Small Appliances

Blenders really excel at liquefying fruit, pureeing, emulsifying, and grinding, anything that really needs thorough mixing is perfect for a blender

This is another indispensable item for your kitchen, and again one that comes in many different sizes and shapes. They all have the same function of opening cans or sharpening knifes but motorized is easier, manual is cheaper.

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.

Ensuring that the size and functions of a crockpot, roaster or slow cooker fit your requirements are the biggest criteria for this item. We found that we needed a good size and a long delay timer on our crockpot so we could ensure a good meal was quickly on the table when we returned after taking the kids out for the day. We also found that we needed a wide temperature range on the roaster to give us flexibility.

This is another indispensable item for your kitchen, and again one that comes in many different sizes and shapes. They all have the same function of opening cans or sharpening knifes but motorized is easier, manual is cheaper.

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.

You can save money and make your favorite dehydrated foods at a fraction of the cost of store bought dehydrated fruits, jerky’s and herbs. Removing the water reduces the size and weight, and creates a concentrated source of calories, minerals and vitamins. It extends the time you can store your food, typically up to 1 to 2 years longer and you can control the additives as store bought dehydrates may have artificial sweeteners or additives.

A good food processor with the proper blades and attachments can knead bread, chop food, extract juices and blend and they should come with a variety of accessories to enable you to do most if not all of these functions. An ideal unit should contain a cutting blade, a kneading blade, a few cutting disks and a whisk. It should have a good-sized feeding tube so you can add ingredients while using and a plunger to help with chopping or dicing.

A MUST for us, is that you should not be able to switch the device on without sealing it as these devices can cut off large as well as little fingers in the blink of an eye.

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.

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.

Your major choice with ice cream makers is whether to buy with a removable bowl that you need to pre-freeze or one with a built-in freezer. If you buy one with a removable bowl you will need to plan in advance when to make your ice cream as it will take some time to pre-freeze the bowl, there is a significant cost advantage though.

Watch out for machines that have the ability to make ice cream, yogurts and smoothies as it may be more economical to buy one of these rather than buy separate machines.

Why juice? you many ask. Well no chemicals for a start, we also found it cheaper to juice ourselves rather than buy commercial products. Choosing a juicer depends on what you are going to juice and how often you will use it. If you juice a lot, then buying cheap may not be the best option here. If you are only going to juice soft fruits like oranges or grapefruit then a citrus juicer may be best for you but if your going to juice apples or vegetables then something more robust will be required.

We made a mistake buying our microwave. Microwave ovens are very versatile and we had great ambitions but we found that we only use it to warm/cook food. We also bought a high wattage thinking that this would be better, but found that most food product recommendations show a cooking wattage lower than the microwave we have and that always leaves us with the dilemma of how long to cook.

Make sure that you know what you want out of a microwave keep it simple and standard.

You don’t need everything when you buy a mixer, but some attachments are a real time saver. Look through this area when you are looking for a mixer, as a must attachment may be a deciding factor in which mixer you buy.

We have a stand mixer and several hand mixers in our kitchen. This is because a stand mixer really isn’t suitable for a quick mix, the time spent cleaning is more than the time spent mixing. On the other hand, for larger jobs a stand mixer is indispensable. Buy the best you can afford here as having a good sized mixer with enough power to do the job is important. We found that almost any small mixer will suffice for those really small jobs though.

There are soooo… many different types of pasta to make. These pasta makers and accessories are the basic tools for any good homemade ravioli, lasagna, tagliatelle, fettuccine or tortelli and more… and make their creation a real breeze.

Some popcorn machines use oil to cook and some air and personal taste will dictate which type you buy. Wattage is a significant speed factor and higher wattage means a faster cooking time. A chute is useful and a warming cup will allow you to add butter while the popcorn is popping. Don’t forget the cleaning process as some are easier to clean than others.

A pressure cooker has about a 70% faster cooking time than normal methods, it retains more nutrients when cooking and is more energy efficient than standard pans. When buying we found the pressure standard to be 15psi and that most recipes use this pressure. We also found that the better quality pressure cookers use a three-ply construction that heat faster and retain that heat for longer. And remember to check the warranty, as there can be huge variations.

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.

Used for sifting ingredients such as flour and powdered sugar and usually made from stainless steel or plastic. I would avoid aluminum sifter as it can rust. Sifters come in several variations, you can get a simple sifter, a sifter with a crank handle or a squeeze handle. We found simple is better here as cleaning is easier.

Getting everything ready and on time and perfectly cooked is one of the hardest skills to learn in a kitchen and an indispensable aid to that is a kitchen timer, because while you are busy concentrating on mixing your timer will remind you to turn your lovingly prepared roast. That makes the difference between a good slightly overdone on one side dish, and perfection.

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.

When you’re buying a toaster keep in mind how much toast you will need to make at one time. If you’re making for more than one then you will probably be making at least four pieces. You will also need to think about what you will be toasting, if you will want to toast bagels then buy a toaster with wide slots. You will also need to think about size if you don’t have much countertop space and lastly, color.

Food can retain its freshness much longer when you use a good vacuum sealer. You can get manual or electric sealers, electric is more expensive but much more effective at removing air. An electric vacuum sealer should come with some sort of gauge or indicator that tell you when it’s done and if you are sealing powders, make sure that your machine comes with a filter to stop dust clogging it.

I love waffles, for me they should be eaten on cold (dry) nights with hot cherries and cream, Mmmmmmm. There are quite a few waffle makers available and again this is a process of knowing what you need. I recommend looking through all of them for the different features and then make your decision because there are so many different types with different features that it will be a process of elimination. We chose one that makes extra-thick waffles with a timer for ease.