Here's where I'll house the links to purchase my tools shared for product spotlights! I'm going to share my kitchen tools over the next few months and help you decide what is necessary for you to buy now versus wait for a few years (or as a birthday gift 🤪)
There are always PLENTY of kitchen gadgets everyone swears you NEED. But that's not true.
Are they great to have? Absolutely. But can you get by without my list of tools? For the most part!! I'll be honest in my product recommendations because yes, it would be nice to earn commission from you purchasing these items (I earn a small commission through Amazon), but making money off of you isn't my goal. I just want you to have the best kitchen ever that works for YOU!
I hope these kitchen gadget comparisons help and if you have an item in mind that you want an opinion on, send me a message on Instagram! I'd love to chat with you 😁
You can shop everything in my Amazon storefront page linked HERE, or you can select the individual links below.
Stovetop Cookware
- Non-stick skillet - I won't tell you which one to get, just keep it around $20-30
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet - I love my 12 inch skillet but I also have a 10 inch. If I were to choose between the two, I would get the larger size.
- Cuisinart Chef's Classic Set - This was a wedding gift and it is used daily in my home! A must have for newly weds or if you're starting out your kitchen!
- Calphalon Grill Pan - It has a non-stick surface but will give you those grill lines without having to start your BBQ pit.
- Farberware Jumbo Cooker - An affordable non-stick saute pan that I love to make large pasta dishes in. I've owned two of these and love it, especially for the price.
- Calphalon 5 Quart Dutch Oven - My go-to pot for boiling pasta or making roux based dishes. Can also go in the oven!
- Magnalite Pot - The perfect gumbo pot!! Very heavy and a pot you'll have forever.
- Bayou Classic Cast Iron JUMBO POT - if you need a tailgate ready pot, this is your guy! This thing is HUGE (10 quart) and can make the best jambalaya ever 🤪
Convenience Cookware
- Crock Pot Manual Slow Cooker - $45
- This is your basic slow cooker. Knobs turn for low, high, warm, off without any of the bells and whistles. This is perfect if you are working from home and can manually turn the knob after the cooking time. I have a Hamilton Beach brand slow cooker, but Crock Pot is well trusted and loved. If you're on a tight budget, get this one!
- Crock Pot Programmable Slow Cooker - $75
- Full disclosure, I do NOT own this one. But I will be investing in one like this in the future. It is the elevated version of the above manual slow cooker. You can get them in many brands, but we all know Crock Pot is trustworthy. You can set your timer for however many hours at low/high heat and then once the time is up it will automatically switch to the warm setting. This is great to have if you're working in an office and don't want something cooking for too long! The ceramic pot is key and lasts a VERY long time (unlike the slow cooker in #4). If you have under $100 to spend on a traditional slow cooker (wide and shallow shape) with get this one!
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker - $80
- I love this thing! It was a gift from a friend after we had Madeline (best new mom gift ever!!) and although I haven't used it to it's full potential yet, everything that I've tried has worked perfectly! The price fluctuates from $100 (market price) but I've seen it discounted for as low as $65. It is a pressure cooker, but also has slow cooker settings that I've used. I do wish that it was wide and short (like other slow cookers) for slow cooking roasts/big meats, but that's not a deal breaker to me. There's lots of other things to make in this wonderful gadget! The only negative I have is that the rubber ring in the lid holds scent. I cannot get it to lose the scent of whatever I've cooked last, and the only solution I've found online is to buy replacements 🤷🏻♀️. Again, not a huge issue but something to keep in mind. If you have $100 to spend and want a cooking tool with a combo of features, get this one!
- Cuisinart Slow Cooker with browning feature - $160
- I really wanted to like this one. LIKE SO BAD. I've had this slow cooker for 4 years and after about a year and a half, the nonstick coating started to bubble and come off when in the dishwasher/hand-washing. The browning feature is so awesome in theory, but the nonstick coating is just not strong enough for the high heat. I still use this one often, I sometimes line with foil to make sure we're safe. I'll update to a new programmable slow cooker one day, but still holding on to this one for now. I would NOT recommend for browning, but having the programmable feature is a very nice upgrade from my manual slow cooker. I would purchase only slow cookers with the ceramic cookware. Hindsight is 20/20 😁
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