March 31st, 2010
By Seanna Kelly Metzger
I loved Amy’s Favorites post yesterday! I love best of lists and top tens, and learning other’s opinions about what works for them. Plus, I think I like to talk about myself. So I decided to do one too.
In the kitchen I love my …
Vita Mix – it’s a super high-powered blender. I see them in smoothie bars and such. This sucker is powerful. I swear I could make peanut butter from scratch in it and it wouldn’t even break a sweat. Mostly I use it for shakes, but I use it to chop things up too sometimes. I’ve had it for almost 10 years and it’s still strong as it was new.
Gaggia Espresso Machine – I’m not one of those coffee people, but the 1-2 cups of coffee I have each day must be made at home on our espresso machine. (I guess in Starbucks speak, they are Americano, but whatever.) I just love how the coffee tastes. It can steam milk and all that for lattes, but I just pull espresso shots for coffee. I’ve had this for about six years, and it’s still running strong too.
Breville Panini Maker – My husband showed up with this a few months ago and I was thinking, “Great, another appliance I have to find room for in a cabinet somewhere.” I wasn’t feeling a sandwich maker, you know? It does make divine grilled sandwiches but it also is a really great grill too. I use it for veggies, chicken breasts, turkey burgers, oatmeal pancakes, actually I use it now whenever I grill anything. By the way, I never even looked for a place under the cabinet because it lives on the counter top, next to the espresso machine and vita mix.
Non-stick Pans – No specific brand because I’ve found that the non-stick coating starts to peel and all wear out at the same pace, regardless of the brand or price. I use a set of non-stick pans to death. I sauté veggies, cook ground turkey jumble, and egg whites. Not so much chicken breasts and steak any more since we got the panini maker, but I used to. (Cast iron skillets are good for these too; probably better. I’m not so good at grilling cuts of meat so I need the help of a good pan.)
Gladware – I can’t life without these containers. You can buy them at the grocery store (no special trips), they are inexpensive, it comes it every shape and size, the lids seal up pretty well, and it’s not tragic if you lose it, it cracks or otherwise dies. Since we have to schlep food everywhere, I’ve found these are the best. (Not just Glad, but Ziploc, or the store brand too.) And can I add that in a pinch; when space is limited, zip top baggies work too. For both gladware and baggies, don’t use them in the microwave. The bad stuff in the plastic leaches into food when these guys are microwaved. (Make like a physique athlete and learn to prefer your food cold - cuz you’re constantly eating and have no time or way to heat the food up, or you have to eat in a 10am staff meeting and don’t want to draw any more attention to yourself or what you’re eating. It’s either that or eating in the restroom – just kidding. Don’t eat in the restroom.)
I don’t have a favorite cooler but my very bestie uses a soft-sided zip top cooler with a shoulder strap that was awesome. I liked it because it held so much but wasn’t huge. I don’t know the brand; I’m sure there are lots of good ones like this to choose from out there. Since I work from home, I eat at home most of the time and when I don’t, I end up tossing a gladware container, fork and paper napkin in a small Lululemon shopping bag. I need to go find a cooler.
Reusable shopping bags – Speaking of shopping bags, I am crazy for the big reusable shopping bags that everyone is selling for like $1. Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner? I love them because they are strong and you can stuff them full of groceries and they have handles long enough to use like a shoulder strap! Love, love, love these guys.
What about you? We all love to talk and share, and we all want to know your favorites too. What has because something in the kitchen that you can’t live without? Your tip could be the very thing that gets another reader over that annoying thing they’ve been stuck on. Let us know!
Seanna, I completely agree w/ you on the skillets, it does not matter what brand you get, they wear out at the same rate.
LOVE that you love the espresso maker. I don’t know what I would do w/o my coffee.
I don’t know that I have a favorite kitchen accessory/gadget that you haven’t already covered.
Seanna – welcome back and hope you had a great vacation.
Vita-Mix – this can take a beating and then some. A tip to keep the blades sharp – throw some ice cubes in every now and then and let it chop the cubes. Check out vitamix-user@yahoo.com – lots of tips from users there.
Waring Grill/Griddle – this has removable non-stick grill and griddle plates which can be put in the dishwasher. It also has “floating hinge handles” which allows me to grill foods of any thickness. I love this as it makes grilling so easy – done in half the time since the heat comes from both top and bottom.
Lock & Lock/Gladware/Ziplock bags – the Gladware is definitely cheaper and I use that to bring my day’s food. Something must be clicking because I am actually eating my food cold. Sometimes I use my fingers as utensils
).
Food Saver/plastic wrap/freezer paper/foil paper -I use them when I portion food out after cooking a batch. This way, I can defrost the night before and throw it into my cooler the next day. If I don’t think I am going to use the food within that week, I usually put the wrapped portions into a Food Saver bag and seal it. This way there is no freezer burn.
Soft-sided cooler – I have one that the office gave us a few years ago and I am finally using it
) every day. It is light weight, has an adjustable strap (shoulder / arm length) with a separate zipped pocket in front. It’s 10″ wide x 10″ high x 7″ deep.
All Clad pots/pans – I have a mixture of stainless steel and non-stick. The key with these pots is start of with medium heat – somehow it makes cleaning a breeze. Other than that use BarKeepers Friend – great non-abrasive cleaner or, use baking soda.
Various sizes of measuring cups & food scale – since I’m a newbie, I’m not at the eyeballing stage yet. I’ll get there.
Great post Seanna! Have to say that I agree with you on all of them! Love my All-Clad stainless steel saucepan for cooking my oatmeal in for breakfast….my favorite kitchen accessory, although very simple, is my Chantal teakettle from Williams-Sonoma… Can’t live without my Numi Jasmine Green Tea
plus I like the way it whistles when the water is finished boiling! (so lame I know)
HI ladies!
Amy, not that we are EVER on the same schedule or that there is any likelihood that I’m going to see you even briefly before, oh, 2011, but IF we do see each other, you’ll have to come over and let me make you a coffee with the espresso machine. In a way it sucks, because I like mine so much, nothing else tastes good to me! I don’t even like Starbucks anymore. I drink mine black at home but out I have to use milk or soy (tough life, right?)
HI Rosie! GREAT suggestion to freeze premade portions when necessary. I’m going to have to try the paper, and is the Food Saver a sealer kind of gadget?
I have 3 or 4 All-Clad pans, and they are certainly beautiful (why I thought I needed them. Plus I felt like Martha Stewart when I use them!) , but I’ve been left a little underwhelmed. I don’t really see what makes them so amazing. What do you think? The non-stick All-Clad was totally useless. I think it wore out faster than the ones I bought in a set of 5 from Costco. This was a long time ago so maybe they’ve improved.
And I totally forgot to mention the scale, so THANK YOU! I still pull mine out. It’s a good digital scale that I got from Williams Sonoma several years ago.
Hi Kristina, It’s so not lame that you like a whistling kettle. YOu’re in good company as Jodi likes them too. The sound makes me crazy very fast so I usually leave the little thing up, but Jodi puts it down when she makes tea for us at my house.
Seanna, yes, the Food Saver is a sealer gadget and they sell the special freezer bags which are really nice and thick. The Food Saver takes all the air out which is what causes the freezer burn. On Sunday I cooked two cups of brown rice and just portioned it out/wrapped it in plastic wrap and whatever I will not be using this week was put into the Food Saver bag and into the freezer.
So far so good with the All Clad non-stick pans but I remember someone telling me to start off with medium heat on any non-stick pan (first to prevent any toxic release from the non-stick material and second to prolong the life of the non-stick material.) I cannot say I use them as much as you do though so that might be the difference (you cook for a family and I cook for me). I understand that the newer non-stick material has allegedly been improved so it is the perfect excuse to replace one or 2 before buying the whole set.
LOL I can picture the whistling kettle now. I have one and you are outnumbered here Seanna … I like the whistle
).
You ladies haven’t tried great coffee until you try Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. And, I am not referring to the one they sell here in the US. My family is close to the owner of one of the coffee estates in Jamaica and we get the cream of the crop. When I go back I always bring back a case and distribute them to my friends. Funny though because I am a tea drinker and not a coffee drinker. Say the word ladies and I will send you a bag from my next stash.
I use my 35 year old revere wear saucepan every single morning for my oatmeal.
I also have a 35 year old cast iron frying pan for my eggwhites!! Love that! Seasoned so perfectly.
My food scale, although I can weigh anything right with my eyes now!!
My glad food storage containers! I use every day.
My water bottle and my super lunch box (mini cooler!)
Those are all my staples! Now I need the lulumon pants and need to find a great comfortable sports bra!
My Vita-Mix came yesterday. I’m part of the club. I have not used it yet and it’s already on the favorite list just ‘cuz.
Containers. No plastic! Well, okay a few, but only for salads. I have 2 sets of glass food storage containers. Yeah, they are heavier, but that’s why I work out–so I can carry them around and stay safe from the xenoestrogens and other toxins in plastics. Which brings me to…
My Sigg bottle. Safe water drinking without the enviro-load of ANOTHER plastic bottle. I have the wide mouth one where you can drink from either the small or wide top, but the wide top allows for ice cubes and such too. Perfection.
Safe non-stick pans that have been doing us right for a while: Green Pans from Target. Heard good things about Earth pans. Then, beyond non-stick, woop woop to the All Clad and Neovo pans! Say no to Teflon and it’s toxic relatives! What’s the point of getting fit and healthy just to have our pans, bottles, and containers kill us, right? LOL
Thanks for all of the tips and ideas. You guys rock!