Cool Kitchen Gadgets : Risotto Made Easy

If you’ve been reading this blog or following me on Instagram, then you already know the hubby and I love to cook.

The kitchen in our one-bedroom apartment is practically bursting at the seams; we don’t have enough room for all our cooking stuff. We don’t have too many fancy gadgets, but the one that we do have we use all the time. It was an investment (at $130), but it has paid for itself many times over.

It’s our Breville Risotto Plus.

I purchased the multi-talented gadget for GT as a Christmas gift in 2012 and we have used it countless times since then. It’s a rice cooker—which is how we most often utilize it, to whip up fluffy white and brown rice—and it also functions as a veggie steamer and slow cooker. But, as the name suggests, the highlight of this versatile machine’s capabilities is that it makes perfect risotto in a flash—no stirring required!

The hubs loves risotto (who doesn’t?) and with this machine it’s so easy to make, any night of the week. There’s almost no effort involved; with a rich and creamy base guaranteed we are free to think up new, creative flavor combinations. Usually we just toss in whatever fresh vegetables sound good at the moment. That’s what we did the other night when we made a lemony arugula and sweet pea risotto with sun-dried tomatoes, as well as a few slices of baby red peppers we had on hand. Sometimes we stir in some pesto, too, or add chicken. You can sauté meat and veggies in the machine beforehand, to include in the risotto. It’s a one-pot wonder, I tell ya.

A warm and filling plate of risotto is an ideal comfort food in the fall, don’t you think? Butternut squash risotto would be amazing. This one with saffron and pancetta sounds wonderfully savory. But a Food Network episode I saw the other day has got me thinking of something new to try: a sweet risotto. Doesn’t Giada’s white chocolate risotto with blackberries look incredibly decadent and delicious? I think we’ll have to make that soon. Real soon.

Have you ever made risotto at home? Do you have any fancy kitchen gadgets that you love (or hate)? I’d love to hear :)

(Breville Risotto Plus images via Breville, Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma; White Chocolate Risotto image via Giada De Laurentiis; other images my own)