Introduction

Do you avoid cooking because of the prep time? Avoid no more. Here is the list of kitchen tools I use to speed up cooking. In many cases, the total time will decrease by 50 percent. Cook away, Chef!!!!

Instant Pot

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: The Instant Pot is basically a crockpot with pressure-cooker attributes. Like a Crock Pot, you can throw an array of ingredients into the pot and cook with little extra work. The big difference: The Instant Pot only takes a fraction of the cooking time. Your 8-hour Crock Pot simmer will turn into a 20-minute pressure-cooked phenomenon. Either method will save you time from constantly stirring stoveside. You may use the Instant Pot to sautee onions and garlic before cooking your stew, soup, or chili as well (which also saves cleanup time and fewer dishes).

PL8 Professional Mandoline (Food Slicer)

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: With 4 cutting options (thick slice, thin slice, julienne, and waffle) and 4 adjustable thickness settings for each, you will save time perfecting your slice and adding more shape to your life!

Apple Slicer

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: You can core and section fruits in one swift motion (8 wedges all at the same time). Less mess and time. “But it only saves you 30-60 seconds, Michael,” you say. Tell that to my screaming 2-year-old son, Preston….

Collapsible Salad Spinner

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: As described on Bed, Bath, & Beyond, “This salad spinner is so versatile as it expands for use as a large salad spinner and collapses in an instant for easy storage. Its high-velocity pull-cord mechanism dries your fruits or veggies quickly and efficiently.” Sold! Not enough? I also use the spinner to coat my veggies with a dressing or citrus evenly. Essentially, you’re spinning away the excess while coating each piece of nutritarian goodness. Perfection!

Stick Mixer

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: I typically avoided recipes that required pureeing because of the food processor cleanup. With the stick mixer, you can quickly and easily puree a soup in the same pot you cooked it in. It’s lightweight and quick to wash compared to the many parts of a food processor or blender.

Kale Slicer

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: This kale slicer is more of a kale destemmer than anything else. It makes pulling the leaves off the stem one easy swoop (a big convenience when using several stems in your recipe).

OXO Vegetable Chopper

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Many of my personal training clients will avoid cooking because of the preparation (especially the chopping). Although you need to slice an apple, onion, or green pepper in thirds, this chopper will make the remainder of your chopping a breeze. Place the thick slices under the stainless steel blades and press down. Easy to dump into your dish and easy to clean.

Photo Credits:
Photo 1: williams-sonoma .com–Life may never be the same with the Instantpot.
Photo 2: mighty ape .co.nz– PL8 Professional Mandoline (food slicer)
Photo 3: kitchenettejen .com–Apple Slicer
Photo 4: blogtemplates. Info—Collapsible Salad Spinner
Photo 5: promotion. com–Stick Mixer
Photo 6: target. Com—Kale Slicer
Photo 7: crate and barrel .com– OXO Vegetable Chopper

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of the “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver and other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.

Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Golden, Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, and more.

If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!

7 Kitchen Tools that Will Cut Your Cooking Time in Half