Kitchen Christmas 2019

This is a great list whether you are just wishing for upgrades in the kitchen or needing to make some changes after recently being diagnosed with celiac or gluten intolerance. There are some things to keep in mind, because some things in your kitchen can cause cross contamination.

Things to watch for in your kitchen

Check your appliances for nicks and scratches (including your beaters). These are places the gluten protein likes to hide and can continue making you sick, if you have celiac or gluten intolerance. It is a source of cross contamination.

Some appliances don’t have pieces that can be taken apart and thoroughly washed. Others on this list are just happy wishes for a nice gluten free cooking experience. I appreciate my friends help on a gluten free page I am a part of who helped me come up with some great ideas!

These are ideas to get you started, make sure to do your research into products and check out the customer reviews.

Grinder

A grinder that has never had gluten in it. There are so many moving parts and places that gluten can hide in a grinder that getting a new one for only gluten free flours is a must! I have only ground rice, but there are a lot of gluten free grains and beans and other things you can grind!

Vitamix

The Vitamix can do so much more than a regular blender can. It can also be used to grind seeds and nuts. Many of them have too much oil to grind in your other grinder and can gum up the mechanisms. No worry about that with a Vitamix. Plus you can do all kinds of healthy fruit and vegetable smoothies.

Bread maker

Just like the grinder, you want a dedicated gluten free bread maker, that has never had gluten in it. Honestly, I haven’t liked making my own bread and I had very little luck with bread, even in a bread maker, before I was gluten free. Some day, I may try it again. If making bread and using a bread maker is your thing, then you definitely need a new one!

Kitchen Aid

This is one of my absolute favorite kitchen appliances! I use it almost every day! Why would you need a new one of these? Because if your old mixer and beaters have nicks or scratches it holds onto protein and continues to contaminate your food while you are struggling to regain your health.

Kitchen Aid Attachments

There are lots of Kitchen Aid attachments you can get! The attachments are a great asset to your kitchen and Kitchen Aid. I just found out there is an ice cream attachment! Why didn’t I know about this before?!!!

Air Fryer

I absolutely love my air fryer and use it often! One of my favorite things to do in it is bacon. I can fry the bacon without having to babysit it while I finish making the rest of dinner, that it needs to be crumbled on. There are so many wonderful things you can make with an air fryer and it is healthier than other fryers. (The post in the link is about my old air fryer. I now have a Chefman like the one here and I love it!!!! I need to do a post about it!)

Instant Pot

This is on my list for when I need a new rice cooker. I love my rice cooker, but to have an instapot that is also a rice cooker would be awesome! I don’t know about you, but I don’t have nearly enough space in my kitchen. With this you could get rid of a few other appliances.

Smoker

While you wouldn’t use this in the kitchen, but on the back patio, this is on my wish list! Our friends have one and use it all the time. It is amazing! I also might be able to get my husband to do some of the cooking if we had a smoker!

New pans

Unless you are using stainless steel pots and pans that have no scratches or nicks, then you need new cookware! Non-stick surfaces are porous and hold onto gluten as do scratches and nicks.

If you are unable to do a completely gluten free kitchen and have gluten eaters in the home, a good compromise and safer alternative to having 2 of everything, is to go with stainless steel.

Check the pans you buy, if you have an induction stove top, evidently some pans don’t register on those stove tops.

New stoneware

If you love to use stoneware and have used gluten on it, it is time to replace it! Stoneware is very porous and gluten loves to hide in those pores! It is a source of cross contamination and no amount of washing can flush all of the gluten out of those tiny pores.

Toaster

When a toaster heats up the crumbs float around and can cross contaminate food. It is good to have a gluten free toaster separate from one that does gluten. If that isn’t possible toaster bags are another way to go.

Griddle

For me, a griddle is a must have. However, they are non-stick and can be a problem when you have a shared kitchen with gluten and gluten free people. Another solution is a grill mat for the gluten free foods.

Waffle Iron

It is a must to have two separate waffle irons when you have people eating gluten free and sharing a kitchen with gluten eaters. I highly suggest having it a different color to make it easy and educating those in your household about cross contamination issues.

Pastry Dough Roller

I asked for some help with this post on a gluten free page I am a part of and one person said this was a must have for her kitchen. She loves making pies, but because gluten free dough can be more fragile and hard to move around, she loves this tool! It can be used inside a pie pan to roll out, so you don’t have to move it to place it. I think this is a great idea for any pie maker!

Donuts

Cake donuts are easier to make and a great treat, but having the right equipment helps! I also love to make donuts and I need to try them in my air fryer! Gluten-Free Heaven has a great mix for gluten free doughnuts that taste as good as any doughnut shop doughnut! Plus you can make your own doughnut holes! (The owner is a friend of mine, but I receive nothing in return for giving her a shout out.)

Colander

The colander with its tiny holes are a great place for gluten to hide. Having separate colanders in a shared kitchen is a must! I recommend having them different colors or having a stainless steel one and a plastic one.

What’s on Your Kitchen Wish List?

What am I missing that would make your gluten free kitchen experience amazing? What can’t you live without?