Kitchen Essentials

A space for sharing my favourite tools & ingredients that I use frequently in my kitchen & recipes, and perhaps a few things that I covet and are on my own wish list!
Links take you to Amazon.ca where you can check out the details and shop. X0

Kitchen tools that I love

The things I use most in my kitchen are my food processor, blender, immersion blender & juicer.
Essential for making dips, soups, smoothies, fresh juices and so much more. My machines are SO OLD. I am coveting the ones I have linked below, I hope mine last as long as possible, but when it's their time to go I will invest in quality appliances even if I have to save up for them. I find anytime I have purchased the cheapest things they just break sooner than later or don't work great, which basically feels like I am throwing away hard earned money.

Food Processor

Blender

Immersion Blender

Juicer

I love coffee & tea. Espresso with hot oat milk in the morning is something I am genuinely grateful for and look forward to when I wake up. Drinking one as I write this! I do have the exact red Nespresso Machine I am linking below. I was anti having a machine for ever, but caved. It makes incredible coffee, and at least Nespresso has a recycle program. Just pop used pods into the prepaid bag and drop them at the post.

I also have a Bodum French Press, and an "Ibrik" which is a turkish coffee pot that you use on the stove, it is how my Ukranian step mom prepares coffee. Finally, a tea pot for loose leaf teas. My understanding is many tea bags you buy leech microplastics into your drink. Loose leaf tea is an easy way to avoid that.

Nespresso Coffee Machine

Bodum French Press

Ibrik Turkish Coffee Pot

Loose Leaf Tea Pot

I try to be as minimalist as possible in the kitchen. You won't find me using a garlic press, a cherry pitter or anything remotely gadget-y! There are some things though, that one who spends a lot of time cooking, just can't really do without. Some of my most used tools linked below. A good set of tongs for example, are like an extension of a chefs hand.

Tongs

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Cups

Liquid Measure

I'm a big fan of buckets, and storage containers in general. I actually get made fun of at work quite regularly about my bucket love. So far as a coworker made an Instagram account featuring my favourite bucket. Thankfully it got deleted. Ha! They are great for measuring larger quantities of ingredients, for marinating, or for food storage. I make kimchi and these are great for that. I mean look at how cute they are! The smaller 1 litre plastic containers are ubiquitous in every professional kitchen I have worked in. I use them at home, and they are fantastic. It keeps things organized and visible, and great for meal prep. Perfect for freezing soups, stocks and sauces. Use masking tape and a sharpie to label the contents. You'd be surprised how happy a perfect sharpie marker makes a lot of people in kitchens. When you find a good one where the ink is dark for labeling things.... Yeahhh. Simple Things.

Cambro Buckets

Litre Containers

Sharpies!!!

My current fav pans at home are "The Rock" pans. They prevent sticking, and I love them. They aren't for every use, but it's what I grab most often. Their round ovenware dish is great too, and you'll see it in some of my photos. I also use my large stock pot, soup pot, & wok frequently. When buying a wok I recommend looking for one that is made of carbon steel, not non stick.

The Rock Fry Pan

The Rock Baking Dish

Carbon Steel Wok

Soup Pot

If you haven't tried Sprouting seeds at home I highly suggest you give it a try! Having a set up like the one linked below helps for easy drainage. It's an affordable way to grow nutrient dense food at home without any special equipment. No grow lights needed. Just jars, seeds & water. I love sprouting because it is something that can be accessible for almost anyone. With the cost of food, it's an easy way to turn a handful of seeds into a jar full of living antioxidant rich plant food. Spend a bit upfront and you will be all set. You can sprout beans, seeds, legumes, nuts, it's amazing! Nut Milk Bag is something I use to make soy milk, I love it.

Sprouting Jars

Seeds Starter Pack

My favourite Pantry Ingredients

There are some pantry ingredients that you will probably notice I use more frequently than others. Part of it is because I probably love said ingredients, or I'm just working with what I have trying to eat healthful delicious meals within my budget. Sometimes buying spices online is much more affordable than buying it in stores. Smoked Paprika for example I use in so many things, and at the supermarket a tiny amount is a lot of money. I always buy it from Amazon because the price is significantly better, and it's the exact same product we use at the restaurant where I work. I can't include everything that is in my pantry below, but I am sharing some favourites.