Living life as a vegan certainly has its benefits, particularly when it comes to your health. You become much more conscious of what you eat, focusing more on natural and organic foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and bread, rice, and pasta.
Eating more natural foods does take a little more time to prepare than a microwave pizza, but boy will your body thank you for it. But don’t worry as there are plenty of kitchen gadgets out there to help speed things up and make your life easier.
Blender
This is by far one of the most popular pieces of equipment found living in vegan kitchens, and once you’ve used one, you’ll soon know why. The blender is such a versatile tool. It can be used to make soups, smoothies, dips, hummus, ice cream…., and the list goes on.
The other great thing about a blender is that they’re so simple to use and take the hard work away from chopping and mixing. Simply load in your chosen ingredients, fix on the lid, and push the button. Then, soon after, your creation will be ready to consume.
Chopper and/or Slicer
No one wants to spend hours in the kitchen chopping and slicing vegetables. So, a lot of vegans choose to take the easy option and buy themselves a vegetable chopper and/or slicer. Quite often these two are covered together in one tool, making things like julienne potatoes, or grated carrots a breeze to prepare.
Tofu Press
This item is a little more specialized than a blender or a chopper, but if you are vegan and plan on eating tofu as part of your diet, you’re going to need one of these. Trust me. A tofu press removes excess water from the food, making the texture much more favorable and easier to cook.
Spiralizer
Being a vegan, you tend to eat quite a few vegetables. And while eating endless amounts of veg in their raw, uneventful form, is ok, it can get a little monotonous. So, why not jazz them up a little through the use of a good spiralizer? This is an essential for any vegan kitchen.
With one of these babies at home, making things like vegetable pasta, chips, and salads has never been more fun. Even the kids will like eating vegetables with one of these at home.
Spice Grinder
Eating natural food that’s free from preservatives and additives is great for the body. But in order to fully satisfy the palate, you really need to add a little something to it. One of the fastest and easiest ways to do this is by adding seasoning.
And what better way to do this than through the use of a spice grinder. These come in either an electric variety that lets you relax while the hard work is done for you. Or, you can opt for a mortar and pestle and work up that appetite!
Stock Pot
Stock pots are great for cooking up large portions of food and then freezing some for later on. Not only do these devices save time in cooking several meals per week, they also save on the dishes as essentially your whole meal can be cooked in one pot. They work well for making complete meals such as curries, pasta dishes and soups.
Garlic Press
A little bit of freshly crushed garlic can make all the difference to a dish in terms of both taste and health benefits. Garlic is known for improving cholesterol levels and reducing blood pressure. It even has some antibiotic properties. With a garlic press to hand, you add liven up your meals in a flash.
Avocado Cutter
Another simple yet essential tool for any vegan kitchen is the good old avocado cutter. With this handy tool you can slice, cut, pit, and scoop the green of the avocado out quickly and safely. It’s the perfect thing to help when preparing dishes such as guacamole or smashed avocado on toast.
Avocados have become really popular over the past few years as more and more people realize that not only are they tasty, but they’re also highly nutritious. One avocado contains around 20 different vitamins and minerals. They’re high in Vitamin K and C, and have even more potassium per serving than a banana.
Ice Cream Maker
Well, it can’t all be about main food, now can it? Ice cream is actually quite a big hit among vegans as more companies such as Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs are now creating a good selection of frozen vegan treats.
However, why not invest in an ice cream maker and create your very own frozen masterpieces? With one of these amazing inventions you can use whatever ingredients you want to concoct your own tasty flavor ice cream. Banana, chocolate, mango? Or maybe something more exotic like watermelon mint takes your fancy.
High-quality Knife Set
Good, sharp knives aren’t just for meat eaters, you know. Vegan cooks generally spend a lot of time prepping their food. This includes the chopping of various fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And for this, you need a good, high-quality knife set.
While you may not have a need for say a steak knife or a cleaver, a sharp paring knife for peeling and cutting, and a strong chef’s knife for chopping veg is essential. Vegans also tend to have a good bread knife for cutting fresh dough.
Final Word
Eating vegan doesn’t have to be difficult, or time consuming. As you can see, there are a great number of handy tools available which will help make prepping your favorite meals so much less stressful.
Many of these items can be picked up online for just a few bucks. Others may require a little more investment, but all will save you a great deal of time and frustration in the end.
