I am a self-proclaimed kitchen avoider. While I’m pretty confident in my cooking skills, I’m no lover of ending my day by cooking a big meal for the family. By the time dinner rolls around, I’m lucky if I actually have something defrosted enough to cook and I’m much more likely to pawn the job off on Ken in order to get in an hour’s worth of nap.

But, there are a few things that get me REALLY excited about the kitchen – like fun new gadgets or pulling out my favorite tools to make yummy recipes that I know everyone will love (as long as I start cooking at noon instead of 4 PM).

Most of my pals are way more into the kitchen than I am. I’ve always admired the mom who will spend a Sunday afternoon baking for the week, or an evening pawing through recipes to make something new and exciting. I have five basic recipes that – while they vary with seasonal availability – basically get made every week.

When we want something new, we go out to dinner:)

Back to the gadget thing, though. I’m craving something that will actually make me want to cook. So, I asked a whole whack of foodie type friends what their favorite gadgets are and here’s the list:

1. An excellent set of knives – my pal Chantal, a professional chef and mom of four, believes that there is no greater love than a great set of knives. “Cooking sucks without them,” she tells me. I believe her.

2. A melon baller - I cannot tell you how many times this gadget made a mom’s list. I personally don’t have one, which may be my trouble. A melon ballerworks for just about anything like scooping fruit, creating fun little bowls of ice cream or making boring vegetables look interesting. I must invest.

3. The killer cork screw - Without it, there is no fun. “Cooking is always a bit more jolly when you can open a bottle of wine without slicing your hand open,” says Rachel, a friend that believes wine is best served before sitting down to dinner with the family.

4. The crock pot – I will attest that this is by far one of my faves. Mom after mom will tell you “Get a crock pot” and then “Get a crock pot recipe book.” I can start dinner before I go to work and come home to it ready. A miracle, really.

5. A ravioli press - This is one my mother quite loved and it definitely has some serious applications in a kid-focused home. You can make ravioli, perogi, little kolache and pastry. Okay, once again I should have listened to my mother!

6. The uber mixer – I have learned the hard way that there IS a very serious difference between a $19.99 hand mixer and a Kitchen Aid. Cheap is not cheap as Ken would say. I still don’t have one, but if I’m going to covet kitchen gear it may as well be this beauty.

7. Hand juicer – This one comes from another home chef friend – Davina – who swears by her hand juicer. For fresh salad dressing, a quick splash of vitamin C or even giving the kids a job to do in the kitchen, it’s way up there.

8. Gorgeous dishes - Okay, not exactly a gadget. But, having something beautiful to present your creations on makes cooking pure joy. I should pull out the fancy stuff more often.

9. A hand blender - This is definitely a hot gadget, great for hiding vegetables in pasta sauce, making smoothies and perfecting potatoes without having to haul out the heavy hitters. Where did I put that thing?

10. Ken - Maybe not Ken himself, but I can personally proclaim that the single best gadget in the kitchen is your partner. When you get bummed out, need a break or are in a slump, hand over the apron and let him or her get chef-ing. It’s very relaxing and possibly even rejuvenating enough to get you back into the kitchen.