Reddit mentions: The best mandolines & slicers

Don't waste $100 on a knife at this point. After you've been cooking for awhile, and if you really really really want to become a knife geek, then you'll have a better idea of what you want in a knife.

My only knife for about 30 years has been the Dexter chinese cleaver - a misnomer if there ever was one. It's not really a cleaver, it's known as a "vegetable knife" in China.

You can get it on Amazon for about $36

http://www.amazon.com/Dexter-Russell-Dexter-Russell-Chinese-Cleaver/dp/B0015DG3FM/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369673283&sr=1-1&keywords=dexter+russell+chinese+cleaver

Or you can save even more and get a cheap Chinese knife from the WokShop - some people swear these are great knives despite being under $10. My worry buying something like this sight unseen is you can't tell if it's a nice thin blade appropriate for use as a general purpose knife or a heavy thick blade that's not much good for anything. But I've heard people say they like them, so maybe it'd be worth trying. They are carbon steel so do not ever leave them wet. No matter what you do they will stain, so if that bothers you, stick with the Dexter Russell - it's high carbon stainless.

http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/cleavers/carbon-steel-cleaver.html

I know, it doesn't match our western idea of what a knife should be, but it is the easiest and safest to use knife I've ever used. Google Martin Yan on youtube and watch how he uses it for everything from boning chicken to peeling garlic.

If you are more comfortable with European type knives, try a Victorinox/Forschner. They're fairly cheap but pretty good knives. For example:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=victorinox+forschner+knife

I use this sharpener:

http://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-Steel-Knife-Sharpener-Red/dp/B001P81EVU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369669489&sr=8-2&keywords=kyocera+knife+sharpener

Which for some reason has become godawful expensive on Amazon - no longer eligible for free shipping adds $7 to the price - you might do better finding it someplace else.

Knife geeks will shudder and scream at the above but unless you're interested in buying a $200 knife sharpening set and a multi-hundred $ knife, simple and easy to use is best. You can always step up your game later, if you want to. You could try crock sticks also - I had a set but I didn't really like using them. Knife geeks don't cry quite so hard when they see someone sharpening their (affordable) knives on crock sticks.

The important difference between really cheap pans and better pans is weight. A thin metal fry pan just doesn't cook as well as a heavier one. The heavier pans hold heat better, they conduct heat better, and they are less likely to develop hot spots. I'm afraid my favorite pans are REALLY expensive but you might want to look for a lifetime guarantee nonstick fry/saute pan (skillet) or 2, at least 12". If you have an 8" saute pan, a 12" saute or fry pan, and a 14" fry pan (the difference is the fry pans have higher sides) you'll have all your bases covered.

You might want to consider a wok - carbon steel give the best price/performance ratio, check out the wokshop above for those.

I like this stock pot:

http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Straining-Stockpot/dp/B0002HAEKW/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369669846&sr=1-2&keywords=8+qt+stock+pot+with+strainer

It's a good deal and you will use it a lot. I use it every time I make soup, as well as for pasta.

Sets are always cheaper than buying individual pans. Cookware geeks recommend against buying sets because of the lack of choice, but in your situation, a good low-priced set is your best bet. Save your money for expensive stuff for after you have got the cooking thing down and know what you're most likely to actually use the most.

T-Fal makes "Ultimate Hard Anodized" and "Professional" - either of these are fine, both are "metal utensil safe" - though I wouldn't use metal utensils anyway just to be on the safe side. The Professional series is only available by the piece.

Amazon carries both. Don't get confused between the Ultimate Hard Anodized and the Signature Hard Anodized; the Ultimate are the heavier duty pans.

I'm partial to T-Fal for cheaper pans because my son owns a T-Fal sauce pan that is a good 8 or 10 years old and it's still in service. And that's the CHEAP T-Fal, not the good T-Fal I'm pointing you at. So I'm confident of the quality. Scanpans are my favorite nonstick pan but those are crazy expensive and if a $35 12" T-Fal skillet will last you 8 or 10 years, I'm not sure the $180 for a single 12" open stock Scanpan frying pan can really be justified for you at this point.

If you buy open stock (eg by the piece) be sure to get lids too. You may have to buy them separately. I much prefer glass lids. I like the Nordicware lids like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YVHXRK/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The 8" lid fits my 8" Scanpan saute pan like it was made for it, but not all lids that say 8" or whatever are going to fit a pan that's labeled 8" (or whatever). You have to measure the inner diameter of the particular pan, then contact the manufacturer via e-mail and ask them to tell you the ID and OD of the lid you want. The ID is the diameter of the INNER ring that will fit down into the pan, and the OD is the diameter of the entire lid including the outer lip that will rest on the edge of the pan. The ID has to be smaller than the diameter of your pan and the OD has to be larger. Unless you can take your pan to a brick and mortar and try them out, this is the only way to make sure the 12" lid you buy will really fit the 12" pan you own!

And finally, I strongly recommend going ahead and getting the Borner V-Slicer, model 1001 aka "V-Slicer Plus" (the newer models aren't as good in my opinion, the rails are higher and they leave more waste):

http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Borner-V-1001-V-Slicer-Mandoline/dp/B0000632QE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369673508&sr=1-1&keywords=borner+v-slicer

It'll slice onions faster than you can peel them. The small julienne blade will make matchstick size whatever you put through it. I use the separate julienne slicer (standalone) to make hash browns. I would recommend buying the separate blades and extra blade inserts at Simply Good Stuff because Amazon doesn't carry most of them. The V-slicer set itself is only about $3 more there.

http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/search.asp?keyword=borner&q=borner&sa2.x=12&sa2.y=8

Avoid the Hash Brown Grater and the Twin Grater - they're both all plastic and aren't worth spit. All the other graters and slicers have metal blades.

USE THE SAFETY GRIP. It's really easy to use. Don't push down on it AT ALL, it will cause it to bind. Just slide it back and forth.

You may need to experiment with how you orient it at first, but since I've gotten used to using it I can pretty much use it pointing about any which way. At first it seemed to be easier if I pointed it away from me so you would slice back and forth. It probably depends on the position that is least likely to make you want to apply downward pressure. Once you overcome your natural tendency to think you have to push down on it, positioning won't matter that much.

I wish I had bought one of these 40 years ago, its that handy. Look for extra blade inserts at Simply Good stuff for stuff like Texas fries, the standalone julienne grater (not a V-slicer insert) for super fine shreds, wavy cutter and curly julienne cutter if you want to get fancy. Sometimes they have extra V-slicer holders which you can use to store the extra V-Slicer inserts but you have to call and ask. You do not want to toss those puppies in a drawer, they are super sharp and will cut a finger off before you know it.

I really love this tool. At my age and in the wretched physical shape that I'm in, it makes it POSSIBLE for me to cook, forget just "easier", LOL!

1. Blue diabolo Okay but I want to do diabolo tricks at my wedding with a blue diabolo as my something blue
   
   
2. Summer flip flops the only time of the year that you can wear them as more than shower shoes! At least here in NY where it literally snowed this morning
   
   
3. Avocado peeler I don't actually like avocados, but I can't imagine anyone needing this tool. Anyone who actually needs this must eat A LOT of avocados
   
   
4. Light up cactus That I'd want to give u/SaintSayaka because she loves cacti things and she's mah friend
   
   
5. This is my all time favorite book! I actually reread this at least twice a year. I love love love love love it
   
   
6. Squishy stress balls on sale! hahaha squishy
   
   
7. Dog bowtie! I have one like it for my cat, Jack! He's a tuxedo cat who looks extra dashing in his bowtie!
   
   
8. Really cool, really unnecessary posters Space space space space spaaaaaaace (portal reference anyone?)
   
   
9. My all time favorite movie ever I love this movie everyone should see this movie especially if you're a future or current teacher
   
   
10. Classic baseball bat to smash in zombie skulls
    
    
11. Stamps It's my goal to just make people happy, I do a lot of that by sending A LOT of mail to make people smile
    
    
12. Q tips are an add on item? That's different
    
    
13. Boston Bruins coffee mug! HOCKEY. I really love hockey, and the Bruins are my team!
    
    
14. BODY REFRIGERATOR It's for a morgue, it fits four bodies, it's $26,402!
    
    
15. Funny shark t shirt hahaha I like sharks more than I like people
    
    
16. My perfume! This is the only perfume I use, and it smell so wonderful!
    
    
17. American Girl Doll Samantha! I still have this somewhere at my mom's house!
    
    
18. A lot of pens I always lose pens or run out of ink. That might just be a me problem though because I prefer to write on paper
    
    
19. Juggling clubs! I am in the process of learning juggling clubs. Right now I can consistently get 6 catches before I fail.
    
    
20. I just love this, it is so funny, cute, and random! I want to find a shower curtain that's funny like this to put in the suite I'm living in next year
    
    That was actually a lot of fun!

Thanks!

There's a bunch of different approaches to breadstuffs & other carbs.

Potatoes: Jicama is a great substitute for potatoes, compare the nutrition here -- jicama is 4g net carbs per serving compared to 14g for potato. It takes a bit of experimentation but jicama can be used to make delicious chips or fries, or just eaten raw with a bit of lime and salt. It's sort of in between an apple and a potato.

Rice: Cauliflower is awesome.People are making cauliflower "rice" and you can even buy it at Trader Joe's but it's easy to make yourself. And mashed cauliflower is just as good as mashed potato in my opinion.

Pasta: There's a bunch of great options here. Zoodles aka zucchini noodles are very popular, just get a spiralizer and a pile of zucchini. Personally I love shirataki, which is a zero-cal/zero-carb pasta from Japan. You have to prepare it properly and understand that it is not wheat pasta, but my husband has mastered it and we prefer it to wheat pasta now, even if losing weight and reducing carbs weren't goals. Vitacost often has shirataki on BOGO sale, but it's definitely more expensive than wheat pasta or zucchini. If you try it, 1) rinse thoroughly 2) no really, rinse some more 3) Pat it dry with a paper towel 4) Dry-fry it in a pan (no oil needed, just throw it in a pan over medium heat) until it stops squeaking and the texture changes. 5) Cook it in a strongly flavored sauce or broth. If you follow these steps, the noodles will pick up the flavor of the sauce and taste delish. Ooops - 4b) Cut up the noodles into manageable lengths. They come VERY long and they are not easy to cut like wheat pasta.

Bread/wheat flour is a tough one and really the best option depends on the exact purpose of the bread. For hamburger buns, I've just come to love having burgers without buns. For other sandwiches, keto soul bread is good and not terribly difficult to make. It's especially good for paninis and grilled cheese. Pancakes and other sorts of sweet breads are well done with a mix of nut flours and coconut flour. Nut flours like almond meal can be very heavy. Coconut flour tastes like coconut. Just google and you can find good recipes.

Pizza crust: this may sound crazy but you can use chicken breast meat to make an amazing pizza crust.

For sweeteners, erythritol, stevia and erythritol-based mixes like Swerve are great.

My husband got really into baking a few years back and was turning out these amazing loaves of sourdough, soft pretzels, bagels & all kinds of yummy things. It was hard putting those behind us but we were all gaining weight and when I got the diabetes diagnosis it became a matter of life & death. Good motivation to get creative! Fortunately there's a lot of other people taking the same journey and subs like /r/keto and /r/ketorecipes have been very useful resources.

/u/mxschumacher has a good idea but I think your first step aside from learning recipes is to acquire some basic cooking knowledge.

There are thousands upon thousands of cooking videos on youtube. Ones I would recommend (both for entertainment AND knowledge value) are Binging with Babish and Chef John.

You have things to learn when it comes to cuts. Do you know the difference between a chop, mince, dice, julienne, etc? Look them up, read about them if you don't.

Do you know all the methods of cooking? roasting, broiling, braising, boiling, frying, deep frying, baking, searing, etc? again, read up on those as well.

What do you know about equipment? I can give you a bit of a run down on this if you want to go super basic, Get a good non-stick skillet (T-Fal is usually a good bet.) A cast iron pan (up to you on size, but 8-10in is good.) Get a 3 qt sauce pot as well. I would normally recommend a stock pot but I'm not sure what facilities you have access to (including even that of a stove top. some more info on that would help me, help you.)

Knives. All you need is a chef's knife, and maybe a serrated knife for bread. You can do everything with a chef's knife. Other types of knives make certain tasks easier, but it can all be done with a chef's knife.

Utensils? Try and stick to wood or silicone with the types of pans I listed as metal utensils can ruin surfaces on non-stick and cast iron.

Get one casserole dish, and one baking sheet. If you for some reason need to have muffins, get a muffin tin, but otherwise don't.

Additional items? thermometer (one that has a long metal poker), strainer or colander (there are usable hand held strainers if you lack space for a colander.) Some type of seal-able container(s) for leftovers, try not to go for novelty items. Yeah that little metal doodad that can core a pineapple and create perfect slices is nice, but useless for anything but. Blenders are an okay item but I imagine you don't have the real estate in your kitchen. Spiralizers are a big item lately, so on and so forth.

There's also other slightly more advanced topics to cover, such as the importance of flavor depth, flavor balancing, things like the Malliard reaction, so on and so forth. You have a good amount of research ahead of you if you have a real interest in this. If you ever have questions though, please, do ask. I looooove to talk shop about food.

Most of all though good luck and have fun!

Finally, a contest I feel like I can contribute well to! I cook all the time and have amassed quite a few recipes I can share. I eat mostly paleo, so a lot of the recipes that I use don't have any form of wheat/grain in them, but others do. I'll leave you with a couple.


Chopped Greek Salad This is one of my all-time favorites for the summer. I head to the farmer's market, grab up everything that I need, and though it takes some prep work it keeps well for a few days in the fridge and makes for a great lunch. You can add some grilled chicken and feta if you're feeling saucy.


Black Bean Quesadillas I make these literally once a month, in a huge batch, and freeze them. They are awesome for throwing in a lunchbox as well, and are vegetarian. All good stuff, and if you use low-fat cheese you're winning at life. I usually serve these with some guac I buy at the grocery store for some healthy fats, as well as some grilled asparagus.


Oven Fajitas Another one from Budget Bytes! Her stuff is so good and it's really good on your wallet. I like to make a bunch of this up, and either serve it in tortillas or on top of romaine lettuce for a salad.


BONUS: Zoodles! I discovered the Vegetable Spiralizer or Vegetti a few months ago and I'm living for the noodle replacement. This recipe is so good! I added it as a bonus because you may not have one, but I totally recommend it! Use the zoodles in place of any noodle in a dish...just make sure to cook em up in olive oil or something real quick for a few minutes so they're softish.



Third thing.



Thanks for the contest!

Oh my god... it's like my dreams. all wrapped up into one contest!!

1. Wow, that is a really hard question. I'm kind of a movie nut buuut if hard pressed, I would have to say my absolute FAVORITE that I could rewatch over and over and still get swept up in time and time again would have to be The Dark Knight. Which is kinda weird for me since I was never really into the whole "superhero" "action" movies thing, but I can't explain it. I just love it :)
   
   
2. Honestly, I would like to win for myself. I'm a huge lover of r/MUA but my own makeup repetoire doesn't go much further than mascara! I absolutely love to try new things and new products so this would be fab. I actually just made a post about 2 weeks ago asking for help about how to make a basic haul soo... this really did come at a perfect time :) I would really like to... Sprout up and take the challenge.... of learning to makeup... (anything? hahaha)
   
   
3. Non-makeup entry under $5: Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer This baby is the bee's knees. The reviews really make me wanna give it a whirl. Makeup entry under $5: Lipstick! I stole this daring little lipstick for my list yesterday from /u/adragonisnoslave... it's just perfect!
   
   
4. Sprout & Bubble! (is this cheating? :P)

I'll throw my vote in for a sharpening stone. If he doesn't already have a nice sharpening set, maybe consider getting him something like a nice diamond sharpening stone; I've seen them for $50 or less.

Tools are always nice. Here are some suggestions to think about:
~ microplane grater
~ Japanese mandolines can be fun to have around.
~ Fish spatulas can be a handy tool.
~ Does he have a good quality peeler? Everyone has a "normal" peeler, but I like to have a good quality horizontal peeler, like one of these, to use sometimes.
~ Does he do a lot of baking? If so, maybe some silicone baking mats for his baking sheets, or maybe some parchment paper.
~ Does he like to use fresh citrus juice very much? Does he have a citrus reamer?
~ Does he like to use fresh garlic? Maybe a garlic press?
~ Silicone spatulas?
~ Does he have a pepper grinder for fresh ground pepper?
~ Does he have a set of mise en place bowls or something to use to keep his stuff organized when he's working?
~ Does he have a scale? You can find plenty of options for home-use digital scales that can weigh up to 11 or 12 pounds, and use either pounds, or grams (if he's doing anything metric.)
~ Something like a good quality cast iron pan can be a lifetime investment, because if they're well cared for, he'll be able to pass it on to his grandkids someday.
~ A dutch oven will always be useful to serious home cooks. The enameled cast iron type are very popular, but they come in many different sizes and shapes, so keep that in mind when picking one out.
~ Knives are always nice. Paring knife, utility knife, serrated slicer, etc.

Those are just a few suggestions that popped into mind. Good luck, I hope you find something nice for him.

I'm going to copy/paste a comment I made to someone else in fps trying to lose weight.

>Protips from someone 6 months into the F2F thang and 40 pounds down, pretty damn amazing since I am a lazy sot who doesn't exercise:

>Helps a LOT if you make a week's worth of salad every, say, Sunday (got it ready for the week then). One of those big square disposable Glad boxes is what we do. Certain things in salad go bad quicker (cucumbers, tomatoes, bean sprouts) so they get their own little separate boxes and replenished on Wednesday, they're added to the salad you're about to eat.

>Learn to love lighter salad dressings, better yet, to make your own. Lemon vinaigrette? or how about Asian? or, to stave off your sweet tooth, here's orange-raspberry. All quick and easy.

>This fills up your fridge considerably so you can't be packing it full of junk.

>Other stuff we do: freezer contains no sweets apart from lemon sorbet. Too sour to gobble. Dat palate cleanser. Freezer does contain frozen fish and individually packed frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts, and about 10 different kinds of frozen veggies (canned are too damn salty), plus a bunch of leftovers.

>Another of our rules: avoid instafood. Nothing that comes out of a can, box, bag, or requires a microwave. Okay, so we cook with chilis in adobo sauce which comes out of a can youallknowwhatImeangetoffmytits.

>To keep from going nuts, we each get one small bag of chips each Saturday. Any small treat will do, but don't go buying a whole damn cake or anything. Single serving only. Don't keep that shit in the house. If it's there, you're gonna make it harder on yourself.

>Snacks are typically homemade beef jerky, dried apples, nuts of various descriptions, unflavored rice cakes, precut-up carrots, celery, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, watermelon (more room in fridge gone, ta-da; seriously, all we can typically fit is a pitcher of Crystal Light lemonade and whatever's for dinner).

>Homemade dried stuff is the bomb, yo, and easy, ask for a dehydrator for your wedding. That's the one we have. I swear it's running constantly. Bitch to clean, but they all are, and this one at least is QUIET. One of the nifty ideas in the manual was drying a bunch of veggies, then stuffing them and hot water or broth into a thermos in the morning before leaving for work. Lunchtime, you've got veggie soup.

>(if you do get one, feel free to PM me for tips on this if you want, such as "ignore what cut of meat they recommend for jerky, brisket's cheaper and works better" and "get a mandolin to slice fruit")

>Bringing healthy meals and snacks to work instead of going out to lunch or hitting up Ye Olde Vending Machine is a must.

>Got healthy meals you know how to make and you both love? Make a BUNCH and freeze in single-serve containers. No excuse for "oh gods, so tired after work, just get fast food" NOPE. Also, slowcookers can be your friend with that "too tired to cook" thing.

>EDIT: tip I got from someone else here: if you need to break a soda addiction cough, try getting flavored seltzer water. Same size cans, carbonation, tastes like diet Sprite (at least the lemon-lime flavor does) but zero calories etc. Worked like a charm once I got used to it.

>If all this seems condescending, I'm truly sorry. Just passing along painful lessons learned.

>TL;DR: part of beating your own fatlogic is tricking it with healthy foods.

>You're going to make it!

Back to OP: There are plenty of things you don't have to spend a ton of time cooking. That being said, use the freezer, bro. We spend a considerable amount of time on Sundays stocking up for the week.

One wonderful thing to get yourself is one of those George Foreman grills. Can cook all manner of stuff on them, extremely quickly. Throw a boneless, skinless piece of chicken on there, close the lid, it's done in like 5 minutes. This is actually one of our weekend cookfest things: marinade a bunch of chicken Saturday, grill it on Sunday, individual baggies and into the freezer you go. They're not all that expensive, either. Plenty of other things you can do with it.

You don't have to stick with just salads, but eat at least one per day that doesn't have croutons, cheese, bacon, or ranch dressing on it. Eat one big enough to fill you up.

Also check /r/Frugal and /r/EatCheapAndHealthy for further ideas.

Hey! Thank you for doing this contest, this is something really amazing for you to be doing! My husband is active duty military in the Army at Fort Campbell, KY. He just moved there from Schofield Barracks, Hi. He is a 91? Bravo. Low track mechanic.

I say he, because I am currently away from him ={ to finish my degree so if he decides to get out of the military we have something to fall back on or if he stays in it will follow him. I was just with him last week (YAY) and I will see him again in two weeks but then we will be separated again until May. Then I will live with him full time all summer until school starts again in August or he deploys in July. (CROSS YOUR FINGERS HE DOESN'T GET DEPLOYED)

I would love to have this. It's a portable printer that you can send pictures from your phone to and it instantly prints photos without ink wherever you are. I think this would be an amazing gift for my husband because he is always taking pictures and wants to share them with me. But sometimes when he is deployed or he is away at training he has no way of taking pictures and he forgets to show them to me later when we are together again. I know this is the full amount of money you are offering, so I believe that it's not fair to ask for it....


The only other thing I have that would help our lives is a zoodle maker because I want to try to make healthier meals for him to help him feel better and motivate him to want to stay fit. He's not fat! Don't take it that away. But again this is pretty expensive too =(


Otherwise... Semi cheaper... Sorry again! I think this battery charger would be good for when he is in tight spaces and he doesn't have an outlet to charge his phone. This portable charger will always give him the power he needs in time of no power.


Thanks for the contest! Only just now did I realize it was you Ms. Sarah =) Have a wonderful night!!!!!

Before the Goddamned Marines get all of the credit.

If I were to build my kitchen from scratch, it would be pretty much what I have today w/out having to go through all the old, cheap stuff that I wound up buying getting rid of because it was low quality and wore out or broke or didn't work as well as it should have. So as follows:

All Clad Stainless:

• 12" skillet
  
• 1.5 qt pot
  
• 3 qt pot
  
• 8 qt stock pot (I have the 12 qt but most people won't use something that big
  
  Cast iron:
  
  
• 12" skillet
  
• 8" skillet
  
• other cast iron pieces for grilling that most people won't use
  
  Enameled dutch oven (Staub):
  
  
• 3 qt round cocotte
  
• 7 qt round cocotte
  
  Various Appliances:
  
  
• Kitchenaid mixer (hand mixer first, then stand mixer)
  
• Cuisinart stick blender
  
• Coffee maker (I have a Cuisinart, but I'm not stuck on the brand)
  
• A toaster oven (again, I have Cuisinart, but check reviews)
  
• An electric kettle (no brand specific)
  
• Vitamix (optional - I love mine and use it daily)
  
  Knives:
  
  
• Shun 10" chef knife
  
• Shun 4" utility knife
  
• No name super-thin flexible fish filleting knife that debones poultry like it was butter
  
• Honing steel
  
• Magnetic strip for storing knives
  
  Other misc stuff:
  
  
• Fish turners in all sizes
  
• Good set of bamboo (not wooden) spoons/spatulas
  
• Set of silicone scraper/spatulas
  
• Oxo tongs in various sizes (at least short, med, long)
  
• A mandoline slicer
  
• Epicurian cutting boards
  
• Microplane grater/zester
  
• A variety of mesh strainers (I use them more than colanders)
  
• Thermopop instant read thermometer
  
• A good quality probe thermometer (the kind you leave in the oven)
  
  Bakeware:
  
  
• A basic set of Corningware
  
• A couple of half sheet pans
  
  
  Fun things to have if you think you'll use them:
  
  
• Pasta maker or attachment for your Kitchenaid
  
• Ice cream maker
  
• Bread machine
  
  These are the things that I have right now that I'd get from the start if I were starting over from scratch. I have other stuff, but it's been gathered over time and I'm sure I've left out a few things, since I'm kind of working off the top of my head. Oh yeah, like a good set of storage stuff (Rubbermaid or similar) and a garlic press ... and ... and ... :)

First off, I think this is the most elaborate contest I've ever participated in, so congratulations for that :P Fear cuts deeper than swords. I hope some of my items are awesome enough for some extra credit ;) Also I wasn't sure if duplicates are allowed. I will revise if necessary.

1.) Something grey and it's been on my wishlist.

2.) Rain, well not technically rain, she is a water bender :P Previously on my wishlist.

3.) Unusual, I think this is something I would use like twice a year. With ice cream or cereal.

4.) Someone else My sister and I want to start playing tabletop games. Previously on my wishlist.

5.) "Book" I took a little bit of liberty with this one because it's a graphic novel. But it's Batman, so...(Previously on my wishlist).

6.) Under a dollar.

7.) Cats There's a catbus in it, which is pretty much the best part of the movie. Previously on my wishlist.

8.) Beautiful As a Star Wars fan having the original trilogy on Blu Ray would be beautiful to me. I love high definition movies, especially ones that are aesthetically pleasing. Previously on my wishlist.

9.) Movie As a Browncoat, I would encourage anyone who has a remote interest in Sci-Fi to give this a chance. Previously on my wishlist.

10.) Zombie tool I don't think this needs explanation.

11.) (Updated) Useful for future. I have a desire to create meaningful video games. Previously on wish list.

12.) Add on I actually had this on my wishlist but removed it because add-on items are lame.

13.) Most expensive As previously stated, I want to be a game developer/designer so not only would it be fun to play with, I could create with it too. Previously on list.

14.) Bigger than breadbox Total in the box it is bigger than a breadbox. Previously on wishlist.

15.) Bigger than a golf ball It's a large book. Previously on wishlist.

16.) Smells good As a guy...I enjoy the scent of lavender.

17.) Safe for children toy I don't think this needs any introduction of why it's awesome.

18.) Back to school drawing helps keep me sane. Previously on my list.

19.) Current obsession I'm a noob to tabletop games. But have been wanting to get into it obsessively within the past month or so. And this also takes my love of A Song of Ice and Fire into the mix. Previously on list.

20.) [Amazing] (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XBR-65X900A-65-Inch-120Hz-Ultra/dp/B00BSREQI6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1376281533&sr=8-4&keywords=4k+tv) I've seen one of these in person at the mall and it literally made me stop walking the resolution was so incredible. I know it's as expensive as dicks...but man...when these are affordable...

Bonus 2) Made in Oregon I would have put Tillamook Ice Cream, since it's pretty awesome...but alas not on Amazon.

Edit: Changed an item because I saw it won't count because it's a duplicate.

I just found this sub and man I'm so excited!

Thanks for doing this!

Spiral vegetable slicer I love to cook and would like to cook healthier. Plus I could make some cool shapes and cut things out for the kids with food.

Corner plant/picture shelf I have some plants in my kitchen that help to brighten up the space, but they take up to much counter top space. Having this stand would help a lot.

live cup of catapillars I want to do this with the kids. It would be an awesome science learning experience. Plus butterflies!

Storage bins for food Love these things, we only have 2 of these that I got for free a couple of years ago. We need more for leftover food and to take food for lunches etc.

Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae trees Would love to have these in my backyard. We can't have fences where we live and these would help create a privacy screen from our neighbors. Plus they help the environment!

MFP has me at 1200 for now, but because of my running, I usually eat more like 1400-1500. However, I've noticed that there are lots of recipes on www.cookinglight.com and www.eatingwell.com that I can make for about 350 calories for a pretty satisfying serving. I eat breakfast around 7AM, lunch around noonish and find that I generally need a snack (usually greek yogurt, I second Jackal904's love of the stuff) before dinner.

For specific recipes, one of my favorite tricks is to do a "pasta" recipe and sub zucchini "noodles", which cuts the calories down like crazy. Then I can eat a really big portion for my alloted number of calories. I have this thing which I use a lot and really love. Makes zucchini noodles in 30 seconds, whee! Another favorite snack: deviled eggs. Use a tiny bit of low-fat mayo just to get the yolk mixture creamy enough, and use mostly mustard instead, and you've got a snack that's about 90-100 calories for the full egg. A lot of times, one egg will get me through to dinner!

I like to cook, and have decent amounts of time to do it, so I always look for recipes that are around 350 calories for a serving that isn't pathetic (like a half cup of something - like I could possibly feel full on that) and has lots of protein and/or fiber, which is going to make me feel a lot fuller.

Oh, and I recently stumbled across this collection of soup recipes and some of those look like good candidates for dinners, etc. You can view all to circumvent the annoying slideshow format.

I've actually found myself pleasantly surprised at how many things I can still cook and eat (and enjoy) without having to break my calorie allotment.

Fruit, the sweet stuff anyway, is a great dessert, but it's very high in sugar and low in calories. Meaning you either have to eat a lot to feel full or you still end up craving more. A lot of people swear by their rice cookers but it's totally not necessary and I've never used a crock pot. A few things I'd absolutely recommend is a toaster oven but only because it heats faster and uses less electricity than a whole oven, a magic bullet blender, and possibly a spiral slicer.

Apologies, but my camera is a potato and I don't really bother with plating... But here's a few things that were good enough to try and attempt to document.

This doesn't have a name... mushroom veloute, maybe? It's a basic roux (equal parts butter and flour over medium heat for a couple of minutes), then add everything else. Fish out the bay leaf before eating.

Mac and cheese, (totally decadent and NOT low cal), but focus on the salad part. Beautiful curls of zucchini and shredded carrots with a tangy tomato/basil dressing and baked tofu. Actually, I have no idea where I found that dressing recipe. I usually just use equal parts (~1TB) soy sauce/honey/rice vinegar and maybe add some powdered garlic and powdered ginger. It's a short cut and the real thing would be much better but that would require heating oil and sauteeing, and it's just too hot right now.

This recipe came about since young coconuts weren't quite in season when I wanted them and I ended up with a jar of coconut manna. This could easily be done with canned coconut milk or probably the meat and milk from a thai young coconut.

One of my go to meals is an improvisation of the roasted red pepper sauce here. I've given up on the gnudi balls. Either they're just weird or I'm incapable of making them right. I use store bought gnocchi instead. I caramelize some vidalia onions, and roast the red peppers myself, add smoked paprika and a dash of red chili peppers, but otherwise the sauce is pretty much the same. It blends up quite nicely in the magic bullet and should be enough for at least two, maybe three, dinners.

And here's what happens on the rare occasion I get ahold of some guilt-free eggs. It's kind of an indulgence since I never know when my pet store owner is going to have a bumper crop of eggs from her pet chickens. Okay, the hollandaise sauce may be completely off the chart for calories... but it was delicious!

Hope that helps for a start! :)

I have the Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus Mandoline 5 Piece Set. I purchased it in May 2013 for $31.95. Now its going for $49.99. I'd pay $50 for it, but I'm also not convinced that for $50 its the best value. I will say that its still sharp (and I'm a horrible person who runs it through the dishwasher gasp). I use it at least 1x per week, if not 3-5x per week on average. Note: IT. IS. SHARP. Use the guide and/or cutting gloves. I have nicked myself more than once (read: more often than I'd like to admit, I guess I'm just a slow learner).

If I were to purchase another, I think I'd look for one that stores better. All of the pieces hook together and it has like a holder, but it doesn't necessarily stay together very well, nor does it lay down very well. If I were to get another I'd look for one that stores a bit nicer. Some have like a catch compartment as well that's pretty nice.

For yoga pants, I really like Aerie's (American Eagle) yoga pants! Otherwise there is always Victoria Secret's Pink line but I've never tried them. Lululemon is the ultimate but of course that's pretty expensive. There's also Fabletics which is Kate Hudson's workout line but I also haven't tried those.

I bought this spiralizer and I highly recommend it because it comes with the brush cleaner! The thing is sooo hard to clean without it. It also is way on sale, mine was $18 when I bought it, now it's only $9! In fact I'm purchasing one for my mom for Christmas since it's such a good price! Also it's like bright neon green which is super fun hah!

I see you have a kitchen list and a baby list so here are two ideas:

Small veggie shape cutters for making fun finger foods and cute veggie soup. Free shiping.

Banana Slicer. I know it seems like a silly thing, but my eldest loves bananas but likes them sliced and this would be a time saver for sure. PRIME

For me, if I win:

Love this grey nail polish, only $4.90 with free shipping. Somehow grey feels a bit more grown up then pure black? I don't know, I covet it.

EDITED TO ADD: Doodlebug

zucchini noodles with anything. I love noodles and now I get to eat them all the time without feeling guilty because it's basically the nutritional equivalent of eating a salad!!

So go buy a spiralizer. I got this one but you can get cheaper handheld ones or just use a julienne peeler or even a regular veggie peeler if that's what you have.

Spiralize a BUNCH of zucchini (i usually use like 8-10 for me and my hubs) because it shrinks down a lot. Put it all in a strainer and dump like 2Tbs of salt and then sorta mix it through with your hands. Let that sit in the sink for 20-30 minutes. Every once in a while go squeeze the shit out of it (using your hands is fine but some people like to squish it down with a heavy bowl, etc) to get the excess water out. This is very important because otherwise everything you make will be really wet.

Now make whatever protein/sauce combo you like! The other day I browned hamburger, drained it, added some cream cheese, coconut cream, paprika, coarse grain mustard,(no salt bc there is enough already on the noodles), and pepper and cooked that into the hamburger meat til it was kinda creamy. Then I added like a handful or two of shredded cheddar and the zucchini noodles for a few mins to the pan and BOOM. My version of keto cheeseburger helper. OMG SO GOOD.

Other times I'll do chicken and alfredo sauce or ground turkey and low carb marinara. Sometimes I just do zucchini noodles in a pan with butter, pepper and a little parm cheese. So good. So, so good.

• Substitute veggies for pasta and rice as much as possible, even if you can only stand half veggie half regular pasta/rice at first. Veggies won't substitute 100% perfectly for all recipes but you can experiment with different sauces and dishes. A great place to start is recipes for spaghetti squash and cauliflower rice.
  
• Continuing last tip, you can also get a cheap spiralizer and make noodles and rice with veggies like sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini. I have this spiralizer cookbook and I love it!
  
• Finally, research and find some veggie recipes that go with the main dishes you like to cook! Steamed, boiled, and canned veggies can have a taste and texture that discourages eating vegetables. Buy fresh veggies and sauté or bake them with "unheathy" ingredients like bacon, prosciutto, oil, or butter in moderation.
  
  Hope that helps!

So I started about 5 weeks ago and it can definitely be a struggle. This isn't a diet, but here is something that has helped me. One thing I have found is that Zucchini noodles are my lifesaver! I work a lot and we have mandatory overtime... the last thing I want to do is cook.

However, at the beginning of the week I precook chicken and spiralize a bunch of zucchini. I purchased the one in the link. When you are ready to cook it just throw it in a pan for 5 minutes with some olive oil and soon you have pasta! Throw in the chicken and a little of whatever sauce you have lying around and it is very filling and delicious. People may tell you not to do certain sauces. I just don't overdo it. I still want to have something edible and tasty!

Anyway, I am 5 weeks in and down 12 lbs with no exercise (yet). I still use MyFitnessPal to keep myself honest and have had to get into cooking -- something I never really did before. Thankfully this is working for me and I understand it may not for everyone. Hopefully this one trick will help you on those days that you just can't figure out what to eat. Which is all the time for me.

Keep it up and good luck to you!

Check out getting a vegetable noodle peeler! I just bought this one and made zucchini noodles with it a few days ago. They are pretty tasteless, but have a good texture and soak up other flavors well. You can use just about any root veggie out there. Going to try and make a beef stew with carrot, rutabaga, and turnip noodles in the crock pot this weekend!

Here is the one that i bought. Super simple and cleans easily.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=oh_details_o07_s02_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edit: oh and to cook them just microwave it for a few minutes or boil it. I'm sure you could make some awesome potato or whatever you like fries with this too!

Let's do it in the kitchen.

I can't live without my Sharper Image mandoline! So good in fact, I have two! Mr sunshine_orchids uses it multiple times daily to slice his veggies for salads. It also makes great french fries with just a little elbow grease. I've use it before for slicing up apples for muffins and stuff, and it makes perfect eggplant slices for eggplant parm. I just rinse it and get it the little blade spaces with a pipe cleaner.

My other one: Black & Decker Electric Chopper is used daily for chopping multiple cloves of garlic, making bean dip out of canned pinto beans & spices, making salsa, the list goes on and on! This thing is awesome, and clean up is literally 3 steps: pop off the blade and rinse, wash/bleach (if necessary) the cup, and wipe down the top of the motor attachment. That's it. At least the MIL got one of our Christmas gifts right!

I hope you wind up loving these kitchen tools as much as I do. My knife skills are reserved for meats and poultry at this point, lol

A few of my favorites that are fairly cost effective:

• Benriner Japanese mandolin
  
• Amco Grease Separator
  
• Microplane
  
  The Benriner is just over $20 and the other two are under. I can't get enough use out of my Microplane for mincing garlic and adding freshness with citrus zest. Some people don't really like the Benriner as you have to use one hand to hold it as it doesn't have legs - I find that it stores easier and cuts more evenly overall. As for the grease separator, I'm always making stock and such - pretty straight-forward design that doesn't leak.
  
  I'm also a big fan of ring molds(or biscuit cutters) of various sizes as they make for easy plating and cutting of biscuits/polenta & grit cakes/etc...
  Oh yeah, immersion blenders are definitely useful and you can get away with the cheaper ones as long as you let it cool down a bit once it starts smelling like ozone!

I'm Vietnamese too and have been doing keto/lazy keto for the past 2 years. Lots of Asian foods have loads of hidden sugars in it, so I typically find a recipe that I crave and make it at home. I google "low carb Asian bla bla recipe" and many of them use stevia sweetener or others as substitutes. The taste is a little different than regular sugar but eventually you'll get use to it.

Sadly I only use a slow cooker to cook chilis, but check out r/ketorecipes for some ideas.


Here's a list of my top go to's:
Cauliflower rice

• I always have a few heads of cauliflower in the fridge. I cut it down into smaller manageable size and put it in the food processor (grater if you don't have one). I then pulse it until it gets it into a "rice" size. I put the amount that I want to use and heat it up until it's nice a fluffy (~2 min but play around with it). I put the remaining grated cauliflower into the fridge for later use.
  
  I make sushi by mixing the "rice" with chive cream cheese. I also add some furikake if I'm feeling fancy. Just make sure to check the nutrition facts as many are high in carbs. I found one that was 1-2 carbs per tablespoon. Just use sparingly. I also make low carb spam musubi with this "rice" as well.
  
  Zoodles
  
• This is a god send and I just recently started adding this to my meals. I bought this spiralizer last month: http://www.amazon.com/Spiralizer-Tri-Blade-Vegetable-Strongest-Heaviest-Gluten-Free/dp/B00GRIR87M. There are cheaper versions but this guy I feel won't cramp my hand as much--plus it's so fancy lol
  
  I spiralize the zucchini to the preferred thickness, and sauté in some vegetable oil on medium heat. Make sure it you don't cook it down too much as it will become mushy. Typical I take it off right when it starts wilting. Lots of water will be released too and I usually take a colander to drain afterwards. I also put cold water over it to stop the cooking process. You can easily add it to your mom's pho or any Asian noodle dish. Remember to not overcook the zoodles--especially when you put boiling pho broth as it will make it even more mushy :)
  
  
  Shiritaki noodles
  
• I put this at the end as this personally isn't my favorite item but your mileage may vary. At the Asian market that I go to has a Japanese brand. http://i.imgur.com/wttmPVA.jpg
  if you dunk it in water to rinse the smell out and nuke it in the microwave, then it's a good ramen noodle substitute.
  
  IMHO the tofu shiritaki brand is very chewy and I've tried it MANY times with different cooking techniques --but it still tastes weird to me. Definitely try it out if you want as some folks had success stories.
  
  
  PM me if you have other questions! I'm not the best chef but I get by with my cravings :) I typed this on my phone and can add more items when I'm back on my computer

I've got one. I've only used it once so far, but it's pretty neat and easy. I made zucchini noodles and they were great. There are a couple others here with them too. I'd have to go look for a comment to find out who, but we could all share recipes.

Also, if you don't want to pay shipping, you can always send me a GC and I can order it for you off your list.

edit: The one I have looks identical to the one on your list, but I paid $8 more for whatever reason.

I have a Vegetti that's about 3 months old. I've only used it 5 times with zucchini but it's turned out great. I'm looking forward to using it more often.

http://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W

My favorite dish is sautee 1 spiralized zucchini in a little oil, then add one of the Laughing Cow wedges in the pan and smush it in until it melds together with the zucchini pasta. It tastes awesome.

Paderno is the one I bought a few weeks ago. I did a bunch of research and watched YouTube videos of all the top rated ones. This was the one I picked and it's already paid for itself in massive deliciousness. Oh the creamy cheesy sauces and homemade pesto!!! I'm looking forward to trying some Greek salads with the flat slicer on some cucumbers next. :) So much versatility and lots of online recipe ideas for those not inclined to making up their own. Highly recommend!

EDIT: I came back now that I'm not on my phone to add a link to the one I bought. I've been extremely happy with it. Dishwasher safe, easy to clean.

Like many of the others in this thread, I, too, loathe single use kitchen gadgets but despite the impression that this one only does one thing, it's extremely versatile. I'm about to post a bunch of links to recipes I found under someone else's comment asking for recipe ideas so search this thread for some more ideas. It does a lot more than "just" zucchini noodles! But, really, at this point now that I've tried it, even if that was all that it could do, I'd still be extremely happy with my purchase. :)

Cooking is a language, once you get your grammar straight, no matter what word you use, it will make sense. You realize every recipe is a variation of an other. Ofc you eventually have poets and diverse mindfuck but I don't care for them, it's just food, not a dildo.
So before looking for recipe, you have to talk the talk. Just like before eating paleo, it' better to understand the why's and the how's of nutrition (the FAQ here and the mark sisson blog were my go to at first, you don't really need much more to get the picture)

One day I shall put together a little imgur gallery about the basics of cooking (based on an culinary apprentice notebook I have) but in the meantime I tried to summarize it in this comment:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/2b7ac3/z/cj2l4q0
I'd add to the list http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000VZ57C?pc_redir=1412263266&robot_redir=1
I love slicing with a knife but the mandoline is the fastet way. Plus tiny sliced veggies cook faster. Mind your fingers though.

Butter and duck grease are great paleo ambassadors to reluctant newcomers. Everything taste better cooked in it.

If they like Pasta so much, try making some Zucchini noodles. They taste great with most of the sauces that go on normal pasta. I personally love making keto Alfredo sauce for mine. And for $11, The Veggetti is an awesome little tool for making them.

They cook up in a few minutes in some butter and taste fantastic. So you can make it for yourself and still share in the "pasta" with the rest of the house. Plus, if they're vegetarians too, maybe you'll turn them on to something new.

Easy one here...
Purchase a Veggetti spiral vegetable slicer or something like it and some zucchini's. Wash everything first then use the veggetti to make vegetable spaghetti basically. Just make sure you dry off the "Spaghetti" really well as it tends to hold lots of moisture in my experience. Then i honestly just drench mine with a meaty tomato sauce. Its sooo good and you dont even notice its not real spaghetti when its drenched in sauce.

The other thing my wife and I just experimented with this week was "Collard Green Enchiladas". Basically find a great enchilada recipe and sub out the flour wrap with some fresh whole collard green leaves. Again the key here is to keep things saucey and cheesy and you wont even really be able to tell your eating green vegetables.

I have the Pampered Chef version of these measuring cups I love using these since I can see what I am measuring much better.

My mama got us a Soda Stream and it has saved gobs of money on energy drinks and pop. I think that the majority of the sodas taste better than their more expensive counterparts and they contain way less sugar!

While I do not have one of these; I am thoroughly convinced that I NEED one. =)

Edit: Let's do it in the kitchen.

I got so excited I forgot the raffle phrase :p

Here is the one I use. It's a bit on the expensive side but works great. I received it as a gift a few years ago and it's held up nicely.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000632QE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Honestly though, any one will do. They all seem to be made of plastic. I think there are really expensive metal ones but i don't see the necessity to spend that much unless you're gonna use it daily.

Do you have a price range you are aiming for?

Cooking stuff:

I looove my mandolin slicer!

A ceramic serrated slicer is the tits for cutting bread or tomato slices!

If you want to go crazy fancy, an immersion cooker is where it's at. We have the Joule Sous Vide and our meals are a million times more delicious. We've used it several times a week since we got it and we've had perfect results every time. Fish, chicken, turkey, burgers, pork loin and pork chops, steak and easy peasy creme brûlée!!! If there's one high end kitchen gadget I'd recommend for people who love to cook this would be :)

I love my spiralizer. I also really like having my own Popsicle molds so I can make healthy/low cal frozen treats. I also drink black coffee and I've found that a french press and a hand-turn burr grinder (all the decent electric ones are hundreds of dollars and I'm too busy buying Halo Top to drop that kind of dough to save myself less than a minute each morning) make the best black coffee, plus they don't take up room on the counter top. You do have to grind your own beans with a french press and you have to use a burr grinder to get a course, consistent grind, which one of those electric things with a spinning blade can't provide.

Having a mandolin can be nice for thinly and evenly slicing veggies for baked chips and the like (mine is Oxo) but I would recommend buying one of those cut resistant glove things to use with it as the hand held thing that comes with the mandolin to slide food across is annoying as all hell, but I think that's a universal when it comes to mandolins.

I also love my food scale (again, Oxo). I have the one that weighs heavier weights at home and the little baby 5 lb limit one at work which is great because then I can measure out a serving of crackers, dip, whatever out of a larger container at work and I don't have to pre-measure everything at home and use a bunch of containers and then have to haul it all to and from work.

Other kitchen stuff might be good, too.

Specifically: spiralizers. I have both a big one and a the baby version. Zoodles are not a pasta replacement for me, but rather the best way to eat zucchini and also to bulk up a meal for verrrrrry few calories. The baby is great for portability (I've taken it to the office and friends' houses) but a pain in the ass to clean and not great if you're spiralizing either a large quantity or anything that is not zucchini size/shape/textured. The big one has three blades, works very well with different veggies, and is so much easier to clean, but it doesn't have a small footprint.

I've tried an electric knife, but that didn't have the control I'd hoped, although it was fast. With more patience, you might have better luck than me. Also, don't buy the one I linked, instead find one at a thrift store.

I tried to build a hot-wire cutter from toaster parts, but it didn't get hot enough, so I gave up on it.

In the end, I ended up just free-hand sanding and cutting away the foam. In other words, I'd spring for a second ball. :( Check your local Dollar Store. They have a small selection of foam, and while their spheres are probably too small, it does end up being a good place to get a 4" cube

One last hint: A mandolin slicer is really good for taking thin slices off a foam sphere. I used it to flatten the backs of eyeballs, and it worked really well.

Amazing. I love the Internet community. If you liked this you'll definitely enjoy the Amazon reveiws for the Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife. Oh, and also this banana slicer. I have both pages bookmarked for rainy days - the reviews are that funny.

Avocado Slicer

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Avocado-Slicer-Green/dp/B0088LR592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457635225&sr=8-1

It's the definition of a one-use tool and I was pretty skeptical but my god it speeds up avocado slicing. The knife part isn't a big deal, the pit grabber is nice, but the main advantage it has is the part that slices and scoops at the same time. Sure you could do all that with a knife and a spoon, but this is like playing on easy mode. If you eat a decent amount of avocados I don't know why you wouldn't have one of these, it's only $10 and takes up minimal space.

Bump for this response. I need to try the dry-frying method, but I've used them before and find them alright. You have to rinse them quite a bit, but after that I find they're a nice "bulking" addition to food. Don't expect them to be exactly like pasta, and you'll be less likely to dislike them.

I also love using zucchini in place of pasta too. I bought one of these bad boys on recommendation from a vegetarian friend and have been quite pleased with it.

I use my handheld spiralizer every day, it's amazing! But I've heard the vegetti is harder to use... Id go with this one that I bought. A couple bucks cheaper and still great quality http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NEAO4S2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1462484333&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=spiralizer&dpPl=1&dpID=51jDgO%2BetkL&ref=plSrch

Edit: it also comes with a veggie peeler and a mechanism to clean it which is a pretty good deal.

I actually can recommend my spiralizer; I've been pretty happy with it. I bought my mom one and a few of my friends have it. It's the paderno spiralizer. I bet the one that the blogger of inspiralized sells is good, too (but it's more expensive).

Edit to add: I recently decided to quit drinking. It does me no favors, and it's way too hard to plan to have just one because after you have one, you want another one. It's easier to just abstain.

This mandolin is one of my necessities. It can be found at most asian grocery stores for like $7 your list of cooking needs pretty much fulfills everything. I have a rice/slow/pressure cooker too. I like making chachu and stu and other things like that, warm hearty foods to balance out the sterility of minimalism perfectly.

Get a mandoline! They're quite awesome to have available to you in your kitchen. You can slice faster, and better, compared with your knife. You can shave your own turkey or ham for sandwiches, along with tomatoes, onions, pickles for toppings. Pickles (and other long vegetables) are hard to use with the included safety handles, so you may want to do them by hand--only if you have a chainmail glove.

Good, all-steel ones are made by Bron or Matfer, but they're "professional" quality, and woefully expensive, and in the US$150+ range. For home cooks, Borner makes a fantastic one for about US$30. Benriner is a Japanese brand that also makes good ones. Some cheaper ones don't stay upright, but have a handle on the back for you to hold with one hand. Don't get those. Purchase one that will at least stay upright on its own.

Too many kitchen gadgets claim they save you time, but a mandoline is one that actually does.

I have used the OXO mandoline at $50 and I never touch it, too bulky and a pain to wash buy this: http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Import-Company-BN1-Mandoline/dp/B0000VZ57C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325311921&sr=8-1

Benriner is what chefs use and what I use to use as a cook but also at home as well. At least this comes with the handguard which at work I never had (almost sliced off fingertips many times). Great for slicing tons of onions in a uniform width if you want to carmelize a ton at a time or necessary for getting super thing slices of a vegetable for making potato chips for example.

Has blades for julienne as well so you can then use it as is or for a faster and more consistent brunoise.

And you have money left over for something else too.

You're going to laugh at how easy it was! I'm making it again tonight.

• Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer: $12 on Amazon
  
  What you see there is from one small zucchini.
  
  
• Capellino brand frozen pest from Whole Foods--any brand will do, and making it is obviously easy too
  
  I threw a few Tbsps of the pesto in a small skillet to warm it up, and when tasting it, it wasn't garlicky enough so I used my garlic press to add another two cloves. Once warm (within seconds), I threw the noodles in to sop it all up and warm up (again, just a few seconds). Put on plate. Eat.
  
  Not pictured was a pile of blackened asparagus I ate along with it. I'm doing the 'zoodles' again tonight as a side to my roasted chicken. :)

This is the one I got, it's listed for $30 right now, but there are others for $23 that look exactly the same.

Super fast Italian dinner...

Peel your zucchini, turn it into zoodles.

Cook whatever meat you're going to use however you like.

Here is how I make my quick and dirty Italian tomato cream sauce. It makes four servings and has 126 calories, 10g fat, 2g protein, 6 net carbs per serving including 100g of zoodles (zucchini). Add in whatever meat and cheese you want for more fat and protein.

Heat a tbsp of olive oil over med heat in a pot and toss in a couple cloves of garlic (chopped), let them get brown, but don't let them burn. It will only take a couple of minutes. Add in a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (14.5oz), a couple of tbsp of Italian seasoning, 2 tsp of onion powder (if you have room in your carb allowance, use 1/3 of a medium onion instead), salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then simmer for ~10 minutes. Then add in 1/4 cup (you can add more if you want, it depends on how many calories you want, I've done up to a cup) of heavy cream and simmer another 5-10 minutes.

When your tomato sauce is almost done, boil your zoodles for ~3 minutes, add salt to your water. Drain well, serve immediately and top with sauce, cheese, and meat. I top it with fresh basil from my garden.

Like I said, this is quick and dirty. I can make this meal in ~30 minutes start to finish. When I have more time I play around with various ratios of Italian herbs instead of using a pre-mixed blend.

TL;DR A vegetable spiralizer.

My favorite tool I've been using almost daily since last week (when it arrived from amazon) is a vegetable spiralizer. Had I known about this when I started keto, I would have been able to get a lot more veggies into my diet (and helped appease my spouse who gets bored with the same foods easily).

If you are someone who loves pasta, I cannot recommend this nearly enough. I've made a version of shrimp alfredo (avocado garlic sauce is great with zucchini noodles), noodle sidedishes, and last night spaghetti was back in the house.

I also use it to make apple chips and curly fries for the kids. There are all kinds out there, with loads of recipes as well. This is mine.

Other tools that I use pretty much daily: cheese grater, bullet mixer, food scale.

Other tools I have on my amazon wishlist for my keto kitchen: dehydrator, grease catcher/container, whoopie pie pan.

Their app on iOS is pretty slick. Once installed, you “share” a product to the FakeSpot app while browsing in the Amazon app, just as you would share it to a friend via SMS or email.

It’s assessments have generally tracked pretty well with my own spidery-sense gleaned from actually reading the product reviews. It does give amusingly straight-faced assessments for products who’s reviews have become memes, like the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer or the Haribo Gummi Candy, Goldbears Gummi Candy, 5 Pound Bag.

Nice to meet you and so glad your daughter is ok! I love the name Tara. Happy you're alive, Tara!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047E0EII/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1OCYQBIQB0HKN&coliid=I3N0LGFRSSIJB5&psc=1

It does the job. It does leave a few inches of zucchini pieces, but I have just been saving them and making zucchini and egg scrambles the next day. I have this one as well, but lost the part that makes the noodle size pieces. I actually prefer the hand held one, because there is more control. It's pretty sharp too, so you should be able to get your money's worth. Especially because summer time is approaching, and zucchini will be cheaper because it will be in season :)

Congrats!

Also let me recommend this 😂 it is fantastic! OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088LR592/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ObDqDbVAGC37B

Apologies! I've added a link in the post. I use the Paderno World Cuisine spiralizer, only $35 on Amazon :) I love it! I also made carrot noodles with it the other day, which were great as well.

The mandoline is the right answer, though I would encourage anyone to try to use a good chef's knife. Thin slices, then fan them out on a cutting board & take thin strips off the thin slices. For the quantity a home cook needs, this is probably fine & the knife skills one gains are invaluable. Oh, heck..... just by the cheap Benriner mandoline. They are great for the money.

The Swissmar mandoline VicinSea mentioned I will also agree it's fantastic. I too have had mine for years and use it regularly. It will become one of your favorite kitchen tools because of it's many uses of making even cuts on things. Just be careful not to get your digits near the blade...unless you want your kitchen to look like a scene straight out of CSI. All unfortunate cooking accidents aside, on [Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Swissmar-Borner-V-1001-V-Slicer-Mandoline/dp/B0000632QE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343246278&sr=8-1&keywords=swissmar+mandoline) has a bunch of reviews on it, and you can compare to others to find one that best meets your needs/price range.

If you want to spend big bucks, you can invest in a metal mandoline like this one which is professional grade.

edit: spelling

challenge accepted
I want Jessica to make me a hat
1- 2 -3 - 4 - 5 6 - 7 -8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 -21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 -33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 57 - 58 - 59 - 60 - 61 - 62 - 63 - 64 - 65 - 66 - 67 - 68 - 69 - 70 - 71- 72 - 73 - 74 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 79

i realize i got a bit carried away.. but it was an almost 2 hours well spent. i hope you have a great day!

As a guy that like cooking and gadgets here are my suggestions:

• A mandolin (1 and 2 - extremely useful kitchen gadget. I recommend a V shaped blade over the straight blade, it just cuts better.)
  
  
• A knife sharpener (I use an electric one, but any multistage sharpener is a great gift.)
  
  
• Flat whisk (This is very useful for making any sauces, glazes and especially gravies.)
  
  
• Microplane grater (I got one of these and I have never gone back to my old box grater. They come in 2 shapes: long and narrow vs wide and short, I prefer the long and narrow. They come in 3 or 4 'coarseness' levels from zester up to extra-coarse. I would recommend zest for a first one.)
  
  
• Mini Ramekins (A set of these in the size range of 3 to 4 inches or 4 to 6 ounces has a variety of uses: creme brulee, warm cookie or brownie desserts, individual souffles. But what I use them most for is holding my measured spices together for when I cook. When I need to dump all my spices onto a heap of cooked meat, I can just dump them on instead of measuring them out one at a time directly onto the meat.)

I bought [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GRIR87M/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_CbExwbJVRR7XD) last year. Spiralizes perfectly :)


If you're looking for something a bit fancier.. This:

Lurch Super Spiralizer With 3 Extremely Sharp Adjustable Interchangeable Blades (1.5-5.5MM) -Tornado Blade, Spaghetti Blade And Thick Blade For Vegetables, Fruits And More, Includes Stainless Steel/Wood Corers With Recipe Book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JPW237C/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_TfExwb0WJQZ0T

I'm thinking about purchasing this one next if my current one kicks the bucket. Plus. There's a good recipe book that comes with it.

You definitely need the stand version if you want to spiralize harder vegetables like butternut squash. America's Test Kitchen did a review of the best spiralizers and they picked the Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer as the best. It's only $24 on Amazon

Spiral vegetable slicer. This thing is freaking awesome. I love noodles and pasta, and we use these "noodles" in paleo pad thai and pasta dishes. For the pasta, i just heat olive oil, throw in garlic and red pepper flakes to infuse it, toss in the noodles and cook through quickly...server meat and veggies and sauce over it or eat as is, the bomb! We also use it to shred all the cabbage, and will probaby use it to make sweet potato fries soon...stay tuned.

A spiralizer is your best bet if you want the best mix of efficiency, cost-savings, and ease of use/cleanup. This is the one I use. Check the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Spiralizer-Tri-Blade-Vegetable-Strongest--Replacement/dp/B00GRIR87M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414531331&sr=8-1&keywords=spiralizer

If you would like to do this with other vegetables like Zucchini instead of Shirataki, I highly recommend a spiralizer. We finally got one of these after reading about it on the /r/keto forums and it's pretty remarkable how close to noodles many vegetables can be when spiralized.

They are a godsend! You need a spiralizer. Make a zucchini into noodles. (A large zucchini is only 55 cal). Depending on if you want your noodle al dente or soft, you can decide to heat them or not. I heat mine up in a pan with a tiny bit of oil, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, mushroom, spinach, and maybe sometimes cherry tomatoes or just a little bit of alfredo sauce. It's very delicious! Zoodles are super filling for me too at least

I don't know what your budget is, but maybe a spiralizer -- super fun cooking. If your budget is smaller, there are these. I have one, and it works okay.

I must apologize to the rest of the commenters, as none of them could present an item as important, as amazing, as glorious, as...

THIS!

And if you need convincing on why everyone needs one, just read the customer reviews. :D

69

Not sure how good these deals are, but they're things I'd love as a vegan

Instapot for $90

Vegetable spiral slicer for $22

Cuisinart Food Processor for $180

Blendtec total blender classic for $400

* edit - it isn't amazon, but Fry's also has a 7/11 sale and has the Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker & Warmer for $90 (after a promo code you get if you sign up on their website). I hear this is the best rice cooker out there.

I have this one and love it! It does spiraled noodles and straight noodles. It's easy to use and clean. Those are always my top priorities when looking for this kind of kitchen stuff.

I was paleo quite awhile before I went vegan, and actually it's the thing that really kicked off my healthy eating and helped me lose a ton of weight.


I think the biggest thing is get rid of all the processed, non-paleo foods in your house and find good replacements. I got a vegetable spiralizer and started using spaghetti squash as a pasta replacement, as I'm a huge pasta fiend. I still do this today!

Grab a paleo cookbook and make a large meal such as a bean-free pot of chili so you can eat that throughout the week.


Just a few tips and tricks from me, best of luck with that!!

Stupid add-on items. >.>

I wanted to say you should get yourself this strawberry slicer because it's silly AND useful, and you could use it to slice up this strawberry ocarina from my wishlist! :D

No, you know what? I like that combo too much. XD So you should get yourself this fancy lipstick and this awesome eyeshadow to push it over the $25 mark. Because there's never a bad time to buy fancy makeup. <3

You've clearly never used the hutzler 571 This beautiful product has done it all! From saving marriages, to allowing a disgraced ninja to restore his honor! Truly a miraculous product.

It's great to know the little replacements you can make to kind of make-up for the missing carbs. These aren't so much romantic as they are practical:

• Spiralized zucchini instead of pasta. If you sautee it in butter or olive oil, it's really just as good!
  
• Cauliflower: rice it! mash it! roast it! I've only been ketoing for 2 months, and I couldn't care less about rice and potatoes any more!
  
• Crisp, sliced veggies, like cukes and celery for dipping instead of crackers or chips. Or, you can get fancy and make crackers using cheese, or crisp up some pepperoni! I've also been known to eat guacamole with just a spoon ;-)
  
  The more you make full, satisfying meals without carbs, the more normal it will start to feel. It used to be Meat, Vegetable, Starch on our plates, and it felt weird to have a plate of Meat, Vegetable, Vegetable, or Meat, Meat, Vegetable or (my personal favorite) Meat, Cheese, Meat. But now, it's completely second nature!

I use this one that I got off amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C2TT2H8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pro-tip for making zucchini pasta: after you run the zucchini through your spiralizer let the noodles sit out on some paper towels or a cloth and generously salt them. The salt will draw out a lot of the excess moisture from the noodles which will then me absorbed by the cloth you use. What I typically do is spiralize the noodles and salt them like I described, then go cook whatever else I'm making to go with the noodles, which is usually a pork butt steak, and then fry up the noodles in the time that my steak is resting. Zucchini noodles really only need 3-4 minutes tops in the pan to be fully done, so as soon as they are done my steak is done resting and everything is good to eat.

It's zucchini! I used a spiraler to get it into noodle shape. You can buy one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Spiralizer-Vegetable-Shredder-Spaghetti-Vegetables/dp/B00KOWGZJE/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1449624753&sr=1-4&keywords=veg+spiralizer

After I get them all spiraled, I stir fry it a bit to get the water out of them. I drain them and then add hot sauce to it. I find that alfredo sticks best to it and gives a nice creamy texture. Red sauce is good too!

It's a kitchen tool that lets you make spiral all the things! My favorites are broccoli, butternut squash and zucchini is my easy go to.

This is the one I have:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501551474&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=spiralizers&dpPl=1&dpID=51ozEgFtqdL&ref=plSrch

My friend has a 20$ one from Wal-Mart that seems to be the exact same quality thus far too.

And this is the website I use for alot of my recipes if you're interested in trying it!
inspiralized.com

I use this one. Pricy and big for something that's effectively single purpose, but zucchini spaghetti is awesome. And healthy. And cheap.

Oh yeah, you asked me that awhile ago, damn I have been bad at keeping up with anything/anyone lately. I am super happy being done with trial and can hopefully start to function like a normal person soon!

I have the Veggetti. I like it, it's handheld and easy to use, although can be hard to clean if you don't do it immediately (although you can throw it in the dishwasher)! I didn't do much research into any options, but I would recommend this one.

Here's one I got for my daughter - sorry it's an as seen on TV product which I picked up at Wegmans for $12 - http://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W

Turned out to work great. Not sure the average cook needs any of the fancy expensive once. Especially if you only do zucchini which is pretty soft. Maybe harder veg like carrots might need a better quality gadget.

I have been hearing so very much about that tool lately. I may need one.... That looks delicious.

Here is the one that some friends of mine have and love though.

My husband bought this OXO good grips 3-in-1 Avacado slicer for me before I was keto, but I just love it!

OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer

Yup spiralizer...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1458328303&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=paderno+spiralizer&dpPl=1&dpID=51ozEgFtqdL&ref=plSrch

Drain or Pat dry before using. My favorite way to cook them is to warm a tbsp of olive oil then add fresh minced garlic let heat for a min then toss in the zoodles for about 3 mins to warm through. You don't want to "cook" them they get limp and mushy.

After this you can use them in anything you'd typically use spaghetti for. I love alfedo sauce on them.

*edit sorry for unformatted link... Mobile

Did you pay more than $20 bucks? On sale today for < $16 It works great and yes, you are correct, paper thin vegetable slices are awesome; especially in wraps.

https://smile.amazon.com/Mandoline-Slicer-Blades-Vegetable-Stainless/dp/B013JL2SVU/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1524587738&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=mandoline+slicer&psc=1

Love it! I make ramen, pho, pasta, anything with it. Its nice to have a fully satisfying meal with no real hit to carbs or cals. Another things i use more for pasta is called the Vegetti. I use cucumbers and squash as a noodle substitute. Cooke on high in light olive oil in a pan and cook one side for 3-5 minutes or until slightly crisp and then flip like a pancake and do the other side. I usually add sauce at this point to heat it up. https://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Adulting So Hard

Ok, going to suggest something outside the box but I couldn't cook without my mandolin slicer. I use it every day.

You will be able to make so many different things in a fraction of the time. I highly recommend a V shaped one. My life was not complete before I could perfectly slice tomatoes and hashbrowns and french fries in seconds.

Also, Target price matches Amazon. So you can save about $3.50.
http://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426583186&sr=8-1&keywords=veggeti

I got this spiralizer from Amazon and it works great! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N1VN2CS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made them, it's crazy easy. I invested in a good spiralizer last year and I LOVE it. So worth the cost and it's leagues better than the cheaper ones.

I try and follow a paleo diet. I still allow myself an indulgence of beer or treat every now and then, but mostly I follow it. I love to cook, and it has really forced me to cook more, which is nice. So far I am down almost 20lbs, and my stomach issues have dwindles (I use to get bloating + crampy after meals). One tip, try not to kill yourself following it to a T, gradually integrate into the diet. Also, get a spiralizer.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: http://smile.amazon.com/Brieftons-Spiral-Slicer-Stainless-Spiralizer/dp/B00CBVCVLM


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
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|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

Seriously! You must try this-

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371068095&sr=8-1&keywords=spiral+slicer

It works great with sweet potato, zuchini, and turnup (at least those are what I've tried so far!)

Also makes carrot and cucumber look badass for a salad ;)

They're great if you need to slice a lot of something quickly and evenly. Coleslaw...scalloped potatoes, 10 pounds of onions for French Onion soup. You can definitely get them in most kitchen stores.

There are really expensive all-metal European models that are nice, but overkill in my opinion. I've got something like this, and it works really well:
http://www.amazon.com/Mandoline-Slicer-Vegetable-Julienne-Stainless/dp/B013JL2SVU/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1462290115&sr=1-3&keywords=mandolin

Just USE THE GUARD and be fucking careful. They'll take off the tip of your finger before you realize you've been cut.

I bought a Vegetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer (it's like 1/3 the cost of a spiralizer, and takes up 1/8th the space). I use this wonderful device almost every day. It really helps fulfill that pasta craving, and you can experiment with fun sauces to put on the noodles. You can make a quick lunch by sautéing some meat and veggies, toss the noodles in and you're done.

My advice (especially for soupy recipes like the chicken noodle soup), is to put the noodles in just before you serve. They will stay firm that way. Otherwise the noodles will continually cook down and get more mushy.

Also, make sure you cut the noodles to a manageable size. Otherwise it will just make one giant, 10' long noodle... which is weird and annoying.

for the pasta salad? no we just ate it raw but it turns into almost a slaw and mixed with cherry tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, peppers, onion, cubed cheese and pepperoni if you want. Then you just dump some Italian dressing over it or w/e you like and it's great as a side dish. We make it with master noodles all the time in the summer but if we use zucchini instead of pasta its way healthier.

this is a similar recipe http://inspiralized.com/italian-zucchini-pasta-salad/

this is the spiralizer we have but they have tons of different ones.
https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Blade-Vegetable-Strongest-Heaviest-Spaghetti-Gluten-Free/dp/B00GRIR87M

Here are some ideas:

• Shun Nakiri knife?
  
  
• Microplane grate. This is what I use for finely mincing ginger and zesting citrus
  
  
• Spice dabba, indispensable for keeping whole (i.e., unground) spices in a compact form factor.
  
  
• Silpat baking mat, great for converting any baking pans into a nonstick version. I've used it to roast vegetables, bake cookies and even macarons.
  
  
• Mandoline, self-explanatory. Great for making uniform slices or strips of vegetables for gratins or casseroles. I made the ratatouille in Pixar's Ratatouille with this!
  
  
• Combination pressure-cooker/steamer/rice cooker/slow cooker. This is an electric pressure cooker that has the advantage of not requiring the same amount of babysitting as a typical stovetop pressure cooker. If your GF cooks with a lot of beans and lentils, then pressure cooking is something she'll appreciate.
  
  
• Plenty by Ottolenghi features highly inventive vegetarian cooking using a wide assortment of vegetables. The book has a middle eastern emphasis, but still contains recipes from all over the globe. My favorite is the Soba noodles with mango and eggplant.

$4

$3 ebook!

$2 woo banana slicer!!

and awesome contest idea :D THANKYOU!!!

For something different and fun, try zucchini and a spiralizer. I use this simple one; it's like sharpening a pencil:
https://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W/ref=sr_1_12?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1512000697&sr=1-12&keywords=spiralizer

It goes great with stir fry.

Same thing as This and This. It's popular with both Keto and Paleo. The Paderno seems to be the one people like best.

I received a spiralizer for Christmas, and I've already started adding more vegetables to my diet. The most significant thing is that anything you might be tempted to use pasta for--spaghetti, ramen, etc.--can be subbed out for a spiralized vegetable.
Zucchini noodle spaghetti is delicious, for example--and fast. It takes about a minute to spiralize a zucchini, and only about 3-4 minutes to sautee the noodles. Add a sauce of your choice, a protein if you so desire, and you've cut the carbs from pasta night.
The parsnip hash I made was a little sweet for my tastes, but I might go half and half with potatoes in the future, and my boyfriend and I are looking forward to using it for things like sweet potato fries and additional pastas. Can't recommend it enough for adding some versatility to vegetable dishes.

Possibly the most related and hilarious set of amazon reviews ever. Scroll down and read the reviews if you have a few minutes. Pretty fuckin' funny.

I never saw that one!! LOL!!

The other good one is the banana slicer https://smile.amazon.com/Hutzler-3571-571-Banana-Slicer/dp/B0047E0EII?keywords=banana+slicer&qid=1539125106&sr=8-5&ref=sr_1_5

Gives me the giggles every time, guaranteed

Hey OP i think you may have made a mistake in your title i get from your edit that you don't want advice on beans but in english legumes refers to beans and pulses where in french legumes means vegetables.

sorry i don't really have any advice on prepping vegetables. a worth having tool that i use often is a spiralizer, i use it to make spaghetti out of zucchini it is very quick and makes healthy delicious noodles.

[This] (http://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/dp/B0047E0EII) is a classic, but the hilarious reviews are just amazing.

Flintstones

I've just discovered zoodles and it's been life-altering.

Zucchini noodles are a super-tasty substitute for pasta. You can get a spiralizer like the one I have link or use a julienne peeler. With the spiralizer basically you cut off the ends of a zucchini, plug it into the machine and turn the handle and in like 30sec you have zucchini noodles!

I put them in a skillet, toss with salt and about 1tsp olive oil per zucchini, cook on maybe a little above medium with some garlic till soft, then add a little parmesan cheese. Delicious, filling, comes out around 141cal per zucchini. Mmm.

Obviously you can cook them with spaghetti sauce, etc. I'm excited to try a pesto recipe I found recently!

Spiralizers are great for this if you're making it regularly or for a large group of people. I have one of these which is awesome.

I got married last summer and here are a few inexpensive items I would have loved to receive:

• [ Personalized Giving Tree Cutting Board ] (https://www.etsy.com/listing/203759519/on-sale-personalized-cutting-board?ref=br_feed_23&br_feed_tlp=gifts) $37; Etsy
  
• [ Succulent Frame ] (https://www.etsy.com/listing/206642420/succulents-in-a-8-x-8-frame-makes-a?ref=shop_home_active_1) $125; Etsy
  
• [ Personalized Wedding Date Frame ] (https://www.etsy.com/listing/96007470/personalized-wedding-gift-unframed?ref=br_feed_14&br_feed_tlp=gifts) $30; Etsy
  
• [ Bocce Ball Set ] (http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Games-Piece-Bocce-Nylon/dp/B001ZEV5EA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426470191&sr=8-1&keywords=bocce+ball+set) $45; Amazon
  
• [ Avocado Slicer ] (http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Avocado-Slicer-Green/dp/B0088LR592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426470360&sr=8-1&keywords=avocado) & [ Mortar & Pestle ] (http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-White-Marble-Mortar-Pestle/dp/B000BUB58K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426470413&sr=8-1&keywords=mortar+and+pestle) $10 & $15; Amazon
  
  

I have this Spiral Slicer
It's amazing for making veggie noodles AND curly fries. It's also nice if you like apples and pears in your salads.

As an alternative when you're just not feeling the sauerkraut vibe (which is always for me...) the Vegetti works as advertised--we just grab a couple of zucchini and make up veggie pasta. Great because it really lets the flavor of the sauce come through. Great as an alternative to our normal spaghetti squash.

agree with anbeav, stick to meals of solid food.
i've been experimenting with keto "pastas".. been digging pesto zoodles with chicken lately. i tried shirataki noodles, but the texture is kind of weird and theyre pretty expensive. i bought this and it works pretty well:

I don't think it would work very well. At best, it would waste a lot of squash. I've got one of these and am quite happy with it for making squash noodles.

I bough this little sturdy handheld one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L0R9R38/ I definitely use this every week for food prep. Bought it a month ago.

I does requires one to crank it the veggies and that can be tiresome, but it does accept zucchini and cucumbers. I wanted badly, but could not convince husband, to buy the nicer hand crank ones (much less the electric fancy kind).

I love zucchini noodles.

If anyone wants to try vegetable noodles (generally served raw with sauce), you can pick up a decent handheld spiralizer for $10-15 USD on Amazon. I have this one which is on sale for $14 right now and I get some good use out of it.

> Amazon reviews are way way better than Lazada

Then there's this. But I definitely agree that the should be more filters.

For me, sous vide veggies have made gluten free pasta infinitely more appealing. Using a spiralizer I can make spaghetti out of almost any vegetable I want. Cooking these noodles using sous vide helps me control the final texture and flavor of the pasta without having to worry about overcooking. Essentially, I can warm up the vegetable pasta without worrying it releasing so much water into my sauce that I now have a soup.

I think the issue with this as a BIFL item is that there isn't going to be a great way to keep the blades sharp. The one thing you need to ask yourself is "Do I need 3-4 different sizes of noodles?". The answer will help you narrow it down.

There really are only 4 styles stand, [cone] (http://smile.amazon.com/Brieftons-NextGen-Spiralizer-Vegetable-Spaghetti/dp/B00PQKB2NI/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1426620307&sr=1-7&keywords=spiralizer), container - similar to one I bought
and scraper, including madolines and within those 4 styles there are 100s of manufacturers making the same product.

I've recently stepped up my game in the kitchen so I want:

• A slicer to make veggie noodles
  
• An electric griddle
  
  
• A kitchen top fryer
  
• A holiday pack of Torani sugar free syrups (I'm on the keto diet).
  
• A waffle maker

>Tough to cut a round item flat.

I bought a similar item to this about 10 years ago, best $20-30 I've ever spent.

It allows you to slice everyting into rings, finely dice things, or slice potatoes into a french fry shape.

It's worth it of you are planning to dehydrate lots. I did a big batch of banana chips over the weekend and each one of them has come out with a perfect uniform size and they all dried at the same rate.

Them Banana Slicers! but I would love to be gifted this Fancy Little Item that is on my wishlist.

I got the Paderno: http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ

It's a little hard to clean (my guess is that they all are), but it works like a charm. It was also rated #1 by America's Test Kitchen: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1540-spiral-slicers-spiralizers

The Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer was still the best $2.43 I ever spent /s . Now if only Hutzler came out with a banana slicer cleaning brush to save time cleaning those individual slots.

I picked up one of these for $20 bucks on sale at the end of last year. Its the best meat slicing knife I've ever used and $20 was pretty cheap.

Welcome to the future.The reviews on this look great!

When I bought my spiralizer, it was a new concept and it was like 15 bucks at the store. That said, I've seen them as cheap as $2 at Aldi recently, and they're really small for the one I use (about the size of my hand), so they fit in a drawer easily.

I love spiralized zucchini! I eat primarily low carb and most vegetarian at that, so it's a nice way to get veggies in and in a familiar form without the pasta. Especially during the spring and summer when there's zucs everywhere, I have it at least once a week. I've had them spiced with Chinese flavors as well and it's delicious!

tl;dr I endorse a spiralizer, as they're cheapish now, and they're tiny. You don't need one of those stand-up models, just one like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Active-Spiralizer-Spiral-Slicer/dp/B00VO8T8CS/ref=sr_1_13?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1458926702&sr=1-13&keywords=spiralizer

That might even be the kind I have, but there's all sorts of goofy ones now with attachments and crap. Dumb. Simple is better!

I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W

It works extremely well for squash and zucchini. It was $6 at TJ Maxx but they have them at Amazon, Target, pretty much anywhere!

I've heard great things about http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375330057&sr=8-1&keywords=spirooli and its cheaper. I just use a cheap Hand held peeler.

This banana slicer has always been my favorite.

Also here is a link to 5 of the Funniest Amazon Product Reviews

Also this barrel of lube

My Favorite The reviews are the best :)

You can also prepare zoodles cheaply and easily using a handheld device like this one or make spaghetti squash which is my favorite substitution!

Banana slicer
https://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/dp/B0047E0EII

Best white elephant gift ever.

Read the reviews.

Use a vegetti for the zucchini noodles! Super easy to use.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IIVRB3W?pc_redir=1407737043&robot_redir=1

The production of vegetable based pastas is certainly a worthy cause, and I'm sure the veggetti is very capable, but I think the point is that you could also just buy a $20 mandoline slicer and do pretty much the same thing (okay, you might be stuck with shorter noodles...) plus much more

I've been looking at these for awhile, trying to decide how much I would use it. Cook's tested spiral cutters and this is the one they liked best:
(http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1420128622&sr=1-1&keywords=paderno+world+cuisine+tri-blade+plastic+spiral+vegetable+slicer)

For those asking about good spiral slicers (zucchini pasta machines), here's the awesome one that I use, from Paderno: http://amzn.com/B0007Y9WHQ.

Expensive item

Cheap Banana slicer with awesome reviews

Chuckle worthy thing

So, par cook the veggies. I do this with my meats and veggies. I cook the portion I intend to eat that night longer than the portion I intend to eat later. It makes it much better in flavor and texture than cooking it completely and reheating it.

The other thing you can do is explore new veggies/new ways to prepare them. You can try riced cauliflower or riced broccoli. My personal favorite is mashed cauliflower. I add some goat cheese to it as well. Yum. I also own a spirlaizer that I use to make zucchini noodles. Try making zucchini fries. I use almond flour instead of bread crumbs (if you have a trader joes nearby it's much cheaper in store). You can also do it with eggplant.

Medium rare, porterhouse steak, grilled.

I'd like to have dinner with /u/Anitaxjffdskjarizard as she seems quite artsy and entertaining.

Kitchen thing

No soup for you!

Thanks for the contest!

I have a spiralizer that I got off Amazon for $10. I've only gotten to use it once, but the stir fry zoodles were amazing! This is the one I bought.
Spiral Slicer Spiralizer Complete Bundle - Vegetable Cutter - Zucchini Pasta Noodle Spaghetti Maker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NEAO4S2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_3zSvxbRTDMTGC

There's something called a Vegetti that is a smaller spiralizer (the size of a peeler). I have the bigger spiralizer but i know people that swear by the vegetti. A peeler works too though. Just thought I'd share =)
http://www.amazon.com/Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Veggie/dp/B00IIVRB3W

We have one similar to this one and it works great and is simple...not too much to clean.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Original-SpiraLife-Vegetable-Spiralizer/dp/B00L0R9R38

I use a version of this one, but in metal, and it works perfectly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C2TT2H8/ref=sspa_mw_detail_2?psc=1

Third time this has been posted, but I still love it, reminds me of the Hutzler 571 banana slicer.
http://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/dp/B0047E0EII

My mission in life it to stop people from using a knife to pit avocados. After I ended up in urgent care from trying to remove the pit, I came home and found this:

https://smile.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Avocado-Slicer-Green/dp/B0088LR592/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480522600&sr=8-3&keywords=avocado+pitter


Most of the reviews are from people who also ended up wounded from avocados. As a funny side note, when I told the nurses how I cut my hand, they said "hmm, it's always avocados".

You can change your life for $30. This Spiralizer is one of the best diet purchases I've ever made.
I've tried eating small amounts of pasta, I've tried shirataki noodles, but nothing beats buying zucchini and making pasta out of it for dirt cheap.
A PLATE of zucchini noodles (200g) was 33 calories, add a little marinara/Alfredo and your meat of choice, paired with some mixed veggies, and you'll have a HUGE meal for something like ~425 calories.

My favorite gadget is my spiralizer! It makes vegetables so much more enjoyable to eat and gives the illusion of more volume.

They're incredible tools. If you'd like a slightly less medieval one, this is hands-down the best one out there

Ever had/made Squash "pasta"? That's where it's at! What I love is how versatile (and delicious!) it is.

Until I read Judita Wignall's Going Raw, I had no idea vegetable spiralizers existed. I recommend trying her "Spaghetti" Bolognese and Creamy Tomato "Fettuccine".

yup I bought https://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1480355729&sr=1-5&keywords=spiralizer

But I don't like it-I'm going for a handheld next time it seems like it'd be easier to clean and less cumbersome.

You can make your own with this thing and a deep fryer. I use mine all the time to make healthier food but this machine is the shit.

//www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007Y9WHQ?pc_redir=1405572019&robot_redir=1

It looks like there's one on Amazon for $10! But there are some more expensive options here, here, here, and here. The average price point seems to be around $28, which isn't as bad as I thought!

The reviews for the banana slicer are all hilarious!

Dandelion and burdock

Got a bunch under $10!

Thanks for the contest!

Amazon reviews oftentimes aren't actually helpful, and people may just use "helpful" as an upvote button (i.e. when they find it funny).

I mean, the top review for this banana slicer currently shows that 58,215 people found it helpful. Yes, nearly sixty-thousand for a banana slicer.

How dare he mock the infallible Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer!!! just look at the Amazon reviews! with over 2300 5 star ratings, it is the clear winner among banana slicing aficionados.

http://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/product-reviews/B0047E0EII/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

It was a wedding gift so im not positive but i think its this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=asc_df_B0007Y9WHQ4740853

It works really well except even when suctioned down the spiralizer does move a little. I'd recommend it.

For everyone that wants to make perfect slices/dices and rings, do yourself a favor and get one of these Swissmar Borner V- 1001 Slicers. You can do all of this in like 20 seconds.

I use a pineapple slicer like this which is great for getting the meaty part of the pineapple out with no mess; then I squeeze the rest of the pineapple to get about half a cup of pineapple juice from it - after all is said and done I make sure to strain the whole juice for a super smooth drink. (usually I split one pineapple into two 32oz juice blend servings)

You're thinking of the Hutzler Banana Slicer. The reviews and questions are hilarious. It's a wonderful viral marketing campaign.

• Citrus reamer/zester
  
• Bartender’s multi-tool
  
• Herb/stem stripper
  
• Avocado slicer
  
• Marinade injector
  
• Various small brushes for cleaning these specialized tools (The housewares section of Asian grocery stores are great for this)
  
• A cool crock or box for corralling all of these extra tools

Enjoy!

The Funny
http://www.amazon.com/Hutzler-571-Banana-Slicer/product-reviews/B0047E0EII

The Kat
http://www.barnorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/063.jpg

I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Spiralizer-Vegetable-Spaghetti-Vegetables/dp/B00KOWGZJE/ref=sr_1_7?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525267433&sr=1-7&keywords=spiralizer

More expensive, but zoodling is a super snap with it.

You probably don't think this is funny either (customer questions, answers, and reviews): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047E0EII/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_SzIFwb1ZXMH4N

But yeah, I agree with you. Anything that involves cats, British humor, and Woody Allen are just not funny to me...no matter what anyone else tries to convince me of.

Or buy a $20 mandolin. Sorry for the poorly formatted link, I’m on mobile! This is the one I have and it’s the brand a lot of professional kitchens use. No bells and whistles, but it works like a charm.

Vegetable Slicer Green (Old Version) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VZ57C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UuzJAbVWC1K6X

I have this one. It's awesome. I usually have squash like acorn and spaghetti squash with butter and brown sugar, but summer squash is more along the lines of zucchini so it isn't good for being sweet.

I use this so far only with zucchini. I love it. I wonder what other veggies these would work well with?

What's neat is that if you get a spiralizer you can make "pasta" from vegetables. Mind blown. I now make "noodles" out of zucchini, sweet potatoes, and any relatively firm elongated vegetable, and the taste if out of this world!

If you do Amazon, these are popular.
Benriner is the go-to Mandolin. I have one and love it.

Since Amazon sells everything, that's hard to say. I can only tell you the best thing I've ever gotten from Amazon was this slicer.
It's the most used piece of equipment in my kitchen.

Like a lot of other folks, I have a benriner and I'm happy with it. It is extremely sharp so watch your fingertips.

This is clearly the superior banana slicer.

IN our house we call it the Vagetty

Other than that Cauliflower is pretty workable in a lot of recipies - and baked Sweet Potato fries are pretty good - but still a starch.

Yes but save your money and get this kind- https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Active-Spiralizer-Spiral-Slicer/dp/B00VO8T8CS/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1468854662&sr=8-6&keywords=zoodle

The Spiralizer isn't that expensive actually. Otherwise, this makes for a pretty good meal.

I use a little tool like this. It is pretty easy to use.

I'm using this one that someone linked to a few weeks ago. Easy to setup and use and dishwasher friendly.

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1410276415&sr=1-1&keywords=spiralizer

I just nuke the noodles for 2.5 minutes on high.

I always her people talk about cutting their hands. Buy a $9 plastic avocado slicer, it has a plastic knife edge (goodbye fear of hand disfigurement) and it is excellent for removing the core.

OXO Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer, Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088LR592/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.KsPAbKBG9V7X

I certainly hope you're not cutting that banana with a knife! https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B0047E0EII/ref=psdc_289783_r0_B0047E0EII?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1