I love to cook. I love to bake. It’s probably because I really love to eat, but beyond that, I do enjoy creating with food.
There are certain kitchen essentials that are a must. 
An investment piece like my KitchenAid mixer was a want that has become a need and my dream appliance is a double oven. This article lists a slow cooker and immersion blender as must-haves and I completely agree.
Your kitchen likely already has measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls – items that you have collected over time, were wedding gifts or hand me downs.
But for those just starting out and learning to cook, or those who are trying to do it more often, there are a few smaller, simpler kitchen essentials that will quickly become your best friend – no matter how novice you may be.
Here are my four recommended kitchen essentials:
Garlic press
Sure, you can just chop garlic very finely, but having a good garlic press makes adding 6 cloves of garlic to your favourite chili a snap, or quickly adding it to olive oil to brush on crusty bread.
Santoku knife
When you first start out with cooking, you may think a knife is just a knife. But insert your best ‘you think that’s a knife? THIS is a knife!’ from Crocodile Dundee and that’s how I feel about my Santoku. A good, sharp knife is a kitchen essential because when you are chopping, dicing, slicing and more, you want something that works with you, not against you.
Wooden Cutting board
I have two styles of cutting board. One is a BPA-free plastic that I use for meats and fish, the other is wooden.
I actually have two wooden cutting boards. The first is left on my counter always and is for meal preparation, quick cutting, chopping, slices apples for the kids and so on. The second is a pastry board that is only used to roll dough.
Why do I think a wooden cutting board is an essential kitchen tool? I love the natural quality of it, the way it cleans easily and the way it looks on the kitchen counter. Not to mention it’s a large size and gets a lot of use.
Citrus Reamer
I have been calling mine a juicer, but apparently the correct term is reamer. This inexpensive kitchen tool is a perfect way to get all of the juice out of your lemons and limes for use in salad dressings, desserts and beverages. This was a recent addition for me and I’m left thinking ‘where has this been all my life?!’
Do you have any small kitchen essentials that are a must have? Are there any you have that surprised you with their usefulness?