8 Kitchen Essentials That Make Gluten-Free Cooking So Much Easier

From air fryers to pasta pots to rice cookers and beyond

I’ve had a busy past few weeks. I just moved apartments in New York City and spent a solid two weeks of my life taking inventory of everything I own, packing up what I wanted to bring with me, and donating the rest.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff I had accumulated over the years. In particular, I owned a lot of kitchen items that I bought during the pandemic and used once—only to shove them into a cabinet and never take them out again (until I had to for my move) because I didn’t find them all that practical.

I got rid of a slow cooker, grill pan, individual brownie pan, donut pan, mini muffin pan, wok, mini cast iron skillet, microwave pasta cooker, and bamboo sushi-making kit.

But what about the kitchen gadgets I did bring with me to my new apartment? I have a few items I absolutely love and use day in and day out to whip up gluten-free food.

8 kitchen essentials for gluten-free cooking

1. Air fryer

My mom bought me a Ninja air fryer when I moved into my last apartment in 2021, and it is by far the most-used gadget in my kitchen. I use it almost every day.

I mostly cook protein for dinner in the air fryer—typically chicken or salmon. I love that I don’t have to deal with my oven, especially during the summer months when it’s already so hot. The size is perfect for two people—I can easily fit two individually sized salmon fillets or two boneless chicken breasts in it.

I simply pop the meat into the air fryer, spritz it with a bit of olive oil spray and sprinkle on some seasonings before cooking. In 15-20 minutes, I have something deliciously crispy and flavorful to eat for dinner.

I also like to make French fries, tofu bites, and broccoli or cauliflower in my air fryer. I even use it to heat certain gluten-free frozen items, like my favorite crunchy wraps from Ming’s Bings, vegetable egg rolls from Feel Good Foods, and pizza bites from Snow Days.

I sometimes use these silicone baskets to make cleanup easier. I rounded up the best air fryer accessories and Ninja-specific air fryer accessories for Parade a while back if you’re looking for other products to level up your air fryer game.

2. Non-stick frying pan

IMHO, a solid non-stick frying pan is key. I had been using a cheap one for the past few years, and it got to the point where it was no longer exactly non-stick. So, ahead of my move, I decided to invest in a better option that will hopefully last me for years to come.

Back in 2022, I wrote an article about Hailey Bieber’s love of HexClad to make her TikTok-famous pancakes—and I knew I eventually wanted to buy a frying pan from them myself.

So, I bought their 12-inch frying pan and have been using it to make scrambled eggs, breakfast sausages (check out my video on my favorite easy gluten-free breakfast!), burger patties, veggie stir-fries, and more.

3. Pasta pot

My partner and I both love pasta—so we eat a lot of it at home. I swear by Jovial and think they’re the best gluten-free pasta brand because they offer so many different varieties and their pasta doesn’t turn to mush.

Of course, a high-quality pasta pot is essential to ensuring your gluten-free pasta comes out just right. After I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I tossed my old pot and purchased a Tramonita pasta pot, which I had read very good things about online.

This stainless steel pasta pot has held up incredibly well in the four years I’ve owned it—and I’ve also used it to make soups too!

4. Braiser

Another handy kitchen item I picked up during the pandemic was a braiser. The one I bought was from Chrissy Teigen’s line of cookware and is no longer available, although she still sells a similar one—and you can always buy one from Le Creuset.

According to Le Creuset, a braiser is a cross between a skillet and a Dutch oven, with a unique design featuring a wide base and shallowed side slopes. Like a Dutch oven, a braiser is usually oven-safe and comes with a tight-fitting lid—but it differs in that it has a curved bottom that makes it easier to stir and toss foods while sauteing and to serve food from the pan.

I like to use my braiser to make chilis, stews, and mac and cheese casseroles, to name a few meals. You can, of course, also use it to braise meats and veggies over time so they come out super tender.

5. Toaster

Anyone who’s gluten-free knows that packaged gluten-free bread isn’t always so tasty. I didn’t own a toaster before my celiac diagnosis, but I found it necessary to get one when I went gluten-free to try to improve the taste of the bread.

I bought an affordable (and adorable) retro toaster from Keenstone (which is now sold out) that reminded me of the SMEG toaster but at a much lower price. You can find other affordable retro toasters on Amazon.

I use my toaster almost daily to toast things like sliced bread, hamburger buns, and bagels. Toasting is definitely a must when it comes to gluten-free bread and helps improve the texture and taste.

6. Food processor

I also get a lot of use out of my Cuisinart Mini Food Processor. I like to make everything from homemade pesto to hummus to salsa in it. I also use it to chop garlic, onion, and herbs when I don’t have the time to do that by hand. Plus, this food processor takes up minimal cabinet space and is easy to clean.

7. Rice cooker

I eat a lot of rice since it’s naturally gluten-free. It’s the perfect side dish to salmon and chicken and can be used in veggie stir-fries as well. I used to cook rice in a pan on the stove, but that took a lot of effort.

Since I eat a lot more rice after being diagnosed with celiac disease, I bought myself this cute little pink rice cooker from Amazon and it’s made my life so much easier. I can use it to cook white rice, brown rice, and quinoa with the touch of a button.

As a hack, I don’t even transfer my leftover rice to a separate food container. I just use the ceramic nonstick interior with a stretchy silicone lid over it and transfer that directly to my fridge.

8. Food scale

When it comes to gluten-free baking, I like to keep things pretty simple. I have basic baking sheets for cookies and square, rectangular, and round metal pans for brownies and cakes. I got rid of all my novelty baking pans because, let’s be real, I wasn’t exactly whipping up donuts and mini muffins on the regular.

One baking gadget that I did find worth investing in, based on the advice of

Rachel Ciordas

of Next Level Gluten-Free, is a food scale. Gluten-free baking is a lot better when you weigh your ingredients instead of measuring with cups and spoons because gluten-free flours vary so widely. A food scale provides a much more accurate measurement of ingredients so you can ensure your baked gluten-free baked goods don’t come out dry or gummy.

What are your go-to kitchen essentials? I’d love to hear about what makes your life easier when it comes to gluten-free cooking or baking!

What else is new with me?

In addition to moving apartments, I’ve also been busy writing! I’ve had quite a few articles published around the web about various topics, including travel, skincare, and sleep. Here are a few of my recent articles for other publications in case you’re interested in checking them out!

• Buenos Aires Sin Gluten: Thanks to

  Hilary Davidson
  for letting me write a guest post for her newsletter about my recent trip to Buenos Aires and all the yummy gluten-free eats I enjoyed there.

• The 13 Best Microcurrent Devices for a More Lifted and Sculpted Look: As a former beauty editor, I love it whenever I get to write a science-y deep dive about skincare. This time, for Shape, I looked into whether at-home microcurrent devices really work and which ones offer the best results.

• I Tried Sound Therapy to Improve My Sleep—Here’s What Happened: As someone with anxiety, I’m always looking for techniques to help calm stress. One of my favorites is sound therapy. I just went to another sound bath this weekend and came away so much more relaxed. I wrote about my experience with sound therapy for Saatva’s blog.

• How to Tell if Your Skin Is Dehydrated (What to Do About It): It turns out there’s a difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin—and knowing which one you have can affect how you approach your skincare routine. For Vitamin Shoppe’s blog, I chatted with skincare experts about how to spot and treat dehydrated skin.

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