5 Kitchen Tools Worth Your Space & Investment

So many people assume that a professional organizer is going to tell them to get rid of all of their beloved belongings. Not me! I want the things that are in your home to be worth your space and your investment. The place I want this for you the most? YOUR KITCHEN! Everyone uses their kitchen so differently and has such a different rhythm in that necessary space. But in this episode I'm going to share with you 5 Kitchen tools that are definitely worth that valuable kitchen cabinet space and your hard earned dollar bills!

When we're thinking about our kitchen, we should be thinking in terms of tools. We want everything in our kitchens to serve a purpose, of course, but I really get giddy when kitchen tools can serve MULTIPLE purposes. In order for me to say a kitchen item is worth your space and investment, it needs to work hard for that space and be as flexible of an item as possible.

Pressure Cooker/Air Fryer/Crockpot Combo

This is not a small appliance by any stretch! But so many people I know have either an instant pot, crockpot, or air fryer without purchasing the other appliances. When a friend told me that I could get all three of these appliances in the form of one in this nifty combo machine, I immediately hit buy when it went on sale and haven't looked back. We love our Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 so much that it lives on our countertop! It gets daily use, multiple times daily. We reheat French fries, prep shredded chicken, make soup, cook rice (perfectly EVERY TIME), and use it to toast bagels. I had resisted buying a pressure cooker for about two years, and I'm so glad I got this multi-use appliance instead. 

Quality Knives

Never, ever, ever will you see the following in my kitchen:

• A strawberry slicer
• An onion chopper
• An apple slicer
• Avocado slicer/pitter
• A BANANA SLICER. Y'ALL.

My point? All of these things can be done with a simple knife in the amount of time that it takes for you to find the little one-off tool that you use three times a year. A quality knife--quality being the keyword, here--will safely chop, dice, slice, and julienne all of the fruits and veggies you encounter. It might even spatchcock  your Thanksgiving bird or slice your weekly everything bagel.

The biggest things about ensuring you're working with a quality knife? 

1. A solid piece of metal from tip to handle. You don't want the blade to fall out of the handle while you're working!
2. A sharp, sharp, sharp blade. The sharper the blade, the less pressure you have to apply. The less pressure you apple, the smaller your chance of slipping and slicing open your finger. You want the thing sharp.

Yes, that's it. Find one or find a set, but make sure they're quality.

Multiple Cutting Boards of Various Sizes

I used to have one large cutting board that lived on my counter and that was all I ever used. That was fine--when I was a vegetarian! But now, I don't want my chicken germs seeping into my wooden boards. So instead, we now have several cutting boards. A set of three bamboo boards from large to small that are not precious to us and that we throw in the dishwasher whether we ought to or not, my large pretty board that I use for arranging a charcuterie, and our plastic cutting board for chicken and fish (and any other meat we might prep).

I don't have to constantly wash boards to eat healthy food or wonder what was last chopped on it. I just grab another.

A Beautiful Braiser or Dutch Oven

I didn't know how much I needed a braiser until Bri McKoy, kitchen genius extraordinaire and literal ray of sunshine, talked about one on the 10 Things to Tell You podcast with Laura Tremaine. But as always, Bri was so very right! I didn't need the depth of a Dutch oven, but I wanted quick and easy ways to make delicious meat. The solution? Braise it. Braise the chicken in a tomato sauce. Braise the beef in wine. It will all be better if we just braise it. I got a lovely white one that coordinates with my other dishes in case I want to serve directly from it on the table and since I move frequently and don't know the color scheme of my next kitchen, but if you're more settled why not get a beautiful color? This item lives on my stovetop, and a pop of color from this particular tool would be gorgeous!

Coordinating Dishes

Speaking of color and brilliant women, my aunt taught me long ago the beauty of all-white dishes. She pointed out that over time, you can collect different platters, gravy boats, plates, and vases that all look perfect together if they're all the same color. She was, as always, right. I have dishes and serving platters from different times and places in life, even a solid white porcelain teapot. When I use them all together, it looks intentional. I bring in color with linens and, frankly, the food, so I have never been bored with this choice. In fact, there's even research to show that our brains enjoy food served off a white plate more! 

Even if you don't have an all white dish rule, it can be helpful to choose a coordinating color palate so that your investment in quality dishes takes you farther for longer. Complimentary colors like blue and yellow could be fresh and vibrant year round in the right setting, and you might find just the right pieces while thrifting and antiquing with your siblings. When you only have one set of dishes and they all work together, you don't need to store secondary pieces in the attic, a china cabinet, or that weird space over your refrigerator. You can use what you have all year round and easily replace anything that's broken with a coordinating selection. 

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So, think through the tools in your kitchen that serve multiple functions and if they actually deserve the space you give them! I would also love to know your favorite multi-purpose tools. Send me an email or let me know on social media. I look forward to hearing from you!