Since Leah Itsines’ exclusive recipe collection launched in the YogaFokus app, the Food section of the app has been going gangbusters with recipe views and saves going through the roof.
Although her No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake (which requires no appliances or fancy tools at all) is still taking the top spot, Leah has a list of go-to kitchen items that have levelled up the ease, speed and enjoyment of her cooking, as well as the final product served on the table.
Utensils
Cast iron skillet or pots
When choosing pots and pans, Leah always recommends opting for cast iron as you can use them on the stovetop, put them in the oven, and they’ll last for ages.
“I think everything just tastes so much better,” she says. “Cast iron skillets are also the best for cooking steak as they give a really good crust.”
Good knife set
Regardless of whether you consider yourself a total novice in the kitchen or a master chef, prepping a meal or snack often requires you to cut things and there’s nothing quite as frustrating as using a knife that’s too blunt, small or has the wrong edge for the job at hand.
“I love having a good, sharp knife set and always buy the Japanese Shun knives. If you’re getting married it’s a great thing to add to your registry,” Leah laughs, knowing that a great set of knives isn’t cheap.
Grab what suits your budget and kitchen needs, but if you love cooking and your knives just aren’t cutting it (sorry, we couldn’t resist) they’re worth saving up for. It’s a worthwhile investment that will last for yonks if you take care of them.
Chopping boards
Now you’ve got your knives sorted, what surface are you cutting on? Leah loves using big wooden chopping boards, and for meat-eaters, she recommends having a specific one you only use for cutting meat. If you love entertaining, you might also want to keep one as a dedicated serving board.
Just remember, you won’t want to put these through the dishwasher as it can strip away the wood’s natural oils, while the prolonged exposure to water and high heat may cause your board to splinter.
Different sized bowls
Having one small, medium and large bowl is a great place to start, and then you can add more as you expand your cooking repertoire and figure out what would be most handy for you. A selection of different sized bowls can make it a breeze to whip up sauces, toss salads, mix dry and wet ingredients together for baking, or marinate meat.
Meal prep containers
If you’re like us, you’ve probably got a random shelf or drawer full of plastic containers for meal prep and leftovers (where do all the lids go?), but Leah says the glass ones are the way to go.
“I feel like the food tastes better out of them,” she says, not to mention they’re much better for microwaving and will last longer than plastic. New to meal prepping? Plenty of her recipes in the YogaFokus app are designed with meal prep in mind!
Tongs
A pair of tongs is a must, but let your personal cooking style determine if you can make do with one or need a couple of options. A few pairs can be great for families or entertaining so everyone can serve themselves, barbecue tongs are great for everything on the grill, or you might want some salad servers if salads are on regular rotation in your house.
Oil pourer
While this one is more of a nice-to-have, Leah is a huge fan of her oil pourer which has both a pour and spray function for whatever her recipe requires.
Appliances
Food processors
Whether your recipe calls for chopping, slicing, shredding, mixing, pureeing or totally blitzing, a food processor can do it all with speed.
“I love having two different food processors, a big one for protein balls and anything with a lot of volume like vegetables, and a smaller one for things like marinades, sauces, garlic and onion.”
She doesn’t have an expensive, fancy one either, so don’t feel like you need to get the best one in the market or fork out a lot of cash.
Airfryer
Airfryers are another appliance that don’t need to be expensive to change your life. The most important thing to think about is what size you need.
“All day every day,” Leah says. “I use it all the time.”
If speed and convenience are top priorities for you in the kitchen, it won’t take long for you to fall in love with your airfryer. Put your food in, set the temperature, time, any specific cooking settings if required, and press start. All that time you usually have to factor in for the oven to warm up? Gone.
Slow cooker
“A slow cooker is the best investment for a new cook or someone who wants to get into the kitchen. For minimal clean-up, I prefer one with a base that you can put on the stove, too.”
A slow cooker obviously requires some planning ahead of time so you can set and forget in the morning or the night before (so not the best appliance if you prefer to cook on the fly), but it can be an amazing way to cook stews, chilis, casseroles, roasts, soups and even some desserts.
Robovac
This one has nothing to do with prepping, cooking, serving or storing and all about eliminating some of the clean-up jobs and making life easier for yourself.
“My Robovac cleans my kitchen every single night, I couldn’t live life without him,” Leah laughs.
Unlock hundreds of recipes in the YogaFokus app
And fuel yourself forward
So much of becoming a better cook and serving up delicious food is simply about having amazing recipes, which we’ve got covered in the YogaFokus app, but having the right tools can do a lot to elevate and simplify your cooking experience even further.