10 Kitchen Gadgets You'll Want in Your Apartment

Your apartment kitchen will come with the basics. A beautiful stove, oven, microwave, the works. But if you’re the type of person who loves to cook, then you might need a few more gadgets up your sleeve to help you prepare some meals you’re thinking of making. Some gadgets and appliances are go-to's for any kitchen; like a blender, slow cooker, waffle iron, toaster oven, mixer, and so on. But what about those gadgets that have started popping up in the last few years? While not all gadget are must-haves, or even helpful, there are some out there that will truly open your eyes to an easier way of cooking your favorite meals. With that said, here are some of our top-ten must-have kitchen gadgets for your apartment (in no particular order).

1- Panini Press

The days of regular deli sandwiches are gone! If you love eating panini’s at your favorite café, then you’ll love having a panini press in your apartment to use whenever you’d like. Find recipes online or make your own. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy a warm, grilled sandwich whenever you’d like. One of the most popular uses of the panini is, of course, the classic grilled cheese, which will be cooked to perfection on a panini press. While you can go the simple route making grilled cheese, you can also use a panini press for a BLT, chicken pesto, and so many other sandwich creations.

2- Apple Corer and Slicer

Apple corers aren’t anything new, but they’ll always have a place in a kitchen. Their simple design makes it easy and fast to core and slice an apple all at once. Use it when you want to have a snack of apple and peanut butter, or use it for recipes. Make a bowl full of apple slices in no time so you can use it in baking a pie, or maybe as a topping for your salad. Your cutting time will be cut in half, not to mention they're easy to clean and store.

3- Pressure Cooker

You’ve heard of slow cookers. Now it’s time to talk about their friendly competition: the pressure cooker. If you’re someone who isn’t good at planning meals in advanced, you’ll be happy to hear that a pressure will cut down your cook time immensely.  You’ll have meals in just ten to thirty minutes depending on the recipe! You can use a pressure cooker to make soups, rice, pasta, meat and so much more. The recipes are endless, so you'll always need meals to try out!

4- Air Fryer

Another fun gadget that’s popped up recently, is the air fryer, which has an endless list of uses. You can use it in the traditional sense (to fry things), but it doesn’t end there. Make fried ice cream, fired oreos, or just use it to reheat things like chicken tenders for a crispy finish to your favorite food. Air-fryers are a great options for those who want to start cooking healthier, but aren't willing to give up a crispy taste. Hot air is circulated throughout the device to fry food without the use of oil. Some crowd favorites are air-fried chicken, pizza, potato chips, pork chops, chimichangas and of course, french fries.

5- Garlic Press

If you’re someone who loves to cook in the kitchen from scratch, then a garlic press will be your new best friend. Whenever you’re in the need for chopped garlic, put the knife away and take out the garlic press to get it down to the correct size without having to worry about cutting it into small pieces yourself. It works by inserting the garlic into the press, where it is forced through small holes to crush them down to size. It will be a great tool whenever a recipe calls for minced garlic!

6- Dumpling Press/Maker

Whether you’re looking to make dumplings, empanadas or perogies, a dumpling maker will cut your prep-time in half. Dumplings, empanada and perogies made from scratch have amazing taste, but they’re not known for being an easy meal to create. Most avoid the process entirely and buy pre-made from the store because the process can take so long. But recently dumpling presses have popped up as a new crowed favorite. The stainless-steel tool will cut the dough into a perfect circle, and when you place your filling on top of the dough, it’s as easy as folding the tool in half to cinch it closed perfectly. At the end, you have a perfect dumpling, empanada, or perogies ready to be cooked!

7- Food Processor

If you ever need to cut food into small pieces or grind something down into a powdered consistency, then make sure to have a food processor in your kitchen. While it’s not something you'll catch yourself using often, when you do have it, you’ll be thankful. Never used a food processor before? Here are some recipes where a processor is a must-have: hummus, spinach artichoke dip and hash browns. If you've ever seen recipes where high-carb ingredients are replaced with cauliflower, a food processor will help you in the cooking process as well. Most popular is using a food processor on cauliflower to ground it down to make dough for pizza.

8- 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer

It’s no secret that avocados are a new crowd favorite when it comes to cooking. A 3-in-1 avocado slicer will help you handle every step of the avocado prep process. Use it to cut, core, and remove the skin from the yummy center. From there you'll be able to use your avocado in sandwiches, salads, guacamole, and so much more!

9- Coffee Maker

Stop spending money on expensive coffees every morning and get yourself a coffee maker. It can be a simple one to prep your regular coffee, or it can be something a little fancier to help you prepare your favorite espresso or cappuccino. Try a drip brew, french press, or a siphon coffee maker when you're in the mood for a classier cup of coffee. When you're living alone, it may feel like a waste to make a large pot of coffee when you only need one cup. This is where single-serve coffee makers like a Keurig comes in hand! If you don’t want to prepare your own coffee, you can always stop in one of our leasing offices, because most of our locations offer a complimentary coffee bar.

10- Strawberry Huller

A small but mighty tool, a strawberry huller will remove the stem from a strawberry so not one centimeter is put to waste! It’s simple, easy to use, and not to mention, simple to store because it’s so small.