Must-have kitchen equipment for 2021

2020, the year of the pandemic, taught us what great meals you can prepare at home and still feel like you’re having dinner at fancy restaurants. Even though restaurants are about to reopen pretty much everywhere, why give up on your newly-found passion for home cooking? And every 5 star chef needs good kitchen equipment. Here are a few of the most sought-after kitchen utensils of 2021.

Cast Iron Wok

You cannot call yourself a cook if you don’t have a cast iron wok in your kitchen. Or maybe you can, but your life is so much harder in the kitchen. Once you start using a cast iron wok you’ll want to use it for most of the food you make.

It’s perfect for a stir-fry, but you can also use it for deep frying or for putting some meat to cook in the oven.

A wok made of cast iron has the advantage that it heats evenly so there’s no risk of burning part of the food or leaving some of your veggies undercooked. At the same time, cast iron has natural non-stick properties, so you can go easy on the oil and prepare healthy meals.

The glass and silicone lid is great for keeping the food hot and it also helps keep moisture in, so the meal will be ready to serve whenever you are.

Avocado Slicer

Do you find avocados to be a bit finicky? Well, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there’s a new thing called avocado slicer which makes it easy to deal with this otherwise yummy and nutritious fruit. If you like avocado on toast, the avocado slicer helps you peel, pit and slice the fruit in a few seconds, without making a mess on the kitchen top.

Food Thermometer

This is a must-have if you love steaks and roasts. Whenever you’re dealing with a large piece of meat, it’s very hard to know if it’s done and, of course, if it’s done to your liking, because some prefer their meat rare while others will have it medium rare. A food thermometer is easy to use. Just stick the long needle inside the piece of meat and you will have an instant reading of its core temperature so you’ll know if it’s done in the middle and not just on the surface.

Pancake Batter Mixer

Who doesn’t like pancakes for breakfast? Yet, it’s also the time of day when you’re in a hurry and don’t want to make a mess in the kitchen. This is where the pancake batter mixer comes in handy. All you have to do is add the ingredients through the large opening, drop in a small thingy called ‘blender ball’, screw the lid back on and shake the mixer for 30 seconds. The batter will be ready almost instantly and you can use the smaller upper opening to drop it in the pan. By the way, cast iron woks are great for making pancakes, too.

The best part of this pancake batter mixer is that it’s super easy to clean. Just take the lid off and rinse it for like 30 seconds and you’re done.

Adjustable Rolling Pin

Don’t you hate it when you’re making pastry and the recipe calls for the dough to have a certain thickness or diameter? How does that even work? The adjustable rolling pin is a new invention and, yes, it comes with precise measurements on the pin itself. Some models also include color-coded easy to use charts to help you make the perfect dough and cut it to measure. This way all your pastries will be amazing and if they aren’t, well, you’ll have no excuse left to use!