Small Appliances
Some can't do without the convenience of their microwave, some it's their time and work saving mixer, others their blender and others definitely can't live without their coffee maker.
There is a dazzling array of small appliances that can assist you in your kitchen, many of them save time, work and money but some not. When choosing we thought about what we needed, how much time it would save, how often we would use it and where it would have to go. Thinking through these details before we bought was one of the most important things we did.
Coffee Makers
The first thing to decide is size, as coffee makers range from single cup to 12 cups and more, it really depends on how much coffee you drink. Some coffee makers come with a built in timer so you can set the machine to have fresh coffee when you wake, which for some is a must. You can buy machines with a built in bean grinder or you can get them with paper filter or with a reusable and washable filter.
Espresso Machines
There are several types of espresso machines ranging from manual to fully automatic and it’s generally agreed that a piston machine is the best type of espresso maker. If you’re a purist you may want to just get the espresso machine but you can get machines with a steam wand so you can make a latte or water filter if you need it and an integrated bean grinder would save you buying yet another machine for your countertop.
Food Slicers and Grinders
Meat grinders need a pushing tool, a motor control and a reverse function that will allow you to get rid of clogs without disassembling the machine. Better grinders come with three cutting plates. Make sure you check how easy they are to clean as they need cleaning after each use.
Meat slicers should have a blade of about 12” and variable speeds, this will give you a good all round slicer. You also need to make sure that your slicer will fit the food you want to slice so check out the carriage size and stroke length.
Grills/Skillets/and Servers
Using a grill or a skillet are great forms of cooking because they are both fairly simple processes. Choosing should also be pretty easy as it’s mostly a question of size, but watch out for temperature control and most important, ease of cleaning.
Rice Cookers
There are several different sizes of rice cooker, from just a few cups to 10 cups or more. Rice cookers usually have functions such as cook, warm, steam and delay start and some have glass tops so you can see the cooking process and don’t have to lift the lid and loose steam when you check.
Check out what else they can do as some can also be used as a stacked steamer.
Toaster Ovens
Toaster or countertop ovens invoke strong sentiments from both fans and cynics alike. They are multi-use and can be used for toasting bread, re-heating leftovers, baking small batches and more and seem to be more efficient to use for smaller items rather than heating up a big oven. The balance is deciding if a toaster oven is worth the counter space if, as in our home, that space is at a premium.
