Your life is different than mine. All of the tools in this article won’t fit your needs, but it’ll be worth the read if you find one tool that will make your jobs at home easier, more efficient, or quicker.
Kitchen tools
I wish I had bought these tools years ago:
Digital meat thermometer with instant read- ok, years ago we didn’t have digital anything, but we do now and this nifty, inexpensive tool has greatly improved my meat cooking. No more cutting open the meat to check for visual doneness, thus almost always overcooking it. Now I just stick the meat during cooking and whisk it off the stove as soon as it hits the desired temperature. I keep a little list inside my cupboard door of doneness temperatures for different meats since I cannot remember numbers. List here.
Cookie dough scoop- Like an ice cream scoop with a lever to push the contents out – only a miniature version. So much faster than two spoons, every cookie is equal and therefore all bake to the same doneness, makes the cookies look professional, too! Here and Here
Scrub brush- niftiest sink tool ever! This little number is genius. The brush sits above the soap solution on a spring platform inside a pretty ceramic dish. Press brush down into soap, then scrub dishes, pans, paint brushes (!) and return to platform which allows brush to dry until you need it next. I liked it so well, I’ve been giving them as gifts. Shhh…don’t tell that they only cost $5.69. Red alert! Price almost doubled since I ordered gifts 3 weeks ago! Now the price is $9.19 Here
Time proven kitchen favorites:
Cast iron skillets- I use them for everything. After washing with hot water and the scrub brush or greenie pad (no soap), I dry them and drizzle enough olive oil to cover the bottom, tilting it so the oil goes up the sides, too. The warm skillet absorbs some of the oil and the remaining oil is all ready for the next meal.
Electric pressure cooker -I use this pressure cooker/rice cooker/slow cooker pot several times a week. Love this Secura brand Here
Large baking pans- Clean-up accounts for half of the time it takes to bake. Making a double batch doesn’t increase the prep time and it cuts the clean-up time in half compared to making 2 separate batches at different times.
Laundry
Spray bottle of water or scented water- I try to get our clothes out of the dryer as soon as it beeps, but even if I do, they aren’t wrinkle free. So I spritz our hanging clothes with water and let the wrinkles hang out before putting them in the closet. For Husband’s shirts, I spritz and then smooth the plackets and collars with my fingers. I hate to iron, so I don’t. Spraying is quicker and easier.
White Vinegar – this isn’t for everyone, but I put vinegar in the washing machine fabric softener dispenser. Our well water has minerals in it and using white vinegar seems to help rinse the mineral residue off.
Wool dryer balls- Since I don’t use dryer sheets, dryer balls do the trick for me. They fluff, reduce static, and reduce wrinkles. Some folks put a few drops of essential oil on their wool balls. Husband felt the lavender essential oil that came with the set was too strong. These were a gift from my daughter-in-love. Here There are other brands that may be cheaper. I haven’t tried them.
Unscented laundry detergent- a must for Husband’s sensitive skin and our allergies.
Cleaning
Eletrolux Ergorapido- for those of us who can’t afford a Dyson stick. Super lightweight, no cord, battery operated, perfect for bare floors, ok, but not great for low nap rugs. Hint- empty the dirt collector after each use to keep it sucking at peak capacity. Plug in to recharge after each use. Buy the red one because it is the most powerful model. Here
Shark Genius steam mop- first steam mop I’ve actually been happy with. Bought mine at Costco on sale. Love it. Here
Window cleaner and glass microfiber cloths – SprayWay glass cleaner- hate that it’s aerosol, I don’t use any other aerosols, but can’t find a spray glass cleaner that works as well as this one. We buy it at Costco and BiMart, but it is available at most stores. Husband won’t let me wash windows. (Darn!) He says they are always streaked when I wash them. True. But he can get windows shiny with SprayWay and Wypall rags. Cloths here
Cleaning solution- Our daughter and I split the cost of this surprising little machine that converts vinegar, salt and water to a disinfecting cleaner. I use it on any surface including our countertops three times a day, and even use it to clean our produce of pesticides before eating. Here
Would any of these tools make your life easier?