42 Kitchen Tools To Simplify Your Cooking Process
A versatile veggie chopper that'll help you prep (and clean up!) with speed that feels downright magical. The interchangeable blades just pop out, then throw them right into the dishwasher.
A modern knife block you can get in a breezy coastal green and treat your countertops to a surprisingly practical centerpiece. The five stainless steel knives are nestled in an ash wood block, helping them stay sharp and easily accessible. Whether you're looking for your first set of knives or are a cooking pro in need of an upgrade, these can make all the difference in your kitchen.
A splurge-worthy 12-piece Caraway cookware set — nonstick cookware with minimalist silhouettes sure to complement any kitchen. These work with induction, gas, and electric stove tops, they're all oven-safe up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, are made with a nontoxic coating, and feature nonstick ceramic with an aluminum core and stainless-steel handles. Whew! Sorry for all that; I really got Caraway'd away!
An inconspicuous jar opener, because you're not gonna let arthritis or poor upper body strength get in the way of your pasta puttanesca night.
A silicone bread maker, an inexpensive option that'll help you ~rise~ to the occasion whenever you want to bake a perfect loaf of bread. The partially closed design allows steam to circulate to keep your bread from drying out, while the openings on the side help heat disperse evenly, creating a golden crust.
A Kochblume spill stopper to keep meals from boiling over onto the stove by trapping excess foam and liquid. No more tossing a wooden spoon over your pasta, hoping it keeps the bubbles at bay!
A pastry tool you can use to divide dough, sure, but this is no one-use gadget. It's also designed with herb-stripping holes on top. And as an added bonus, there's a handy conversion chart right on the side!
A genius tofu press that'll efficiently drain tofu to get the perfect texture and taste, mess not included.
An air fryer (from the makers of the Instant Pot) so you can avoid cooking with hot oil and still make all your favorite fried foods. This even has a rotisserie feature so you can cook an ENTIRE chicken in one go!
Or a counter space-friendly toaster oven/air fryer combo for folks who would gladly give up their fast food habit as long as they can still get their fry fix at home. This includes a fry basket, oven rack, and baking pan. Reviewers have made pizza, bread, cinnamon rolls, meatloaf, an entire chicken... the delicious list goes on.
A pair of herb scissors sure to ~cut~ your prep time in half when chopping things like cilantro, parsley, and dill.
A Cuisinart mini food processor so you can make sauces, dips, butters, and more from scratch. Don't feel like hand-chopping herbs? This thing can do that for ya, no problem!
A retro stand mixer from Dash (that proudly boasts over 13,000 5-star reviews) — this six-speed mixer comes with a 3-quart bowl that's ready to take on all the cookie dough your heart desires.
An electric peeler, because the phrase "easy as pie" is a flat-out lie. Fortunately, using an electric peeler will make the prep work seriously simple.
A highly-rated blender with an 1800W motor that gives reviewers a little start when they realize just how powerful it is. Reviewers also say it's comparable to $400+ Vitamix options. So feel free to go wild with those organic kale bunches at the farmers market next week — you earned that smoothie money!
An Instant Pot — a modern classic that can replace one-use appliances (like a pressure cooker and slow cooker) and make full meals in minutes. Seriously. There are 11 different one-button cooking selections, so you don't have to dig through the internet to find a proper cooking time. There's even a YOGURT button. Yum.
Or an Our Place Dream Cooker that's not just a pretty face. This *treasure* can slow cook, sear, saute, and pressure cook. Having one multi-use appliance can help keep your kitchen from feeling cluttered, encouraging you to cook more often because it's actually a NICE place to be. Dream Cooker? You're dreamy.
A digital food thermometer — it's gonna take the (terrifying) guesswork out of preparing meat. It's always nice to know you won't be giving your guests salmonella when having a dinner party.
Or a suuuper techie ThermPro meat thermometer with a Bluetooth temperature tracker boasting a whopping 650 ft. range, so you can keep an eye on how dinner's lookin' on the grill while sitting and relaxing.
A Thaw Claw to safely defrost food in far less time — for when you don't remember to thaw your chicken until after your stomach starts rumbling. It suction cups to the bottom of your sink, so just stick it on, fill the sink up, and place your frozen meat underneath the claw — it'll keep everything submerged evenly underwater and thaw that piece of meat faster than you can say, "Get in my belly."
A Bluetooth Anova sous vide that'll basically be the ~sous~ chef you didn't know that you needed. Attach this to any pot, put the food in, and then it'll cook it to perfection using the built-in controls in the app. The future is now.
A Dash rapid egg cooker sure to guarantee you never have to ~scramble~ to find a good Sunday brunch spot ever again — your kitchen table is gonna be the best spot in town.
An eight-pack of fancy kabob skewers designed with a flat blade (so your food doesn't spin when you're turning it while cooking) and a push bar so you can remove the cooked food with ease!
A rice cooker to take the guesswork out of making the perfect bowl of rice. It's time to finally make the crispy rice sushi bites TikTok keeps talking about!
A sushi-making kit that'll keep you on a roll as you continue growing your cooking skills (without an oven... it's way too hot for that right now).
A silicone clip-on strainer that's dishwasher safe, attaches to any size pot or pan, and is designed to save a bunch of space in your kitchen cupboards.
An immersion blender, because cold soup season is here and I plan on eating gazpacho... daily. What do I not plan on doing? Cleaning a blender daily. Grab this and you too can have delicious soup without the extra dishes!
An outdoor pizza oven that'll give you another great excuse to cook outdoors on breezy summer nights. And, ahem, eat delicious homemade pizza after ordering delivery pizza the night before. Different categories, folks! Totally different meals!
A tortilla press made in Mexico out of old Singer sewing machines...seriously. You're gonna be hard pressed to find another tortilla maker this cool.
A container of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust that'll be so dang delicious you'll feel like you're coating meals in fairy dust. Reviewers have used this on toast, yogurt, fries, popcorn...even sweet potatoes. Sweet.
An adjustable cake leveler to help with what feels like an impossible task — evenly cutting into a baked cake. If you've tried this with a knife before and ended up with nothing but crumbles, you deserve this.
A dough scoring knife that'll breathe a little life into everyday loaves of bread (even though cinnamon raisin bread is scrumptious no matter its aesthetic).
A smoking cloche — a suuuper snazzy way to infuse unique flavors into food and drinks. This is gonna prove your cooking skills are ~smokin'~ hot.
A Wilton 55-piece cake tips set to make desserts so mind-bogglingly lovely your friends won't know whether to eat it...or frame it.
A stackable deviled egg carrier that'll make everyone's favorite summer side *much* more travel-friendly. If the stress of transporting these bite-sized beauties has you so stressed you think you might ~crack~, then get yourself this excellent egg carrier.
A Dracula garlic mincer so you can ditch the jarlic and enjoy some extra fresh ingredients with your meals. Oh, you just noticed it also looks like a vampiric demon of the night? Well, yeah. Just go ahead and start singing, "Dracula-la-la-la-la I can't hear you!" when the other grown-ups tell you it's not a respectable kitchen tool.
A tomato knife to make chopping up this pesky piece of produce tomat-oh so easy if you plan on eating them on the reg the entire time they are growing in your garden.
A portable Cuisinart vertical smoker for people who only cook when they can do it outside. This *treasure* slow-cooks everything from turkey to brisket. That's a smokin' hot accessory to have in your backyard-turned-restaurant, if you ask me.
An Oxo 3-in-1 avocado tool to split, pit, and slice avocados with ease. Guacamole is the sustenance we humans need all summer long, and using this tool just might make the prep a satisfying cinch!
A pizza stone so you can improve your delivery pizza life. Get ready to become a true crust-texture snob, because the results from this pizza stone ~rock~.
And finally, a beer can chicken roaster to put the pedal to the metal while cooking up your famous backyard BBQ masterpieces.
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Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
42 Kitchen Tools To Simplify Your Cooking Process
A dehydrated sourdough starter for anyone ready to jump into the deep end of a sourdough lifestyle. This is dehydrated at "peak activity" (which my bread-baking husband says means something, though I don't remember what) and has step-by-step instructions. Plus, it includes the shop owner's favorite discard recipe! A versatile veggie chopper that'll help you prep (and clean up!) with speed that feels downright magical. The interchangeable blades just pop out, then throw them right into the dishwasher. A modern knife block you can get in a breezy coastal green and treat your countertops to a surprisingly practical centerpiece. The five stainless steel knives are nestled in an ash wood block, helping them stay sharp and easily accessible. Whether you're looking for your first set of knives or are a cooking pro in need of an upgrade, these can make all the difference in your kitchen. A splurge-worthy 12-piece Caraway cookware set — nonstick cookware with minimalist silhouettes sure to complement any kitchen. These work with induction, gas, and electric stove tops, they're all oven-safe up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, are made with a nontoxic coating, and feature nonstick ceramic with an aluminum core and stainless-steel handles. Whew! Sorry for all that; I really got Caraway'd away! An inconspicuous jar opener, because you're not gonna let arthritis or poor upper body strength get in the way of your pasta puttanesca night. A silicone bread maker, an inexpensive option that'll help you ~rise~ to the occasion whenever you want to bake a perfect loaf of bread. The partially closed design allows steam to circulate to keep your bread from drying out, while the openings on the side help heat disperse evenly, creating a golden crust. A Kochblume spill stopper to keep meals from boiling over onto the stove by trapping excess foam and liquid. No more tossing a wooden spoon over your pasta, hoping it keeps the bubbles at bay! A pastry tool you can use to divide dough, sure, but this is no one-use gadget. It's also designed with herb-stripping holes on top. And as an added bonus, there's a handy conversion chart right on the side! A genius tofu press that'll efficiently drain tofu to get the perfect texture and taste, mess not included. An air fryer (from the makers of the Instant Pot) so you can avoid cooking with hot oil and still make all your favorite fried foods. This even has a rotisserie feature so you can cook an ENTIRE chicken in one go! Or a counter space-friendly toaster oven/air fryer combo for folks who would gladly give up their fast food habit as long as they can still get their fry fix at home. This includes a fry basket, oven rack, and baking pan. Reviewers have made pizza, bread, cinnamon rolls, meatloaf, an entire chicken... the delicious list goes on. A pair of herb scissors sure to ~cut~ your prep time in half when chopping things like cilantro, parsley, and dill. A Cuisinart mini food processor so you can make sauces, dips, butters, and more from scratch. Don't feel like hand-chopping herbs? This thing can do that for ya, no problem! A retro stand mixer from Dash (that proudly boasts over 13,000 5-star reviews) — this six-speed mixer comes with a 3-quart bowl that's ready to take on all the cookie dough your heart desires. An electric peeler, because the phrase "easy as pie" is a flat-out lie. Fortunately, using an electric peeler will make the prep work seriously simple. A highly-rated blender with an 1800W motor that gives reviewers a little start when they realize just how powerful it is. Reviewers also say it's comparable to $400+ Vitamix options. So feel free to go wild with those organic kale bunches at the farmers market next week — you earned that smoothie money! An Instant Pot — a modern classic that can replace one-use appliances (like a pressure cooker and slow cooker) and make full meals in minutes. Seriously. There are 11 different one-button cooking selections, so you don't have to dig through the internet to find a proper cooking time. There's even a YOGURT button. Yum. Or an Our Place Dream Cooker that's not just a pretty face. This *treasure* can slow cook, sear, saute, and pressure cook. Having one multi-use appliance can help keep your kitchen from feeling cluttered, encouraging you to cook more often because it's actually a NICE place to be. Dream Cooker? You're dreamy. A digital food thermometer — it's gonna take the (terrifying) guesswork out of preparing meat. It's always nice to know you won't be giving your guests salmonella when having a dinner party. Or a suuuper techie ThermPro meat thermometer with a Bluetooth temperature tracker boasting a whopping 650 ft. range, so you can keep an eye on how dinner's lookin' on the grill while sitting and relaxing. A Thaw Claw to safely defrost food in far less time — for when you don't remember to thaw your chicken until after your stomach starts rumbling. It suction cups to the bottom of your sink, so just stick it on, fill the sink up, and place your frozen meat underneath the claw — it'll keep everything submerged evenly underwater and thaw that piece of meat faster than you can say, "Get in my belly." A Bluetooth Anova sous vide that'll basically be the ~sous~ chef you didn't know that you needed. Attach this to any pot, put the food in, and then it'll cook it to perfection using the built-in controls in the app. The future is now. A Dash rapid egg cooker sure to guarantee you never have to ~scramble~ to find a good Sunday brunch spot ever again — your kitchen table is gonna be the best spot in town. An eight-pack of fancy kabob skewers designed with a flat blade (so your food doesn't spin when you're turning it while cooking) and a push bar so you can remove the cooked food with ease! A rice cooker to take the guesswork out of making the perfect bowl of rice. It's time to finally make the crispy rice sushi bites TikTok keeps talking about! A sushi-making kit that'll keep you on a roll as you continue growing your cooking skills (without an oven... it's way too hot for that right now). A silicone clip-on strainer that's dishwasher safe, attaches to any size pot or pan, and is designed to save a bunch of space in your kitchen cupboards. An immersion blender, because cold soup season is here and I plan on eating gazpacho... daily. What do I not plan on doing? Cleaning a blender daily. Grab this and you too can have delicious soup without the extra dishes! An outdoor pizza oven that'll give you another great excuse to cook outdoors on breezy summer nights. And, ahem, eat delicious homemade pizza after ordering delivery pizza the night before. Different categories, folks! Totally different meals! A tortilla press made in Mexico out of old Singer sewing You're gonna be hard pressed to find another tortilla maker this cool. A container of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust that'll be so dang delicious you'll feel like you're coating meals in fairy dust. Reviewers have used this on toast, yogurt, fries, sweet potatoes. Sweet. An adjustable cake leveler to help with what feels like an impossible task — evenly cutting into a baked cake. If you've tried this with a knife before and ended up with nothing but crumbles, you deserve this. A dough scoring knife that'll breathe a little life into everyday loaves of bread (even though cinnamon raisin bread is scrumptious no matter its aesthetic). A smoking cloche — a suuuper snazzy way to infuse unique flavors into food and drinks. This is gonna prove your cooking skills are ~smokin'~ hot. A Wilton 55-piece cake tips set to make desserts so mind-bogglingly lovely your friends won't know whether to eat frame it. A stackable deviled egg carrier that'll make everyone's favorite summer side *much* more travel-friendly. If the stress of transporting these bite-sized beauties has you so stressed you think you might ~crack~, then get yourself this excellent egg carrier. A Dracula garlic mincer so you can ditch the jarlic and enjoy some extra fresh ingredients with your meals. Oh, you just noticed it also looks like a vampiric demon of the night? Well, yeah. Just go ahead and start singing, "Dracula-la-la-la-la I can't hear you!" when the other grown-ups tell you it's not a respectable kitchen tool. A tomato knife to make chopping up this pesky piece of produce tomat-oh so easy if you plan on eating them on the reg the entire time they are growing in your garden. A portable Cuisinart vertical smoker for people who only cook when they can do it outside. This *treasure* slow-cooks everything from turkey to brisket. That's a smokin' hot accessory to have in your backyard-turned-restaurant, if you ask me. An Oxo 3-in-1 avocado tool to split, pit, and slice avocados with ease. Guacamole is the sustenance we humans need all summer long, and using this tool just might make the prep a satisfying cinch! A pizza stone so you can improve your delivery pizza life. Get ready to become a true crust-texture snob, because the results from this pizza stone ~rock~. And finally, a beer can chicken roaster to put the pedal to the metal while cooking up your famous backyard BBQ masterpieces.
CNN
6 days ago
- CNN
The best food processors for fast and easy kitchen prep, tested and reviewed
The best food processors we tested Best food processor: Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor DFP-14BCNY Best budget food processor: Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor If a recipe is your road map to the destination of a delicious meal, consider the best food processors shortcuts to getting there. Using one can seem like cheating — a motorized hack for chopping veggies, shredding cheese or pureeing dips — but don't feel guilty, because even the best blenders and kitchen knives can stop short of achieving the results you want sometimes. To invest in a food processor is to do yourself a major favor. From a high level, using a food processor should be as simple as inserting your ingredients and turning it on, but my testing of four popular units showed it's not really that easy. Does one pull off a certain task better than another, or are they all worth a spot on your counter? After running them through a series of identical trials and assessing the pros and cons of each design, two food processors cut through the competition. Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor This Cuisinart food processor keeps it simple, but don't confuse basic with bad. It's a kitchen workhorse that can handle a heavy load of shredding, slicing and pureeing over the long haul. Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor With Bowl Scraper Though it looked and felt cheaper than the other models in our testing pool — because it was — the Hamilton Beach food processor put forth solid results across our slate of recipes. It's a fine choice for those who won't need a food processor often but want one for when they do. I'm a product testing writer who gets his hands on the latest kitchen appliances pretty often, so I've seen some newer bells and whistles that impress me and others that make me wonder who thought this would be a good idea. The Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor goes the opposite direction, sticking to a tried-and-true design that hasn't changed in years, because it doesn't need to. While several of the other food processors I tested had different modes and power settings, the Cuisinart features just two buttons total. One turns it on; the other turns it off or initiates a single pulse. That's it. No worrying about what level is best for what task. Just feed your ingredients through the top, then go. Simplicity in use led to results of sublime quality. I ran four tests for this round of evaluations: chopping vegetables such as celery, shredding cheese, pureeing a fresh salsa and making peanut butter. The Cuisinart won every task except for the peanut butter, where it was runner-up to only my budget pick. I made restaurant-style salsa with each food processor, and the Cuisinart was best at achieving that smooth consistency you expect from your favorite Mexican joint. The celery it chopped was the most uniform of the group. The cheese was the most finely shredded. Both were done the fastest. Seriously, all you need is a few seconds and this thing will complete whatever you need prep-wise. At my house, it gets heavy use making pizza sauce. When I made peanut butter in the Cuisinart Custom, I was amazed at how rapidly it advanced through the stages of the process. The low blade excelled at preventing buildup. The peanuts clumped into a ball, then melted down into a creamy consistency that was mouthwatering. Powered by a 720-watt motor, which isn't as much juice as advertised on other models' spec sheets, the Cuisinart Custom still packed plenty of punch but didn't get as loud as the competition. Sure, its base is heavy at about 17 pounds, but with power and pace at just the right levels this is the kind of machine you park on your counter and never remove because it makes your life that much easier. A 14-cup capacity made the Cuisinart the largest bowl I tested too. That extra size came in handy with larger, messier jobs like salsa. While more compact options could be beneficial to users who plan to lean on their food processor for the convenience of casual and infrequent chopping, at least every part here — the bowl, pusher, blade and two discs — is dishwasher-safe, so you won't have to grind through a heavy-duty hand-wash. I especially liked the included spatula for scraping the sides of the bowl because it was easier to clean and operate than the built-in paddles. There's no storage for the blades you aren't currently using, but options exist on Amazon for less than $30. Though spending more than $300 at full price is no measly investment, Cuisinart backs your purchase with a full five-year warranty on the motor and a limited three-year warranty on the rest of the machine (the warranties on the rest of the food processors I tested ended at one year). And with performance and reliability far and away the best among the units I tested, you'll get your money's worth far longer than that. If yet another $300 appliance isn't what your kitchen needs right now, the Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor came through with shockingly adequate results across all my tests despite having a cheaper build than the rest of the food processors in the group. It's what I'd buy if I knew my food processor was going to be used sparingly, only being called on for the occasional recipe. The Hamilton Beach made the best peanut butter of the group: smooth, creamy and luxurious. Its flavorful salsa was also beloved by our testing panel, so much so that we ran out of chips with which to eat it. It could have done better shredding cheese, leaving behind a few small chunks above the disc that the feed tube never pushed through, but the results on that test were still better than buying pre-shredded cheese. At 10 cups, the bowl on the Hamilton Beach is smaller than my top pick, but not by much. If anything, that trade-off in capacity is a plus for portability. This unit lends itself more to moving from the counter to the closet and back again. While the Cuisinart felt like a countertop titan, the Hamilton Beach lacks the same might. It's light and borderline flimsy, powered by a 450-watt motor with a plastic dial for switching between two levels. You can look at that as a downside, or you can admit that it makes sense, considering you're getting a fine food processor for just $70. It comes with one blade and one disc, the latter of which is reversible for shredding or slicing. A three-pronged scraper fits over the center column and turns via a simple knob to remove buildup on the sides of the bowl. A food processor is meant to save time and simplify jobs in the kitchen, and the Hamilton Beach does that at a price that can't be beat. It's not a workhorse, but I doubt it'll let you down for those occasions when you do plug it in. To see how each food processor stacked up, I put them through identical tests and assessments, evaluating them according to the following criteria along the way. Performance Salsa: Using identical proportions, I made this Food Network restaurant-style salsa recipe in each food processor, then had a panel of CNN Underscored editors taste test each. We noted flavor and consistency. Chopping veggies: I sent several vegetables, including carrots and celery, through the feed tubes of each processor to see how effectively they chopped them down. Shredding cheese: A proper food processor can save time and effort when shredding cheese, so I put a hunk of cheddar into each unit to compare results. The best food processor produced uniform shreds and didn't leave behind any chunks. Peanut butter: Making peanut butter from scratch is actually quite easy, but using the same ingredients in each processor yielded varying results. I assessed the smoothness of each model's PB. Design and specs Bowl capacity: Being able to fit several ingredients in your food processor's bowl is essential if you want convenience to remain a signature reason you deploy this appliance. I noted any instances during testing in which the bowl of a particular unit seemed too small (salsa overflowing, for example) or too large (bothersome to hold and remove food). Attachments and blades: I compared the included attachments and blades for how effective they were in processing different foods and for how comprehensive they were as an arsenal as a whole. Did it feel as if an extra attachment were missing? Were there so many pieces that deciding on which to use felt like overkill? Feed tube: Every food processor had a chute atop the unit for safely inserting food to be processed. I assessed the design and use of each mechanism, identifying any frustrating snags or safety features that made the feed tube stand out. Power: A strong and reliable motor within a food processor is what makes this kitchen upgrade worth it, so I evaluated the force behind each motor, which was usually measured in watts. It was apparent which machines packed more punch than the competition. Noise: Being too loud is absolutely grounds for disliking an appliance, as the annoyance can limit where and when you can use it, so I kept the noise level in mind as I tracked performance. Overall build: How heavy is the food processor? Does its heft make it hard to move around your counters and cabinets? Does it seem durable? Getting hands-on with all of these products gave me a feel for how they'd hold up over the long haul. Care and maintenance Cleaning: Food processors can get cruddy and crumby, so I appreciated when parts were easily removable and dishwasher-safe. Storage and organization: Did all of the parts fit into the bowl when not in use? Was there a storage option available to purchase or included in the box? A food processor's blades are sharp, so it's important to be able to safely manage them. Value Features: Food processors are fairly simple machines, and because of that, most of my evaluations hinged on their design and performance in the recipes I tested. But any special features that made a tangible difference were weighed as well. Price: How often you use your food processor determines what price point is worthwhile for you. That said, I looked at the range of prices in my testing pool and the performance of each model to ensure any recommendations merited their cost. Warranty: The extent and duration of each food processor's warranty were considered in total value. Use cases will guide your choice If you're reading this, you're probably seriously considering buying a food processor. Why? Your answer will be the biggest contributor to which model will work best for you. For example, are you buying one because you're sick of having to delicately chop every vegetable you need in a recipe? If that's the case, I'm not sure splurging on a top pick is a must for you. But if you're planning on making big batches of soups and dips that could splash around in smaller machines, you're going to want to get something big and powerful like my top pick from Cuisinart. If you're not sure of your answer, that's OK too. Versatility, then, is something you'll need to prioritize. Luckily, all of the food processors I tested can handle more than one job. I'd take a look at each model's section in this guide to see where they shine that aligns most closely with your kitchen needs. How key is capacity? The size of your food processor will open up more possibilities. With the 14-cup Cuisinart in my kitchen, I know I'm prepared the next time I want to make salsa or hummus for a party. But the machine is so big that it can't stay out permanently because my counter space comes at a serious premium. Conversely, if you live alone or rarely prepare food for more than a few people, you can get away with a smaller food processor, so long as it still has the power to do the job. Ninja Professional XL 12-Cup Food Processor Though I preferred the simpler controls on the winning models, this Ninja food processor lets you dial in on exact settings if you want. The included storage container (if it's in stock) is clutch for organization and safety. If you don't want to spend the money for the Cuisinart but feel you need more than what my budget pick from Hamilton Beach offers, the Ninja Professional XL 12-Cup Food Processor can handle most jobs. It didn't lead to the same results as I got with my top pick, but it was a capable machine for a fair price. Notably, its interface and controls are far more robust than the Cuisinart's basic on/off function. Powered by a 1,200-watt motor, the Ninja handled my salsa test with ease, though its batch wasn't a favorite among our taste tests. Feeding celery and cheese through its feed tube was also a smooth experience, as it has three nesting sizes suitable for different foods. Its peanut butter was not bad but also not nearly as smooth as what the Hamilton Beach extracted. I used the high setting for that task and didn't love that it automatically shut off after a minute. I had to reengage it three times to reach my desired consistency. The complications during my PB test were likely the result of Ninja's Auto-iQ programming, designed to turn off once the food is done. Using one of four settings — chop, dough, puree, disc — on high or low is supposed to 'remove guesswork with the touch of a button,' according to the brand. For me, it took several touches of that button. Your experience may vary, and this approach could be desirable for anyone intimidated by the far simpler controls on the winning Cuisinart. The Ninja I tested also came with a smaller 4.5-inch nesting bowl for smaller jobs, plus a lidded storage box for any blades you weren't using. It was a great addition, though it added to an already large footprint and was subject to availability. As of this writing, it was out of stock at Ninja and marked up significantly at Amazon. NutriBullet Ultra Plus+ Compact Kitchen System Shoppers short on counter space might appreciate the 3-in-1 aspect of this food processor that moonlights as a personal blender and a grinder … or is it the other way around? It's not a good sign that I can't tell which is the primary function of the trio. I knew the limitations of the NutriBullet Ultra Plus+ Compact Kitchen System when I considered it for this test, but I included it anyway because I thought the extra features would give it a boost in my rankings. In a way that happened, because its small size and versatility proved to be unique among the group. While it is a mini 2-cup food processor, the box includes the blades and bowls to also be a fully functioning personal blender and coffee/spice grinder. The food processing of the Ultra Plus+ delivered mixed results. Our testing panel actually loved the salsa it produced, though I couldn't fit the entire recipe in the bowl, and the portion that did fit overflowed while the machine was on. It fared OK in chopping celery, leading to mostly uniform sizing, but left a large hunk of cheese unshredded above the disc. It couldn't make peanut butter at all, automatically stalling out with clumps of peanut stuck below the reach of the blade. Most frustrating was the disassembly required for cleaning. The bowl and its handle are two parts that are supposed to come apart (and they must, since food and liquid fit between them), yet it took minutes of struggling to split them up almost every time. These issues were understandable because I expected to sacrifice some top-notch performance to gain the ability to grind coffee or make a smoothie. But as someone who uses a burr grinder every morning at home, this bladed grinder simply didn't cut it. It made a guessing game out of grind size; when I wanted a coarse grind, the results were inconsistent and included a lot of finely ground coffee. This NutriBullet, to borrow an overused term, is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. It may only have utility for you if you don't need a specific grind size for your coffee or want all three appliances but lack the space to accommodate separate machines. The following questions were answered by the writer of this guide, CNN Underscored associate testing writer Joe Bloss. How is a food processor different from a blender? How is a food processor different from a blender? A food processor grants you far more control over what you put into it, allowing for precise chopping, slicing and shredding of things that would otherwise be turned to goop in a blender. This is because the blades in a blender typically move with more power than a food processor. Though the two can be used interchangeably for some tasks, anything with liquids is often better suited for a blender than a food processor. How do I use a food processor? How do I use a food processor? There are two main methods of using a food processor. One is adding all your ingredients to the bowl and combining them, just as I did with salsa and peanut butter during my testing, or you can use it as a tool to chop, slice and shred ingredients piece by piece through the top feed tube. Before that, make sure the blade is inserted and the lid is properly attached, then turn it on. Engaging the motor can typically be done in pulses or in a steady setting. What size food processor do I need? What size food processor do I need? It all depends on your expected uses. The 14-cup capacity of the bowl on my top pick from Cuisinart was plenty big enough for most, including those prepping meals for a group, while the 2-cup bowl on the NutriBullet was far too small. The 10-cup capacity of my budget pick from Hamilton Beach felt like the appropriate middle ground. CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test nearly all the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors with several years of testing experience who ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to ensure we are testing each product accurately and speaking about the pros and cons of each item. For this guide, associate testing writer Joe Bloss assembled a group of food processors from leading kitchen appliance brands to see which are truly worth your money. Bloss has years of experience testing products for CNN Underscored, including kitchen mainstays such as slot toasters and French press coffee makers.
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business Insider
We sold our home in Hawaii to buy 4.5 acres of land with no plumbing or house. It's been an adventure, but I'm not sure I'd do it again.
Share Save We sold our home in Honolulu and used the money to buy 4.5 acres of land with no house. We'd always dreamt of owning land, but the reality of no plumbing or house is hard at times. I'm not sure I'd do it again given the chance, but for now I'm motivated to keep going. Owning land and being immersed in nature was always our dream, which we'd talked about since our early dating days. I met my husband when I was 30. We moved into a small studio one month after meeting, and married six years later. Our pattern has been a series of slow and fast. We were engaged for two years, but we spontaneously planned our wedding in two and a half weeks. So it wasn't too surprising when, after living in our small plantation-style home in Honolulu for 11 years, we decided on a whim to sell it and use the profits to fund our long-sought dream. We traded our house for land We bought 4.67 acres of raw land on a rural, dusty, and very hot part of the island, in Waianae. Our new home, which we moved to in August 2023, came with a massive warehouse that the previous owner had used for salvaged boats. There was a water line, but no plumbing, no power, and definitely no house. The land was covered in invasive trees and weeds, but we could see the potential. We told ourselves the move was an adventure, and it is—one that I'm not sure I'd do over, given the chance. It's been one of the hardest things we've ever done We live off-grid with our two young boys, ages 5 and 8, who attend a public Hawaiian charter school that runs from preK to high school. Our kitchen sits under a giant tent between two shipping containers. We sleep in what's essentially a metal box with windows. We shower and use the bathroom in a makeshift space inside the warehouse. A friend once joked, "You guys have really long outdoor hallways." At night, it's just us, crickets, and the stars. It's romantic, until it's not. The dream was sparkly. The reality is gritty. This new life is a rough dance between ambition, uncertainty, and a serious lack of skills. While the idea of self-sufficiency felt liberating, the trade-offs are a hard reality check. Our electricity comes from old solar panels that often need repairs. The chickens I once romanticized poop on everything. The weeds? They're relentless. I'll clear a section one weekend, only to find it overrun again the next. We haul out our own trash. We haul in propane. Dust storms coat everything in a layer of coral-colored silt. The heat, which averages 86 degrees Fahrenheit and 30% humidity year-round, is merciless. We have shade and occasional breezes to keep us cool, but no air conditioning. At first, finding solutions through the chaos felt like growth. However, the charm wears off fast when you're making dinner in the rain and your dirt-floor kitchen turns to mud. We got swept up in the potential of it all without stopping to think practically All the money from our house sale went into buying the land, which means there's little left for development. My husband is clever and capable, but the skills needed to turn our dream of healing the soil and building a house into reality are more than we planned for. Before, in our previous home, necessary fixes were small, like building a fence and repairing the garbage disposal whenever it was on the fritz. Now, my husband is learning how to drive and repair a backhoe and replace solar panels. As for me, I feel useless many days. I still can't start the generator or wood chipper without his help. And that's assuming it's a day we're not both working our regular jobs just to get by and save for future projects. Despite the hardship, there have been many good moments I cherish the moments when the boys are running wild with the chickens or picking fruit from trees we planted. I get excited when the garden overflows and we can share the abundance with friends and neighbors. Even two years into this life, I still get giddy collecting eggs every morning. We live under an open sky and are surrounded by raw beauty (if you can look past the to-do list and piles of weeds). These moments remind me of what we came for. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss city water, trash pickup, or being close to friends. There are days I wonder: What the hell did we do? So is it worth it? Ask me in 5 years The truth is, I don't know if it has been worth it. We're still in the messy middle. There's no tidy ending to our story. We're tired, yet proud that we've made it this far. We traded ease for challenge, predictability for possibility. I miss our old house, but I'm committed to our new dream. Even if we eventually call it a phase—our "Remember when we tried to homestead in our 40s?" moment—it's a life we reached for, not one that just happened to us. For now, that feels like enough to keep going.
