Cook for Love Founder Brenda Winiarski picked out her favorite items for the kitchen. Send this list to a loved one or treat yourself—investing in the best tools makes low-protein cooking easier and more fun!
Kitchen Aid (or similar) free standing mixer

This is one of only two gadgets that have a permanent place on my kitchen counter. It is used minimum two times a week. The regular model is fine for single batches of cake, cookies and breads. If you are going to make multiple batches, go for the professional (largest) or artisan (medium) model. You can often get a good deal at Costco and they have sales at the department stores.
Kitchen Aid Accessory: Vegetable Sheet Cutter

Kind of cool, but not necessary. Handy if you are struggling with weight loss or are diabetic and need to cut back on the carb heavy low pro diet. You can make a thin sheet of firmer veggies to use to roll things in – think cucumber for sandwich wrap, butternut squash for enchilada tortilla, zucchini for lasagna, potatoes for savory filled baked rollatini.
Kitchen Scale

The OXO is my favorite. I like that you can pull the display out if the bowl is large enough that it is blocking your view. I like that if you walk away to get more wheat starch in the pantry and get distracted (story of my life), it remembers the gm amount you were at and does not zero out on you mid recipe. I like that you can use a 20% off coupon and get it at Bed Bath and Beyond.
Air Fryer

It took me awhile to believe the hype, but OH MY GOD, this gadget is handy. It reheats frozen food beautifully. Makes frozen bagels taste fresh (when placed in a paper bag and spritzed with water), makes frozen FKC crispy and is super handy for making a quick serving of roasted veggies. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Molly even has a mini one at her dorm to quickly heat a low pro entrée at school. I have the Elite Power Air Fryer but have had it a few years. If I was purchasing a new one, I would go for one of the multi-function toaster oven looking ones, like the Ninja Food one or an Emeril Lagasse one .
Food Processor

Very handy for making mixes (pancake, eggcellent, etc), pie crusts, breadcrumbs, etc. Have to be honest, I am a weirdo and like to chop vegetables by hand (it makes me focus and quiets my always busy mind) and find that you have to be careful using it for veggies as it can pulverize them too much and make your savory food a little too mushy.
Deep Fryer

This was a staple when the kids were little. It had a designated space on my counter until they were about 5 and then it got relegated to the pantry in the basement and is still taken out once a month or so. I like the size of this one, but don’t like that there is not a removable insert for the oil for easier clean up.
Dash Griddle

OMG this is a necessity for travel! Make pancakes in the morning or even a tiny omelet. We plan ahead and cut our bread or tortillas in a circle so we can make grilled cheese & quesadillas, bake stuffed calzones and pockets to the size of the griddle and just heat as needed. You can grill a veggie burger on it, add some garlic butter to the bun and lightly cook. Then order your salad and/or French fries and you have a real meal you will enjoy while you are away.
Dash Sandwich Press

I remember having one of these when I was a kid and I am not sure what took me so long to purchase one! Super handy, especially for the little creeps who only like the bread the day it is made. You can make delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza pockets, etc. Link to video for ideas.
Large Containers for wheat starch and baking mix

If you bake a lot, stop paying crazy amounts of money for wheat starch! The low protein companies sell it for over $5 a pound and the shipping is so expensive. Buy it in bulk at Honeyville, split it with someone at your clinic if you won’t go through it in a year – it comes to about $1.60 a pound, including shipping.