Guest Picks: Cooking for One
http://www.decor-ideas.org 11/12/2013 14:30 Decor Ideas
Even though I'm married and have kids, I often find myself making single portions, whether for a lunch for the kid who is home or a dinner for me because of a current diet. I have so many kitchen tools that are only made for family-sized cooking that I end up doubling the dishes in the sink. In those cases, even I tend to turn to more instant, preprocessed, prepared foods, but I'd like to stay committed to from-scratch cooking. These kitchen tools are designed to conserve space in your home and your dishwasher and make single-portion cooking possible, whether you're single or not. — Mariko from The Little Foodie
Takerukun Portable Lunch Jar and Mini Rice Cooker - $49.99 I can't tell you how many times I wished my rice cooker could make just one cup of rice. Supposedly it can, but the edges dry out too quickly because of the surface area. This portable mini cooker can keep your lunch warm or make a tiny portion of rice in less than 10 minutes. I'm thinking about taking it to work too.
T-fal Specialty Nonstick One Egg Wonder Pan, Gray - $6.33 I almost always eat eggs for breakfast, but cooking a single egg is just a waste when it comes to the cleanup. With this, I can cook my egg on the small burner and save some room in the sink too.
1699Grip-EZ Mini Whisk, Red - $4.19 Or maybe you're eating exactly two eggs, scrambled, and preparing them in a small bowl. Here's the perfect whisk. Mini whisks remind me of doll food and kitchen play, but they're great for small bowls, dressings and even single-serving hot cocoa.
Mini Cup Pie Set - $24.95 There are no drawbacks to mini pies. You get more crust per portion, they look super cute, and you won't feel bad for eating the whole pie.
Nutri Bullet NBR-12 12-piece Hi-speed Blender/Mixer System - $100 I've really found that a mini blender system is important for portioning smoothies or protein shakes. It's too difficult to estimate one serving in the regular blender jar.
Clip-on Strainer - $7.99 This clip-on strainer makes it easy to make a small pot of pasta, and then strain out the water without making another huge mess.
Calphalon 3-in-1 Immersion Blender - $79.95 When it comes to multitools, this is pretty impressive. The best part has to be that mini chopper!
Grapes Measuring Spoons, Pinch/Dash/Smidgen by Bakery Delights - $13.95 These are adorable tiny measuring spoons — for a dash, a pinch and a smidgen, in case you're too afraid to estimate.
Mini Palm Wood Mortar and Pestle by Gift Go Green - $12 Even if I'm not cooking a one-person meal, I think this would be useful. Most of the time I'm only grinding a small amount of spices or mashing a few cloves of garlic, and in general I find that my mortar and pestle are much too big.
Tartlet Baking Set - $29.95 I imagine that I might have to share these tarts, even if I am only making a few. A great idea would be to make and bake a set of crusts ahead of time, store them in the freezer and fill them with curd from the jar or cream and some fruit whenever you want a simple tart.
Chef'n SleekStor Pinch with Pour Mini Prep Bowl Set, Trend Colors - $9.99 These colorful mini prep bowls also have measurement markers! Who cares if you're only cooking for yourself? Prepped ingredients will make you feel like Julia Child while you cook.
Le Creuset Heritage Mini Bean Pot, Fennel - $20 If you're making a stew, beans or soup, this mini bean pot could be perfect for you. It is the right shape and size for one-person cooking, and the nearly nonstick interior makes it easy to clean up.
Calphalon Nonstick 4-piece Mini Pizza Pan Set, Silver This mini pizza pan will be great for when I need to make a cauliflower crust pizza for myself — no one else in my family will touch the stuff. It's delicious! I promise!
CoverBlubber It seems like everyone thinks this CoverBlubber thing is genius, as it's currently sold out. I'll be first in line when they make some more. When you're cooking for one, leftover pieces are always a problem, and this product makes for tidier storage in the veggie drawer.
Microplane Classic Grater/Zester - $12.95 Really, you should think of the microplane grater as a mini cheese grater. It takes up almost no space at all and is easy to pull out for a quick spill of cheese on your plate.
Mini Silicone Magnetic Heat Insulation Clip Holder Finger Guard - $3.99 This strange contraption is great for grabbing a very hot plate out of the microwave or other small-pinch kinds of items.
GSI Halulite Ketalist - $34.95 I suppose this might be for camping, but the size works for one-person meals too. The cute pot boils water quickly so that you can rehydrate your indestructible, post-apocalyptic meals or just enjoy an afternoon cup of tea.
Presto 05511 Quick Burger 400-watt Nonstick Hamburger Cooker - $21.25 I actually prefer burgers in the pan (to preserve their juiciness), and I think this style of cooking would take that one step further. It would also make cooking one patty a possibility, and it only takes two or three minutes.
Keystone 3.1-cubic-foot Compact 2-door Refrigerator/Freezer, Black - $179.99 Refrigerators take up so much space. I imagine that if you're single, a mostly empty fridge is a bit of a waste of energy. This mini fridge has a functional freezer and is just the right size — not too mini.
Taylor Mini Kitchen Scale - $20 This is a super-compact scale, perfect for anyone (like me) with little cupboard space. I use my kitchen scale several times a week, and I find it liberating to be free from the clutter and cleanup of small measuring cups.
Next: 7 Kitchen Flooring Materials to Boost Your Cooking Comfort
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