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I like making lists – can you tell? I want to make things as easy as possible for those of you starting Trim Healthy Mama, and sometimes having someone just tell you, “OK, this is what I use,” makes the decision process easier if you’re inundated with a wave of new information. Today’s post will show you a simple list of my top 5 kitchen appliances for THM (rather, cooking in general). Keep scrolling for other helpful info and links to some other lists that you might enjoy!
CLICK HERE FOR A QUICK SYNOPSIS OF TRIM HEALTHY MAMA AND LOTS OF HELPFUL LINKS!
Vitamix Certified Refurbished 5300 Blender
I’ve used a couple of blenders, including a Ninja kitchen system, but this Vitamix delivers the best quality for the price in my experience. We’ve had it (and used it heavily) for over a year and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. It blends much smoother than the Ninja and seems to be built with more durability. The refurbished models on Amazon come at a good price and you can purchase warranties that will guarantee many years of functioning blender happiness! I use this for ice cream, shakes, oat flour, and soups, and my mom even uses it to grind coffee beans!
Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Qt. Ice Cream Maker
Yes, I consider an ice cream maker to be one of the most important pieces of equipment in my kitchen. Are you surprised? 😛 Lest you’re sitting there thinking, “Making ice cream is SO involved and I am SO not investing in one of those things,” let me attempt to convince you otherwise. I am all for quick and easy and minimalist. But seriously, how hard is it to throw some ingredients in a blender, then press a button and pour the mixture into an ice cream churn that doesn’t even require any ice or salt or junk like that? You get healthy ice cream at a fraction of the cost of Halo Top, and you can make it as light as you want so you can eat more than 1/2 cup at a time.
CLICK HERE FOR ICE CREAM RECIPES
Immersion Blender
We actually haven’t had an immersion blender until just recently, but I’m loving it for those times that I don’t want to get the big blender out. Soups, sauces, gravies, syrups, and hot velvety drinks all become silky smooth with this baby and you can just pop the blender head in the dishwasher. It doesn’t take up much room in the drawer, and you don’t have to worry about an explosion due to a pressure buildup when blending hot liquids.
Hand Mixer
You’re probably looking at this piece of equipment thinking, “Finally! Something I already have!” If you do any amount of cooking or baking, you need a hand mixer. Amazon, Walmart, doesn’t matter. I use mine all.the.time. for basically any kind of baking.
Electric Skillet
Here’s another piece you might already have. Some of you gush over your Instant Pots or slow cookers. I prefer to prepare twenty-minute entrees in an electric skillet. Less planning ahead that way. Just throw in whatever you have on hand and turn it into a spiced-up stir-fry. My cookbook, Necessary Food, has a bunch of electric skillet recipes!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
This is the closest thing I can find on Amazon to the waffle maker we have. It’s just a simple nonstick classic waffle iron. As many of you have found out, healthy waffles stick much more than waffles made with regular flour! Always spray the waffle iron with a nonstick cooking spray before adding batter. (I use an olive oil spray and have heard that coconut oil spray doesn’t work as well but have never tried it myself.) I always wipe out my waffle maker with a paper towel after use instead of washing with soap and water. This seems to help season it – like you would season cast iron cookware.
This is a single-serve blender that works great for shakes and small applications. The Vitamix listed above works well for single-serve stuff too, but the Nutribullet does blend a little finer and is just less surface area to clean.
I don’t have an Instant Pot, but I do use a slow cooker on occasion. Not too often (that would require planning ahead…haha), but it does come in handy, especially for potlucks.
I mostly just use this for making homemade bread.
You may also enjoy:
- STARTING THM
- RECIPE INDEX
- MY RECIPES GROUPED BY FUEL TYPE, ALLERGY INFO, AND THEME
- SAMPLE MENUS
- TRIM HEALTHY TIPSÂ POSTS
- MY TOP 10 NON-SPECIAL INGREDIENTS FOR THM
- MY TOP 5 SPECIAL INGREDIENTS FOR THM
CHECK OUT MY COOKBOOK FOR EASY, HEALTHY RECIPES!
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Dawn says
Briana, If you don’t have an Instant Pot by the end of 2017, I’m sending you one!
Your friend Darcie is having an Instant Pot give away… I think you should enter.
If I win, I’m sending it to you. I’m not a “gadget” person, (my makeshift immersion
blender is a single beater hand mixer… “) BUT I love the Instant Pot. It replaced my crock
pot and the rice maker, I never had. Makes yogurt, using your recipe…etc..
Join the fun!! It will test your self control… Little Miss easily obsessed.. lol
oxoxo’s,
Briana Thomas says
You’re funny, Dawn. 😛 Haha…. That’s sweet of you, but honestly, I really have no desire for another appliance! I like to be my own person and just don’t feel called to join the Instant Pot train yet. We’ll see what the future holds. Maybe I’ll cave someday….
Teri says
Briana, you’ve got to check out the relatively new Instant Pot–I got one on the last PRIME day. Many things do cook much more quickly, but even for those that aren’t terribly faster, there’s a one pot clean up. You can set it and go off and do other things. I’m still learning, but I love it. (Put it on your gift list).