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Tools I Use
This is a partial list of the tools I use for cooking. I wanted to make my recipes are doable without the use of a kitchen so even somebody who lives in a college dorm or a tiny apartment can still cook my recipes. I don't believe that cooking good food should require fancy equipment. Many of these devices pay for themselves in electricity savings. I don't even use pots, if a recipe requires a pot I use the pressure cooker. Two skillets is literally all you should need for cooking a single serving meal and I do every recipe in a single skillet. Sometimes using two skillets would be easier, but I want to make sure my recipes don't require them. If you wanted to go green, you could power these with a portable solar generator which are sometimes on sale on Amazon.
Portable Induction Cooktop AMZCHEF 1800W Induction Stove Burner with Ultra Thin Body - This is an induction burner that goes great with my graphene core stainless steel skillet allowing me to boil water in about 30 seconds. It also allows for precise management of the temperature of the skillet, allowing me to keep it at the temperature where food is non-stick. This is done by dropping water onto the skillet to see if it behaves like mercury(Liedenfrost Effect). This allowed me to start cooking on induction without getting a new oven, which would have been far more money. I can just store this under the oven thanks to its thin design. I got this on sale from Amazon for about $50. And with the energy savings compared to using a stovetop, it pays for itself. It's currently out of stock, but similar products can be found on Amazon.
All-Clad G5 8.5 in Stainless Steel Skillet - I was able to buy one of these without a lid off eBay for about $125. I bought a lid separately. This was a long-term investment since these pans can last multiple generations, as opposed to nonstick pans which wear out after a few years. Being graphene-core, it heats up on induction super fast. While this is expensive, used copper-core pans can be found on eBay for a much more reasonable price. They won't heat up as fast as graphene-core, but are still great for cooking on induction. The graphene-core pan is slightly more efficient than other pans and over the course of a lifetime it could end up paying for itself in electricity savings, though not as much as these other tools.
Lodge 15-in Cast Iron Skillet - The 15 inch cast iron skillet is very heavy and may be too much for some people, but I wanted one very large pan that I could cook a full breakfast in. I got this one at Academy Sports for a good price. It works on induction, though an induction burner unfortunately only heats the center of the pan. I use this for cooking at lower temperatures than stainless steel. I use butter to keep food from sticking, and after each use I wash it out with soap and water, and rub a drop of walnut oil on the pan to season it for the next use. Being a fat with high levels of polyunsaturated fat and a drying fat, walnut oil dries onto cast iron and creates non-stick polymers. I cook food below the smoke point of walnut oil and butter on this pan.
Ninja SP201 Digital Air Fry Pro Countertop 8-in-1 Oven with Extended Height, XL Capacity, Flip Up & Away Capability for Storage Space - This what I use instead of an oven now. With minimal pre-heating and savings on the electricity bill, this is perfect for making any single serving meal. It flips up when done to save counter space, which is very convenient. It comes with an air fryer basket, as well as a tray and a grill. You can air fry or bake anything you can in an oven in it. Quick, efficient, and convenient, I highly recommend one. I got this from Costco and it often goes on sale at Amazon.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Mini Electric Pressure Cooker - Another portable kitchen device that pays for itself in electricity savings. Cooking in a pressure cooker is much more energy efficient and much faster than cooking in an oven. You can saute meat and vegetables in the bottom of the pressure cooker, take them out, add dried beans, pressure cook the beans, put the meat and vegetables back in, season, pressure cook some more, and you'll have a delicious and healthy meal with minimal effort. Plus, there's nothing more satisfying than releasing the steam on the pressure cooker. This one is about $80, but there are cheaper ones on Amazon. The best thing about these is you can cook dried beans/lentils/peas in them without soaking them over night for a cheap source of protein and complex carbs.
Nutribullet - A nice compact blender that replaces a blender or food processor. Not as fancy as either, but a lot easier to store and clean. Nutribullet is one of the more expensive brands, but cheaper there are cheaper ones you can buy.
Haden 1.7L Kettle - Americans are used to microwaving water, and you can do that, but I wanted to make it so my recipes don't require a microwave. This is one of the more expensive kettles, but any kettle will do.
Cook 'n' Chic 10.2″x3.9″x3.1″ Silicone Loaf Pan - It took a long time to find a microwave and dishwasher safe silicone loaf pan that I could use for making pasta in the microwave, but I found one. It's also entirely possible to make pasta by using a kettle by pouring boiling water on the noodles and replacing the water a few times. No microwave needed, though I do use a microwave when cooking for convenience. Most people have microwaves, though, and this is a great way to make pasta without a stovetop. Use The Only Bean - Edamame Pasta for a high protein, low carb meal.
KitchenAid Hand Mixer - And, lastly, a hand mixer. If you're trying to do hardcore baking for multiple people, a KitchenAid standing mixer is a great investment. But for single serving meals, a hand mixer is all you need. I use a KitchenAid, but there are tons of cheaper brands.
