If you’re looking for a great gift idea for your loved ones, check out this round up of our team’s favorite kitchen tools (see how many times we can say Vitamix, ha ha!). In this list you’ll find ways to help make healthy home cooking easier and more enjoyable. And we love that!
Kara Fitzgerald ND, Clinic Director
Favorite tool: Le Creuset cookware
Years ago, I invested in a Le Creuset set…a Dutch oven, a sauce pan and cast iron frying pan. It was a tough leap to make such an investment in cook pots! I “hemmed and hawed” about it, as my mother says. Now, many pots and pans have come and gone, but the Le Creusets remain my go-to set, with me for the long haul, and no doubt my daughter’s inheritance 🙂
Ken Litwin MD, Physician
Favorite tool: Kitchen knife, peeler, and tongs
For me it’s probably my favorite knife. Close second is my carrot peeler. Or my kitchen tongs. I know, boring. But they work so well and make my life easier. Which I can’t say for all the other kitchen gadgets I have received as gifts over the years, most of them deemed non-essential. Like my avocado cutter/scooper thing. Or my lemon squeezing press-thing.
Stacey Cantor Adkins MD, Physician
Favorite tool: Pressure cooker and Vitamix
I’ve always used an old-fashioned pressure cooker rather than a slow cooker. I also use my Vitamix daily, but I would put a caveat with it: that people beware of consuming too much cold, uncooked food, because it can put out your “digestive fire”, so to speak, cooling off your Stomach/Spleen Qi (in TCM), which is needed to digest your food. So I recommend having something warm and cooked along with your cold morning smoothie: for example, a hot cup of herbal tea, plus some steamed or blanched leafy green vegetables.
Romilly Hodges CNS, Nutrition Programs Director
Favorite tool: Henckels kitchen knives and Epicurean cutting boards
When my husband and I were married, we received some Henckels kitchen knives as gifts. Along with my stack of dishwasher-safe Epicurean cutting boards, these are by far the most-used items in our kitchen. I also had to find a local place to have them regularly sharpened (turns out our local WholeFoods Market has a knife sharpening day twice a month). If you want to eat 8-12 servings of vegetables each day, efficient prepping is essential!
Lara Zakaria CNS, Nutritionist and Nutrition Team Manager
Favorite tool: Instant Pot
I gave myself the Instant pot as a birthday gift last year and it quickly became a go-to for easy home-made meals. It doesn’t matter if I haven’t planned too far ahead since this clever gadget speeds up the cooking time.
Jill Sheppard Davenport CNS, Nutritionist
Favorite tool: Vitamix blender
I love my Vitamix blender. In addition to smoothies, I use it to make endless soups, plus staples like almond milk and rice milk, and a treats and specialty items like avocado chocolate mousse, ginger root cubes for tea, home-made mayo. It’s also great for making all-natural home-made ice pop fillings. Plus, it cleans up fast.
Janine Henkel CNS, Nutritionist
Favorite tool: Spiralizer
Getting my 7 year-old involved in the cooking process was the best decision I ever made to maintain healthy choices. He gets so excited to spiralize veggies and fruits, which also saves me time. By including him in the meal prep, he’s proud to eat and share his hard-earned creations with the family.
Jim Wilday, Nutrition Resident and CNS Candidate
Favorite tool: Cuisinart food processor and Vitamix blender
I have to go with my old Cuisinart food processor. I have the 14-cup model. It does pretty much anything you want it to do (in my case chopping fruits and vegetables or making quick work of preparing healthy vegan desserts). Love my Vitamix as well.
Dorie Passen, Nutrition Resident and CNS Candidate
Favorite tool: Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother
It’s a great time saver when making beverages like golden milk or matcha lattes. Instead of using a pot to heat the milk and then blending it with things like turmeric, matcha, MCT oil, or powdered adaptogens in a blender, I just add everything directly to the Aeroccino container, hit the button, and it blends and heats the drink all in one step. The unit I have also lets me choose how frothy I want the drink to be.
Amy Pabbi, Nutrition Resident and CNS Candidate
Favorite tool: Vitamix blender
My favorite is my Vitamix 5200 blender and grinder. It’s one of the best investments I made for my kitchen. You can make truly-smooth smoothies, shakes and soups. I make my oat flour, almond flour and quinoa flour in it too. I love it!!!!