What’s most useful in my kitchen? Honestly, I most appreciate good knives. Sounds simple, but there’s nothing more frustrating than using dull knives all day long while we cook from scratch. My second favorite kitchen appliance would be the dishwasher, followed by my food processor, crock pot, stock pot, dehydrator, and garlic press.

Check out these picks and consider sharing this list with those who want to buy you useful gifts this season, and see my other list of sustainable clutter free holiday gifts for those on your gift giving list who might not be in the kitchen as often as you are.

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This is the knife set I have, I found it at Costco a few months ago for a great price.  Good knives quickly turn cooking from a chore back into a pleasure.  But be careful, they’re sharp :)

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Stock pot- I recommend the largest stock pot that you can easily wash in a standard sink. I have an 8-quart Calphalon Stainless Stockpot.

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Slow cooker– You may want more than one of these if you have a large family! I use mine nearly every day for cooking chicken, stock, soup, and applesauce.

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Stainless Steel Skillet– Lighter weight than cast iron, but without the dangerous nonstick coating. I use this daily too, for eggs, pancakes, crepes, browning meat, etc. I use the clear lid from my stock pot on my skillet as well, so I can see what’s cooking. The lid helps food to cook faster by trapping heat inside.

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Cast Iron Griddle– Cast iron griddles provide a heavy uniform heat surface, perfect for making large batches of pancakes, bacon, or hamburgers.

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Wide Mouth Mason jars– Half gallon, quart, pint, half pint (half pint are regular mouth). Half gallon and quarts are used for yogurt, chicken stock. Pints are used for just about everything else; mayonnaise, dressings, ferments, leftovers, even as drinking glasses.  Half pint are perfect for single servings of yogurt, custard, and leftovers.

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Wide Mouth Thermos– for taking soup with you, and keeping warm foods warm in lunches. These are a worth it to get high quality- it really makes a difference for ease of use, ease of cleaning, and actually keeping the food warm!

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I use my excalibur dehydrator often- if I find a good deal on produce, I dehydrate the excess. I use it to keep the constant temperature required for 24-hour yogurt weekly.  I also use it to dehydrate crispy nuts, and homemade jerky.  The 5-tray style can fit quart-sized jars and can make two gallons of yogurt at once.

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My Garlic Press gets a workout daily. A high quality one is worth the expense, and still remember to rinse it right after use to prevent corrosion. After rinsing, I do toss it in the dishwasher.

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A food processor with a slicing blade makes quick work of chopping cabbage for salad and sauerkraut, grating cheese, making mayonnaise, mixing coconut flour baked goods, and many other cooking tasks.  This summer at a yard sale I moved on my kitchen aid stand mixer to save kitchen space, so now I use my food processor for all my mixing.

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Simple blender with a glass pitcher. I have been using this blender for a while, and it is plenty powerful for me.  I haven’t found the need for a more expensive version.

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To blend soups and apple butter/sauce right in the pot or crockpot.  This saves time and dishes over having to puree in batches in the blender or food processor.

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