Ten Must-Have Kitchen Tools from Amazon

As with most of the American public, here in the McMillan household we find Amazon shopping to be reallllly nice (all things considered). It’s EASY, CONVENIENT, and it’s super QUICK!

We even made our wedding registry on Amazon, which has given us a great opportunity to explore many new kitchen tools & utensils this past year.

While we have had a few sub-par Amazon kitchen items, there have also been several standout ones! We decided to compile a list of our top TEN current favorite kitchen tools from Amazon. The list isn’t in any particular order, but if I had to pick my favorite, it would probably be my Vitamix Explorian Blender.

While Vitamix Blenders are expensive, they do tend to be some of the highest ranked blenders on the market right now. The ten available speeds allow me to blend different foods at different speeds, thus getting exactly the texture and level of smoothness that I’m looking for!

One of our favorite COOL features of the Vitamix is the fact that the blades spin so fast that if you blend for long enough it will actually heat up your food! We’ve tried this with some soups and loved it.

Don’t worry though, if you are trying to make ice cream or a smoothie and want it to stay cold, don’t blend it for tooooo long and your food will turn out just fine :)

Whether you’re shopping for your own kitchen, for a Christmas present, for a wedding present, or for any other reason, we hope that you can find this list helpful!

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1) Vitamix Explorian Blender, 64 ounce

Highly-rated, professional grade blender with ten variable speeds for culinary precision! As mentioned previously, this blender was definitely our kitchen buy of the year! I’ve loved how smooth it makes my hummus, how effectively it blends smoothies, how QUICKLY it blends food, and how easy it is to use and clean.

Two of my favorite recipes to make in the Vitamix are Easy Hummus and Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

2) Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Are you consistently overcooking your meat? Are you undercooking your meat? Do you worry that you might get people sick with your cooking? Is your homemade candy hit and miss?

The easy fix to these kitchen dilemmas is the Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer!

The Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer is a digital food probe that is waterproof, quick, and easy to read. This thermometer boasts not only the ability to measure meat temperatures, but can also be used for baking and / or candy-making. Whether in the kitchen or outside at the grill, Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer is sure to be a winner!

I especially love using my meat thermometer when I’m making chicken because I can ensure the chicken is tender and juicy, while also being sure that it’s safe to eat!

3) Bosch Mixer with Stainless Steel Bowl

Wade got a Bosch Mixer from his mom the Christmas before he & I got married. It has been a WELL-LOVED Christmas present. Wade refers to it as “the baker’s best friend.”

It’s crazy how a Bosch Mixer can turn a project like bread-making from something super daunting to something so easy! Even with a bake as easy as cookies, we almost never attempt it without pulling out the Bosch Mixer.

If you are looking for an INSANELY DELICIOUS recipe to try out in your Bosch Mixer, you have got to try Wade’s Homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe. I still cannot get over how good these are. Everything about them is perfect, and that’s even before I consider the fact that Wade made them (I’m super biased).

4) Snapware Glass Food Storage Containers

If you’ve been reading my recipe posts, you’ll know by now that I store almost everything in these Snapware Glass Food Storage Containers. I LOVE that they are microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe!

If you’re into meal prep at all, you will absolutely find these so useful! I love making meals ahead of time, filling these containers with that food, and then stacking them in either the refrigerator OR freezer.

If you have kids or pets that like to make messes in your kitchen, I also do recommend trying out the Snapware Plastic Food Storage Containers because you can drop them on the ground and they won’t break! Win win :)

5) Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

I know pressure cookers have been around for a while and most people do have one by now, BUT if you don’t have an Instant Pot or are looking for a gift idea for someone who doesn’t have one, this is definitely worth considering!!

My mom got me an Instant Pot mid-way through my first semester of college. I’d been doing all of my cooking in two small, gross-looking pots that I’d pilfered from my mom before she got rid of them. The pans had been gross when I got them and were even worse by the time I got rid of them.

The main issues with the two pots were that a) one of them didn’t have a lid, 2) the handle on the one that did have a lid was broken, and 3) I kept forgetting I was cooking things and then burning my food.

Seeing my need, my mom got me the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker and it changed the way I cooked. I LOVE that I can throw things into the Instant Pot and then forget about it! It will cook on its own and then beep when it’s done. Soups, chicken, pulled pork, rice, quinoa… you name it, and the Instant Pot will do it (and do it well).

Two great Instant Pot recipes that you should try are 1) Flavorful Instant Pot Brown Rice, and 2) Spanish-Style Stuffed Bell Peppers.

6) Cuisinart Stainless Steel Cookware Set

As I’m writing this post, I’m beginning to realize how many of our kitchen tools were purchased by either my mom or Wade’s mom! A huge shout out to moms ♡

This Cuisinart Stainless Steel Cookware Set was a wedding present for us from Wade’s mom. We’ve really enjoyed pretty much everything about it! The pans have been super durable so far and I love that they’re dishwasher safe.

Out of the whole set, we’ve really put the big stock pot to good use and made LOTS of batches of Chicken Gnocchi Soup and Creamy White Chicken Chili.

7) Silicone Baking Mat Set

Silicone baking mats are one of the biggest baking hacks out there regarding clean-up. We absolutely love being able to throw these straight into the oven or the smoker… and pretty much NO scrubbing is involved for cleaning them.

Along those same lines, it’s definitely worth checking out the silicone muffin pans. It is SO easy to pop cupcakes or muffins straight out of these pans. Perfect if you’re looking to cut down on cleaning AND / OR never have to buy paper muffin wrappers again!

8) Instant Vortex 6QT XL Air Fryer

This six-quart air fryer crisps, roasts, reheats, and bakes… a must have for quick and easy meals!

My favorite food I’ve made in the air fryer thus far has hands down been air fryer falafel (recipe coming soon). Falafel is usually fried, which results in a yummy, but greasy and high-calorie meal. When I made it in the air fryer, I simply brushed the top of each falafel ball with a little bit of olive oil. The result… exquisite (and low-fat)!

9) Camp Chef Smoker with Wood Pellet Grill

We got this Camp Chef Smoker for Christmas and it has been awesome! My favorite meal we’ve done on it so far is the Smoked BBQ Salmon with Mango Salsa. This recipe is SOOOO delicious. I know I say that a lot, but seriously… we don’t put a recipe up on the blog unless it’s delicious. And this one absolutely is DELICIOUS.

Cleaning out the smoker has been pretty easy so far, thanks largely to our Silicone Baking Mat Set. Any time we make steak, chicken, salmon, or kabobs in the smoker, we always put it on the silicone mat which then collects the juices (rather than letting everything drip into the smoker).

We’re still experimenting with different temperatures and smoke levels… more blog posts and recipes to come :)

10) Sweese 8 Ounce Ramekins

Sweese Ramekins have a diverse range of food and baking options. These ramekins are perfect for creme brulee, pazookies, mini-cobblers, and more! These porcelain ramekins are also oven safe!

If you’re looking for fun new (and easy) ramekin recipes, be sure to take a look at our Cakey Blueberry Cobbler recipe. I absolutely LOVE making these mini-cobblers… perfect for a one-person dessert ♡

SUMMARY

If you are interested in learning more about our favorite kitchen tools, please visit the Shop page on our website! The Shop page has links to many more of our favorite kitchen items.

Happy shopping!