I confess cooking is not my gift, I don’t love it and it’s not my favorite thing to do. Yet, my family insists on eating at least three times a day. So I am all about anything that helps me save time in the kitchen. In other words, simplifying my kitchen is a major priority!
I’ve tried a lot of different kitchen tools to help get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. Some have been excellent and others not so much. I ended up donating a lot of things I had, but there are tools that really do help save time in the kitchen. And I thought I would share them with you!
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Top 10 Tools To Save Time In The Kitchen
1. Cuisinart Mini-Prep 4-Cup Food Processor
1. I had one of those big fancy food processors that did everything. That thing, chopped, grated, sliced, and you could even knead dough in it. But it was huge. So even though it was pretty expensive, I traded a friend for this Mini Food Processor.
Let me tell you, I am so happy I did. This mini food processor is more than enough. Honestly, it works just as well as my fancy one did. And the best part is I save time in the kitchen because it’s 1,000 times easier to clean up and put away! Not to mention the fact that it also uses way less space than my fancy monstrous food processor did.
2. Stasher Bags
Sometimes I wonder how I ever survived without these Stasher bags! I use these for everything. They make food storage so simple.
But if you want to save time in the kitchen Stasher Bags are a must-have tool. They keep your food fresh so much longer than a zip lock bag ever can. You can even keep an avocado in the fridge after cutting it for a good 5 days with minimal browning.
I do all my food prep ahead of time and store the chopped fruits or veggies in the stasher bag. When it’s time to make dinner I just grab the bag and everything is ready. You can even put them in the freezer and then take from the freezer and place the bag directly in a pot of boiling water.
They are easy to store in a drawer and take way less space than other food storage containers. So if you want to simplify and save time in the kitchen, Stasher Bags are a must!
3. Truffle Shaver
Okay, honest truth, this is my number one favorite and most used kitchen item I own. Let me tell you why it is a trick I learned from Rachel Ray.
My personal philosophy is that you can never have too much garlic, so I pretty much used to chop and mince several cloves of garlic daily. That is until I learned this trick. Take your garlic cloves and slice them with this truffle shaver. The garlic comes out so thin and perfect it literally melts in your dish. It can slice several cloves of garlic in a fraction of the time I use to spend mincing with a knife.
My personal opinion is this is another MUST HAVE.
4. Handheld Blender
A handheld blender is another one of those tools that make clean up time almost non-existent while taking up very little space. It’s perfect to blend drinks, soups, pretty much anything my large blender could do.
I just blend right in the pot or bowl without dirtying extra items. My handheld blender is one of my favorite tools to save time in the kitchen.
5. Stainless Steel Scraper
5. Rachel Ray to the save again. This is another item I pretty much use daily. After dicing and cutting up all your veggies this scraper makes it so easy to pick everything up in seconds and toss right into the bowl or pan. It eliminates the mess of falling pieces of chopped food. Plus it stores easily in a drawer and takes up very little space!
6. The Ove Glove
Alright, this one might seem silly, but honestly whoever invented the Ove Glove was a genius. Traditional oven mitts are fine and all, but the Ove Glove allows you to quickly grab your blazing hot pots and pans without wasting time on a second thought.
7. Instant Pot
Okay, this one I don’t own, but it is definitely on my wish list. I have several friends who own this thing and rave about it constantly. They tell me it’s basically a crockpot on speed. Instead of placing your items in your crockpot early in the morning and allowing them to cook all day, you add your items to the Instant Pot and dinners done in 30 minutes. What? I can’t wait to try this thing out.
8. Keurig
Contrary to popular belief, the Keurig is not just for coffee. I really wonder sometimes how I managed before I had this wonderful contraption.
Yes, I do use it to make coffee every day (you can use a refill cup do avoid having to buy k-cups), but I also use it to make tea and hot chocolate. But wait, there’s more — it’s perfect for making instant oatmeal, and my son’s favorite, Cup of Noodles. Pretty much anything you make by adding hot water to, you can make with your Keurig.
9. Over The Sink Drainer
This is such a great minimalist drying rack. I hate taking up counter space with a dish drying rack this thing is so perfect. Even with a dishwasher, there are still those items you need to hand wash and dry. This thing is perfect for freeing up your counter space. When your items are done drying, the rack rolls up for easy storage.
Not only does it dry your dishes but it really helps save time in the kitchen by doing double duty as a hot pad. It’s heat resistant up to 400 degrees so you can use it to protect your table and countertops.
It also doubles as a colander because you can use it to drain veggies and fruits after rinsing.
Hard to imagine a more perfect minimalist kitchen item.
10. Hands-Free Baggy Rack Clip Food Storage Bag Holder
One of my absolute favorite ways to save time in the kitchen is to double up on a recipe and then freezing the extras for another meal. However, when it comes to sauces and soups it is quite difficult to hold up that freezer bag while you empty your leftovers inside. This simple little storage bag holder to the rescue. You can now pour the contents without making a mess or requiring a third hand.
Here is another super cool thing about this, you simply turn it upside down and use it to dry out freshly rinsed bags. Plus, it’s collapsible to save space. What’s not to love about this!
Bonus Items
Do you have a college kid or know a bachelor? How fun is this all in one breakfast station?
There you have it 10 budget-friendly tools to save time in the kitchen. Each of these tools has done so much to simplify and save me time in the kitchen!
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