Cutting board
Wooden cutting boards are my absolute favorite for cutting all foods. Using a good mineral oil on your clean cutting boards will help extend their life and prevent bacteria from inching its way into the grooves of the board. Wooden cutting boards are also friendly on your knives, unlike stone varieties.
If food contamination is an issue or concern, pick up colored plastic cutting boards and label them for the use (for example, green for vegetables and fruits, red for meats, yellow for poultry, blue for fish, and white for all other foods). A bonus to plastic cutting boards is that many are dishwasher safe!
Measuring spoons and cups
Pick up a set of volumetric measuring spoons and cups. The recipes in this book use the standard American tool for volumetric measuring.
Sheet pans
Having one good, heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan is especially useful if you enjoy sheet-pan meals! Nordic Ware (www.nordicware.com) is my top pick for sheet pans.
Baking dishes
Ideally, have a 9-x-13-inch casserole dish and either a 9-x-9-inch or an 8-x-8-inch casserole dish. Baking dishes are essential for meal prep and executing a fast meal.
Muffin pans
Muffin pans aren’t just for baking muffins. They’re great for baking mini meat loaves, frittatas, or portioned-out items. If you’re short on storage space, consider picking up silicone individual muffin holders — they’re sturdy and they can be baked on a sheet pan instead.
Parchment paper
When it comes to easy clean up, parchment paper is a must-have kitchen buy. It’s safe at high oven temperatures, and it helps keep foods from sticking to sheet pans while baking. Just make sure you don’t mistake wax paper for parchment paper — they aren’t the same thing!
Digital thermometer
Blame it on my culinary training, but I’m a firm believer that every kitchen needs a digital thermometer, particularly the instant-read variety. Whether you’re checking to see if your meat loaf is fully cooked or whether your steak is cooked to perfection, having a thermometer on hand can save you from cutting into food to check for doneness and losing precious juices and drying out your food. Pick up a simple one by OXO (www.oxo.com) or a more expensive one by ThermoWorks (www.thermoworks.com); they range in price from $20 to $100.
Storage containers
When it comes to storage containers, you need two types:
Silicone: Reusable silicone storage containers are dishwasher, microwave, and often oven safe. They’re also free of the harmful chemicals found in plastic products that can leach into your foods. Some of my favorite products are Souper Cubes (www.soupercubes.com) for portioning out pasta sauce, soups, or stews and freezing to enjoy later. (re)zip (https://rezip.com) storage bags are leakproof and stand up for easy storage organization in the refrigerator. Net Zero Company (www.netzerocompany.com) makes stretchable silicone storage lids, which helps minimize the use of plastic wrap.
Glass: Glass storage containers are heat and cold safe. Glass is incredibly useful for storing prepped items and can be stacked neatly in the refrigerator for clean storage and food identification.
https://bentgo.com).
Mason jars
Mason jars are great for food storage and as a cooking vessel in both the oven and microwave. You can also save glass jars, such as pickle jars or jam jars, and use them for food storage, but don’t assume you can heat them in the microwave or oven. Wide-mouthed Mason jars are great for soups and salads in a jar!
Nice-to-Haves: Tools to Add to Your Wish List
Some kitchen tools make your life easier, but they aren’t absolutely essential for meal prep. On the other hand, it’s always nice to get a shiny new kitchen gadget… . So, if your family is asking for suggestions for your birthday, or you’re just looking to treat yourself, read on.
Mandoline
A mini mandoline is useful for quickly slicing fruits and vegetables. The OXO V-Blade Mandoline Slicer (www.oxo.com/oxo-good-grips-v-blade-mandoline-slicer.html) is a time-saving tool for fast meal prep.
Spiralizer
Spiralized hard fruits and vegetables are fun and popular in the meal-prep world. This tool is fun, but not necessary, especially if space is limited. Don’t fret if you don’t have the space; you can find many pre-spiralized vegetables at grocery stores.
Silicone baking mats
The silicone version of parchment paper is easy to use, easy to clean, and good for about two years of regular use. It’s best to only heat up to 450 degrees when using a silicone baking mat. Silicone is a nontoxic polymer made from sand. Silpat (www.silpat.com), a popular brand of silicone mats, can run from $15 to $30 per mat.
Food processor, blender, or immersion blender
This can be a splurge for many households, both in terms of price and space. But a high-powered blender or food processor is a time-saving tool for making salsas, soups, sauces, and smoothies. If space is limited, consider a handheld immersion blender (also referred to as a stick blender). Find one that fits your budget. Good brands to consider are Black
