What all do you use in that sustainable kitchen of yours? Ever since we joined thegreenlist.nl more about vegetarian cooking, wasting less food and rediscovering forgotten vegetables, we also make other meals. And that involves other kitchen gadgets. Which ones? That's what cooking and gadget geek David will show you.
10 handy kitchen gadgets for the vegetarian home cook
Those nice vegetarian recipes and those forgotten greens sometimes do require different cooking methods for which I need other tools. Which kitchen gadgets have become unwearable for me, I will tell you now. Some things can also be found second-hand, even better for the planet and your wallet.
Quickly grind herbs with coffee bean grinder
Cumin, coriander seeds and cardamom: I am a big fan of working with whole spices in the kitchen. With these, I immediately lift a dish to a higher level. If you have little experience with this, my first tip is: start experimenting with whole spices! It's so delicious and fun. A handy tool for grinding herbs is - yes - a coffee grinder. Huh? I hear you thinking... But this little device works the same as a mortar, only it takes you less effort. Because electric. A coffee bean grinder is nice and small, allowing you to grind just the right - small - amount of spices. This makes this machine a sustainable kitchen gadget, as you waste less spices. I found my machine for next to nothing on Marktplaats. With it, I make the tastiest boomboxes of my spices in no time. Even frozen herbs can go straight into this grinder. Want to know more about spices and why I freeze them? Then check out this article on herbs including shopping list.
Never double spices again with this handy spice rack
Work with whole herbs as much as possible is my tip, but I also really can't do without my trusty powdered herbs. You need these a lot anyway and during the week this is so convenient isn't it? So I use both. I have a great tip for this too: invest in a good spice rack. This prevents double purchases and food waste. And it just works really well to have all your spices in alphabetical order. Maybe you recognise it, but before we had this rack, our spice rack was a mess. We had jars of different brands and therefore different sizes. As a result, we lost track of everything and sometimes had double or even triple items. And so we never finished those three jars of dill... And so we invested in this rack.
Every time Saskia this spice rack shares on Instagram, her inbox explodes. And that's why I'm sharing it here.
Ta-da: the spice rack and coffee bean grinder.
Keep your oven cleaner for longer with a roasting pan
Cooking is my hobby, but cleaning the kitchen is less my thing. Especially cleaning the oven is always a tedious job for me. Recognisable? Then I have something for you: a roasting pan is ideal for heating food. All grease and dirt is collected in the roasting pan, so you keep your oven clean for longer. I really wish I had known this earlier, so handy! I chose this stainless steel roasting pan with grid. This one is also of a very handy size, just slightly smaller than a baking dish.
Never mug again with this stainless steel wok Macao from WMF
I couldn't live without this fine wok pan: A large stainless steel wok from Macao from the solid brand WMF. Really a yuck. It was a fantastic present from St Nicholas. How well he knows me. I use it to wok the most delicious vegetarian and vegan Asian meals and also use it to steam dim sum appetisers. The pan is not cheap (around 107 euros).
Saskia wrote an article about our pan search. The short version: we had pans with PFAS (not a pleasant observation). We wanted to get rid of those. And so we went in search of a new set.
DIY potholder (see instruction here) with the wok and, on the right, the handy roasting pan.
From freezing to heating: with this Pyrex round baking dish
My father-in-law - also gadget and cooking geek - came up with a handy gift I would not have thought of in a hurry: a Pyrex oven dish (white, round, with lid). This ovenproof dish consists of two parts: a white ceramic dish and a glass lid made of borosilicate glass (can you pronounce this?), which makes the ovenproof dish resistant to temperature fluctuations between a minimum of -20 and a maximum of 250°C. This means you can go either way: from the freezer into the oven and vice versa. He bought the dish at Oldenhof cookery shop, but is also on sale (has been) at Blokker. The dish in question is this type.
Reduce oven paper with a zero waste baking mat
This kitchen gadget belongs more to my wife, because I must confess that I sometimes forget it: the silicone baking mat. Just rinse it after use and it can go straight back into the oven. So if I tried harder, we would basically never have to buy (and throw away) oven paper again. You can buy different kinds of baking mats. Make sure you always choose one made of 100% silicone, such as Our baking mat from Lurch.
This handy kitchen knife goes through everything
I was looking for an affordable knife that would allow me to chop frozen vegetables and herbs, because I so store a lot of herbs in the freezer. Once, I broke an expensive Diamant Sabatier chef's knife by chopping something that was too hard. So I had to have something else. And it didn't have to be too expensive. I ended up with a paybale steel chopper of the brand Kiwi. I have been using this knife daily for a few years now. Indestructible.
Wasting less food thanks to fine storage containers from Mepal
Mealprepping, saving food, storing leftovers are done with handy storage containers from the very Dutch brand Mepal. The Cirqula storage containers from Mepal are very nice, you can stack them efficiently in the freezer, they do not leak and via the see-through window you can quickly see what is inside. Personally, I also like to use the small trays for preparing my meals. I keep all the chopping in the trays. Also check out the review on these storage units.
Preserving and decorating preserving jars
My favourite cuisine is surely Asian cuisine, especially Thai, Indonesian and Indian curry dishes. As a result, dried pulses have also started to play a bigger role in my meals. We therefore store pulses, rice, pasta, pearl barley, maize and (rice) flour in handy containers. preserving jars with a clasp closure. Super handy and it also looks very colourful in the kitchen!
Apothecary bottles for herbs
You know those dark brown glass apothecary bottles? You know: those jars with a glass cap? I've wanted those for a long time to store herbs. For me, it has an extra meaning because my father used to be a pharmacist and I had my side job there. Although you would expect to be able to find these classics easily, it took some searching. In the end, I found the pots online. I definitely wouldn't recommend buying these jars second-hand, because you don't know what has been in them. Like our weck pots, these apothecary jars are incredibly handy for keeping herbs dry and it also looks cosy in the kitchen. Recently, I bought a label maker bought from Hema. I use these to label the weck jars and apothecary jars so you know what's inside.
More fun kitchen gadgets?
After reading this list, do you think you are missing any kitchen gadgets? Then be sure to let me know. I enjoy trying out new and fine kitchen gadgets. You can use thegreenlist.nl get in touch via the contact and follow buttons at the bottom. I'd love to hear from you! Have fun in the kitchen!
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Cheap shopping, but sustainable. Tips, tips, tips!
- Vegan food in powder form: GREENFORCE takes some getting used to but oh-so-pleasant.
- Second-hand smartphone or tablet? Tips for finding second-hand gadgets.
- Apps for a sustainable lifestyle: Do you already have these apps on your phone?
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
