Happy Friday! I don’t know about you guys but I am certainly ready for the weekend. Bad weather along with Bo’s recovery from surgery means that we have no plans. I could not be happier with this as a little bit of casual relaxation is just what I’m craving. I have 17 solo miles on the plan tomorrow morning and after that you will most likely find me relaxing on the couch watching Robin Williams’ best movies including Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, Mrs. Doubtfire and Dead Poets Society.

Today’s post is another great one from Bo. As you all know, he is the expert in our kitchen unless it has to do with smoothies or baking. While he’s teaching me little by little, he has far more experience cooking than I do. We thought it would be fun for him to share our top 5 kitchen tools. Many of these we received as part of our wedding registry and they have been part of our home for almost 5 years!

 

Wusthof Knife Sharpener One of the most annoying things in the kitchen is doing prep work with a dull knife. It is less efficient, you end up crushing things rather than cutting them, and it is actually more dangerous. Even if you don’t want to spend $1,000 on a full set of high-end knives, spend around $20 on a simple sharpener and keep your knives sharp.

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet I will readily admit that I likely wouldn’t have one of these if it weren’t for Ashley.  My mother never had one and I originally saw them as old-fashion and unnecessary.  However, I now know that this is one of the most useful pans in the kitchen.  It’s high specific heat means that it takes longer to bring up to temperature but it also looses heat slower than copper or steal.  It is perfect when you need to brown meat, its great when making an integrated sauce and goes perfectly into the oven. I even use it rather than a roasting pan when I make roasted chicken as I like the way that it radiates and helps brown the skin.

Microplane Classic Zester/Grater This is an incredibly useful kitchen tool.  Use it to grate ginger, Parmesan and nutmeg as well as to zest citrus.  The texture is unlike anything you get with any other tool.

Bodum 8 Cup French Press Coffee Maker I have always loved strong coffee and I think that the flavor that is produced by a French press cannot be replicated by any other means.  I would also love to own a really nice espresso machine but I can never seem to bring myself to spend the money.

Cuisinart Popcorn Maker This is a bit of a silly one but I LOVE popcorn. I also love having the ability to make it fresh, hot, and to control the amount of oil used.  I remember trying Healthy Choice popcorn once and thinking that it was the most disgusting thing that I had ever put in my mouth.  The stuff that comes out of here is just as healthy but tastes great!

Your turn – What is your favorite kitchen tool?