Look, I’m gonna be real with you, your kitchen needs some appliances other than a stove and a microwave. Sure, a lot of what you can cook can be done in those two things, but when it comes to making big batches of food, food that takes long periods of time, or things like quickly boiling water, you’re gonna need some help. Things right now aren’t great, so you’re gonna have to spend a bit more time in your kitchen than you may be used to. Whether you’re new to stocking a kitchen yourself or just haven’t been cooking at home all that much (I’m guilty of this one. Thanks, Seamless.), there are some things you may need.
The Instant Pot is the original all-in-one gadget. It’ll make large batches of stews, soups, stocks, and more but also be able to brown meat, cook down onions, and more. There’s so much that this pot can do that it may take the place of a handful of other appliances in your kitchen. Right now, I recommend doing a huge batch of white rice.
Why drink plain water when you can drink seltzer all the time? Staying hydrated is important, but you should give yourself a little flavor or tingle when you drink! These at-home seltzer makers turn CO2 gas into bubbles with the touch of a button and take up barely any room on the counter.
Use this to quickly heat up the right amount of water for everything from instant noodles to soups to tea. It’s also great for warm cocktails to take the edge off, like a Hot Toddy. This option has full temperature control so you’re never wondering just how hot the water actually is.
I love my sous vide for more than just meat. It perfectly cooks fish, it can temper chocolate, it can even softly poach or boil eggs. There are so many things you can do with a sous vide. This option has Bluetooth capabilities, so you can set time and temperature right through your phone.
This toaster oven does it all. Scouted Staff Writer Dan Modlin swears by it: “Instead of zapping some leftovers in the microwave, now I’ll just toss them in the toaster for a few minutes. Rather than waiting for eternity for my oven to heat up, I’ll just cook vegetables, chicken, or even pizza in the toaster. That’s right, I’ve tried it out with pizza, and this might be it’s biggest plus for me.”
There’s no better time to have large batches of soup on hand than now. Scouted contributor Catherine Renton says that “the best thing about the soup maker is you just set it and forget it, with no intervention or stirring needed. The only effort required is choosing a recipe and chopping your vegetables. The process is idiot-proof: just add your ingredients, put the lid on and select your preferred setting – chunky or smooth.”
Another kitchen necessity that Scouted Staff Writer Dan Modlin loves is the Escali kitchen scale. He mainly uses it to weigh coffee, but if you’re at home learning how to bake, this is a great thing to have. When it comes to baking, you should always be using ingredients by weight, not by volume.
If you’re looking for a morning pick me up, invest in a blender for some smoothies. The Vitamix also allows you to make soup, because the blades create friction heat enough that’s hot enough to heat ingredients all the way through.
This may seem silly, but if you’re not making smoothies in the morning, get some protein in the form of a perfectly cooked egg. This egg cooker can do up to six eggs at a time and can make them as hard or jammy as you want, depending on how long you set the timer for.
When times are tough, make some waffles (that’s a saying, right?). Whether you’re making your own batter or buying the pre-mixed stuff, homemade waffles can brighten any morning.
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