The 5 Kitchen Gadgets That Everyone Should Have

I watch a lot of shows on Food Network, much to my chagrin.

I have always said, I'd like to see some of these uppity cooks do their thing in a real kitchen

My kitchen is small and it has the added feature of having cabinets that are very low, which limits what I can have sitting on my counter space. Today Ree Drummond was making hashbrown waffles in the biggest waffle iron I have ever laid eyes on.

Uh I have a barely used Belgian waffle iron and a Nordicware cast iron, stove top iron.

I think there are about 5 gadgets that should be in every kitchen whether they are for cooking or prep.

1. A Crock Pot: The size depends on how many people you have in your household. I have a small 4 qt and a larger 5 qt. Because of space issues, I store mine in the basement when not in use, but it is definitely not a gadget that I could live without, even if I hate cleaning it.

2. A good mixer: Everyone should have at least a good quality hand mixer. (If you can find one with attachments the better) If you are a baker, having a Kitchenaid stand mixer is a must. They are pricey but well worth the investment. Plus there are so many attachments you can buy once you own one that you can do many many things from grounding your own meat to making pasta.

3. A Food Processor: This is a versatile gadget. I mean chopping nuts, making salsa, shredding cheese and veggies. I like this article on the Food Processor v/s The Blender. The blender is also an awesome gadget, but I've found that I've only used it a handful of times. I'm not a smoothie maker, but if you are, this is something you should add.

4. A toaster or toaster oven. No home should be without a toaster. (If you have a big enough kitchen, a toaster oven is so worth the investment. I wish I had the counter space for one, as they are great for brownies, open faced cheese sandwiches and small casseroles)

5. An egg slicer.  This is such a little gadget, but as I look at my huge collection of appliances and gadgets..its one that gets a lot of use. If you can find a really good one, it makes making egg salad so much easier, as you double slice the egg.

Some runner up things

1. A mandolin slicer, but for god sake use the guard. I love this for making scalloped potatoes, fried zucchini, or cucumber salad.

2. Pineapple peeler: If you like pineapple this is a great gadget and it really works like a charm.