Kitchen Appliances That Provide The Most Long-Term Value

It can be very easy to think that if you don’t have the kind of home kitchen that professional chefs like Gordon Ramsay have access to, your home cooking techniques will never as good as they could be. But that’s not true in most cases. What is true is that just having the correct basic equipment and strategic upgrades can improve your overall experience in the kitchen.

Cooking on a budget and furnishing a kitchen with limited funds can sometimes actually inspire us to be more creative in our methods while implementing solutions that work for us. When the time comes to purchase a new appliance for your kitchen, it is worthwhile to take into consideration the value the device will provide. Of course blenders, microwaves and general utensils are useful, but we should also think about investments that are multi-functional, time saving, and work well for the type of cooking we do the most.

Instant Pot
There was a time when you needed a slow cooker to effortlessly turn out tender and moist proteins with rich flavor. But most people don't have hours to wait for a slow cooker to do it's work. The beauty of an Instant Pot is that it can be used as a pressure cooker to yield slow cooker results in a fraction of the time.  And this  multi-functional appliance comes with a number of  pre-programmed settings that will make cooking as easy as putting in your ingredients, pushing a button and coming back to a fully cooked meal. 

Air Fryer
Air fryers are so popular because they can cook up a wide range of foods without the need for oil which  provides a healthier and tasty alternative solution to  conventional frying. You can try following the air fryer baked potato recipe here to help you compare the taste of this compared to conventional cooking. Air fryers utilize convection and high circulation to achieve the crispy exterior of deep-fried food without the fat content. They are ideal to cook with because they don't produce much residual heat and and don't make a mess so clean up is easier. And they are more versatile in what you can make than you would think. If you know how to use one, you can prepare an entire meal in an air fryer, even dessert.

Rice Cooker
It’s not uncommon for those in Asian communities to be dismayed by how rice is prepared in the West, as it is often  boiled it without much care which causes it to be clumpy and hard rather than light and fluffy. This is why rice cookers have become increasingly popular. They create the perfect steaming conditions to enjoy perfectly cooked rice without any effort. And nowadays, rice cookers can go beyond cooking rice. There are models that can also easily prepare oatmeal, quinoa, porridge and even cake.

 
With these three pieces of equipment, you can pretty much make all kinds of dishes with the press of a button. This is why you should look at purchasing any new appliance as an investment in the long-term capabilities of your kitchen and expansion of your cooking skills. This will help you eat healthier, as well as make your life easier and lessen the time you spend in the kitchen so you can spend more time on other activities you enjoy.

This is a contributed post.

Photo: Pixabay