Cooking sometimes feels like magic, some kind of alchemical process. The vastly different flavors, colors, and textures combine to unlock a complete experience on a plate. The smells, sights, and tastes will vary depending on the cook and on the kitchen—each one revealing a unique masterpiece to the consumer.
Not everyone feels this way about food. For many people, it can feel like a chore to come home to the kitchen every day after work and whip up a healthy and satisfying meal. When you’re cooking for a family with opinions and varying demands, it can be frustrating to spend time in the kitchen, only to have a little voice retort “But I want cereal instead!”
These easy tips, tricks and tools can turn your experience of cooking into a positive and relaxing one. Some of these tips are practiced by the most successful chefs and are vital when preparing quick, easy, healthy and delicious meals for you and your family.
1. Plan Ahead
On Sunday morning make an outline of your meals for the week. Include specific dishes that you would find exciting to eat, and look through the ingredients. Make a detailed shopping list of all the ingredients you will need to buy. This way you know that you have everything you need at home to make a week’s worth of healthy meals. No more anxious thoughts on your way home from work wondering what you might cook tonight.
2. Use Fresh Ingredients
The tastiest dishes are made with the freshest foods. In order to keep your ingredients at their peak, learn how to store them properly. Store herbs how you would fresh flowers; keep them in a jar of water on the countertop, changing the water daily. Keep potatoes in a mesh or paper bag in a cool, dark place and they will last for weeks. Treat your foods nicely, and you will reap the rewards!
3. Use the Right Tools
Chopping a carrot with a small serrated knife can definitely be a throw-the-carrot-against-the-wall frustrating moment. In order for cooking to be easy and fun, you need to use the right tools. If you find slicing and dicing annoying, look up which knife to use for each vegetable, and you will have a much easier time, guaranteed.
According to Brendan McDermott, chef-instructor and resident knife skills expert at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education, there are four knives that are essential for every kitchen. These four knives include a chef’s knife, a paring knife, a serrated knife, and a boning knife. Alongside the knives, it is necessary to own a honing steel. The most important thing to remember when it comes to knives is upkeep. It is important to hone/sharpen knives to keep them at their full capacities.
Essential kitchen tasks cannot be done without essential kitchen tools. When you are well-equipped, cooking is easy, fun, and relaxing.
4. Clean Up as You Go
In the kitchen, no sight is worse than a sink full of dishes. This situation can easily be avoided if every dish is washed straight after use. When you take the mustard out of the fridge to use, immediately put it back in. Not only will this keep food fresh longer, it will keep the counter clean. You don’t want to worry about a 30 minute cleanup after every meal, so don’t let it happen.
5. Put on Music
This one’s a no-brainer. Everything is more fun when you have your favorite song playing. Bring your laptop or your phone into the kitchen and pick an upbeat playlist to get you energized. Chop to the beat!
6. Wear Comfortable Clothes
When you get home from work, don’t go straight to the stovetop. Change into something comfortable and airy that you don’t mind getting dirty. No need to be worried about sprinkling paprika on your white collared shirt!
7. Have fun
Allow yourself to have fun. This is an underutilized technique that keeps stress at bay, not only in the kitchen but in all aspects of life. When having fun, the stress gets overshadowed by feel-good hormones.
Top Kitchen Products for a Relaxing Cooking Session
As you know by know, preparing a meal for yourself or the family can be either a fun and calming process or a tedious daunting task. Hopefully these above mentioned tips have assisted you in turning your cooking session to the calm and fun side.
Having gone through the tips and tricks, here are the our selection of the top 5 kitchen products/tools to help you stay out of stress while cooking:
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt
If you want to cook healthy food quickly, then Instant Pot DUO60 is the just the ideal thing you need in your kitchen right now. Say bye to old slow pressure and rice cookers, steamer, food warmers, yogurt maker and sauté’ because you don’t need them now. This instant pot is a multi-purpose cooker that has the functions of seven kitchen products.
This instant pot is specially designed to cook your meal up to 70% faster to help with your busy everyday life. Prepare tasty and healthy dishes for your family with just one press. The cooking pot is totally safe from any chemical coating as it is made from 18/8 stainless steel and 304 food grade.
It also has adjustable dual pressure and 3 temperature settings for flexible and stress-free cooking. Using high-pressure setting cooks your food fast while the low pressure won’t let delicate food being overcooked. The product dimensions are Product dimensions are 13.4 x 12.2 x 12.5 inches, weighs 11.8 lbs and uses a power supply of Power supply of 120V – 60Hz. This instant pot is ULC and UL certified as it is developed using patented technology, 10 safety and security features like steam release and burn protection.
Final verdict: The Instant Pot is a 7-in-1 kitchen product that is built to last many years so you can enjoy cooking nutritious foods easily with this reliable electric pot.
Pros
Pros
- Quick cooking
- Noiseless
- Safety features like detection of leakage with Lid
- Fingerprint and corrosion resistant
- Lid designed for both right and left-hand users
- Lid, pot and steam rack are washable
- Durable and easy to clean
- Serving for 4 to 6 persons
- Keep-warm automatically keeps food warm until served
Cons
Cons
- Lid top not covered by plastic; can burn if accidentally touched
- Small less grip rubber pads under each foot
Crock-Pot SCV700SS Stainless Steel 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker
This 7 Quart crockpot can help you make a scrumptious homemade meal that they will never forget. It has the capacity to serve more than 8 people at once. The product dimensions are 9.5 x 14.4 x 14.4 inches and weigh 13 pounds.
It is a cost-effective, safer and easy way to serve delicious and satisfying food to your guests and family. It has high and low cooking setting and warm feature to serve a hot meal. The high turn button will cook your food instantly while the low cook button cooks slowly without burning even if you are busy at a job or with kids and household work. The settings are to be done manually by turning the knob.
What’s amazing about this kitchen appliance is that it’s very portable. You won’t need any extra serving bowls because the removable oval stoneware will act as a serving dish as well. Both the lid and stoneware are washable and microwave safe. The Crock-Pot cooker maintains the temperature stable so that your food is perfectly cooked and is enriched with flavors.
Final verdict: If you are looking for a low-cost easy cooking appliance for large families, then Crock-Pot slow cooker is a great option. It will serve you a home cooked a delicious meal without disturbing your everyday activities.
Pros
Pros
- Portable
- Stainless steel design
- Easy to use and clean
- No additional serving dish required
- Cooks your meal while you are work
Cons
Cons
- Easily breakable glass lid
- The outside of metal container becomes hot while cooking
- No timer
Winsome Wood 98721 Sherwood Bed Tray
If you or any of your family members don’t like getting out of bed for breakfast, then Winsome Wood bed try is a must-have in your kitchen. Serving a breakfast would now be easy with this bed tray having dimensions 24.4 x 13.9 x 10.3 inches and 21.80 x 13.9 x 3.30 H when folded. This bed tray has a solid wood frame so don’t worry about it being broken. This will definitely match your kitchen or bedroom furniture theme as it has a very natural skin color wood finish.
Weighing just 3 pounds and having handles carved, it is very convenient to carry even by a child. If you want this tray open in bed, there is sufficient clearance for your legs. You can easily keep it in your kitchen with other utensils because of its legs folding ability. It will only take little space in your kitchen. It comes fully assembled so you can start using it right after unpacking.
Moreover, you can use this item as a party tray as well. It makes a great picnic tray. Its use it only restricted to just serving food, you can use it as your laptop stand or work desk. It can also serve as a play surface for your kids. It’s convenient to use anywhere on the bed, sofa, kitchen slabs, and even any floor. Unfold or fold it, make the best use of it!
Final verdict: If you want a versatile multipurpose tray at a good price, this Winsome Wood 98122 Sherwood Bed Tray is the perfect tray for you. It is sturdy and works really well as a bed tray.
Pros
Pros
- Light-weight
- Well made and sturdy
- Convenient to carry
- Easy cleaning
- Multipurpose use; versatile
- Easy storage
Cons
Cons
- No locking mechanism
Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender
The Blendtec blender is something same that you will find in smoothie shops and 5-star restaurants. So why not use a blender that is made with uppermost professional standards. This blender features 10 times stronger and 80% thicker blades than any other brands of the blender. The product dimensions are 7 x 8 x 15.5 inches and weigh 7.28 pounds. Its quick and efficient blending will reduce the meal preparation time and the cleanup significantly.
This new technology blender will replace a lot of your kitchen appliances like juicers, coffee maker and grinders, mixers, bread makers and more. The powerful 1,560-watt blender with the classic’s 3.0 horsepower motor crushes even the hardest ingredients in a few seconds.
Having a touchpad interface screen, it is very convenient to use. It features a FourSide BPA-free jar for smaller quantities, grinding nuts and grains and for heating drinks and soups through the heat friction technology. You now don’t have to heat soup in a pan when you can in a blender.
This volume jar is of 75 oz with a 32 oz (dry/wet) blending and mixing capabilities. In addition, it already has smart inbuilt 6 programmed features for soups, ice creams, smoothie, batter and one for ice crushing which guarantees restaurant quality soups and smoothies. Moreover, you will get a complete warranty for 8 years.
Not just intended for soup and shakes making, you can use this blender for making many other delicious recipes. Tired of chopping onions and other vegetables for making gravy? The Blendtech blender will chop all your vegetables in a matter of milliseconds. You can also try out many other useful recipes like making mayonnaise or try making a blend of fruit juices with this advanced blender.
So, this Blendtec blender makes your food preparation easy by doing the job of other kitchen appliances as well in just a few seconds.
Final verdict: This Blendtec blender is worth your money because you can make desserts, drinks, soups, and much more using this one blender. You will only have to wash a single jar instead of washing so many dishes.
Pros
Pros
- Durable
- Very quick
- Convenient to use; user-friendly
- Easy cleaning
- Pitcher-style pours easily
Cons
Cons
- A bit noisy
- Jar not sturdy
Kangaroo Brands Original 3/4″ Anti Fatigue Comfort Standing Mat Kitchen Rug
Preparing a full course meal with standing for long hours in front of your stove is quite stressful. This Anti Fatigue kitchen rug is ergonomically designed having a thickness of 3/4″, to make you stress and pressure free. Made from high-grade foam, it provides you support to stand for long hours. It is totally safe to use as its phthalate and latex free.
The surface of the mat is textured and edge beveled design will help you from tripping and slipping; the mat stays in its place. It is highly durable as it is made to last for years. No trouble if any food spills on it because it’s very easy to clean. As this mat is waterproof, you can clean it with a wet cloth or a vacuum.
The product dimensions are 32 x 20 x 1.2 inches and weigh just 2.7lbs. The extra soft superior cushioning of this anti-fatigue standing mat maintains the firmness and posture that is needed to keep a steady footing. The long-lasting cushion will not break or compress over time.
You can also use this mat to stand when washing dishes. What it does is that it provides firm but soft comfort on your feet so you don’t feel any discomfort while standing. It will also help in relieving pressure on your spine when standing for several hours.
Final verdict: It is a great product for your kitchen which allows you to stand comfortably for long hours. This mat is well designed and will definitely keep you relaxed while cooking.
Pros
Pros
- Ergonomically designed
- Non-slippery
- Easy cleaning
- Durable and sturdy
- Non-toxic
Cons
Cons
- Not to be used in showers or bath
Conclusion
To sum up, for a stress-free cooking session you should plan ahead, wear comfy clothes, use fresh ingredients, listen to music and last but not least use the right tools. Stay stress-free and enjoy making all your favorite dishes.
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