I have compiled a list of my favorites from my Kitchen as well as a little description of how I might use the item. I have gathered the items that I use to cook from scratch and a healthy as possible.

1. Secura Double Walled French Press
After three glass french presses have died in my kitchen, I was starting to grow a bit weary. I was telling my sad news to my neighbor about my latest one biting the dust and what she did next blew me away! She brought over an extra french press they had and not just any ole french press, but this beauty!
It keeps the coffee piping hot (Matt jokes that I hate my taste buds because I like my coffee so hot) hahaha. It is true! Also, no coffee machine did the trick for me. I would end up craving strong coffee and find myself being pulled to the local coffee shop. But learning how to make french press coffee has kept me more than satisfied with coffee at home.
2. Mr. Coffee Electric Grinder
Ok, there really may be a better grinder out there, but this one really works just fine for the price. I do about 4 tablespoons of Thrive Breakfast Blend on the 4 cup, Course Ground setting and magic happens in the french press. Freshly ground coffee is a big key to delish coffee, even grinding it the night before takes away some of the yummy taste. So if you have been getting your coffee ground at the store, the good news is, your coffee can get even BETTER!
3. Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle
The first time I ever saw an electric kettle was in my hotel room in China. I was amazed at how fast the kettle warmed up, but I didn’t think much about it when I came back to the US. Then I was reading a coffee book I just love, I’ll link it here. And in that book he talked about how much temperature matters for coffee and even different types of tea for that matter. My husband is always saying that he loved the kettle so much and that it may be the most used item in our house (that is a toss up with the Berkey). The kettle has different settings for coffee and different types of tea. And it gives a pleasant beep when the water reaches the desired temperature or you can press HOLD and it keeps it at that temperature, which is super handy.
4. Berkey

I finally got a Berkey when we had a brief stint in an apartment after we sold our house. The water taste was just too rough and I was concerned about what was in the water our family was using. The truth is that our water here in the US is certainly sanitary and I praise God for that. Getting clean water is a real life or death struggle for so many around the world. So I saw all this being thankful for the water I have. But there are still some serious issues with the water supply here. Chlorine is put in the water to kill a lot of toxic things, but it can also wipe out the good bacteria in your body as well. Also, there are pharmaceutical meds that are not filter out of the water that end up in our bodies. This is sooo crazy to me!
After a year of using the Berkey I can tell you that we have just loved it. I have the Royal Berkey size and it works for our family of 6, but I do see how I could have even gone bigger. I currently have two of the black filters on the Berkey, but I think if I bumped it up to 4 it would double the filtering time. So we may do that in the future. I use this water to cook with, for my coffee and of course to drink. It is easy for the kids to serve themselves and I personally think it is beautiful on the counter.
5. Instant Duo 7 in 1-8 Quart
I was late on the train for this thing. I think like most people I thought ahh it is big or what if it blows up. Both valid haha, but really it is not so bad to use at all. I use my instant pot the most for making my bone broth. Here is a link to how I make my gut healing bone broth. Super handy for lots of soups!
6. Silicon Freezer Molds
I originally got these to use for making baby food. But they get used most often to freeze my chicken and bone broth into little pods that I just pot in soup, rice, quinoa or in a mug when we are starting to feel sick. After freezing any liquid or puree, you just let them thaw for a couple of minutes and then pot the pods out and store in a freezer safe bag. Sooo handy! Here is a post on how I have used them.
7. Stainless Steel Colander Sieve 3 Set
These are so handy! I like having stainless steel vs any kind of plastic, because I am generally pouring hot liquid through these Colanders and I do not want any kind of plastic getting into our food. The only down side is that the strainer is so fine that particles can get caught in them, but if you have the spray function on your kitchen faucet it is no problem getting them clean.
8. Peanut Butter/ Honey Liquid Measuring Cup
I was first introduced to this measuring cup by a mentor out in California who was just the best cook. When I saw her use this cup for honey I was just amazed. When you push the bottom up all the liquid comes up and there is no waste.
Ok I do not think I have the exact one above, but I honestly do not think it matters which one you get. They are just super super handy for sticky items. I use this measuring cup the most when I am making my Cacao Protein Bites linked here. You can also watch the video linked here and you can see how I use this thing.
9. Wide Mouth Mason Jars
I store soup, broth and even items in my pantry in these wide mouth jars. I even love to drink out of them. Just so so handy! I am linking them from Amazon, but truthfully I think they are much cheaper at Walmart in the store.
10. Wusthof Classic 12 piece Knife Block Set
Whew, I forgot how expensive these knives were until I just made this post. And yet, I still think they have been a good investment. I cook almost every meal at home. Cooking is a huge part of my day feeding 6 people and it will continue to be for a long time. Having sharp knives is actually way safer than having dull knives. I didn’t have nice knives until 8 years of being married, so if this price tag scares you I would recommend getting one nice knife.
A good place to start would be a good sharp chef’s knife. You could get away with the rest of the knives being just ok, but make the knife you use to chop veggies quality and sharp. When these get dull you don’t have to scrap them, you can simply take them to get professionally sharpened.
11. Swivel Wooden Salt Box with Maldon
I keep box out on my countertop at all times. If you know me at all, you know I seem to evangelize for Maldon. I don’t mean to, but this salt is just the best finishing salt I have had. What is finishing salt? Just like it sounds like, you add Maldon to the finished product right before you eat it. The salt has a unique pyramid and really just brings out the taste of the food. That is what good salt does. You don’t taste salt, you only taste MORE of the yummy food.
Everyone in my house passes around the Maldon salt in this wooden box and grabs a pinch to add to their food at the supper table. It has been a fun accidental tradition started in our home and I love it!