10 Indispensable Small Kitchen Appliances for Plant-Based Cooking

1. Hand Blender

A hand blender is a FANTASTIC small kitchen appliance that is super versatile. This tiny blender even makes smoothies, which means you don’t need to use your big, table-top blender every time you want to make a smoothie (an important feature in a small kitchen or when you’re on the road). For a long time, I didn’t think I needed a hand blender, and didn’t consider a hand-held blender as a viable option for making smoothies, but boy, was I wrong!

(For some reason, when I tried to make a smoothie, it didn’t come out right. Of course, after I discovered what I was doing wrong, making smoothies even with a handheld immersion blender is a breeze! After I learned a few tricks, the smoothies come out delicious every time!)

Regardless of whether you want to make smoothies with immersion blenders or not, it’s still worth it investing in one of those. They’re super versatile, plus they’re cute too!

2. Pressure Cooking/Instant Pot

I don’t know how I lived without a pressure cooker for so long! When you cook a lot of beans–and I cook beans ALL THE TIME (white beans, black beans, red beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas–you name them, I cook them!), you ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE a pressure cooker in your kitchen. Right now, I just use a plain pressure cooker and love it. It’s making my life so much easier. I just soak the beans of choice overnight, rinse and pressure-cook them in the morning, and lunch is ready.

Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Presto 01362 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker

Beans and vegetables cook to perfection fast!

The smart choice for preparing today’s lower calorie foods.
Cooks three to ten times faster than ordinary cooking methods!
Pressure cooking preserves flavors and nutrients, and tenderizes even the toughest beans.
Pressure regulator maintains the proper cooking pressure automatically.
Works on regular, smooth-top, and induction ranges. Beautiful stainless steel for long lasting beauty and easy cleaning.
Includes cooking rack and complete 64-page instruction/recipe book.

Pressure regulator maintains the proper cooking pressure automatically; Comes with 64-page instruction/recipe book. Ideal for use on regular, smooth-top and induction ranges; this stainless steel pressure cooker may also be washed in an automatic dishwasher. When washing in a dishwasher, you must first remove the sealing ring and overpressure plug from the cover as these parts must be hand washed. Cover lock indicator shows when there is pressure inside the cooker and prevents the cover from being opened until pressure is safely reduced Helper handle for ease of handling; Extended 12-year limited warranty.

If you want some extra features, multi-feature electric cooker is a great choice as well.

Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer (IP-DUO60), Stainless Steel/Black

This particular unit has an impressive list of features:

7-IN-1 APPLIANCES: electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer
QUICK ONE-TOUCH COOKING with 13 Smart Touch customizable programs for pressure cooking soups, beans, rice, desserts and more on autopilot
COOK FAST OR COOK SLOW with pressure cooking up to 70% faster than traditional cooking methods or slow cooking for traditional grandma-approved recipes
QUICK AND EASY CLEAN-UP with finger-print resistant, stainless-steel sides and dishwasher-safe lid, inner pot, and accessories
10+ SAFETY FEATURES including overheat protection and safe-locking lid
POPULAR SIZE: 8-quart large capacity cooks for up to 8 people – perfect for families, and also great for meal prepping and batch cooking for singles and smaller households
SMART-DESIGN INNER POT uses food-grade stainless-steel (18/8), a tri-ply bottom for even cooking, perfect for sautéing
HUNDREDS OF RECIPES in the free Instant Pot app (iOS and Android) so you can discover new favorites and prepare delicious meals right from the start

3. Cast Iron Skillet

I don’t know why it took me so long to buy one of these. I love cooking with them! Yes, they’re heavy, and need a little special care, plus the handles heat up, so you need to be careful, but they don’t scratch, you can put them in the oven, and you’re able to cook foods to perfection just like on a grill. Cast iron skillet is perfect for sauteing onions, mushrooms, eggplants, peepers, and other vegetables. Also, ideal for frying tofu, pancakes, veggie burgers, and other stuff.

Choose the size and style that best suits your needs, or get more than one–they’re affordable, durable, and absolutely worth it!

Ladies and Gentleman these are NOT your teflon coated aluminum/ stainless steel/ trendy copper pans! These are CAST IRON heavy nitty gritty will scald your hands and sprain your wrists with their weight if you don’t handle them properly. These are pans that your great grandchildren will treasure and these pans will make you a MUCH better cook IF you learn the difference between these and the others.

If you are not familiar with the cast iron ways then let me tell you, you are missing out. This thing cooks better than a Teflon pan, is easier to clean, and doesn’t release harmful chemicals into your food. Other ways it differs from the Teflon pan is that it takes longer to heat up, but once it is hot it does a better job at distributing and maintaining heat.

Here is how I keep my cast iron skillet 100%:
After cooking, I forget about the skillet and let it cool.
Once I remember it is dirty, I run it under hot water and wash away food debris with The Ringer (another great product on amazon, it’s a stainless steel, mesh cleaner). This takes roughly 15-30 seconds, remember it doesn’t have to be perfect (best part), you just need the food chunks off.
After this I dry with a paper towel, pour (or spray) a little oil in the skillet and wipe around with the same paper towel.
Last, I heat on the stove (med high heat) until it smokes and then remove from heat. This seasons and dries the skillet at the same time. Seasoning makes the skillet stick-free and prevents it from rusting.

That is it! Overall it takes maybe 2 minutes of your attention to clean the skillet after heavy use. Do this and your skillet can last you your whole life and some, while constantly delivering the most delicious cooked food.

Cast iron cookware is less smoother than the Non-Stick cookware. Iron deficiency is fairly common worldwide especially among women and cooking food in a cast iron skillet can increase iron content by as much as 20%. Hand wash even before first use and dry immediately; rub with a light coat of vegetable oil after every wash. Allow cast iron skillet to cool completely before washing them in hot soapy water with a sponge using regular dishwashing liquid soap; it is not dishwasher safe. Its superior heat retention will keep your mouth watering food warm for a long time.

4. Dutch Oven

I used to admire Le Creuset pots and pans, loving all the colors, but the price being just too high. Right now, you can buy absolutely BEAUTIFUL Dutch ovens in all colors and sizes–and at prices that don’t break the bank. They are great for slow cooking, and look GORGEOUS when put on a table.

CONVENIENT DESIGN: a durable and multi-functional item creating flavorful meals that can go from stove top, to oven, to table – a true one pot wonder.

STOVETOPS: compatible with gas, electric, ceramic, and induction stovetops. Cooking is a breeze with no need to season – enjoy the excellent heat retention and distribution of the cast iron, making this item ideal for slow cooking.

CROCK-POT: founded in August 1970, Crock-Pot introduced the Crock-Pot slow cooker, paving the way for a new category of appliances and revolutionizing the way American’s cooked for their families. Vibrant colors and classic designs, Crock-Pot’s versatility is trusted by millions.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS: the easy clean and rust free dutch oven is hand wash recommended.

5. Silicone Spatulas

Cooking tools like spatulas are often overlooked, but they’re effective and convenient for mixing ingredients and won’t scratch your beautiful cookware. Its flexible and flat surface allows for easier spreading and lifting of sauces, soups, frosting and other baking adornments.

DI ORO Seamless Series

VERSATILE, BEAUTIFUL COLORS & FASHIONABLE DESIGN: Can be used for baking, flipping, sauteing, and cooking. They will protect your pots and jars perfectly. Great for scraping your bowls or jars. No food and grease down my sink. No wasting the last bit of any jar or can. Give them as a gift, and people will be impressed.

6. Salad Spinner

I love my OXO salad spinner. Unfortunately, after probably 20+ years of use (or so), it needs to be replaced. I’m considering a green Cuisinart, Farberware, or I’ll just stick with OXO, I’m not sure yet.

Washing your salad greens seems simple enough, right? Just put them in a bowl, toss with water, and drain the water. Boom. Done. However, in practice, it doesn’t quite work out that well. Once the greens get wet, they need to dry before you can use them. Well, you can use them wet, but the salad dressing will slide right off and they may have a soggier texture. This is where the salad spinner comes in. With a salad spinner, you can quickly and easily wash, rinse, and dry your salad greens in time for dinner.

The salad spinner is more than just a device for quickly rinsing and drying salad fixings. Use the basket separately as a colander, and the clear plastic bowl for serving. Plus, it makes salad last longer!

7. Set of Knives

You do need a great set of knives in your plant-based kitchen.

Cuisinart C77WTR-15P Classic Forged Triple Rivet 15 Piece Set White
J.A. Henckels International Statement Kitchen Knife Set – These knife sets are stocked with tools to easily tackle your kitchen tasks. Honed for long-lasting sharpness, the fine-edge blades boast precision cutting. The all-rounder 8″ Chef’s Knife is perfect for chopping herbs and dicing onions and the 8″ Bread Knife cleanly slices through crusty sourdough. Efficiently mince garlic with the 7″ Hollow Edge Santoku, whose blade has small indentations, aka grantons, that prevent food from sticking while cutting.
McCook MC29 Knife Sets,15 Pieces German Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Block Sets
Cuisinart C55-12PCKSAM 12 Piece Color Knife Set with Blade Guards

8. Sprouting Tray and Seeds

If you want to have enjoy your own fresh sprouts at home–here are some excellent sprouting trays to do it. It’s really super easy, and a fun project to do with kids.

The following two tools aren’t really essential for beginners, but an experienced cook may consider investing in them (I’m not there yet, I admit.)

9. Kitchen Torch

Kitchen torch is something I’ve been considering lately, as an addition to my kitchen. It’s probably not a must-have, but I only have electric stove in my apartment right now, and a torch may come in handy when making vegan creme Brulee or torching peppers.

Blow Torch, Professional Kitchen Cooking Torch with Lock Adjustable Flame Refillable Mini Blow Torch Lighter for BBQ, Baking, Brulee Creme, Crafts

10. Tofu Press

tofu-maker

A tofu press can come handy if you want to press the water out of tofu and allow it to easier absorb marinades or flavors of the dish. A tofu press can help speed up the process and give you some delicious tofu to add to tons of meals. Plus, you may try making your own tofu at home. You just need to look for the tofu tutorials online,you’ll easily make a delicious tofu. Personally, I haven’t tried it yet, as I’m still buying my tofu, and I’ve discovered my own way of preparing tofu that’s super delicious, but I’m going to give it a try one of these days (and write about it).

EZ Tofu Press
Mangocore Plastic Tofu Press Mould DIY Homemade Tofu Maker Pressing Mold Kit + Cheese Cloth Kitchen Tool Tofu Mold
Tofu Press By Grow Your Pantry – Bamboo Wooden Design with a Stainless Steel Screw System – Bonus Tote Bag for Storage and Ebook Guide – this one looks like the perfect gift for every tofu lover.

Do you use any of these kitchen tools?
Or do you own any other appliance that you find indispensable?
Let me know in your comments.

PS. Also, be sure to check out my new Body Reset Program–and get the Green Reset Book Bundle for FREE when you join!