I will be the first to tell you that me and the kitchen have an agreement in order to co-habitate: I will tolerate cooking in it as long as I can make a quick, tasty, remotely healthy meal. Over the years we have come to terms on it and are living nicely together now. As a busy Wife, Mom, Employee and Business Owner, itโs important for me to find ways to simplify my life and processes. I get the feeling you can relate to this! So if you need to find ways to make tasty, healthy meals quickly, this post is all about the appliances and processes I use to do just that!
1. InstantPot
I started using an InstantPot around 2 years ago. My sister had been telling me for a while to get one and that Iโd love it, but I just never got around to it. Well one day Kroger (my local grocery store) had them on sale and there was also an in-app coupon for appliances, so I took it as a sign to purchase. After I made my first meal in it, I wondered what took me so long to get one! It is now a staple in my kitchen...I will always have a pressure cooker!
My favorite part about the InstantPot is that it cooks food so quickly, and the food doesnโt dry out (unless you donโt follow the directions, but thatโs with anything). I have made so many main and side dishes (pastas, stews, rice dishes, and much more!), and it has easily cut my cooking time in half.
I suggest purchasing a cookbook that gives InstantPot recipes so you can have access to a variety of meals specifically for this appliance. I use the SkinnyTaste One and Done Cookbook which contains healthy meals that are full of flavor.
2. Air Fryer
An air fryer is also a staple in my kitchen now. My husband purchased one a few years back and it has also been something that has been a game changer in my cooking process. The air fryer that we have is also a convection oven and toaster, so the ability to make various types of meals further makes cooking a breeze. The two things that I love about the air fryer are that it actually fries very well with no oil (hello healthy, non-greasy fried foods!) and the process is fast! I have made several things in the air fryer as well (Asian salmon, homemade chicken nuggets, chicken breasts, and more).
I also suggest getting a cookbook that is for Air Fryers. I really love the SkinnyTaste cookbooks, haha! I also have her Air Fryer cookbook. It is full of healthy recipes that cook quickly and taste great!
3. Electric Milk Frother
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love a good latte! I especially love making them, and itโs the only thing I will not automate lol BUT I do like to use an electric milk frother to make cold cream foam for iced lattes or colorful froth. I also use it to steam milk when Iโm running short on time and need my latte quicker than normal. An electric frother is a great way to up the ante on your morning (or afternoon or night!) coffee and quickly. I have been using this electric frother for around 6 months now and it is awesome! The froth comes out so smooth and my favorite feature is that it is very quiet (the one I had before was so loud)!
4. Electric Kettle
Another staple in my kitchen that makes my cooking process much easier and faster is using an electric kettle to boil water. Sounds crazy right? Well I am an impatient person, so things like waiting for water to boil really irritate me haha! It takes so long to boil a pot of water for noodles, and Iโm just not here for it! One day my husband suggested that I get the water started by boiling it in an electric kettle then transfer it to the pot to finish boiling from there. I tried it and OMG!! Never going back! If youโre impatient, too, try this out! Even if you arenโt impatient, it will still cut boiling time in half. I made a Reel all about this, check it out!
5. Egg Cooker
My last kitchen appliance for making your cooking process faster is an egg cooker. As I said, Iโm impatient, and this falls into the category of boiling, so itโs a no for me LOL However, instead of boiling eggs on the stove, I use an electric egg cooker. This thing is AWESOME because it makes hard boiled eggs perfectly (nice, yellow yolk and easy to peel) and quickly (around 5-7 minutes for around 10 eggs). We have been using this egg cooker for years and itโs another staple in my kitchen.
So there you have it, my favorite kitchen appliances that make my cooking process so much faster! Do you use any of these appliances when you cook? Iโd love to hear what else you use to simplify your cooking process. Let me know in the comments!
