Kitchen Product Splurges

My youngest sister is getting married this year.  (Cue the tears.)  She asked me what I thought she should include on her wedding registry.  She’s just starting out so she’ll need some basic things, like mixing bowls.  I also think that she should include some things on her registry that are a bit extravagant, even if she doesn’t think she’ll use them as often as the basics.

Here are my top 5 kitchen products that I think are worth the splurge:

Espresso Machine.  My husband and I bought a Nespresso espresso machine in 2014 after we came home from our Turks and Caicos vacation.  The resort room came with a complimentary Nespresso maker to use and we used it a LOT.  We used it so much that we missed it when we got home so we decided to splurge and buy an espresso machine to sit next to our coffee machine.  Nespresso sells a variety of machines, accessories, and espresso pods at a whole bunch of price points.  You too can make an espresso while you’re in your pajamas at home.

Stand Mixer.  We love the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer.  I don’t tend to use it often because I prefer to use a hand mixer.  However, my husband uses it all the time.  That’s where all the bread making magic happens.

A Good Knife.  I think this is one of those things that you get what you pay for.  I tend to use the same knife for 99% of my cutting.  I don’t know if that’s proper kitchen etiquette but it’s the truth.  A few years ago I bought a Calphalon Katana knife.  I have to admit that I hated spending so much money on it at the time, but now I can say that it was worth the money.  I use it almost every day and it’s great.  As with any knife I do need to sharpen it from time to time, but it’s comfortable and it works beautifully.

Electric Skillet.  Okay okay, this one maybe isn’t a splurge because it’s really not that expensive, I put it in the category of a splurge because I already have the tools to make what I want (i.e. skillet and stove).  Despite the fact that I didn’t think that we needed an electric skillet, my husband bought an Oster electric skillet a couple of years ago.  For the record, my husband was right in buying the electric skillet.  It’s SO much easier and faster to make pancakes now, and they are vastly more consistent than ones from the stove.

Blender.  I was perfectly content with a standard run of the mill blender, but for years I was lusting over a Vitamix blender.  They are expensive, especially when there are other brands that work well for less money.  I held off buying one because I was having trouble justifying it.  The funny thing though was that whenever there was a Vitamix presentation on QVC I’d watch it.  Even though I’d already seen so many of them, I figured maybe they would present some feature I’d missed or demo some idea that tipped me over the edge.  Finally one day a few years ago we took the plunge and splurged on the Creations II model.  (As it turns out, I just hit my limit without any need for a QVC nudge.)  I love it.  Making smoothies is a whole different experience now.  I’ve even made oat flour in the blender.  How cool is that?

Whether you’re looking to start your bridal registry, buy a gift for you mom for Mother’s Day that’s right around the corner, or just looking to treat yourself for no reason, I hope I’ve given you some ideas on what kitchen product to splurge for.

What item would you recommend splurging on?