I haven’t written anything for a while on something practical rather than all of the “touchy feely” posts that come so naturally to me. I have been thinking about writing something about my kitchen for sometime until the urge to write my thoughts down couldn’t be suppressed anymore. So here it goes!

My 3 must have kitchen items don’t have much in common but they all have a place near and dear to my heart.

#1. My one sided (or single beveled) Japanese vegetable chopping knife. This is my favorite knife because it chops so cleanly and easily. I love chopping my own vegetables when I cook and this knife makes it effortless.

#2. There is nothing I use more in my kitchen than my Vitamix blender. I use it to make my morning breakfast smoothie. I can change the ingredients and add things that are hard to blend like ice cubes or carrots or walnuts and my smoothie comes out perfect in less than a minute. It is such a workhorse! It comes with a lifetime warranty so I can be as rough as I want with it and not worry about breaking it. I have made soups, chopped up veggies for a stir fry, and mixed basil and olive oil for my homemade pesto. It’s the best!

VitaMix

#3. I know this is going to be a controversial pick because it’s another type of blender, but it’s not just an ordinary blender. It’s an immersion blender. Some of you might not be familiar with this small but mighty appliance. An immersion blender also called a stick or hand blender, is a handheld kitchen tool with a blade at the end of a shaft, used to blend, purée, or emulsify foods directly in the pot or container they’re in, reducing mess and dishes, perfect for soups, sauces, smoothies, and dressings, with benefits like portability, space-saving, and ease of cleaning compared to traditional blenders. I love how versatile it is. It can beat eggs, make whipping cream, make baby food, salad dressings, and mayonnaise. It gets me excited every time I use it!

#4 Hidden Pop Up Receptacle

The fourth and final item isn’t really an item at all. In fact, it’s only valuable to people who are either building, remodeling, or changing their kitchen countertops. I know this doesn’t apply to most, but if you are fortunate enough to undertake one of those projects, I believe a “pop-up” electric receptacle in your kitchen island or workspace is a little luxury that is well worth the price. I use it when I’m reading a recipe on my iPad and need to charge it. When I use my immersion blender, I simply plug it into the pop-up outlet. Sometimes we make fondue or use the air fryer or rice cooker, and I don’t have to add a messy and potentially dangerous extension cord to operate those appliances. It makes working in the kitchen so much easier and more fun. I just press the top down firmly, and the electric receptacle opens, ready for business!

I love cooking and these 4 items make my kitchen so user friendly. I don’t know what I would do without them! Let me know which things in your kitchen are near and dearest to your heart.

Cheers!