Having the right kitchen tools can make cooking fun and help you get creative with your dishes. Of course, you definitely don’t need fancy, uber-expensive appliances and cookware to get the job done, but there are some great gadgets out there that can make whipping together a quality meal a lot simpler — especially for those that adhere to a plant-based diet.
From blenders to salad spinners, food processors to slow cookers (RIP Jack!), there are a plethora of kitchen essentials that can help you break away from your everyday, mundane meals and create something exciting! Here are some of the best kitchen must-haves for the healthy eaters!
Nut Milk Maker
If you’ve ever tried your hand at making nut milk, you know the process can be tedious. After a long, hectic work day, you might not be feeling up to all of the soaking, blending, and straining required of the homemade, creamy beverage.
Priced at $195, Almond Cow is one nut milk maker that takes all of the legwork out of making homemade milks by quickly transforming any nut, seed, or grain into a plant-based milk using a multi-stage cold blending process — no heat or bags required. Simply add your nut or seed of choice, along with delicious add-ins like vanilla or coconut, and at the touch of a button Almond Cow can make up to 1.5 quarts of nut milk! With a motto of less plastic, more plants, Almond Cow helps to cutback on the plastic waste generated by store-bought containers and is also shipped in 99% compostable packaging!
Veggie Spiralizer
If you’re vegan, or perhaps if you adhere to a low carb, gluten-free, or paleo diet, vegetable pastas are a good go-to dinner option because they’re easy to make *and* healthy. Try your hand at making your own veggie noodles in recipes like this Gluten-Free Spiralized Zucchini Pasta or this Fava Bean Soba Noodle Pesto Pasta (also made with spiralized zucchinis). You can easily find a veggie spiralizer — like the inexpensive, BPA-free OXO Good Grips 3-Blade handheld spiralizer that runs for $24.95 — online or at a home goods store.
Food Dehydrator
The perfect kitchen accessory for a raw vegan, food dehydrators help preserve your foods by removing moisture sans heat while still preserving their nutrient content. Food dehydrators are perfect for creating tasty snacks from fruits, vegetables, and even nuts. Dehydrators can also be used to make breads, chips, and crackers! (Like these Raw Vegan Italian Herb Flaxseed Crackers!) They can be a bit pricey, so make sure you do your research and find the perfect one for your needs. One of the more popular dehydrators, the Excalibur (which carries models in varying sizes featuring 4, 5, 9, or 10 trays) is a great option for newbie dehydrators and runs for about $130 to $500, depending on the number of trays.
Tofu Press
Tofu presses help to remove water from tofu — without the paper towels or the mess — for better texture and flavor. Tofu presses typically come in two types: plate style tofu presses, which use two metal or plastic plates to squeeze the water out of tofu, and box style tofu presses, containers (that generally only fit standard sized tofu blocks) that squeeze out water via loaded springs.
Tofu presses can vary price-wise, depending on which brand you go with. Pick up an inexpensive option like the EZ Tofu Press, which runs at about $21 online, and try your hand at making tofu recipes like this mouthwatering Teriyaki Tofu with Roasted Brussels Sprouts!
Which one of these kitchen tools do you swear by?
Also by Audrey: Serena Williams’ Clothing Line Is All About Female Empowerment (& It’s Vegan!)
Related: Here’s How To Go Zero-Waste At The Farmer’s Market, Like The Green Goddess You Are
Get more like this—Subscribe to our daily inspirational newsletter for exclusive content!
Photo: Respective Brands, Molly Lansdowne, Mary Hood Luttrell,
