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During my 25-year career as a cooking professional, I have amassed a mountain of kitchen tools, gadgets and small appliances. Many of them are banished to dark corners of my kitchen cupboards or the basement, where they collect cobwebs (oilless turkey fryer, I’m looking at you). That’s why I like to keep things simple and streamlined in the kitchen. This is not only better for your wallet, but it also saves valuable counter and cupboard space. Here are the 7 essential small kitchen appliances that earn their keep in my kitchen.
1. Stand mixer
A stand mixer is a cornerstone in my kitchen for baking tasks, effortlessly handling cakes, cookies, breads, and even non-baking staples like mashed potatoes and pizza dough. A tip from my years of baking experience: choose a model with a capacity of at least 5 liters, so that you can be sure that it can easily handle larger recipes. While a high-quality stand mixer is an investment, its durability and versatility make it a workhorse in the kitchen – and it looks great on the counter, too!
❤️ My favorites: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Liter Stand Mixer or KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Bowl Lift, 7 Qt
2. Hand mixer
A hand mixer is the smaller, cheaper cousin of the stand mixer (you really don’t need both). The compact size and budget-friendly price make it a smart choice for people who are short on space or aren’t willing to invest in a stand mixer. It’s important to note that while it’s a champ at most tasks, it also does a great job with bread dough. So if you dream of making homemade breads, you need something with a little more muscle. For recipes designed with a stand mixer in mind, all you need to do is turn up the speed of your hand mixer to get the job done.
❤️ My favourite: KitchenAid hand mixer with 5 speeds
3. Food processor
A food processor is truly a kitchen workhorse, indispensable for a wide range of tasks. It allows you to chop vegetables in seconds, effortlessly make sauces, dressings and dips and even shred cheese. While mini food processors are available for smaller tasks and have a smaller price tag, I’ve found that a larger model offers much more flexibility. Personally, I use a 14-cup capacity food processor and find it ideal. Based on this, I would recommend choosing a model with a capacity of at least 11 cups, so that you can be flexible with different kitchen tasks.
❤️ My favourite: Cuisinart food processor for 14 cups
4. Hand blender
A hand blender, also called a hand blender or immersion blender, offers incredible convenience in the kitchen and requires minimal cupboard space due to its compact size – always a plus! Ideal for blending soups or pureeing baby food. This type of blender stands out for its ease of use directly in jars or bowls. Unlike traditional blenders that require blending soups in multiple batches, an immersion blender simplifies the process, allowing you to blend everything in one go.
❤️ My favourite: Braun hand blender
5. Upright blender
Standing blenders are ideal for blending smoothies, milkshakes, frozen drinks, marinades, salad dressings and sauces. And compared to a hand blender, the larger motor provides more power for processing harder ingredients like frozen fruit or ice cubes. When choosing a blender, size matters. I have one that holds 64 ounces with plenty of room for anything that needs mixing. If you buy a blender with a smaller mixing bowl, you may run out of space when blending larger quantities of ingredients.
❤️ My favorites: Vitamix 5200 or Braun TriForce Power Blender
6. Waffle maker
If your family loves waffles and you want to ditch the frozen waffles from the store, a waffle maker is a must. Most models have a non-stick coating, making waffles easy to release and cleaning a breeze. And the one I like has red and green indicator lights, along with browning controls. The lights indicate when the iron is heating up, ready for the batter and when the waffle is ready. The adjustable browning controls allow you to adjust the golden color and doneness of your waffles so they come out exactly the way you want them.
❤️ My favourite: Cuisinart Mini Belgian Waffle Maker
7. Ice machine
An ice cream maker is a worthwhile investment if your family likes to indulge in homemade ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet. The model I own has a generous capacity, capable of making up to 1.5 liters. I like the user-friendly design, with easy assembly and just a few simple parts. Additionally, the lid provides access so you can add ingredients such as chocolate chips or crushed cookies.
❤️ My favourite: Cuisinart ice cream maker
When considering what to buy, think about what you are likely to use most and what will make your time in the kitchen easier, faster and more fun. If you have any questions about which options are good to start with, please use the comment section below. Have fun cooking!
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