I don't want anyone to read this and think that you have to have a bunch of fancy tools to cook real food. People have been doing it for thousands of years with little more than a fire and a pot. That being said, however, there are some tools that make the real food life much easier. Also, some that are just totally cool. So today's quick list is actually two lists: the most useful appliances that we have and use now, and the appliances we hope to own someday. The second list, in my mind, is kind of real foods dream team. Ain't nothing on there cheap, baby... but I think they'll all be worth it!
Useful Appliances in my Kitchen:
1. Chest Freezer- Ours is not huge by any means (although it was too big to fit in the trunk or backseat of our sedan- a fact we found out a little too late!). We keep it on the porch, and even with it running 24/7, our electric bill is around $60/month, so I don't think it has a major impact. It is SO USEFUL to have a freezer full of ingredients ready for a quick meal that didn't come from the take out place down the road, or ready to eat frozen meals, or stocking up when someone shoots a deer or butchers a hog, or a million other things. I could not do what I do in the kitchen with the dinky little freezer on top of our fridge.
2. VitaMix- I definitely expected to get more use out of this than I do. Don't get me wrong: this is the best blender I've ever owned. But from all the promo videos we watched online, I expected this thing to blend smoothies, make soup, make ice cream, dice vegetables, knead batter, juice fruits & veggies, and do my dishes. Maybe not that last one, I guess. So, as long as you're aware that this is just a blender- a loud, high powered, self cleaning, really awesome blender- it becomes a useful tool to have. We bought a factory reconditioned model from the manufacturer (which looks like new and comes with a great warranty), which saved us a hundred dollars or so: https://secure.vitamix.com/Reconditioned-Blender-64-Ounce-5yr.aspx
3. Food Processor- I'll be honest in saying that I expected to do away with this by buying a VitaMix. I was disappointed to find that I really prefer keeping both of them, since they serve different purposes. My food processor is a $30 department store model that my dad bought a decade or so ago, and I don't push it, but it's great for small amounts of chopping nuts, veggies, etc.
4. Cast iron cookware- not really an appliance, but definitely a lifesaver! Non-toxic, lifetime lasting, easy clean-up... how could I not love it? We use our cast iron skillet daily for eggs in the morning, but also love baking cornbread in it in the oven, and all the things you would regularly use a skillet for. We've recently ordered a cast iron dutch oven, and hope that these two staple items will replace most of the clutter of pots and pans in our kitchen. Lodge is a great, American made brand: http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-10-Inch-Chefs-Skillet/dp/B00008GKDJ/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1358443916&sr=1-4&keywords=cast+iron+skillet
5. Dehydrator- ours is of the cheap, cracked but still working, hand-me-down variety, but still gets a lot of use in the fall making apple chips. See the next list for my future dehydrating plans when the budget allows for an upgrade!
6. Stockpot- Again, not really an appliance, but absolutely invaluable in the kitchen. I've never gotten into the habit of using a crockpot regularly (although I know people who couldn't live without theirs!), but I do make a big batch of soup on my stockpot weekly for us to have as quick meals the rest of the week. We also use it, believe it or not, to make stock (as the name would imply). We make a ton, then freeze it. I also use it for canning and boiling large amounts of water and popping popcorn and anything else I can think of. We got ours for $8 at a thrift and I have no idea of the brand, but it basically looks like this (only less shiny): http://www.amazon.com/Excelsteel-Quart-Stainless-Stockpot-Encapsulated/dp/B0030T1KR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358443609&sr=8-1&keywords=stockpot
Now, for the fun part of the post!
The Dream Team:
1. Grain mill or VitaMix Dry Container- my goal is to grind our own grains. Actually, it is to sprout, dehydrate, and then grind our own grains, but I digress. I want to make my own flour that I can feel good about eating. A grain mill is ideal for this, of course, and I'd probably go with one that has good reviews, but isn't exorbitantly expensive (like this: http://www.amazon.com/WonderMill-Grain-Mill/dp/B000CPJKWC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1358446483&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=nutri+mill ). However, my VitaMix blender has a dry blade container designed for grinding grains & mixing batter that I can buy to use with my existing machine for only $144. It can't grind as much flour at once as a grain mill could, but it takes up less space and costs less money. Sounds like a winner to me!
2. Excalibur Dehydrator- sigh. This is the king of all dehydrators. It's bigger, it's more efficient, it's SQUARE so it fits everywhere and everything fits in it, it's got the heat source in the back to ensure even dehydration, and... it's pretty. I dream of making my own fruit roll-ups, beef jerky, veggies chips, sprouted grains for flour, and a million other things. Some people drool over new cars... to each, his own. Check it out and drool with me: http://www.amazon.com/Excalibur-3926TW-Dehydrator-Timer-White/dp/B008OJZRIE/ref=sr_1_9?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1358446856&sr=1-9&keywords=excalibur+dehydrator.
3. Meat Grinder- this is more hubby's domain than mine, but I will gladly benefit from all the savings on ground beef & venison we can process ourselves. But mainly, I want one for the sausages. SAUSAGE. Mmm... If you have a good brand recommendation, feel free to share!
4. Ice Cream Maker- Not a necessity, and hubby thinks it will take up too much space. But it just sounds like so much fun to have in the summertime! Also, I think I'd get more ice cream in my diet if I knew I could have made from raw cream, local honey, and freshly ground vanilla beans whenever I wanted... that's a good goal, right? Right??
5. Berkey Water Filter- the only water filter I know that filters out heavy metals and toxic added chemicals, while still preserving the trace minerals in water that our bodies need. I'll take the big one, please: http://www.berkeyfilters.com/berkey-water-filters/systems/?gclid=CIa8uvqB8LQCFQWonQodXnIAxQ
What do you dream of in your kitchen? What tool can you not imagine living without? Share it with me, and who knows? Maybe I'll finally become a Kitchen Aid convert myself! ;)
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