My Top 5 Must-Have Cooks Tools

I used to be one of those people who would binge watch QVC and buy a million kitchen aids and items that I offloaded onto charity shops all over the UK eventually, having realised that the addiction had to stop, and that there were only as many cleavers one woman could own before the neighbours stopped visiting.

'Anyone wanna come round for drinks and nibbles?'

THIS list however have every right to stay in my Top 5 and have earned themselves a place for saving time, money, or just simply making my life a lot easier when rustling up a tasty treat or a recipe.

1 - Quality Knives

Blunt knives do nobody any favours. Sweet potatoes? Forget about it! Tomatoes? Don't even try it. A good set of knives is always a must if you're a regular cook, it's is also dangerous to use a blunt knife, so change them if you're struggling to cut through a tomato or get a sharpener. You don't need expensive knives if you're cooking at home, but I recommend buying a semi-decent set that will last you a while.

SPLURGE - Jamie Oliver Acacia Knife Block - I love this set - and Jamie has even had the type of knife etched into the blade so you know what to use it for, prolonging the life of the knives. They aren't cheap, but they will last and I have enjoyed using these as they feel like great quality knives while your using them. You will know what I mean if you handle them!

https://amzn.to/2UzhCns

SAVE - VonShef Premium 7 Piece Professional Stainless Steel Knife Set

As a very good, lower-end but still high-quality knife, the VonShef range is actually still a pretty decent knife. I still prefer my Jamie Oliver, but this set it my day-to-day knife. They have a rotating stand which does collect a little dust but they perform well and the rotating stand is handy in the heat of the moment while cooking!

https://amzn.to/2HG4EAV

2 - Food Processor

If buying food processors was a sport, I would be at least a bronze medal holder! While most people out there get excited about shoes, clothes and diamond jewellery, get me a food processor - that's more my kinda best friend! For chopping, blending and mixing, there is nothing more satisfying than pressing that little button and watching my onions chop in under 5 seconds - no tears shed.

SPLURGE - KitchenAid 5KFP1325 Classic Food Processor

THIS is my kitchen pride and joy - it not only looks like retro food-processing sex on legs, it also works wonders and I will buy another one if it finally gives in under the ridiculous levels of ingredients it has to process for me during my cookery. It chops, grates, blends and mixes and makes my other kitchen helpers look a little redundant along side it on my bench!

https://amzn.to/2TH5ioT

SAVE - Philips HR7627/01 Daily Collection Food Processor

This Philips machine has received over 250 5 star reviews for performance, and is incredibly powerful. It will do all of the jobs you need is an excellent alternative if you don't want to part with a huge amount of money right now.

https://amzn.to/2HCDnz8

3 - Slow Cooker

Sometimes, you just want to get home and eat, PRONTO! My working week is a combination of managing our dental practice and blogging about food!. Even as food writer/blogger, even I have days when I want to eat whatever is ready to go. As someone who tries to maintain a healthy diet, I steer clear of frozen or packaged meals for myself and my husband.

A slow cooker is essential for us. I love being able to throw in a load of veggies and seasonings and coming home to a hot dinner we can both enjoy straight away.

Splurge - Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Compact Slow Cooker

This is my absolute favourite slow cooker. It looks so much nicer than any I've owned before and I can also cook it on the hob. The results are great and I highly recommend this device!

www.morphyrichards.co.uk

SAVE - Lakeland 1.5L Slow Cooker, Lakeland

This is my absolute favourite slow cooker. It looks so much nicer than any I've owned before and I can also cook it on the hob. The results are great and I highly recommend this device!

www.lakeland.co.uk

4 Reusable Coffee Capsules

There was a time when my Nespresso machine was the thing that made me most happy in my kitchen, I am addicted to coffee and. even though I have significantly cut down, I find that the first cup in the morning is the best.

Nespresso recently introduced recycling bag, which is a great start, but it's worrying to think about where that recyling actually ends up - apparently much of our waste is sent to India and, as there is so much to deal with, they simply aren't able to keep up with it all.

And then I discovered, my favourite of alllll of the gadgets. The reusable coffee capsule!

Splurge - VBESTLIFE Stainless Steel Refillable Coffee Capsule

Beauty and pracicality in one shiny package and the ability to make hundreds of cups of coffee from one reusable capsule. This is a splurge but at £29.99 it's hardly breaking the bank when you consider that you will never have to buy coffee capsules again and it only needs a small amount of ground coffee to make a cup.

https://amzn.to/2O7ute3

SAVE - Lictin 3pcs Reusable Refillable Coffee Capsules

Incredibly, these two reusable coffee caps come in at only £3.69. I mean, sure, they aren't as robust as the metal one, but in the interest of saving pennies, can you go wrong? I personally have not tried these ones and LOVE my metal version, but at £3.69 I am tempted to take a risk and give them a whirl!

https://amzn.to/2XWj05P

5 - Coffee Grinder

I love grinding my own coffee, the smell is sensational and the taste too, nothing can compare to freshly ground, so here is my coffee grinder and the slightly splurgy one that I wish I had...who am I kidding, I am SO buying the Krupps one!!

Splurge - Krups Expert Burr Grinder

With the Krups GVX2 you can grind beans to the desired fineness to suit your taste, and the type of coffee you are preparing. The GVX2 also has a number of cups (2-12) selector, so you can gauge quantities accurately. You can switch the grinder off manually, or it will switch itself off when the required quantity has been ground. Krups products sold and dispatched by Amazon carry the Krups International Limited Guarantee.

https://amzn.to/2Fgqycg

SAVE - Umigal Manual Coffee Mill Hand Coffee Grinder

I am by no means an expert of grinding coffee and what to use, but this one has done me well. Will it last forever? I am not sure, but I have had it for around 8 months now and it's still going strong. Hopefully it will go the distance, but if I do have to replace it, I have my heart set on the Krupps above. £17.99 for freshly ground coffee at the touch of a button is awesome in my book!

https://amzn.to/2TI580w

At those are my Top 5 (for now) time-saving gadgets.

With all this being said, do we need these gadgets? No, but they save a lot of time in prepping food and I often create several recipes in one day and need all the spare minutes I can get. And anyway, who wants to chop onions when there's a machine that will do it for you?

My next blog post will look at the eco-friendly alternative products I have switched to since becoming a more conscious, carbon-cutting cook!