OK, there is truly nothing on this list that I really couldn't live without, but having them makes my life so much easier. It also makes eating healthfully a whole lot more fun! These utensils range in price from very inexpensive to pretty pricey, but I'll give you some hints for finding them cheaper! Many of them are easy enough for children to use.
A Tupperware plastic orange peeler
I have always hated peeling oranges, perhaps because I have eczema, so the less time that my skin is contact with the peel of the orange, the easier it is for me to eat it. The result: I went years without ever eating them unless they were peeled for me! Enter the lovely little Tupperware orange peeler. We had them at home growing up, but I guess I never knew where to find them. When I discovered they are still made today, I was delighted. They make peeling oranges a snap, and my children like to use them, too.
Price: FREE with purchase from a Tupperware sales rep or as low as 99¢ on Ebay
Apple Corer & Divider
We also had one of these when I was a kid, and when you try it you'll see why it's such a delight - for children and adults alike! You can slice and core an apple in seconds, rinse the utensil, and put it away for next time. Now that's convenience! I've tried 100 percent metal ones, and they work fine and can cost less than $3, but my favorite, made by OXO, has rubber grips, and it's available at Cooking.com for the cheapest price I could find.
Price: $6.95
Vegetable Brush
Now if you buy all your veggies in the little, prepared plastic bags, you might as well skip over this one. However, if you grow your own garden or shop at the local farmer's market which sells fresh potatoes and carrots with the dirt still on and you have little kids who love helping in the kitchen, this item if for you! I like the OXO Good Grips Flexible Vegetable Brush.
Price: $4 from Eatraw.com
Salad Spinner
This is a must-have for salad lovers! If you're wondering why in the world anyone would need one, I know that you've never experienced the convenience of this tool. I'll admit that I got hooked while living overseas where the water was questionable, and we had to let our lettuce air dry before eating it. Having a salad spinner made that process happen a lot faster by getting rid of all the excess water. But even after we put in a distiller, I discovered that my lettuce lasts a lot longer when I store it in the spinner. If you get the kind I have, inside the outer bucket is a plastic basket (the part that spins around), so air continually circulates around the lettuce while the moisture also stays in, keeping it crisp longer. I've seen them new on Ebay for under $5, but they range up to $55 new. Why the huge price difference? A truly cheap one will fall apart quickly and make you wonder why you bought one in the first place. My advice? Buy a good model, like the Spin n' Serve from Tupperware, which has a lifetime guarantee.
Price: $40 new or $10-20 on Ebay
Freshlife Automatic Sprouter
Now this one is decadent, especially when you consider how easy it is to grow sprouts with a jar and a little dedication to daily rinsing. They're practically free! But if you're lazy or absent-minded like me, and you keep ruining your lovely sprouts by forgetting to water them regularly, then this one might be for you. I asked for it for my birthday, so it didn't seem like such an extravagance, and boy, do I love it! I got mine from Sproutman.com on sale, but you can get them a bit cheaper from Eatraw.com, and they have free shipping for orders over $100. VitalityPlus1.com says they'll beat any price on the web, however, so check them out!
$110.00-120.00
Vita-Mix
I first read about this wonder machine when I was a poor college student and dreamed about the day I would finally own one. The industrial strength blades blend, chop, puree, or crush just about anything in a matter of seconds! I use mine literally every single day for smoothies, salad dressings, nut purees, etc., and clean-up is super easy. Just put in a drop of dish soap and some water, and run the machine for a few seconds. Since it's such a high dollar item, I bought one used on Ebay first. It came, still working perfectly after who knows how many years of use. Once I knew I would use one for sure, I sold it over a year later for about the same price! I put that money toward a new one for $399. You can buy a reconditioned VitaMix 5000, the newest model, for $349 from VitaMix.com or buy an older model like I did on Ebay.
Price: $399 new, $349 reconditioned, $150-$250 used on Ebay
