Our forefathers were able to achieve quite a lot in the kitchen with their bare hands, but times have changed. We now have some fantastic cookware and utensils at our disposal, which can not only speed up cooking times but improve the convenience of meal preparation.

What are those items, and how can the average chef or cook experience kitchen convenience for themselves? Read on to learn some of the most affordable kitchen miracles that no professional chef would be without.

High-Quality Cookware

You would be surprised at how much a simple upgrade to your cookware sets can transform your meal preparation. Instead of fighting against ingredients that stick and smoke in substandard pots and pans, you can invest in high-quality cookware that enhances both the flavor and quality of your meals. The beauty of premium pots and pans is that they are more affordable than you might think. You certainly get bang for your buck with this investment.

Knife Sets

No professional chef would be without a knife set. Without the sharpest, best-quality knives, you can damage and bruise your produce and spend far longer than necessary chopping, slicing, and dicing. You can buy a few knives on their own that will suit a range of chopping tasks, or you can invest in a full knife block with everything you need. Just remember to take care as kitchen knife injuries can result in trips to the emergency room.

Dehydrator

If you’re looking for great tasting snacks that won’t break the bank or your diet, then a high-quality dehydrator is for you. These simple, yet nifty gadgets allow you to create mouth-watering, healthy munchies that the whole family will love. The best part is that it’s so simple. Get your slicing game on and you can have gourmet dried fruit or sweet potato crisps. You can even use it to prepare your own jerky or biltong for a fraction of the cost of store-bought.

Chopping Board Sets

Every year, around 48 million people are struck down by foodborne illnesses. About 3,000 of those people will die. It’s paramount to be at the top of your game when it comes to food hygiene and safe handling practices, and chopping board sets can help. Instead of rushing to clean the boards between each ingredient, risking cross-contamination, you can buy several color-coded ones. You can then use one for each type of ingredient for a safer cooking experience.

Food Processors

Need to chop, puree, blend, slice, dice, or mince something? A food processor will be your best friend. Not only are these appliances getting more affordable by the day, but they can also do much more than ever before. You could save hours every week in meal preparation by leaving those finicky tasks to a machine.

Digital Thermometers

Professional chefs swear by digital thermometers for ensuring they cook their food correctly. At home, you often think nothing of digging a knife into a plump piece of chicken to make sure it’s cooked, but you can’t do that at a restaurant as it can ruin the final presentation. Instead, you must rely on temperatures to determine the degree of cooking. Once you have a digital thermometer, you’ll never want to be without it.

Many people often wonder how chefs manage to create such exquisite food for the general public. Skill and talent play a huge part, but so too does the equipment they use. Decent cooking tools are now more affordable than you might think. Purchase the items above for yourself and watch your meal quality shoot from two stars to five.