use ours throughout the year too, because we bake ham and turkey breasts to use for “lunch meat” because we don’t buy processed lunch meat. It’s convenient to use the roaster instead of running the oven. We especially like it in the summertime because we don’t have air conditioning – so we can bake things in the roaster instead of heating the house up with the oven. Sometimes on really hot days, we even put the roaster outside and plug it in out there.
Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer
my husband is an avid fisherman and hunter, and we use our meat grinder on a regular basis. We primarily use it for wild turkey and venison, and also the beef tallow and pork shoulder that we usually buy for mixing in with the various projects. Turkey sausage is one of my favorite things we make.
Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer
I cook more than I bake, but everyone needs a hand mixer.
Kitchen Aid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer
I recently bought one of these and love it! It is also used for sourdough mixing, as well as cookies, frosting, whipping cream, and more!
Presto Electric Griddle
we use our electric griddle for pancakes, vegetable cakes, Eggplant parmesan, sourdough English muffins, frying bacon, and more.
Hamilton Beach Coffee (and Spice) Grinder
we use this for grinding whole coffee beans, but also for grinding whole spices when we are working on sausage/meat projects. Coriander, fennel, peppercorns, etc. are all so much better when they can be ground fresh.
Cookware & Bakeware
See more about my favorite Health & Beauty Products
Accessories
French Fry Cutter
this is a must-have tool for those perfect Air Fryer Fries!
Cutco Knives
these are well-made in the USA and have a lifetime guarantee
Specialty Grocery Items
LeSaffre Saf-Instant Yeast (2-pound)
needed for many sourdough recipes!
Dried Blueberries
my husband loves these in his cold cereal, and we also use them in baked French toast, banana bread, etc.
My Blog Posts about Cooking and Baking
Other Resources for Cooking and Baking
- The Prairie Homestead Cookbook (Jill Winger)
- The Modern Woman’s Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living (Melissa K. Norris)
- Skinnytaste: One and Done (Gina Homolka)
- Skinnytaste: Light on Calories, Big on Flavor (Gina Homolka)
- Skinnytaste: Fast and Slow (Gina Homolka)
- Eating Well Magazine
- Cuisine at Home Magazine
- Food Network Magazine
- Saveur Magazine
As you browse the pages of my Shopping Guide, if you have any questions about the products or why I love them, don’t hesitate to ask!
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