Truly, I’ve never met a kitchen gadget I didn’t like. Over the years, I have purchased a crepe maker and a cherry pitter, a herb scissors and a special contraption for making jam (I used it once LOL.)  Also a yogurt maker, a vacuum sealer, a ….

Prediabetes has changed my priorities when it comes to kitchen equipment. Since I try to focus on less processed foods, I spend much more time in the kitchen, chopping and slicing,  standing and stirring.  Now, I buy tools with this objective: It makes food prep and cooking faster and/or more physically comfortable.

 

Here are a few of my beloved kitchen gadgets, all but one (the anti-fatigue mat) under $20. Note: I paid for these items myself, and received no promotional funds.

Anti-Fatigue Kitchen Mat

I have two mats, one in front of my stove and one at my kitchen sink. The mats enable me to stand longer in the kitchen, with less stress on my aging knees and lower back. My goodness! They are so helpful.
I purchased GelPro mats with a coupon years ago, but they have greatly increased in price. To spend less, do an online search for “anti fatigue kitchen mat” and you will find a variety of options to fit any budget.

 

Farberware Ceramic Knife

I discovered this a couple of years ago, when I was looking for an inexpensive knife to take in our camper. When we returned home, I put  it in our knife block.

Even though I own high-quality carbon steel knives, I find myself reaching for the Farberware knife frequently.  It’s super sharp and puts considerably less stress on my arthritic hand than my good knives do. To clean, I throw it in the dishwasher.

Jar Opener Tongs

Ever tire of wrestling with super tight jar lids, running them under hot water and/or banging them on the countertop? These tongs, which accommodate different size jar lids, cut down on frustration and save time.

OXO Meat Chopper and Turner 

I use a lot of lean ground turkey and sometimes, extra lean ground beef. Since neither have a lot of fat, the meat is hard break up into crumbles.
I have used this for about eight months, and now wonder how I did without it.  It makes pan-cooking lean ground meat so much quicker to do.

 

Tiny Cutting Board

I used to sometimes skip adding a very small amount of chopped onion, ginger, etc. to a dish because I didn’t  want to have to scrub a big cutting board. 😔 However, tiny bits of flavor can really ramp up the quality of  a lower-fat, lower-sodium recipe.

I finally purchased a tiny cutting board, which means a tiny amount of cleanup. I use it often to cut up little bits of whatever. (Available in many stores, or through Amazon.)

Enjoy being comfortable and saving time in the kitchen!