The Kitchen Gadget That Travels With Robert Irvine Everywhere - Exclusive

We recently connected with celebrity chef and "Worst Cooks in America" host Robert Irvine a this year's New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF), where he hosted a celebration of steak and whiskey, highlighting local meat purveyors, restaurants, and whiskey makers. While Irvine may be most known for his work in the culinary world, it's his passion for social activism within the armed forces that is his true life mission. 

That very mission means that Irvine often finds himself on the road, traveling to different regions of the world experiencing violence and unrest. During those travels, there's one item from the kitchen that never leaves Irvine's side. "I have a go-to piece of equipment, which is a blender," he shares. "I've been in Afghanistan and I've fed 30,000 people in the midst of the beginning of the war and at the end of the war and my blender travels with me."

Blenders are wonderful entry points into the kitchen for beginning home cooks as they're incredibly versatile and do the majority of the culinary work for you. The range of price points most blenders are available in makes them an economical addition to your kitchen and an accessible method of preparing food. Irvine is such a staunch fan of blenders for those aforementioned reasons and because of their ability to be easily transported. 

"Any blender will travel and I can do anything with [one]. Other than the knife, [the blender] is my most essential piece of equipment," he adds. Many portable blenders were designed to be used without the need for an electrical outlet, enabling them to reach communities with access to fewer resources.

Using a blender to break down fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to prepare nutritious meals with minimal effort. Blenders can be used for smoothies, vegetable purées, salsas, and hummus. Of course, when transporting your blender, you'll want to be sure to properly wrap any fragile components to protect them in your luggage.