26 Cheap Things That'll Make You Seem Like A Better Cook
Because we love to eat, but we don't love spending money.
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1. A garlic prepping set with a silicone tube (that'll peel the garlic) and a press (that'll mince it) so you can flavor your food without getting stinky fingers.
2. A cast iron pan that'll be one of the most versatile tools in your kitchen. Use them on the stove, pop 'em in the oven. They're basically indestructible — we're talking magic pans, folks.
3. A set of silicone baking liners to make stuck-on foods (looking at you, fish!) a thing of the past. Just pop it on your sheet pan and bake away.
4. A set of silicone egg poachers with perforated cups to mimic the traditional poaching method (aka swirling water around and around) without having to do any work — and so your egg stays perfectly round and never wisps away.
5. A 48-blade meat tenderizer to create "heat channels" that'll reduce cooking time by up to 40% — meaning less time for your meat to get dried out in the oven.
6. A clip-on strainer made of sturdy BPA silicone so you can drain your pasta one-handed! No more overcooked pasta while you try to unearth that giant colander.
7. A fish spatula great for (surprise) SO MUCH more than fish! It has a beveled edge, meaning it slides right under anything (even delicate foods like eggs) for easy flipping or removing items from the pan — without scratching it.
8. A two-stage knife sharpener with one channel for coarse sharpening (like on those extremely dull 20-year-old knives in your drawer) and one channel for polishing and regular touch-ups, because chopping with dull knives isn't only tedious, it's also very dangerous.
9. BuzzFeed's Tasty One Top, an all-in-one cooktop that'll pair with your phone (and the Tasty app) so you can take each recipe step by step — it even adjusts the temperature according to each step of the recipe. NO MORE BURNT FOOD!
10. A pair of herb scissors, because chopping scallions, basil, and other flavorful ingredients is tedious, but you deserve better than bland food.
11. A two-in-one juicer and citrus grater to kick your ~zest for life~ (and your for cooking delicious recipes) up a notch.
12. A sushi-making kit that'll start you on a ~roll~ when it comes to trying new recipes — and will save you money over time compared to going to that local schmancy sushi bar.
13. A microplane to finely grate aged-to-perfection parmesan cheese, zest citrus fruits, or shave chunks of frozen herbs right into your dish and add a boost of flavor at the last minute.
14. A set of mixing bowls with handles and silicone non-stick bottoms, because whether you're creaming together frosting, tossing together the ingredients for a pasta salad, or whisking eggs to make a scramble, you do NOT want your hard work to end up on the floor.
15. A five-ingredient cookbook, because you don't have to combine 3,000 different ingredients and sweat for five hours to make a delicious dish.
16. An emulsifying bottle with a build-in blender ball for flavorful homemade salad dressings, marinades, and sauces you'll drizzle on everything.
17. A set of porcelain ramekins, because when you're hosting a dinner party, serving a couple low-key desserts in these bad boys will feel way fancier than that cake that was going to be a flop anyway.
18. A 10-in-1 chopper and storage set that'll make all your friends say "wow, how did you learn how to dice so perfectly?"
19. A dumpling maker for satisfying those Crazy Rich Asians cravings with far less effort. Although if Nick Young wants to come over and teach me how to do it by hand, that's fine too.
20. A three-in-one avocado prepping tool perfect for fanning out 'Grammable slices on your avo toast. Sorry buying a house, but I just really love this food.
21. A ravioli-making mold that will help you fill (without overfilling) your favorite pillows of goodness and make them in huge batches.
22. An easy-to-read digital meat thermometer to help you walk the fine and tender line between "this meat is a dried out husk" and "welp, just gave everyone food poisoning!"
23. A set of silicone tongs to take your stir-fry and meat-flipping skills to the next level. You know how you always see chefs in cooking shows do, like, everything with tongs? That's because it makes everything easier.
24. An ingeniously designed olive oil bottle that'll infuse the flavor of whatever herb you want (looking at you, rosemary) and then measure the ideal amount for whatever recipe you're using. Use this to top salads, simple pasta dishes, or just for dunking hunks of bread for a majorly upgraded dinner game.
25. A handy-dandy aluminum baking tray (or two), so you can try all 18,000 of those sheet pan dinner recipes you've seen with minimal effort. All you need is a protein + veggies + salt + oil + any seasonings you want. That is IT.
26. And Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, a book that'll teach you the building blocks of *how* to cook and build up flavors, not just recipes to follow. This is how you can start experimenting with recipes and flavors of your own!
I'm not saying Gordon Ramsey will be disappointed if you don't try these, but I'n not *not* saying that.
