Appliances
You don’t need a ton of bulky equipment, but these few items are what I like to call the “Essential Power Tools” for your kitchen
Cuisinart Immersion Stick
If you’re just starting out, I recommend this one appliance. Before I had a Vitamix, I would use this make hummus and blend smoothies. I couldn’t afford a high-speed blender and was moving around a lot. I still use this for emulsifying vinaigrettes and for pureeing soups.
Vitamix Blender
Once you’ve moved on from the immersion stick, I recommend this high-powered blender. I consider it more of a power-tool than anything. It can puree some of the creamiest soups and sauces. I also like the wide base of this model as it can double as food processor for making chunky pesto and other texturally pleasing dips. A blender like this is superior to a Magic Bullet as it allows you to drizzle in oil or add in ingredients as you blend. Blend on!
Kitchen-Aid Mixer
These mixers come a variety of colors and while they do take up a lot of room, they have a timeless look. They last forever and are super durable. You can also add attachments to make pasta or even sausages. Alternatively, if space is limited a handheld mixture will do the trick as well.
Instant Pot
I will admit, I was late to jump on the Instant Pot trend as I am classically trained and prefer the slow method of braising in a Dutch oven over stovetop. However, when I was sick of my brown rice sticking to the bottom of my pots and I was spending 4 hours making beans, I knew it was time to let technology take over. While I don’t believe you should be making cheesecake or a frittata in a a pot, this appliance allows for perfectly cooked rice morsels and plump beans in less than 30 minutes.