Food prep is so important for those who work long hours, are rarely ever home, or don't like spending every evening cooking. There are so many ways to prepare our food, and with delicious new recipes being released in cookbooks, on TV, and by influencers online, more ingredients and equipment is available to purchase than ever before. This means that we now have to spend money trying to keep up with the latest trends, using affiliate links to buy specific blenders or mixers that will do the job better than others, right? Wrong.
Good food prep does not require a whole heap of expensive equipment; here at DID, we have all of the machines you need to make soups, sauces, or stews with ease, and at a great price to match. Food prep and batch cooking not only saves you time. You'll save money by reducing your food waste and you'll also save energy in your home. So you'll help to reduce your bills across the board! Below, we will discuss the best food prep appliances you can buy, their key features, and what makes them so good in the first place.
BATCH COOKING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
It is only fair that if we suggest the best equipment to use for meal prepping, we give you some practical tips on starting your food prep journey in the first place.
Plan, Plan, Plan: One of the most important aspects of food preparation is planning. Making a dinner list the week before will make shopping and overall preparation so much easier. You could even divide your preparation up into sections like ‘oven, stove, mixer’ etc so that you know exactly what to prep in each machine. It will also help to prevent over-purchasing during your food shop. if you opt for prepping things like soups or casseroles you can tweak the recipes in-store depending on what vegetables are on offer that week.
Don’t overdo it: Most food safety regulations will suggest that 3-4 days is the maximum food storage time in a fridge after something has been cooked. With that in mind, it is important not to go making massive batches of food for 2-weeks and leave it to fester in your fridge. If you are making a larger batch, try freezing the extras. Most food can be frozen for 90 days before the food starts to deteriorate in quality. It will still be safe to eat if frozen for longer then 90 days.
Good storage containers are key:This might seem obvious to some, but you would be amazed at how many people completely forget about the ‘storage’ part of food preparation. A set of good-quality plastic containers that are microwave friendly will easily hold and reheat your food. You should try to get containers that are vacuum sealed, it makes it far easier for bringing soups, stews, and other liquid-based dishes in a lunch bag.
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WHAT IS THE BEST APPLIANCE FOR ME?
Here at DID, we have an entire collection of food preparation appliances, so regardless of what you are looking to create, we are confident that we have something either in-store or online for you. Here are 3 of the most popular food preparation appliances that we have in stock, their key features, and a link to our most popular product in each category.
BLENDERS
Perfect for soups and sauces, blenders make life a whole lot easier for anyone looking to do a little food preparation. A quality food blender will be powerful, allow for hot and cold blending, have a range of different speeds and programs to suit specific food prep styles, and will be easy to use and clean. A favourite among customers is the Ninja 1.7L 1000-watt food blender and soup maker, why? Because it is well priced at €150-180, it blends and cooks at the same time (that’s right, there is a heated element in the blender too), and has features for chunky soup, smooth soups, and jams too.
STEAMERS
The steamer is one of the best pieces of equipment for cooking delicious and healthy meals. Steaming is a natural cooking method that preserves the minerals and vitamins within vegetables/other foods, and no oils are needed. Our Morphy Richards 3-Tier steamer is a great seller at only €50, and can efficiently cook vegetables, potatoes, or even meats in a healthy manner. If you are looking for some food prep equipment that is inexpensive and effective, then a steamer is a brilliant choice.
FOOD PROCESSORS
Perhaps the ultimate food preparation tool, a food processor is like the jack of all trades when it comes to food preparation. Many of the best food processors will have a range of different settings, attachments, and functions so that you can do it quickly and efficiently regardless of what you are looking to prepare. Processors are great for dicing, chopping blending, grating, and mixing, and they are even perfect for kneading bread, pulsing pastry, and blending sauces or dressings for your delicious meals. A very popular processor both in-store and online is the Kenwood 2.1L 800-watt food processor. Kenwood is a trusted brand in the food prep space, and with independent and precise weighing included, as well as a host of different attachments, it is a versatile and inexpensive (€150) processor. Well worth the money and perfect for food preppers of any level.
FOOD PREP FAQS
WHO DOES FOOD PREP CATER TO?
Meal prep is ideal for those that don’t want to spend so much time in their kitchen. It is a cost-and-time-efficient way to prepare food for the days or week ahead, and it can also help to promote healthy eating and living. It's also perfect for anyone who wants to get more organised with their food shopping and reduce their food waste.
IS FOOD PREP EXPENSIVE?
As is the case with anything, it all depends on what you buy and what you are looking to do. Some appliances are more expensive than others, and some ingredients are more expensive than others, but you can prepare soup with a €50 blender and cheap ingredients in the same way that you can with a €500 blender and organic ingredients.
