9 refreshing kitchen essentials for whipping up light meals even in the sweltering summer heat
The top temperatures in the imperial capital have been hovering around 30°C lately,
you could say summer is here, right?
Hot weather directly affects your appetite and daily life,
you don't crave greasy food, and you don't want to step into the kitchen to cook!
But considering the health of your family and yourself,
you can't just eat takeout for every meal either - isn't that a real headache?
Today Xiaolu wants to share with you some
refreshing kitchen gadgets that boost the joy of cooking!
1. IKEA long-handled pot with lid
This IKEA long-handled pot with lid is loved by many people,
not only because of its 99 yuan price and stylish look,
but mainly because it's perfect for preparing breakfast.
It can be used as a milk pot to warm milk for the family in the morning,
and it can also be used to cook instant noodles.
Serving it at the dining table is very satisfying and puts you in a good mood.
Kasper long-handled pot with lid (99 yuan)
2. Mini oven
Lots of people online advocate buying a big oven,
which is of course great for roasting a whole chicken.
But for summer breakfasts,
a mini oven that doesn't need preheating is actually more suitable.
Besides not needing preheating, this mini oven
uses steam technology,
so it can achieve a golden, crispy surface while locking in moisture inside.
Balmuda's oven costs around 2600 yuan, which is rather expensive.
Besides that one, another widely used option
is this mini oven from Tiger,
which looks great and costs only around 400.
Tiger mini electric oven (398 yuan)
3. Sandwich maker and bread maker
For breakfast, people generally might choose fried eggs, milk and bread -
the kind that's easy to prepare, nutritious and simple.
But if you eat toasted bread with fried eggs and milk every day,
you'll get tired of it within a week.
So sandwiches are also a priority choice,
but making sandwiches is actually rather troublesome:
first you have to toast the bread until crisp,
and the fillings inside need to be heated too - time-consuming and troublesome.
The first thing Xiaolu wants to share today
is the bawloo sandwich maker.
Put the bread into the machine,
then lay on salad, ham, fried egg and such,
press it down and place it directly over the open flame on the stove to cook.
When you press down, the edges of the bread get sealed together too,
so you don't have to worry about the filling tumbling out,
simple, so easy~
A sandwich that costs around 30 RMB at a cafe outside,
you can get it this easily!
Although it's called a sandwich maker,
what it can make isn't limited to sandwiches!
Pancakes, rice wraps, tamagoyaki... all are no problem at all,
breakfast becomes simple yet diverse!
With this kind of machine, people might worry it's hard to clean,
but the interior has a fluororesin non-stick coating to prevent sticking,
so it's very easy to deal with!
bawloo sandwich maker (428 yuan)
4. Handheld vegetable spiralizer
Right now it's actually the season for cold dressed dishes.
When the weather is hotter,
Xiaolu tends to enjoy eating cold dressed dishes,
but unfortunately my knife skills aren't good.
Not only does it take forever, but what I cut comes out as chunks rather than shreds,
which ruins the texture and your mood - pretty despairing!
So I really wanted something that could help me cut fine shreds,
but ordinary shredders are a bit unsafe.
If you don't control it well, you'll slice off the flesh of your hand along with it...
The OXO handheld vegetable spiralizer:
hold the spiralizer with one hand, rotate the cucumber with the other,
and you can turn vegetables directly into noodles!
It cures clumsy hands in one second.
It's also great for friends who love light meals and fitness.
OXO handheld vegetable spiralizer (149 yuan)
Similar handheld vegetable spiralizer (25.9 yuan)
5. Non-melting cooling ice cubes
Hot weather and icy cold drinks are the perfect match,
and after drinking one you feel full of energy.
But a cold drink taken out of the fridge
turns to room temperature after only a short while.
Yet preparing ice cubes at home is troublesome,
and once the ice melts it dilutes the taste of the drink or liquor.
Prepare some non-melting ice cubes at home -
they can be used as ice cubes, dropped into a glass,
but the water inside won't leak out even when it melts,
and they look great in photos too.
They can also be reused:
just throw them back into the freezer to freeze again~
Rainbow non-melting ice cubes (13.9 yuan)
6. Squeeze-type oil brush
I wonder how many people,
intending to make a fried egg, end up making a deep-fried egg!
For those with limited cooking skills,
not being able to control how much oil you pour is truly an indescribable pain.
So when making low-oil food,
it's best to have a brush on hand.
If I can't pour it well, can't I just brush it on?
ASVEL's squeeze-type oil brush
is cleaner than traditional dip-style oil brushes,
which often drip oil everywhere,
and since the oil flows out from inside, it's more even.
After use you don't have to worry about how to store it:
just put on the lid and twist it tight to close it,
convenient and more hygienic.
ASVEL squeeze-type oil brush (33 yuan)
7. Handheld steam cleaner
Just as headache-inducing as cooking
is probably cleaning the kitchen in hot weather.
The grease all over the stove can't be left uncleaned,
but one wipe and one scrub leaves you drenched in sweat -
it's truly exhausting!
This Japanese housewife uses a handheld steam cleaner to take her place,
saving effort and cleaning more thoroughly.
With it, you don't have to scrub with a rag yourself:
just hold it with your hand and aim the nozzle at the spot to be cleaned,
and the grease comes right off~
Handheld high-pressure steam cleaner (89 yuan)
If you like it, follow "Keyu Life Study Society",
tomorrow we'll continue showing you great finds worth buying!
(Image sources for this article: ma.yuy___am@ins, kaehalon@ameblo, rakuten, misat_s@ins; text is original by Keyu Life Study Society, please indicate the source when reposting)