Since I started meal prepping I have realised there are a few appliances I can absolutely not live without. Here they are in no particular order.

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For years I struggled with a crappy oven. It would take hours to cook the simplest of things. Baking was hopeless too as everything seemed to flop in there. So while this is a very expensive must have, for our family it is worth every penny. I like a gas hob which is why I had to go duel fuel. I’ve baked some awesome cakes and cookies already! Plus I don’t get all the whining about how long food will be. Good roasties are super fast in here.

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Next up is a slow cooker. I have been a long time fan of slow cooking even when I was single but now with a family it is invaluable. We can go for a day out and dinner can be cooking while we are out enjoying or dinner can be cooking while we are at work. Total game changer. We have a large one and a smaller sized one. These are also perfect for batch cooking as you can double up (or more) on ingredients and freeze for another day. Tasty ready meals that are home made.

This beauty we actually bought second hand from a Facebook selling site for something like a tenner. The woman had only used it once and it was in pristine condition.

I love, love, love my Ninja Foodie dual zone airfryer (previously gifted). This has also changed our lives when preparing for for a family of 6. We can use the 2 drawers independently so we don’t have to cook one thing and then cook the next thing. This is especially helpful when you have some fussy eaters in the house. This gets used several times per day as you can literally cook anything in it. It makes the best fakeaway chicken. So crispy! We also love home made chips and wedges made in it.

Sorry George Foreman but your grill gets used a lot for toasted sandwiches/ panini’s/ Focaccia etc. It does cook a nice burger too but the teenagers (and me) love a toasted sandwich of all varieties. It also makes good quesadillas. So if yours is gathering dust as you’re not using it for meat get it out and start grilling!

My mum bought me this hand blender when I started weaning Isaac to puree meals. It’s been great for both my children. Puree up the meal and freeze in cubes, then pop in a freezer bag to microwave when needed. Other than that it’s great for soup making. Butternut squash and chilli soup is a favourite in this house so this gets used a fair bit just on that soup. Roasted tomato and basil soup is another fantastic meal to batch cook.

My most recent purchase and what an investment it has been is a rice cooker. Lots of the meals I prep have rice in them. I cannot cook rice to save my life. I ended up always using the pouch rices which are ok I guess but not the best. Plus I was using a lot more rice and that would have turned out expensive. Our lovely little rice cooker was from Argos. Not very expensive. It’s used at least twice per week. You could even make up a batch of rice to freeze in portions. I’m not going back to the pouches ever. This rice is was better and much cheaper if you are on a budget.

I cannot live without any of these now. They are essential to me, particularly with meal prepping regularly and a big family. I need a bigger kitchen really but hey ho unless I win the lottery that’s not happening. Although if I won the lottery I could employ a chef so wouldn’t need any of them ha! Can’t blame a girl for dreaming.

Let me know what your kitchen essentials are and if there is anything I absolutely must get.

Love and peace xxx