If you love to eat delicious food but are always low on time due to your hectic schedule, you can use your kitchen appliances and tools to make quick meals. At times, people with busy schedules develop unhealthy eating habits due to their inability to cook in less time.
However, if you learn the right way to use your kitchen tools to make quick meals, you can stick to healthy eating habits and save a lot of money. Some of these appliances prepare full-fledged meals in less than 30 minutes. Here are a few ways to reduce cooking time with the help of kitchen equipment and appliances.
1. Use a Food Processor to Make Quick Sauces
If you are starving but do not have much time to cook, use your food processor to make quick sauces and throw them over your pasta. It will satisfy your carb cravings and you get to eat a delicious meal despite having less time. Similarly, if you are hungry in the morning but are getting late for work, you can prepare a smoothie in your food processor by blending some frozen berries, milk, and protein powder. To reduce prepping time and effort, prepare your sauces ahead of time.
2. Cook in a Pressure Cooker
The sole purpose of a pressure cooker is to save time and cook meals within a few minutes. Also known as an instant pot in some countries, this appliance has become a necessity for people with busy schedules. The pot uses steam to cook food, which is much faster than baking or boiling. It also saves almost 70% energy as compared to a stove, which makes it an economical investment. Some healthy, delicious, and quick meals that can be prepared using a pressure cooker include a variety of curries, stews, soups, or a rice dish. When using a pressure cooker, be extra careful with the covering lid and sealing ring.
3. Put your Air Fryer to Use
Since air fryers use less time to cook meals and can prepare multiple dishes at once, this may be your best kitchen appliance investment so far. It cooks food from all angles, thereby giving a crispy texture to the finished product. An air fryer is a perfect addition to help with cooking due to its versatility and health properties. From French fries to sugar cookies, you can fry or bake almost every ingredient in this appliance.
4. Use your Waffle Maker
A waffle maker is another versatile appliance in your kitchen. Apart from waffles, you can make an omelet, grill a sandwich, or toast a bagel that can be eaten as a quick breakfast meal. Just turn your waffle maker on and get as creative as you can. The best part about cooking with a waffle maker is that you can use just about any ingredient from your fridge or pantry and make a delicious meal out of it. Some delicious dishes that can be made on a waffle maker include pizza, cinnamon rolls, brownies, quesadillas, grilled cheese, cornbread, bacon, and hash browns.
5. Prepare your Meals in a Slow Cooker
While the name is counter-intuitive to your purpose, a slow cooker can actually help save a lot of time and prepare some of the best meals you’ve ever cooked. If you have a busy work schedule, you must invest in a slow cooker. All you have to do is add sliced vegetables, a few spices, and salt. Cover it with a lid and turn it on. By the time you reach home, you will have a delicious meal ready to be eaten. Since a slow cooker uses all the spices, juices, and flavors of the ingredients and slowly turn them into a meal over a course of 6 to 8 hours, you get to enjoy an aromatic and flavorful dish.
6. Get a High-Quality Mandoline
Most of your cooking time is wasted in preparing the ingredients. However, by reducing the time to prep vegetables, you can assemble a meal within a few minutes. This is where a mandoline can help.
It is a slicer and grater in one tool that can grate, dice, or slice vegetables of your choice. Just hold the mandoline in position and work with small wrist motions to chop your veggies and prep your ingredients. Add these chopped veggies to a slow cooker to further reduce cooking time. You can also prepare a quick salad with this tool.
Cooking with these kitchen tools and appliances will also give you a chance to explore or invent new dishes. Investing in these appliances will pay off in the long run because you will no longer skip meals or buy expensive lunches outside. Getting one of the appliances listed above can also speed things up in your kitchen.