This is part of my A to Z challenge for April.

I love kitchen gadgets. Whenever I see a new one though, I hear Alton Brown’s voice in my head. He will rant about any gadget that only does one thing.

So what do I use most in my cooking?

Vitamix

I love my high speed blender. I wanted one for a long time before I talked myself into paying the money. I’m nothing if not cheap. It is totally worth it though, especially if you end up making a lot of sauces with soaked cashews. Nothing else will get them as smooth.

Instapot

I had an old school food processor back in the day. This is so much easier. I love making soups and chili. It will also cook up potatoes really quickly. You can’t beat it for making up batches of dried beans.

I mainly use the pressure cooker features. There is a slow cooker function but it doesn’t work as well as a dedicated slow cooker. It only has a high power function. I always used low power on my slow cooker before it died so it would cook for a whole work day.

Food Processor

I’ve been asked why I need this when I have a high speed blender. I use them for different things. The food processor chops more than mixes. If the result is going to end up chunky instead of totally smooth, then it usually goes in the food processor.

I have been surprised how many people haven’t ever used a food processor. I got my grandmother’s when she died. I used it until it broke. I was so sad because I thought this was an expensive thing to replace. I was so shocked to find out that it was super affordable. Now I think everyone should have one.

Ceramic cooking dish

I have a wide, shallow, ceramic pan that has a cover. It can go on the stove or in the oven. I use this constantly. It makes it easy to cook without adding oil. I don’t like to use nonstick cookware because the fumes can be toxic to pet birds. If it can kill a bird, it probably isn’t great for us either.

I think that with these gadgets making tasty and healthy meals are within the reach of everyone. What other must have gadgets do you have?