Kitchen Gadgets
Long Tomato Stem Corer, Melon Baller, Stainless Steel
These are so convenient and easy to use. I use them mostly on strawberries and tomatoes to remove the green parts. It makes this task so much easier than with a knife! I brought mine from Germany and am happy to find them here, too.
Veggie Chopper
This tool saves me so much time in the kitchen! … and not just that: my veggies have the same size which makes it easier to cook all of it at the same amount of time until they are done. I wouldn’t want to live without it – especially when it comes to cutting onions!
This bread slicer, operated with a hand crank, brings some nostalgic and beauty into your kitchen. The American Guillotine style bread slicers are not working for most German bread loafs while this slicer makes beautiful and precise slices of bread, cheese, cold cuts, and more as thin as you can imagine. The price tag on amazon.com is unfortuantely double of what I paid for at amazon.de. If you are traveling to Germany, here is my tip: Oder it there and bring it here in your suitcase! It should fit in most regular suitcases, at least if fit into mine.
These are the only straws we ever use! They are easily cleaned with the little brush and won’t hurt any animal in nature. Did you know that 500 Million plastic straws are used every day? I believe we can do better than that! Need a straw solution for when you are eating & drinking out? Look here! (Hint: That’s also a great conversation starter!)
Measurments
I usually give you my recipes in metric units. They are easy to double or divided and beat cups in precision all the time. But if you want to convert to ounces and lbs, this scale will easily convert it and you can take notes. Important for every kitchen scale: a TAR function. For smaller amounts, I recommend this measuring spoon:
These measuring cups shows metric and also several customary measurements. I would honestly be lost without them. Since they are made from glass, I don’t have to worry about BPA when using in the microwave or cleaning them in the dishwasher. For smaller amounts, I have the little shot glass measuring cups:
Bowls
You watch me using stainless steel bowls in my kitchen all the time. Mine are actually from IKEA but if I would need to buy some now, I would choose these. I like that they have measure marks inside and come with lids.
I use these small wooden bowls for spices, fresh yeast, and other ingredients in small amounts. First gathering and preparing all ingredients and then starting to cook makes the process easier.
Food Storage
Glass Containers are a much better storage solution than plastic. They don’t stain, they don’t mind acid, one can look perfectly through, they don’t need extra drying in the dishwasher and also won’t bend or shrink and they are reusable for the rest of your life. On top: They are so much better for the environment! And if a glass container won’t do, silicone bags are fantastic! They don’t spill anything, not even sauce and they also can go into the dishwasher and be reused over and over.
Beeswax Food Wraps are a wonderful alternative to cling wrap or wrapping in aluminum. Just touching the beeswax cloth with your warm hands will get them into the shape you want and cover bowls, wrap sandwiches and cakes … and they come in so many shapes and colors, bringing even more fun into the kitchen! I love my beeswax covers and use them all the time.
Shopping: Reusable Produce Vegetable Bags
These bags are great for produce shopping! I hate to use these little plastic bags where you fumble for minutes to open them and then later have to throw them away at home. These cotton bags can be used instead. There is a tag on every bag that tells you what TAR weight to use when you check out, so you pay only your product, not the weight of the bag. They can go into the washer, too!
Just put them into your shopping bags, so you don’t forget them at home!
Shopping: Reusable Shopping Bags
I haven’t used a plastic bag for my groceries in years. When we came to Texas about 10 years ago, I never saw anyone bringing their own bags but now many people do the same. I always have some of these colorful little bags in my purse and not only use them at the grocery: I use them at the book store, when I shop clothes … or when the large grocery bags are already fille because I (again) bought more than I had planned. For the larger grocery bags, I recommend some with a sturdy structure to make it easier to be filled with your bought goods. I also like bags with a long handle so I can put them on my shoulder when I carry them – this way I still have my hands free for car keys, sunglasses, etc.
Baking
Here I am going for the cheapest, to be honest. I am really not using this often enough to spend a lot on a baking frame. But it comes in very handy for various of my cakes like the Poppyseed Crumble Cake.
This is especially great for “none baking” cakes and I love that it is adjustable to different diameters.
Having a silicone baking mat is something you will never regret! You’ll never run out of it and it keeps the baking sheet clean, the baking goods won’t stick and it is easily cleaned – even in the dishwasher.
I use this tart pan for my strawberry / fruit cakes in summer. The extra indention at the rim makes sure that your filling stays on the cake! German quality by the way.
All you need for bread baking! I wish I had bought this all together, it would have saved me some money. Maybe also purchase a baking couche and you are all set for bread making.
Heavy Duty Kitchen Machines
Juicer
This juicer is amazing! It really gets every last drop out of your fruits and veggies and makes little noise. You will be left with a delicious, fresh juice and very little mess. The juicer makes very little mess and is easy to clean. I couldn’t live without it!
Stand Mixer
I have to admit that this mixer costs quite a buck but it was the best investment I ever did. With all the possible attachments it has so many functions and only few days go by where I don’t use it. Makes cooking and baking so much easier!
Blender
A quickly mixed healthy smoothy is always just a few seconds away for me. I am using frozen fruits, some dates, water or milk, add some almond butter and honey and that’s it. Tastes amazing and keeps me healthy and in shape!
Attachments
I have several attachments for my stand mixer, these ones are the most used ones in my kitchen. Besides this, I also have the pasta attachments.
Cleaning
Mix your own
I don’t use store-bought cleaners. I mix my own, very efficient cleaning products – without the harmful chemicals and without the residue. These bottles are pretty, made from glass and will spray perfectly.
Microfiber Cloth
I’m not really a big fan of synthetic fabrics but in this case, I must admit that for cleaning microfiber work best. With my homemade cleaners they work perfectly and make everything clean and shiny. And I keep washing and reusing them for years.
You’ve probably heard that dishwashing cloths and brushes often have more microbes living in them than on a public restroom door handle. Yikes! The silicone scrubber is the best solution to this problem: Just rinse it with hot water – done!
German Products
Dish Cleaning
“Frosch” is a German cleaning brand that provides green cleaning solutions. They have a lot of products that work very well. If you’ve been to Germany, you know we are obsessed with clean houses and this brand goes way back!
Vinegar Essence
Most of my cleaners contain vinegar and usually regular vinegar is working quite well. But Vinegar Essence (Essig means vinegar) will boost results and remove stubborn lime spots, soften clothes instead of using softeners and more. Besides being an environmentally friendly and fully biodegradable cleaning agent, you could also use it for pickling or salad dressings.
German Ingredients
