Home & Garden
How To Up Your At-Home Dinner Game
From pasta machines to sushi making kits, these 15 products are sure to elevate your weekday dinners.
While there's nothing wrong with slapping together an easy meal — especially during quarantine — putting a little more effort into a dinner a few times a week is a great way to spoil yourself while we’re stuck at home.
You can up your dinner game by making your own pasta, picking up some new glassware or baking your own bread. Not looking for extra work in the kitchen? Presenting your usual weeknight meals — or takeout from your community’s local restaurants — in elegant serving bowls is also a great way to elevate your at-home dinners with minimal effort.
From pasta machines to sushi making kits, these 15 products are sure to bring your weekday dinners to the next level:
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While pasta from a box can be delicious, nothing beats fresh pasta when it comes to at-home Italian. This classic pasta machine rolls and cuts pasta dough for traditional lasagna, fettuccine and tagliatelle at home. (Pro tip: Fresh pasta cooks way quicker than dried pasta from the box, so make sure not to overboil the fresh stuff.)
Cooking with fresh herbs is a sure way to add some flair and flavor to your meals. Plus, growing your own herbs is a great way to pass the time during quarantine. This indoor herb kit includes dill, basil, chives, thyme, parsley, oregano, cilantro, sage and mustard.
Instant Pot Duo Nova 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, $99.99
The Instant Pot is a must-have tool for the everyday home cook. Just pop all of your ingredients into the pot, close the lid and enjoy delicious, ready-to-eat food in minutes. This kitchen workhorse combines a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, food warmer and yogurt maker in one low-profile appliance.
COLE & MASON Derwent Pepper Grinder, $49.99
When it comes to black pepper, freshly cracking and shaving your peppercorns makes a huge difference in flavor, aroma and texture. This modern pepper grinder also makes you feel as if you’re in a restaurant — something we’re all missing these days.
Microplanes are great for zesting citrus fruits and finely grating cheeses, ginger, nuts and other spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon. A little lemon or lime zest goes a long way in bringing brightness, color and a gentle bitterness to a dish or drink. This model is dishwasher-safe and made in the USA.
The old adage “you eat with your eyes” holds true for this gorgeous set of dinnerware, which includes four dinner plates, four dessert plates, four soup or salad bowls and four mugs. This set also comes in a slew of different colors to complement your kitchen or dining room color schemes.
AmazonBasics 18-Piece White Kitchen Dinnerware Set, $40.67
This affordable dinnerware set by AmazonBasics is perfect for everyday use. It comes with six dinner plates, six salad plates and six bowls. Plus, the set’s minimalist design lets your food be the star of the show.
There’s no point in working hard on a delicious soft drink or cocktail if you have to serve it in lackluster glassware. This set of small and large drinking glasses by Anchor Hocking comes with eight 11-ounce tumblers and eight 16-ounce tumblers.
DOWAN 2 Piece Porcelain Angled Serving Bowls, $30.99
When it comes to elevating your at-home dinners, presentation is half the battle. Plating food in these sleek and modern angled serving bowls is a quick and easy way to make your weeknight meals look and feel elegant.
Bambusi Cheese Board and Knife Set, $59.99
Is it really an elevated at-home dinner if you don’t start off with some charcuterie and an apéritif or three? Technically, yes, but a cheese platter appetizer served on this bamboo board is sure to wow anyone sitting at your table or cookout. (Bottle of Campari and case of French reds not included.)
Le Chateau Wine Decanter, $42.95
Pouring your wine into a separate vessel before pouring it into your glass might seem silly at first, but carefully decanting wine ensures that any leftover sediment from the winemaking process stays in the bottle. Decanting also aerates your wine — which is especially helpful if you’re drinking young wines that could benefit from a quick breather before drinking.
ZYLISS Classic Rotary Cheese Grater, $11.99
Even the best pasta dishes can be improved with a little freshly grated cheese on top. With this classic rotary grinder by ZYLISS, you can finely grate your cheese tableside, just like your community’s local pasta spot.
This cast iron Dutch oven by Lodge is one of the best investments a home cook can make. This powerhouse is perfect for all kinds of baking, soups, stews, roasts, bread making, searing and stir frying. It also doubles as a beautiful serving dish — just make sure it’s not too hot when you set it on the table.
Hamilton Beach 10-Cup Food Processor, $44.99
One easy way to up your dinner game is by making your own sauces and marinades. In the past, making sauces required lots of painstaking chopping, crushing and dicing. Thankfully, this food processor by Hamilton Beach has made those days a thing of the past.
Fun fact: You don’t have to be a sushi chef to enjoy delicious rolls in the comfort of your own home. Plus, learning a new skill is a great way to keep busy while sheltering in place. This kit comes with sushi rolling mats, five pairs of chopsticks, a rice paddle, a spreader and one beginner guide PDF.
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