The top 5 things I can’t live without…kind of

When it comes to kitchen appliances, accessories and set-up, there’s certainly a few things that make my life easier when cooking gluten-free. Here are my top 5:

1. Kitchenaid Mixer

You’re right, I could live without this one, but I wouldn’t want to. And it’s just so lovely sitting there on my bench! I have some attachments, so I can mix, beat, whisk, kneed, grate, chop, strain, mince, grind …. and more. It makes cooking so much easier, quicker, with better results. It’s been a brilliant purchase.

2. Bread Maker

Gluten free bread can be a bit dodgy and then some- lacking in elasticity, crumbly, odd-shaped and tiny compared with a gluten loaf (not to mention expensive). Try wrapping a commerically produced slice of bread around a barbequed sausage. Go on, try it. Betcha can’t do it. That very problem led me to a lengthy trial of various bread mixes until I came across a fantastic product – FG Roberts Cottage Loaf. Smells like the real thing (because unlike some other mixes, it uses yeast), lovely spongey and flexible bread and tastes great. Like so many gluten-free products, it loses a lot of those qualities after it’s been frozen, but it’s still superior to every other bread mix I’ve tried. A bread maker with a gluten-free setting is generally recommended, but interestingly this bread is a better texture and shape when I cook it on the basic setting.

3. Bread Knife

Gluten free bread can be sticky, making it difficult to cut. It can also collapse easily, especially if you cut it before it’s fully cooled. You don’t want to be hacking away at your precious GF bread with a knife that’s not up to the job. I invested in a Scanpan bread knife and have never regretted it. Now, if only I could master the art of straight cutting …

4. Freezer

This has got to be one of our best ever purchases. Having a lot of freezer storage allows me to bake and store, cook in large quantities and to stock up on some family meals for those inevitable nights when it’s impossible to cook. I have separate gluten free drawers and I identify everything that goes into the freezer as either *Contains Gluten* or GF (gluten-free).

5. Oven

Okay, so this goes without saying, but check out my fantasy oven … The Belling Richmond Induction Range Cooker … in blue, of course!