Those who follow me on IG (@gabichaytor) know that I love to cook (and eat). Even after adopting the low carb lifestyle I still have my adventures in the kitchen. So I’ll show you some of the appliances that help me with my concoctions around here. Because having good tools makes it all that much easier!
Let’s start talking about cookers. If you’re setting up your kitchen and you don’t have a big family, you don’t need a 5 or 6 burner cooker. In my opinion, you don’t even need 4. In years of cooking, I’ve rarely used more than 2 burners at the same time. Seriously, it’s rare to use 3, virtually impossible to use 4. 
I’ve exchanged my 4 burner gas cooker that desperately needed cleaning (and I didn’t feel like cleaning it) for a 1 burner portable induction cooktop. Yep, 1 burner. And I don’t regret it! It’s portable, so it can be put on a shelf when I’m not using it, which frees up countertop space. And since it’s induction, it cooks faster and is safer. The only problem is that not every pan works with it. My cooktop is Brastemp Gourmand, but other brands make them too.
‘But how about the oven?’ you ask. Well, I exchanged the gas oven and the microwave for one single appliance: LG Solar DOM. It’s an electric oven and a microwave combined. And it’s quite spacious! They come in two sizes and I chose the largest one, at 38L. It has a convection setting, which bakes faster, combined baking for both electric and microwave, steam cooking etc. And it’s really quiet, more so than every microwave I had before. Brastemp makes combination ovens too, but smaller than this. The disadvantage is that it can’t be fitted. I keep mine on the countertop.
I also think and air fryer is important. Oh, the air fryer. Some love it, some hate it. I love mine. Hubby uses it almost every day for his chicken cutlets, Buffalo wings, chips, onion rings, he barely uses the cooker. Before turning low carb I used it a lot for pastel (fried thin crust pies) and pão de queijo (cheese bread). It seriously makes the best pão de queijo, because they grow, bake well inside and don’t burn. Really good stuff. Nowadays I use it for vegetarian kibbeh. The air fryer cooks things fast, with no or little oil and without making a gigantic mess. I’ve noticed most people who complain about them have the traditional basket type. I have the paddle type Actifry. It’s different because it has a paddle that stirs the food while it cooks. I also bought a basket accessory for delicate foods that get destroyed by the paddle, like smiley type chips. And the paddle can actually be removed to make other recipes. I really recommend investing on one of these.
And if like me you’ve seen more than one pressure cooker blow up, you might want to get an electric pressure cooker. 
It’s safer and doesn’t make that horrendous noise. I don’t use mine that much since turning low carb. But it’s by far the best way to cook rice. Also great for mashed potatoes. I’ve cooked different types of meat in it for my husband, but I must admit what I’ve used it mostly for was rice and vegetables, especially soup. In any case, I still think it’s better than a traditional pressure cooker. Mine is Philips, but I know there are many different ones around.
In addition to the pressure cooker and the air fryer, I also have a grill. Old one, but still works. The simple jumbo type by George Foreman. I don’t think they still make it. But a grill is a grill. As long as it warms up, it works.
See how you really don’t need a large cooker? Almost everybody has at least a grill and an electric pan in their kitchen.
In my next post I’ll tell you more about what appliances I chose for my kitchen and where and when to buy them cheaper.
