My Six Favorite Kitchen Tools

If you have read my blog much, you probably know by now that I love to cook.  Today I wanted to share with you a few kitchen items that I think are indispensable, and I will tell you why!

1.  Pizza stone:  We make pitas, naan bread and especially pizza on this ALL THE TIME!  Supposedly it helps regulate the oven temperature, which I can't prove, but my oven seems to be pretty consistent, so I will trust it is doing its job.  It also helps to make what I consider to be "the perfect pizza crust".  I love a thin and slightly crispy half whole wheat crust, and the pizza crust give it just enough crunch on the bottom on sides, and a nice soft middle.  

2.  A Good Blender:  I didn't know a good blender was important until I got one.  For Christmas, my mom bought me a blend-tech.  It has revolutionized my life.  I tell Adam about once a week how much I love our blender.  I make smoothies (I used to be a big time smoothie hater, but now that I can get the texture so smooth, I really love making them!), salsa, pureed soups and I am really looking forward to making my own baby food in them for our baby!  If you don't have one, you should probably get one.  They are definitely an investment, but if you cook a lot, it makes life so much happier!

3.  Sharp Knives:  Adam absolutely detests using a dull knife to cut food.  A few years ago, his parents bought him a $8 set of two large chopping knives from Costco.  We use them everyday and they are still as sharp as ever.  Do yourself a favor and buy some sharp knives.  They don't even have to be very expensive, but they will make a world of difference when you cook!  

4.  Round Cake Pan:  I have actually only made cake in this pan once or twice, but I use it about 2 times per week.  I own an 8" round pan that I used the most often, and I toast nuts in it (for salads, primarily) it is a great size for homemade croutons if there are only one or two of you.  If you are making a single serving of something with roasted veggies, this is a great size of pan.  I just hate dirtying my cookie sheet for something as small as a handful of toasted nuts to top pasta or a salad.

5.  Rubber Spatulas:  We have 3 of them and I wish we had a few more.  They are great on a non-stick surface, perfect for starting bread, mixing pasta sauce, curries, and much, much more.

6.  Silicone baking mat:  Terrific for making granola, cookies, bread, roasting vegetables and probably many other things. Plus, you don't have to spray it because it is a non-stick surface.  Just don't wash them in the dishwasher, and be careful when you use knives or scissors around them.  We ruined our first one by cutting through it...

Do I sound boring or what!  I am curious, do you have any kitchen items that you think are a must-have?