It’s no secret how the COVID-19 pandemic has made things take 360-degree turnarounds for better or for worse. For example, there is now a sudden shift from eating out to preparing home-cooked meals as a way of enjoying delicious food without exposing oneself to potential virus exposure. Even celebrities didn’t escape the wrath of COVID-19: top-tier chefs Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten, among others, being forced to prepare meals and cocktail drinks at the comfort and safety of their homes.
If you happen to be a closet chef who loves preparing delicious food for your family, neighbors, and friends, having the right kitchen equipment and items that make meal preparations quick and easy is a must. These investments won’t be for the short term only, since the pandemic situation is not ending anytime soon. And even if it did, you’ll still benefit from buying kitchen items that would make your home-cooking less cumbersome and quicker.
Here are some of the kitchen items that you must get soon:
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Stackable steam basket.
Is it really possible to cook dim sum, fish, and other steamed food at once? With a stackable steam basket, it’s not only possible but incredibly easy as well. There are models that can be used on a stove and microwave so be sure to get one for optimum versatility.
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Liquid filler.
If you’re regularly dealing with lots of liquids such as salsa, hummus, sauces, and fillings, getting yourself a sturdy, industrial-grade liquid filling machine would make your meal preps effortless. This kitchen add-on is designed to quickly and accurately fill containers with various types of liquids used for different meals and snacks. They are easy to operate and clean and would surely be an excellent addition to your kitchen.
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Measuring cups and spoons.
When it comes to most recipes, having the right proportion is critical to ensuring quality. Too much of an ingredient and the taste would be overpowering; too little of something and the food would be bland. If you don’t want to keep on guessing, be sure to get some nice sets of measuring spoons and cups so you’ll always have accurate proportions of different ingredients for the viands and snacks that you regularly whip up.
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Chopper bowls.
If you always find yourself dead tired chopping ingredients for your salads, you only have to buy yourself some chopper bowls to make life in the kitchen easier. With such kitchen equipment, you can always achieve perfectly-cut salad ingredients that will help you prepare restaurant-quality salads in a jiffy.
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Glass containers.
Glass containers will allow you to not only organize your prepared food with ease, but they will also allow for safe storage and easy reheating. Unlike plastic containers that could leach toxic chemicals into food, glass is perfectly safe. This will assure you that everything you and your family eats from the containers is perfectly safe and healthy.
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Rapid egg cooker.
There are so many dishes that use boil eggs as an ingredient, which is why you should invest in a rapid egg cooker if you want perfectly-boiled eggs quickly. Such kitchen equipment normally sells with measuring cups for accurate water proportion depending on your preferred egg consistency (hard-boiled? poached?).
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Smoothie maker.
Smoothies are among the all-time favorites of kids and adults alike, so a smoothie maker should be on your shopping list. This should be an easy catch since there are plenty of excellent smoothie maker products in the market that you may choose from. Some models actually double as smoothie containers with a dedicated lid for safe and hygienic temporary storage at the fridge.
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Programmable pressure cooker.
Dealing with meats is always a testy affair, especially if you’re pressed against time. Well, you’re just in luck since all you need to buy is a nice-quality programmable pressure cooker to make things easier on your end. This kitchen equipment will help you achieve tender meat consistency within a short time, so you can serve quick meals to your waiting family or guests.
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Zester.
Is a zester purely for zesting? Hardly so. In fact, it’s a highly underrated kitchen item that is actually versatile as it can be used to grate cheese and mince garlic and onions. It sells cheaply, so getting one for your kitchen should be a breeze.
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Cutting board and knives.
Of course, what meal prep would be complete without a nice set of cutting boards and knives? Your cutting boards should be non-slip to prevent them from ‘traveling’ as you cut and slice ingredients. Meanwhile, the knives must be sturdy and incredibly sharp so you can effortlessly cut, mince, and dice meat, vegetables, and other ingredients for the meals and snacks that you prepare.
With these awesome pieces of kitchen equipment and items, you can say goodbye to those days when meal preparations are such an ordeal.
