Useful kitchen gadgets can make a huge impact in the kitchen! Here are a few that we recommend to make your new plant based lifestyle a little easier. These items reduce time in the kitchen, make prep a snap, and allow you to cook items even better. You definitely don’t need to rush out and buy them all, just acquire them over time. We list them in order of the most helpful so you know where to start prioritizing the useful kitchen gadgets for your plant based kitchen.
Making Your Plant Based Life Easier With These Useful Kitchen Gadgets
Take a Look at Some of the Useful Kitchen Gadgets to Help You on Your Plant Based Journey
AIR FRYER
In our list of useful kitchen gadgets, the Air Fryer ranks at the top of the list because it can be used multiple times a week, and maybe even multiple times a day. We recommend going bigger than smaller, shooting for something in the range of around 7 QT, big enough to fit a good amount of veggies or a few patties of Chick’n.
This also ranks high on our useful kitchen gadgets list because it is also helpful for any non-plant based eaters in your household to share. It crisps up items to perfection and reheats everything from plant based burgers to fries quickly and easily.
Our Favorite Items to Cook in the Air Fryer:
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Tofu
- Plant based chicken nuggets/patties
- Tots & fries
Check out the BOUNTIFUL VEGGIES printable guide for other veggies you can cook in the Air Fryer. Hop to all of our BEGINNER PLANT BASED FOOD guides for even more ideas to make in a snap.
FOOD PROCESSOR & BLENDER
We couldn’t live without this multi-kitchen tool to process our foods.
It comes with several different blades & containers to accommodate almost every food prep needed. We use this handy gadget multiple times a week.
Our Favorite Items to Prepare with the Food Processor & Blender:
- Quickly chop items needed for a recipe
- Blend ingredients for sauces & desserts
- Whip up protein shakes or smoothies (like the Protein Shake in this WEEKDAY BREAKFAST PRINTABLE GUIDE)
While it is one of the priciest gadgets we recommend, it is totally worth every penny.
WOODEN SPOONS
This gadget seems a little basic for our list, but it can’t be beaten for its versatility while cooking.
There is something very natural and earthy about holding a wooden spoon and using it to prepare your meals. We especially couldn’t live without the flat edge version, which is the most worn item in the picture shown.
Our Favorite Ways to Use the Wooden Spoons:
- Stir sautéing vegetables on the stovetop
- Scrape bottoms of pans while cooking
- Cut up larger veggies into smaller pieces while cooking
It gets a workout at every night and for only a couple of bucks, this one is a no-brainer.
GLASS JAR SET
We love these useful kitchen gadgets glass jars for their versatility both for food storage and preparation. They keep foods handy and easy to see, so you never have to guess what is hidden inside. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors, and lids.
The best thing about them (that few people know) is that you can write on the outside with a Sharpie Marker and remove the permanent mark with a cotton ball and isopropyl alcohol. If you like a more formal label, you could print one with a label maker or just handwrite on a peel & stick label for ease. Any way you label them, they really do add a beautiful style of their own.
Another plus…it takes your food items out of plastic and into a healthier storage container – GLASS!
Our Favorite Things to Do with Glass Jars:
- Store snacks, like nuts for easy access
- Shake up a homemade dressing in seconds (like these in our DRESSINGS PRINTABLE GUIDE)
- Store rice, beans, flour, sugar, etc. in a beautiful and economical way
Two things to consider: When you transfer an item (like Rice or Lentils) you lose the preparation instructions on the package – so you have to make sure you cut and save the instructions or figure out how you will address this slight drawback. And also consider the freshness of the item. We love these jars for holding a variety of nuts, but sometimes they seem a little less fresh than those stored in the original package. There may be a little trial and error to figure out what works best for you.
Take a look at the ORGANIZE YOUR PANTRY page for ways to incorporate them into your pantry!
IMMERSION BLENDER & SMALL FOOD PROCESSOR COMBO
A cost-effective immersion blender, complete with diverse food processor attachments, offers excellent value by providing versatility for a range of kitchen tasks.
These tools are straightforward to use and clean. A helpful hint is to find a small container that can keep all the parts together, making it easy to grab what you need when you need it.
Our Favorite Ways to Use an Immersion Blender & Small Food Processor Combo:
- Blend soups (like POTATO CORN CHOWDER) in the stockpot
- Blend creamy dressings
- Chop a small onion, celery, and pepper in a snap
Take a look at our favorite IMMERSION BLENDER BY CUISINART.
GRILL PAN
Grill pans are a must for large batches of veggies cooked on the grill!
Grill pans are essential for grilling large batches of veggies! They enable you to grill smaller items that might otherwise fall through the grates, ensuring perfect cooking. A simple spray with non-stick cooking spray makes cleanup a breeze. These pans are not only cost-effective but also incredibly worthwhile.
Our Favorite Items to Grill with a Grill Pan:
- Zucchini & yellow squash
- Items that smell a little more when cooking – so you want to cook them outside (like broccoli and brussel spouts)
- Plant based pizza
PRESSURE COOKER
This is the last “must-have” useful kitchen gadget on our list and we sure do love it!
While it may be a little bulky, this gadget proves to be a remarkable effort-saving tool. With just a few button presses, it eliminates the need for manual stirring, mixing, and heat adjustments. It melds the flavors of the foods to taste like the dish was slow cooking all day long. Although it often reduces overall cooking time, it’s important to factor in the minutes required for pressurization before cooking and depressurization afterward. All things considered, adding this gadget to your kitchen arsenal is a fantastic choice!
Our favorite items to cook in our Instant Pot:
- Soups & stews (like this INSTANT POT MUSHROOM & WILD RICE SOUP)
- Dried beans (like these INSTANT POT REFRIED BEANS)
- Sauces
