This post has been dancing in my head for the past year. Something I definitely want to pass on to my children. When we were first married we started out with very little. I remember my favorite item in the kitchen at the time was a Hamilton Beach mixer we had gotten as a wedding gift. We’ve been married for 12 years and I recently passed it on to a friend because it was still working great but as our family grew we needed a larger mixer. But we’ve slowly attained kitchen items that, yes, cost more money than we were handing over to Walmart every time something broke. We finally decided that if we’re going to buy it then it has to do two things.

1. Handle a large family’s needs.

2. Last a long time.

So here is a list of our favorite kitchen items that, had we had the money to begin with, we would have gotten when we were first married. All are strong, sturdy and incredibly durable. {click on photos for links to products}

1. Food Processor

We finally bought a food processor. We had been married 11 1/2 years when we finally caved to the high cost and got one. And we don’t regret it one bit. When we were first married we had one that held like…a cup and a half? It was tiny. And thankfully that little thing broke, forcing us to upgrade to accommodate our family. This thing is a beast! Whether it’s slicing or pureeing, it’s just amazing and an enormous time saver.

2. Blender

We had blenders in the past but they were so cheap and cracked or stuff would spray out or it wouldn’t actually ‘blend’. Like the food processor, this thing is also a beast! I know people drop incredible amounts of money on vitamix blenders but there really is no need to pay that much. This particular blender has been used daily in our house. For sauces, smoothies, etc.

3. Microplane Zester

We had a zester but it was more like a kinda tiny holed grater. It took far too much effort to zest a lemon. When we bought this zestor we were shocked at how fast and easy we could add lemon zest to a recipe. And we zest a lot! I think Ina Garten has taught us that. It just adds so much taste to a dish.

4. Nut Milk Bag

This may seem like an odd item to have. I got it with the intention of making almond milk for my kids who are highly sensitive to dairy. Which, I still use to make almond milk because it tastes oh-so-good, but not nearly as often as I use it to squeeze citrus. It holds back the seeds and is incredibly easy to wash by hand.

5. Kitchen Aid Mixer

As I said in the beginning, we had a Hamilton Beach stand mixer that was amazing! It really was and I highly recommend it. We were just ready for something larger. So, like most, we set out and got a Kitchen Aid. We don’t have any fancy attachments. We use it quite often for making dough, making batters, etc. It’s one of the most used items in our kitchen.

6. Hand Blender

This may seem redundant. We have a food processor, we have a blender, why would we need a hand blender? For so many things! Mainly for pureeing things within their own bowls. For example, when I make butternut squash soup I can easily puree the chunks of soup in the pot while it’s still bloody hot. When we didn’t have one of these I would pour the hot soup into our cheap blender and inevitably burn myself in the process. Not anymore! There is something about the ease of use that is worth the extra money.

7. Fire Fighter Gloves

My husbands uncle is a retired fire fighter and gifted us these gloves. We use them to pull things out of the oven, to grill, but even better is when my husband uses them in our outdoor fire pit. I don’t have to worry about him burning himself. These are heavy duty gloves and we’ve had them for a long time and they don’t look anywhere near needing to be replaced.

8. OXO Knife

I’m not big on spending lots on knives. Especially after the time we dropped a good amount of money on professional knives only for them to be some of the worst that we had ever used. However, this little knife {we have two} is used multiple times each day. It’s small yet tough enough to be used on anything from cutting grapes for toddlers to cutting chicken or steak.

9. Keurig

It seems everybody has one nowadays. I’m not a big coffee drinker but the husband is. Thankfully there are also k-cups for hot cocoa and tea! This is a no brainer. You like coffee but no one in your household does? This saves you from having to make an entire pot for one person. And really, one person should not be able to drink an entire pot on their own.

10. Flour Duster

This is, hands down, my most favorite item. We’ve had this for many years. My husbands grandmother gave it to me as a Christmas gift. At first I had no idea what it was. When we realized you can use it to dust surfaces with flour or powdered sugar…oh it has been used many, many, many countless times. A gift I certainly plan on passing on to each of my children. It’s a shame most stores don’t carry them. If you ever do find one, pick it up!

11. Milk Frother

This product is not necessarily a must-have but my husband absolutely loves it. It has saved us tons from not going to coffee shops. And the best part? It’s at Ikea and only $2.99! We keep a bunch in our pantry to give away as gifts. And did I mention my husband makes a mean white mocha? Drool worthy.

12. Juicer

Again, not a must-have but ours is used every week. Sometimes daily. The nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables is unbeatable. There’s no corn syrup, no sugar, no additives, just fresh wonderful juice. Fresh juice can help with different ailments but that’s a whole other post.

13. Salad Chopper

I call these kitchen scissors, but to each his own. Unlike the last two items I consider this a must-have. Especially if you have toddlers and need to chop food up quickly and easily. Just today I cut up two cold pieces of grilled chicken quite easily for the kids. However, these can be dangerous so keep them up high and away for little ones. They do lock together but you know how clever tiny people are.

So that’s it. These are products that I want to remember to tell my children about when they begin their own families. I realize many of these cost a lot and there will be new/better models in 10-15 years but for now these have served our family very well. Especially a large family. We definitely get our money worth on each.

I didn’t write out the name of each product as I know some of them aren’t available anymore but I still linked to them so you will be able to find them on Amazon or wherever was appropriate {you know, in case you’re interested in checking them out}.

Of all these things I strongly encourage you to get the flour duster! Especially if you’re heavy into baking or pizza crust making.

Blessings!