Irrespective of how much someone loves cooking, the daily grind of making meals, taking care of kids, and washing a mountain of dishes EVERY SINGLE DAY can be rough for anyone. Sometimes everyone needs a break! Furthermore, even people who love their kitchens a lot often dread one particular task, no matter how much they love the space overall.
So, where can you turn for help, and who can you look up to for guidance? Not everyone has the luxury of hiring assistance. This is where investing in the right kitchen tools becomes your best ally. For those who despise chopping, food processors can be a game-changer. Health-conscious individuals might find blenders to be their go-to appliance. In essence, there’s an easy and affordable solution for everyone to tackle kitchen chores without feeling overwhelmed or burning out. Let’s explore some appliances that are certain to become your kitchen best friends, how they might speed up your cooking and the ways they can simplify your life.
Juicers
For those who want to keep healthy, juicers are incredible instruments. In what way? Juicers let you quickly mix fruits and vegetables, producing the most nutrient-dense drink you could have during the day. The best thing is that you can have this nutrient-dense beverage daily since it is so quick and simple to prepare. Picture now just how fit a daily consumption of fruits and vegetables will make you. Every dollar is well worth a fast digestive system and strengthened immune system.
Still, the market is overflowing with all kinds of juicers; thus, choosing the correct one for your needs can be challenging. Two basic models of juicers worth investigating are masticating and centrifugal. Those seeking less costly solutions should check out centrifugal juicers. These juicers perform effectively for hard fruits, vegetables and soft fruits. But if extracting juice from leafy greens is your goal, you should probably avoid a centrifugal juicer. Masticating juicers might be a little pricey, but they are worth the money. These machines crush and press fruits and vegetables using a slower, grinding action. This mechanism preserves more nutrients than centrifugal juicers which generate more heat.
When looking for a juicer, give top importance to factors like durability, cleanup, and easy usage. Look for models with big feed chutes to reduce pre-cutting, dishwasher-safe parts for quick cleanup, and robust construction for long-term performance. Juicers.co.uk provides a wide range of competitively-priced and high-quality juicers and other kitchen appliances fitting a variety of budgets and purposes.
Does using a juicer seem like too much work? Here are some easy tips for you!
- Wash and prepare your fruits and vegetables one night before, so you can easily prepare your beverage in the morning.
- Pay attention to what you’re putting in first to prevent clogs. Organise your ingredients in the order they’ll go into the juicer for a smoother process as well as more juice.
- Soft fruits like berries and leafy greens go in first!
- It’s best if you alternate soft and hard produce as it will help push everything through.
- To enjoy the freshness of your juice and to get the most nutrient absorption, drink it right away.
Including juicing in your regular diet can greatly improve your health. One glass a day will support general wellness, naturally boost your energy, and help you reach your advised intake of fruits and vegetables.
Blenders
Don’t let the name fool you; blenders are rather flexible kitchen assistants. Indeed, they create a mean smoothie, but they can also handle an unexpected spectrum of chores. From homemade nut butters and even baby food to creamy soups and sauces, the options are nearly limitless!
Let us review the top blenders:
- Domestic Blenders: Great for everyday tasks such as smoothies, milkshakes, and pancake batter, these are the workhorses of the blending world. Many can handle harder ingredients such as ice, nuts and frozen fruit and some can even heat soups and sauces.
- Commercial Blenders: A high-performance blender is absolutely essential if you’re serious about blending and need to handle large volumes of ingredients quickly and efficiently. Commercial blenders are ideal for business environments where fast blending and durability are vital to success.
- Immersion blenders: Sometimes known as hand blenders, these are the most convenient and useful kitchen devices. Perfect for mixing soups straight in the pot, they can also make mayonnaise and whipping cream or can puree little batches of food. Because of their handy size and easy storage, they are best for small kitchens.
Consider what you will be using your blender for most often. If you mostly enjoy smoothies, you might find a regular blender adequate. However, a high-performance or immersion blender could be a game-changer if you wish to get more creative with your blending and tackle a larger number of dishes.
Food Processors
Delicious recipes mostly require effort; the best effort comes with investing time. So why not save where you can? You surely cannot spend all that time in the kitchen preparing just one dish, right?
Chopping up the vegetables and fruits eats away most of our time in the kitchen. This is where a food processor comes to save the day. All of this prep work can be done by these powerful machines in a lot less time than by hand. You will be able to chop all the vegetables for your soups and stews, potatoes for au gratin, cabbage for coleslaw, cheese for grating over pasta or pizza, dough for pastries and crusts, or pureeing for all sorts of spreads and dips. Some models even come with specialist blades for certain jobs, such as julienning, spiralizing, or cutting French fries.
Most food processors come with a multipurpose chopping/mixing blade, a slicing disc, and a shredding disc. Make sure you use the right blade for the job to get the best out of your food processor. Cut your ingredients to relatively equal sizes to ensure they are processed evenly. Do not overload your bowl with the ingredients, as this causes uneven processing. Use pulse control; it allows greater manipulation of your food processor and helps avoid over-processing.
When cooking for a gathering or meal planning for the next week, food processors are particularly helpful. You might cut all of your vegetables at once, make a large hummus or pesto batch, or shred enough cheese for several dishes. Over time, this saves you priceless time and effort.
Dehydrators
We all know what happens when we are dehydrated, right? We lose precious water from our bodies. Dehydrating food is the same concept: taking the water (or moisture in this case) out of food. This helps make the food last longer, increasing its shelf life. Voila! We enter the world of snacks and portable ingredients that are easy to carry around. Dehydrating food lets you make a variety of different foods, such as your very own dried fruits, vegetables, and even herbs for snacking, cooking, and baking. Some easy and great choices are homemade apple chips, kale chips, sun-dried tomatoes, fruit leathers, and trail mix. Lean meats or vegan substitutes like tofu or mushrooms allow you to create jerky as well.
Dehydrating food yourself lets you avoid the added sugars, preservatives, and artificial flavours often found in store-bought versions and control the quality of the components. The seasonings and flavourings let you fit your dietary requirements and preferences. Apart from producing snacks, dehydrators can assist with other kitchen adventures, including yoghurt making, proofing bread dough, and even creating homemade dog treats, where the low and steady heat of the dehydrator is perfect for consistent results.
For best results using a dehydrator, follow the manufacturer’s directions. To enable even drying, cut foods into consistent slices; arrange them on the trays such that good airflow is allowed. Most foods take five to twelve hours to completely dry, thus it’s best to prepare ahead and let the dehydrator do its magic overnight or while you’re out for the day.
Wrapping up!
At the end of the day, investing in quality kitchen appliances is not just a way to make kitchen life easy but is also a time saver. You will always have time to enjoy your food with your family rather than stressing over how to give them healthy, delicious meals. And even if you’re a health-conscious person who is simply looking to eat more wholesome foods, these appliances can help you reach your goals.
Consider setting up stations in your kitchen where you keep all the tools and ingredients for specific tasks together; this will help streamline your cooking process. Remember to properly clean and maintain your appliances to prolong their longevity and efficiency.
