Sometimes I write provocative think pieces about society and individual people’s relationship with food and their bodies. Sometimes I write about mindful eating. Other times I write about appliances- kitchen appliances. TWN actually originated as the place for me to share “the necessities” of living well, SO I guess you could call this the kitchen necessities, according to me and some of my friends.

Since much of America is currently trapped indoors, most of us are getting much more acquainted with our kitchens and the contents of said kitchens because we are in them thirty.seven.thousand.times.a.day. Before The Big Q, people left their homes, they dined out, and their entire lives weren’t limited to what was under their roofs. and yet, here we are. At home. 24/7. Just us, our families, Netflix, and our dishes. I mean, our kitchens. But let’s talk about the dishes for a moment, shall we? I love to be in my kitchen! I love to cook! But F*RK, I never realized how many dishes are required to keep two adults fed! If you have children, forget it. Just eat out of the pans and out of your hands. The dishes are just too much.

I digress.

I love kitchen appliances, I actually always have- I just never had the space to use them consistently. I’m most excited to move back to New York and into our new house in July (!) of this year, so that I can use the space to keep many of them out and use them regularly! You can expect to catch me waffling in the morning, air frying in the evening, and baking some cakes with my electric mixer in the afternoon. TBH, I have an electric mixer and I’ve NEVER used it. That goes into the category of appliances I won’t be raving about. REGARDLESS-things are going to be crazy up in my suburban kitchen!! I apologize for nothing.

But during The Big Q, I’ve come to realize that certain appliances are getting more hang time than others. Namely my indoor grill that I’ve used for its panini press purposes – great wedding gift! It’s been a game changer for weekend meals that hit the spot. It’s so easy to clean up and takes about 5 minutes for the perfect sandwich. I’m talking pesto + cheese, refried bean + avocado – YOU NAME IT. I WILL PRESS IT.

I’ve become so passionate about this particular appliance, that I got curious – what appliances are my friends obsessing over?

Here’s a roundup from my friends awho spend a lot of time in the kitchen – I trust these women with my everything, and definitely with their appliance choices.

(Also, as a quick aside, I swear I have been communicating with my friends beyond “yo, what appliances are your jam right now??”)

Lisa’s pick: The Panini Press. Technically this is a grill, but I use it to grill bread, panini style. I’m obsessed. Easy to clean, melts cheese (and vegan cheese). Also comes with 3 different inserts. Pro tip: spray or coat your bread with oil/butter/ghee whatever you fancy). I can’t wait to use the other inserts to make waffles and grilled veggies. Right before publishing this I learned the exact brand just went out of stock. Here’s one with a comparable price which works as an indoor grill (panini press) + griddle.

Second pick from Lisa: THIS 2 BLADE SALAD CHOPPER + bowl (they come together!!) from OXXO is a game changer in the MAKE YOUR OWN SALAD world. If you can’t find satisfaction from your home salad or really miss CHOPT, get yourself this SALAD CHOPPER + BOWL. It will shred everything to pieces (great for kale!)

Gabi’s Pick: Gabi, TWN intern and friend, loves her Instant Pot (this one is just $79 dollars!!). She says “I love this thing so much more than expected and use it for everything. Lots of soups, curry, dope vegan risotto.”

Molly’s Pick: Molly, nutritionist, mama to Maxie and founder of @mollysbest chooses a milk frother for that perfect at-home coffee.

Carolyn’s Pick: Carolyn Brown of @CarolynBrownie flirts with an air fryer. She says “it’s the Ultimate Lazy Girl appliance. It cooks frozen veggies like a champ. Dale Borchiver, co-creator of Sweats in the City agrees, “air fryer for life.”

Katie’s Pick: Katie Lemons of @twistoflemons states she uses her Bialetti espresso maker that takes up minimal counter space and is easy to clean. She gushes “it’s so little and cute that it makes me emotional”.

Eliz’s Pick: The other half of @sweatsinthecity, Elizabeth Endres, says her Delonghi Nespresso maker is a must have. “I’m a morning person, and coffee is a big part of what makes the AM my fave part of the day. Not just because it tastes delicious, but because I love the ritual. The Nespresso Cortado is the best of the best!

Tiffany’s Pick: Tiff, creator of @nourishedbykale loves this food processor. It’s a must have for pestos, dressing, hummus, AND baking!

Amaya’s Pick: Amaya, TWN’s Ops Manager and my right hand, has fallen in love all over again with her KitchenAid Mixer after discovering the Fresh Prep Attachment. “I use this thing constantly. From shredding cheese for quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids, slicing cucumbers for a cucumber salad, or slicing potatoes for a soup, this is my go-to.”

Bonus Not-An-Appliance, Amaya’s Pick: Amaya drinks a lot of coffee. She blames her two children under three and her two jobs, but I’m pretty sure she drank this much coffee pre-kids and when she only had one job. Nonetheless, she loves her coffee, and apparently this inexpensive and simple cold brew coffee maker bring her back to life. “When I say that I’d choose this cold brew coffee maker over actual human people, believe me.” Believe her, folks.

Which of your favorite kitchen appliances get the most use? Let us know in the comments 🙂