Must Have Wedding Registry Items from My Kitchen
If you’ve followed any of my social media for a while, you’ve probably seen my cooking posts. I tend to stick the majority of them on my personal IG, but every so often I slip one into my biz stuff too. Just recently you may have seen my “What’s Cooking” post. This time, we’re going to talk about the must have wedding registry items from my kitchen!
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
My number one must have wedding registry item is the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. I actually got mine over 13 years ago for my first wedding, and it’s served me well. In the past year, I probably use this appliance on a daily basis; sometimes four or five times a day. It does everything for me, not just mixing things. I actually use it to shred chicken in less than 60 seconds.
Kitchenaid Attachments
I debated putting each of the Kitchenaid attachments into their own section, but there are so many. It would probably take me two or three posts just to cover them all. Our favorites are: the pasta rollers, the shredder/slicer and the food grinder. These three attachment sets can basically cover everything you’d need in your kitchen. Bonus: having the attachments keeps you from having a bunch of other small kitchen items that take up a bunch of space.
Kitchenaid Accessories
While these are also technically attachments, they’re slightly different in my opinion. A few of these came with my kitchenaid stand mixer, and we bought a couple extra. However, you’ll want to make sure and register in case the stand mixer you get doesn’t. We keep an extra whisk, the dough hook, the paddle attachment, and a paddle attachment with the scraper edge.
Cuisinart Food Processor
This particular kitchen appliance isn’t used as often in our house. It does make quick work of pie crusts, pestos and nut butters though! Much more powerful than a typical blender, the Cuisinart Food Processor is a must have on my list. I’m working on my pastry skills, so you can bet it will get a good workout in the next year.
6-quart InstaPot
We personally have a Disney themed one (Amazon carries Star Wars themed ones too!) but this appliance is a lifesaver. I’ve used it several times a week for the past year and it does everything from helping bread rise to making dinner in a jiff! It’s also nice and small. We use to get away on weekends and plan our own meals no matter where we’re at.
Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
Coffee snob here. I personally used to spend hundreds of dollars a month on coffee. With the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker, I don’t have to settle anymore. If I want a full pot, I can brew it. A single cup? I can do that too. The built in frother attachment makes my coffee feel luxurious, even when it’s done at home. I may have turned down coffee shop coffee on more than one occasion for my own home brewed cup.
Solid Wood Cutting Boards
My two favorite cutting boards are from Target and Ikea. I love an oversize cutting board and it makes all the difference in cooking. My Ikea cutting board is perfect for rolling out dough. It’s big (24″x24″) and leaves enough room to spare. My smaller Target cutting board works perfectly for a snack board or every day cutting board.
Prep/Pinch Bowls
I’ll admit, for the longest time these things seemed frivolous to me. I had a dozen in various sizes and basically never used them. I also barely cooked at home for most of those years. Now these are probably our most washed dishes in the house; aside from spoons which somehow seem to grow legs and disappear. They work for everything from ice cream bowls to their actual purpose: Food Prep.
I will never claim to be one of those uber organized people who do the amazing 30 meals in one day. To those who can manage this: hats off to you! I don’t have the patience and I loathe leftovers with a passion. However, I can’t even tell you how much time I save in the kitchen with these little bowls. I cut all our veggies into them, dump the spices, and set them in order. It’s weird and a little obsessive, but with 3.5 kids and a husband who all want to eat at exactly 5:30 pm every night? It definitely works small miracles.
Prep+Pinch bowls in my kitchen:
1-cup prep bowl set
2-cup prep bowl set
Pinch Bowl Set (This one is discontinued)
(Note: I chop at naptime whenever possible, stick them in the fridge and then toss in the pot when cooking). Side note: Am I the only one who feels like I’m constantly chopping onions?
Cast Iron Pans
Oh the wonders of these amazing pans. I didn’t own a cast iron pan until 2016 or 2017 when it was recommended to me by my functional medicine doctor. (I’m borderline anemic almost all the time, and it’s been said that using cast iron helps a bit. Don’t take my word for it though! Do your own research, because I’m a photographer, not an MD). That said, you’ll definitely want at least one of these traditional cast iron pans.
My own kitchen has three traditional ones in 8″, 10.25″ and 12″ sizes. I couldn’t stop there though, and for Christmas last year I got a set of enamel covered cast iron Dutch ovens. I pretty much use them for everything and our regular pan set just hangs out on the pot rack. Literally.
For those who are living minimally or simply don’t have a lot of room, I’d recommend the 10.25″ cast iron pan to start, and at least one of the Dutch ovens. (At the time of this post, Costco had really pretty two packs of Dutch ovens in red and teal for under $100). These two pieces can cook almost everything you’re going to need.
Also be sure to register for extra handle covers. Those handles get hot!
A GREAT set of Knives
Last but most certainly not least, you’re going to want a GREAT set of knives. We have a Calphalon Knife Block Set similar to this one and it’s a total game changer. The knife block itself serves as a sharpening block so our knives never go dull. Of course, we cook so often that the knives are pretty much never in the block itself either. These are high quality stainless steel, so you shouldn’t need another set for a long time. Don’t put them in the dishwasher though, they aren’t dishwasher safe (or apparently the oven or broiler. There’s a note on the box, which means someone did it). You’ll want a dish drainer or to wash + dry at the same time with these knives.
Other Misc Items I use *almost* daily
The ten items listed above pretty much cover my entire day of cooking. For the sake of this post though, I’d hate for anyone to be without the following:
A good set of measuring cups + measuring spoons
Bamboo or Wood handled spatulas
Coffee Mugs
Pretty mixing bowls
A metal whisk (the silicone ones break too easily for me)
Square baking pans (good for everything; brownies, banana bread, even cake!)
And there you have it. I can pretty much cook anything with the above items and we use most of these on a weekly (if not daily) basis. What would you add to this list? I may need some new kitchen goodies soon.
Need a one stop registry? We used Zola for ours!
