4 Time Saving Kitchen Tools For Quick & Easy Weekly Meal Prep

Wellness

May 2

In between your seemingly endless work week and your weekend that just feels like it flashes before your eyes, weekly meal prep can feel like a big burden.

I get it - you want to make the most of your weekend and spending it in the kitchen all of Sunday isn’t exactly the relaxing weekend plans you had in mind.

However, just like every other area of life, I like to work smarter, not harder.

By having the right tools and a fool-proof strategy, you could cut down your meal prep time from taking up the majority of your Sunday to 1-hour on Sunday evening.

Today, I am going to be sharing with you some of my favorite time-saving kitchen gadgets that have helped keep cooking quick, simple, and easy!

This post is not sponsored and does not include affiliate links. All recommendations are products that I personally love and use in my kitchen for meal prep.

Good-Quality Chef Knife

I’ll apologize in advance for any chefs reading this and cringing at the thought, but I used to cut all of my ingredients with a serrated steak knife. Genuinely, I didn’t think the type of knife mattered. Nevertheless, my life became so much easier when I invested in a quality chef knife.

While I do not have a link to the knife I currently use, I will say that you don’t have to go all-out and purchase a fancy, expensive knife. By simply browsing kitchen outlet stores or checking online, you can usually find a pretty good-quality knife for about $20-$30.

Owning a good-quality chef knife is a great tool that has lots of utility. Whether you’re quickly chopping softer veggies (like bell peppers or zucchini), slicing through thicker root vegetables or tubers (like potatoes and daikon), or needing to cut to precision (like mincing garlic or ginger), you’ll be able to do so with this all-purpose tool.

By taking good care of it by sharpening it often, hand washing and drying it immediately after every use, and knowing its limitations around thicker foods, your chef knife could be a life-long investment.

2. Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker

The perk of owning a slow cooker or pressure cooker is the set-it-and-forget-it functionality. This is perfect for anyone who wants to get the most out of their weekend by throwing all of the ingredients into the pot, letting it do its thing, and returning back to a warm, wholesome meal.

This gives you the opportunity to make chilis, pasta, soups, stews, and so much more without actively having to stand over the stove for hours.

Slow cookers are amazing if you are going to be out of the house, you want to cook something overnight, or planning to multitask throughout the day. Simply set your slow cooker in the morning with all of your ingredients and seasonings and let it do its thing. This is especially helpful for foods that you’d like to be cooked low and slow until it’s pull-apart tender.

On the other hand, pressure cookers are amazing if you’re in a pickle and need to cut down the cooking time for meals you’d usually cook over the stove. With a pressure cooker, the steam is sealed in, creating a very high temperature. This high temperature reduces cooking time.

3. Air Fryer

I love the air fryer for many reasons. For a long time, I thought it was just hype but after owning one, I get it. It’s like a mini oven that cooks your food faster.

From crunchy fries, roasted veggies, crispy breaded tofu, personal-sized pizzas, to even baking mini cakes - there are thousands of recipes on the internet with many versatile ways to cook with your air fryer.

Personally, I use it the most for roasting veggies and crispy tofu.

As a bonus, you’re reducing so much oil that is in fried foods without giving up those foods entirely. They may be cooked a little differently, but they’re just as tasty (if not tastier).