Three New (to me) Kitchen Tools I Love

When Travis and I moved in together about one year ago, we discovered that we had double of almost everything. Both of us had very well-stocked kitchens on our own (spices, vinegars, knives, pans, cutlery, and kitchen tools), so when we moved in together we ended up choosing the “better” of all of our duplicates and putting the rest in a big box of storage.

Even though I thought I had almost everything kitchen-related I needed, we’ve still acquired a few things over the last 10 months that make me wonder what the heck I ever did without them. I wanted to share with you my top three new kitchen tools that I LOVE.

 

Hamilton Beach Set and Forget Programmable Slow Cooker

The first on the list is my beloved slow-cooker. Dear Dave and Morgan: THANK YOU for the most perfect gift. I use my slow cooker at least once a week now. One of my favorite ways to use it is to throw in 2 chicken breasts (seasoned with S+P) with 1 cup of chicken broth and cook it on high for 3 hours. After cooking, the chicken is so tender that it falls apart with a touch of your fork. I use this juicy chicken all week long for lunches I pack for work. I just love being able to put something into the slow cooker and walk away for hours without a care in the world. The delicious smells probably torture our foster dog, Bessie, while we are at work during the day!

 

Joseph Joseph Rocker Garlic Crusher

My dad bought me this awesome garlic crusher when I was home for the holidays last year. He already had one and I was amazed by how quickly he could mince multiple cloves of garlic for a pasta dish we were making together. Being the incredibly thoughtful guy he is, my dad went out the next day and bought me the same garlic crusher for my kitchen back in LA. Now, I know garlic crushers are nothing new, but I just love this one because it is easy to use and clean. It is perfect for any dish that requires numerous gloves of garlic. It is also great for those of you who hate getting the smell of garlic all over your hands (I, personally, love the smell though!)

 

Cuisipro Herb Keeper

I can’t give this herb saver enough praise. I am kicking myself for not buying it sooner. For months Travis and I talked about ways we COULD better save our herbs based on tips we read online and in magazines. For example, some people chop them up very small and store them in an ice cube tray in the freezer with a little bit of water. When you need fresh herbs you simply defrost a few cubes. The idea sounds great, but I knew I would never have the patience to do that.

After wasting way too much cilantro, basil and parsley over the last few months, I finally had enough, so I browsed Amazon and found this herb saver. It had very high ratings and now I know why! It is so easy to use: all you do is fill the base with water and place your fresh herbs in the large insert. You’re supposed to change the water pretty frequently, but honestly we forget and our herbs still last up to three weeks! YAHOO! We can fit two large bunches of herbs in here without any issues. If you use fresh herbs often in your cooking, I cannot recommend this product more.

 

Note: This post is not sponsored in any way and is simply a list of some kitchen tools I happen to love. Some affiliate links are included and I sincerely appreciate your support!