It’s 2017: Step Up Your Kitchen Game for Under $100

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New year, new you, right? This is the year you step up your game in the kitchen with some tools that won’t break the bank. Grow your own basil in the comfort of your apartment or make a perfectly cooked burger, sous vide-style. Treat yourself!

Tilting Whiskey Scotch Glass

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Amazon

Stir up an Old Fashioned and use these tilting whiskey glasses when you have company over. The shape of the glass helps to release all of the flavors and aromas, plus the interesting shape makes for a great conversation piece.


Vietnamese Coffee Filter Press

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Amazon

Vietnamese coffee, or cà phê sữa đá, is an intensely brewed coffee concentrate that drips down into a tall glass of ice. It’s traditionally mixed with a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk for that extra creamy consistency. Make your own iced or hot version with this stainless steel coffee filter press.


Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder

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Amazon

There’s something really satisfying about grinding your own coffee beans from scratch or grinding up fresh spices for a new recipe. Prep a little cardamon for an Indian-spiced hot chocolate or cumin for a pot of chili.


Indoor Smart Herb Garden

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Amazon

For those days when you can’t make it to the store but you want some fresh basil for a tomato sauce or homemade pesto, it’s handy to have your own indoor smart herb garden. Herbs will sprout up in around one or two weeks — you don’t need a green thumb to have success with this kitchen tool.


Spiralizer

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Amazon

Get yourself a hardcore 5-blade spiralizer for those nights when you want to be healthy and stick to your paleo or plant-based diets. Substitute zucchini for spaghetti to make crunchy veggie pasta or slice up ingredients for a salad.


Sous Vide Immersion Circulator

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Amazon

Cooking sous vide (French for under vacuum) is way easier than it sounds. You seal your ingredients in a plastic bag, place in a water bath, set a target temperature on the immersion circulator, and when your food reaches that perfect temperature or time you take it out and give it a quick sear or any other type of finish. This is a way simpler method for reaching your desired goal of tenderness and it’s especially helpful with meat or seafood.


Pressure Cooker

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Amazon

The concept of a pressure cooker is simple  it’s a sealed pot with a lot of steam inside that builds up high pressure, which helps food cook faster. You’ll also find that caramelization and browning are possible with this device and flavors can actually be pretty complex, unlike regular steaming methods. Make chili, rice dishes, stews, meats, and soups. There’s also a yogurt button so you can make your own creamy Greek yogurt at home!


Popcorn Popper

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Amazon

Using a popper is a faster and healthier way to make popcorn. Pour in your desired amount of kernels and then toss with olive oil and sea salt for an easy snack.