What are your favourite cooking equipment items?

[pljlse]

I've been getting into cooking this last year and have invested in some new cooking equipment which has helped making cooking more enjoyable. I think the 2 most life changing things have been my food processor as it is so versatile and really cuts the time it takes for so many things, and then my ninja knives, I've been using blunt knives for years, I love being able to sharpen them and makes cutting so much easier....funnily enough!

Interested to know what are your favourite items to see what I am potentially missing!

Le Creuset casseroles - assorted sizes (many over 20 years old and still going strong ! )
Kitchen Aid stand mixer - makes great cakes
Kitchen Aid small chopper - perfect for breadcrumbs / herbs
Stick Blender - brilliant for soups
Silicon spatulas & spoon rest
Weighing scales I can set to zero each time when weighing out multiple ingredients

I bought a long, thin, silicone, flexible spatula which is made for getting every last bit of mayonnaise out of a glass jar. Absolute game changer. I would never be without one now.

A cast iron skillet which we use almost daily. It was the best investment and only about £24 from Amazon. Pampered chef chopping "tool", and OXO Good Grips hand held peeler.

Oxo peeler. The handle is so chunky and makes peeling anything really easy and quick

We've recently bought their pepper grinder after I bounced our last one across the kitchen floor one time too many.

It's really good and has some excellent reviews.

Has anybody got a specific stick blender they’d recommend?

Ive just bought OXO tongs, and hope they will prove invaluable in protecting me from air fryer burns.

Also, I have a beautiful pie funnel shaped like a bird from le Creuset. He doesn’t get used much, but is so cute and lovely on the few occasions I make a big pie.

I've always just bought Sainsbury's basics one. Last one lasted approximately 25 years

Thank you. I had one years ago (maybe Kenwood?) but it died after just a few uses, so I convinced myself that they’re rubbish! I’ll have a look at the Sainsbury’s one.

Watching, will be upgrading my cooking utensils soon so perfect thread!

My favourite thing in the kitchen is our stainless steel saucepans, easy to clean, good quality and long lasting. From tk maxx ages ago

Yes we had ours over 20 years ago. They are still very good.

My ceramic frying pan. Totally non-stick but without a nasty non-stick coating!

My electric rice cooker 😍 It doubles as a slow cooker. You can just put in the rice and water, then chuck raw chicken with raw onions, sauces/seasonings etc on top, press the button and it all comes out beautifully cooked. You can add a steamer tray of veg in 10 mins before the end too. I've also made risotto and rice pudding in it.

An M&S enamelled casserole dish, hob to oven, mine is blue, cheaper than le creuset but as good. https://www.marksandspencer.com/cast-aluminium-4-5l-casserole-dish/p/hbp60268399?intid=mobile_app_pdp_share

Wet'n'dry grinder.

Brilliant for finely grinding spices, then adding wet things like garlic, ginger etc.to make pastes.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie Has anybody got a specific stick blender they’d recommend?

I just checked, and mine is a braun turbo 600watt, which I bought from Sainsburys, but braun is sold all over. I bought it 18yrs ago! It came with a whisk attachment, mini chopped and tall, plastic container. The mini chopper broke years ago, but the rest gets used all the time still! I think newer ones will have more power though.

My salad spinner. I always wash all fruit and vegetables, bagged salad, stir fry mixes - absolutely everything. So the salad spinner gets a lot of use.

My Oxo good grips Y shaped peeler - game changer!

Thank you.

Second that, I use mine all the time

Oooh yes, tongs, love mine.

I'd say get one with a stainless steel blendy end, and not white plastic, as the latter discolours really easily if you use carrot /tomato/squash etc in your soups.

Rectangular silicone spatula with lip on one side, brilliant for scooping up lasagne, pie portions etc as they don’t slide off while trying to serve, the sauce comes too