If you’ve read more than one of my blog posts, chances are you’ve gathered that I enjoy spending time in the kitchen. And, while our little kitchen is pretty well-stocked with various appliances and tools (we just got a mandolin over the weekend to add to our culinary collection — wahoo!), I still have a wish list of items I’d love to have on hand at some point. Some are pretty pricey, and others are quite affordable. Here goes:
- Some kick-ass knives: We have a pretty decent set of Giada knives right now, but eventually it would be great to upgrade to something even nicer (along with a quality sharpener, of course). Perhaps some from this highly rated collection?:
- More Silpats: These things make SUCH a difference when baking. (Actually, I refuse to bake cookies without using mine.) The trouble is, though, I only have one at the moment and would like to have an assortment on hand so I can keep batches moving a little quicker:
- Chopper: Lots of my baking recipes call for ingredients like chopped nuts or chocolate, and it can be a bit tedious (and messy — those pieces can fly everywhere!) to handle that on a cutting board, and sometimes pulling out the food processor for such a little job can feel like overkill. Enter the perfect solution: the chopper. This Williams-Sonoma option looks pretty excellent:
- Mortar and pestle: It would be great to have one of these on hand for grinding spices, combining herbs, and more. Plus, isn’t it pretty?:
- Pineapple slicer and dicer: These are SO COOL. I love fresh pineapple, and feel like I’d buy more of it if I had this handy dandy device. (Bonus: You can use the pineapple base intact to create fun pineapple cups for delicious tropical beverages!):
- Butcher’s block: I’d LOVE one of these for food prep. It would not only offer more functional counter space, but I think they look gorgeous, too. Unfortunately, we don’t have the space for a butcher’s block in our current kitchen, but one day I’d like to have one that looks, I don’t know, something like one of these, maybe?:
- Ginger grater: Whoa. This looks awesome. I would like one, please:
- Mango slicer: Don’t you hate slicing mangoes? I really, really dislike it. But I really, really like mangoes. I feel, then, as though something like this would be an excellent tool:
Fellow cooks and bakers: What else should I add to my kitchen tools wishlist?