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Comprehensive Guide to Kitchen Appliances: Essential Tools for Every Home
Cooking great meals can be a wonderful experience. Getting to create dishes you enjoy and share them with your loved ones? Yes, please! But multiple times on a daily basis can get a little challenging—and even overwhelming.
That’s why it’s so crucial to have kitchen appliances that can help make the job easier. Instead of doing everything by hand, you can use tools to prep, cook, and store food more efficiently. That can save you time, energy, and even money!
Want to take the stress out of cooking and make the time you spend in the kitchen more enjoyable again? Make sure you have the kitchen tools you need. Read on to check if you’ve got the essentials that can make that happen—and, conversely, if you need to nab a few major appliances you feel your kitchen is missing.
Essential kitchen appliances
There are just some essentials every kitchen absolutely needs. From storage, drink, and meal prep to cooking and cleaning, here are ten appliances you should ensure yours has.
Refrigerators
Let’s start with the fridge, one of the most crucial kitchen tools for helping you store your food, keep your ingredients fresh, and even top off a few dishes by freezing them before serving. With refrigerators coming in different designs, sizes, and configurations, there’s sure to be one out there perfect for you—so if you don’t already have a model that suits your needs, be sure to carefully browse your options and choose one that truly benefits your kitchen.
Design
The design you choose should depend on what you need to get out of your fridge. Looking for something a little more basic? Go for a classic top freezer model with separate fridge and freezer compartments and built-in door shelving. If you’d prefer a freezer drawer, try a bottom freezer fridge for a compartment you can easily pull out. Want an equally accessible fridge and freezer? Get a side-by-side model with two doors dedicated to each section. If you need more storage space, splurge on a French refrigerator, which typically comes with two side-by-side doors plus a bottom freezer drawer. And if you live in a smaller space—or are helping your kid equip the kitchen in their college dorm room or new apartment—you can always go for something more compact.
Additional features
You may want to invest in a refrigerator with additional features to enhance its efficiency and usefulness in the kitchen. If you get a model with adjustable shelves, for example, you can easily reconfigure your storage space and fit more food inside. Other refrigerators boast temperature controls and freshness features that let you optimize how cold or humid different areas of your fridge are. That way, you can keep various kinds of ingredients, from meat and fish to fruits and veg, fresh for longer. Of course, you can get the ever-popular ice and water dispenser—or go fully tech-savvy with indoor cameras that let you see what’s in your fridge via phone while you’re at the grocery store!
Energy efficiency
Some fridges are more power-hungry than others, and you’ll want to take note of that if you’re looking to save on your energy bill. You’ll generally want to look for an ENERGY STAR® rating on the label. Meanwhile, top freezer and manual defrost models will be more energy-efficient than other fridge designs. If you don’t need them, you may also want to opt out of additional features like ice dispensers to save more.
Mixers
When it comes to meal prep, mixers are often the first kitchen appliances that come to mind—especially for bakers. If you love whipping up different desserts in the kitchen and want to save yourself an excruciating arm workout, mixers are a must. Hand and stand mixers are two of the most popular options, but which one will best fit your baking needs?
Hand mixers
If you usually only make small batches of baked goods, hand mixers are the way to go. These kitchen tools are also best for mixing lighter ingredients, like cake icing and fluffy meringues. Aside from saving you the hassle of dealing with tangled wires, it comes with seven mixing speeds that ensure you always get the consistency you need.
Stand mixers
Whether you’re running a small pastry business or are whipping up enough desserts for the family or a school bake sale, a stand mixer will be your best friend. Aside from boasting a larger capacity, it’s also sturdy enough to mix thicker or heavier ingredients like butter and dough. The Instant Stand Mixer Pro, for example, can hold up to 7.4 quarts of ingredients—and with ten speeds to choose from, you can use it to mix even larger batches of cake batter and cookie dough.
Blenders
Another handy meal prep appliance you’ll want to have on hand is the blender. Though often associated with making smoothies, milkshakes, and other cool beverages, blenders can also be used as a food processor for prepping soups and even sauces—making it a must-have for any kitchen. Just look at our range of Vitamix blenders: aside from your typical stand blender with variable settings that can help you achieve multiple consistencies and textures, you can get dedicated blenders for foods like whole grains, complete with recipe books that are perfect for your next kitchen experiment. Generally, there are three types of blenders: countertop, immersion, and personal.
Countertop blenders
These have that classic stand design that is perfect for mixing large quantities of liquid. Some Ninja Blenders exemplify this with a generously large pitchers and boast other features you may want in your own countertop blender, like an AutoIQ program that automatically conducts the correct blending patterns—so you always get the perfect consistency for things like smoothies, ice cream, and more.
Immersion blenders
Also known as hand or stick blenders, these are handheld kitchen tools you can use to directly blend food in a bowl or pot. That means some can easily blend, chop, mix, and even puree foods ranging from dips and soups to scrambled eggs.
Personal blenders
A personal blender is perfect for creating single servings of your favorite shakes and smoothies. BlendJet’s rechargeable and portable blender even streamlines its design into that of a tumbler, which is great for carrying around and blending on the go.
Coffee makers
If you’re the type who needs a steady caffeine fix on the daily, coffee makers are crucial for prepping your favorite breakfast beverage. With plenty of ways to brew a cup of joe, it can be challenging to determine what kind of coffee maker is perfect for your kitchen. Here’s a quick rundown of the different kinds of appliances you can get to make your coffee just the way you like it. For a more in-depth look into coffee makers, check out our comprehensive guide!
Drip coffee makers
Do you enjoy taking your mornings nice and slow? You’ll love the drip coffee maker. The slow dripping process allows water to evenly and thoroughly penetrate each fresh batch of coffee grounds, allowing for better flavor extraction. Since this can take a while, try a model that can store numerous cups’ worth of drip coffee in a thermal carafe as you wait, ensuring it’s still perfectly warm when it’s ready to drink.
Single-serve coffee makers
If you’re the only person in the house who drinks coffee, don’t worry—with a single-serve coffee maker, not one drop of your brew will go to waste! Since they work with smaller batches of coffee, they can serve up your daily cup faster, perfect if you’re itching for your caffeine fix or running on a tight schedule. Nespresso coffee machines are especially popular in this category, with some models coming with convenient coffee pods that save you the hassle of grinding your beans and disposing of them after breakfast.
Espresso machines
Are you more of a coffee connoisseur? You’ll probably prefer an espresso machine. These often come with more features to give you fuller control over the brewing process, meaning you can make coffee to your exact specifications. The Philips 2200 Series Espresso Machine alone comes with a built-in grinder, bean hopper, and milk steam system, so you can grind, brew, and add foam to each shot of espresso from scratch.
French presses
If you prefer coffee with a rich, full-bodied flavor, the French press will help you brew a perfect cup every single time. With models like Le Creuset’s French press, all you need to do is pour water on top of your grounds, let it steep, and “press” the coffee down to extract flavor. That makes the French press a great choice if you’re looking to get into the world of at-home coffee-making for the first time.
Microwaves
Microwaves are crucial kitchen essentials for people on the go thanks to their ability to quickly heat things up in a snap. Whether you’re melting butter or chocolate for a dessert recipe or simply looking to enjoy leftovers for dinner, you’ll want one that perfectly complements both your kitchen space and busy schedule.
Types
Generally, you can use a built-in, countertop or over-the-range microwave. Countertop microwave ovens like QVC’s customer-top-rated Farberware models are often the most accessible because you don’t need to install them—just buy one and place it on the kitchen counter. If you want something that more seamlessly blends into your kitchen’s other features, you can get a built-in microwave that fits into your wall or cabinetry or an over-the-range model that, as you’d expect, goes over your stovetop for easy food transfers while cooking. These options may be better for smaller kitchens that need more free counter space.
Additional features
Though buying a microwave seems pretty straightforward—just pick a type and design—you’ll also want to consider some extra features. For example, some microwaves have additional smart sensors so you can whip up family favorites like popcorn or defrost specific kinds of food at the perfect temperature. You can also get a microwave with inverter technology, which always cooks food at even temperatures for energy efficiency. Need more space-saving features? Get a microwave that does more than just heat your food! For example, the Breville Combi Wave is a 3-in-1 product that’s a microwave, air fryer, and convection oven in one convenient package. Check out our full catalog of microwave ovens to find the perfect fit for your needs.
Toasters and toaster ovens
If you and your family love yourselves some toast or Pop-Tarts for breakfast, toasters are a must. But why stop there? With a toaster oven, you can open up a world of possibilities in the kitchen. Here’s what you need to know about these top kitchen appliances and how to determine which one you need.
Toasters
If all you need is something to toast your favorite kind of sliced bread to a perfect golden brown every single time, toasters are the way to go. Get a sleek, compact model like the Holstein Housewares 2-slot toaster to save space and benefit from smaller, more controlled portions—or a larger one like KitchenAid’s 4-slice toaster if you need it to make breakfast for the whole family. Be sure to get a model that boasts wider slots so you can toast even thicker slices of bread to perfection!
Toaster ovens
Want more versatility out of your toaster? Don’t have space for an oven at home? Get a toaster oven. This particular kitchen appliance fully lives up to its name—it performs all the functions of both a toaster and an oven. Just take a look at the Our Place Wonder: this QVC bestseller can perform six functions in one while remaining countertop-friendly. That means you can use it to air fry, broil, bake, and even dehydrate different types of food, not just bread. Since they’re smaller, toaster ovens will heat up faster than your typical oven—and if you’re using them for toasting, their roomy interiors mean you can fit in more kinds of bread than just the sliced kind.
Air fryers
Love fried foods but want to eat better? Air fryers should be on your list of kitchen essentials. Because they’re basically small convection ovens, they don’t need oil to achieve that perfect crisp and crunch. That means they can cut a significant amount of calories from your guilty pleasures. You’ve got a couple of choices below, and our Ultimate Air Fryer Guide goes deeper into the variety we offer.
Basket-style air fryers
These models are often more affordable without skimping on quality. They often include eight cooking presets for easy meal prep and a shake indicator for even frying.
Oven-style air fryers
With this kind of air fryer, you’ll get more versatility for that true miniature convection oven functionality. This one from Elite Gourmet, for instance, comes with ten presets and three rack positions, so you can use it for everything from baking cookies to making fried chicken.
Slow cookers and instant pots
Need to cook more elaborate dishes for special occasions like Thanksgiving? Want to make something you can prep, leave, and forget in the morning, then come back to for dinner? Or do you simply want to cook a meal in a single pot for easy cleanup? Slow cookers and instant pots offer the perfect solution. Here’s more on each kitchen appliance and why you might want to get them for yourself.
Slow cookers
With a slow cooker, you can easily leave meals simmering at low heat for hours on end—helping build complex layers of tenderness and flavor that create a party in your mouth! Whether you’re set on cooking a beef stew or a full rack of ribs, all you need to do is chuck all your ingredients in, then set and forget your dish for the rest of the day. Crock-Pot’s slow cookers come with additional time, pressure, and temperature controls for different kinds of ingredients so you’re guaranteed the best results every single time, even if you don’t check on what you’re cooking every so often.
Instant pots
If you want more bang for your buck, look no further than the instant pot. These top kitchen appliances are considered multi-cookers that can slow-cook your meals—and then some. The Ninja Foodi alone can bake, braise, steam, proof, and even sous-vide any meal you want to cook and any ingredient you want to prep. If you’re using it as a convection oven, it’ll even cook your food 30% faster! That means the instant pot can be the only piece of kitchenware you use to create a single dish from start to finish.
Dishwashers
Washing dishes can be strangely therapeutic in its own way, but the truth of the matter is that we often don’t have the time or energy to do it. That’s why dishwashers are a staple in pretty much every American home. With cleanup essential after every culinary journey your kitchen witnesses, you’ll want to make sure you have the perfect dishwasher for your needs.
Types
When checking your dishwasher or shopping for a new one, you’ll come across three main kinds of this top kitchen appliance: built-in, countertop, and portable. Built-in dishwashers slot perfectly against your kitchen counters, usually near the sink, for a convenient plumbing connection. If your floor plan doesn’t come with a dedicated space for a built-in dishwasher, you can try a countertop dishwasher from brands like Farberware. These can get the job done despite consuming less water and energy than full-size dishwashers. If you want a true space-saving solution, though, you can opt for portable models. As seen in our selection of SPT dishwashers, these provide mobility, flexibility, and ease of use since they don’t require installation. They can be great if you or your kids live in a rental property.
Key features
With dishwashers saving more water and energy compared to washing dishes by hand, you may want to take advantage of this feature by ensuring your own dishwasher has an ENERGY STAR rating. From here, get a model with the perfect dish capacity for your home. If you’re taking care of a larger family, a standard dishwasher should accommodate most of your needs. Otherwise, consider getting a more compact model to save on resources further. You can also get additional bells and whistles like multiple wash cycle options, adjustable racks to accommodate different dish sizes, self-cleaning filters, and even smart technology integrations that let you control your dishwasher with just your computer or smartphone.
Uncommon but useful kitchen appliances
If you’ve got more niche cooking and baking needs, why not upgrade your arsenal of kitchen appliances? These tools—though unusual—can be extremely useful if you love making specific dishes or trying out particular culinary techniques. Here are a few worth getting for yourself:
Ice cream makers
Is your family the type that loves to scream for ice cream? That can make it super rewarding to make it from scratch at home—and even have your kids, nieces, and nephews help out on the side! This kitchen appliance is all you need to make ice cream with the perfect consistency—and, more importantly, the specific ingredients and flavors you want to try. Take your pick between these types of ice cream makers:
Electric ice cream makers
These tools are perfect for crafting large batches of homemade ice cream for your loved ones—while still having some left over for yourself! If you’re looking to make the ice cream-making process even easier, you may also love the additional features they come with.
Manual ice cream makers
Want to explore the old-fashioned process of making homemade ice cream by yourself or with your kids? There’s nothing better to use than a manual ice cream maker. All you need to do is turn the crank to churn your ice cream to perfection—though, of course, you’ll get a great arm workout in the process, too. If you get the right model, you can streamline the process. Though Elite Gourmet’s old-fashioned bucket ice cream maker comes with a hand crank and six paddles for churning, for instance, it can reach speeds of up to 90 rpm so you have ice cream in your hands sooner. And with fewer moving parts, such ice cream makers are also easy to wipe down and keep clean.
Food processors
If you only want to use your blender for drink prep, you can easily get a food processor to whip up those dips, sauces, and soups in a breeze. However, these bad boys can do even more! Tired of mincing garlic and crying after chopping onions? With multiple blade options, food processors can cut your ingredients up into the size you need them to be to make meal prep even quicker and easier. And with some models boasting larger capacities, you can plan for family dinners a week in advance without spending hours in the kitchen on Sunday. But which size should you get?
Mini food processor
These can hold up to two cups’ worth of ingredients, making them great if you’re short on counter space or simply want something to quickly prep ingredients like veggies, herbs, spices, and salad dressings. Despite that, they come with all the functions you need in a food processor. Brentwood’s Food Chopper, for example, can chop, dice, and puree ingredients as you see fit. An additional whisk accessory means you can even use it to whip cream and emulsify eggs for sauces and salad dressings!
Full-sized food processor
If you’re into meal prep—especially when cooking for your family or special occasions—full-sized food processors may best suit your needs. Their larger capacity also means you can use them for more than just chopping food. With bigger, stronger, and more durable blades, you can use models like the Cuisinart Pro Classic Food Processor for other heavy cooking and baking tasks like kneading dough and chopping entire pieces of fruit.
Bread makers
Would you prefer baking your own bread over eating the store-bought kind? Look into getting yourself a bread maker. Aside from being easy to use, it can help you make virtually any kind of bread under the sun—including dairy- and gluten-free loaves! Here’s how to pick one:
Horizontal vs vertical bread makers
If you’re looking to bake traditional loaves, bread makers with horizontal pans are the way to go. Running out of space in the kitchen? Get a vertical bread maker. This really won’t change anything other than the orientation in which your loaves come out, so pick the kind of bread maker you want based on your personal preferences.
Additional features
With some extra features, you can more easily integrate bread-making into your daily routine. For example, busy career women may like the 13-hour delay feature on the Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus, as it’ll ensure your bread will have just finished baking once you come home from work. You can also get a model that gives you more options—like the Frigidaire Fully Automatic Stainless Steel Breadmaker, which can handle gluten-free recipes and allows you to bake three different loaf sizes.
Sous vide machines
If you want to expand your culinary horizons, learning sous vide cooking is a great way to get started. Though it sounds complicated, this technique is actually pretty simple: it involves placing food in vacuum-sealed packets and cooking them in boiling water. Sous vide cooking offers a number of benefits. You can meal prep for anywhere, including cooking at home or while on a family camping trip. Because it allows for better temperature control, sous vide cooking also means you’ll never have to overcook anything again—so you can tackle more technical dishes with confidence! You can even grab one of our sous vide meals on QVC—including pot roast and chicken marsala— for no-brainer meal planning. From here, all you need is a sous vide machine.
Precision sous vide cookers
Yes, you need to cook your sous vide packets in boiling water. However, that leaves a lot of questions unanswered. What temperature is best? How long should you cook them for? With a precision sous vide cooker, you can wonder no more. This kitchen tool heats and maintains the water you use at the right temperature for a set amount of time, so you always get a consistently perfect taste.
Dehydrators
With a dehydrator in your kitchen, you’ll have a unique way to spice up your favorite recipes. Dehydrated foods like dried tomatoes and beef jerky deliver concentrated bursts of flavor, perfect for adding to pasta and soup. You can also use dehydrators to preserve fruit and make healthy snacks for the whole family!
Stackable VS shelf dehydrators
These are the two types of dehydrators you can choose from, and they differ based on fan placement. Stackable models dehydrate food using a bottom-mounted fan, while shelf dehydrators rely on a fan mounted at the back. Consider getting a shelf dehydrator like the Nesco Gardenmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, as it will move pressurized, heated air horizontally across each tray. Conversely, the stackable type doesn’t provide even airflow and temperature control—only the bottom shelves will get the right amount of heat.
Key features
Dehydrators come with key features you’ll want to consider depending on your cooking needs. Want more dehydrating capacity? Get a model that can hold more trays. Looking to experiment with different drying processes? Make sure your dehydrator has adjustable temperature settings. The Excalibur 10-Tray Performance Series Digital Dehydrator exemplifies what you can get: with ten stainless steel, dishwasher-safe trays, two different drying phases, and automatic shutoff capabilities, you can easily dehydrate large quantities of food overnight and clean what you used in the morning—without worrying that you’ll wake up to the smell of something burning.
Recommended appliance accessories
With a few key accessories, you can make the most out of every appliance in your kitchen! Wondering where to start? Here’s a handy list of some of the best kitchen appliance accessories out there, all of which you can get right here on QVC. We also have a guide for kitchen organization hacks to help you keep your space tidy!
Refrigerator accessories
Ice makers
Love your cool beverages? Do you host guests often and need ice to last throughout every dinner party? If you’re buying a new refrigerator, consider getting a model that comes with an ice maker. Using this additional accessory, fridges can automatically create ice via a connection between your freezer and a dedicated in-door ice dispenser. If you get the type that doesn’t use a cooling tower, your fridge won’t use up a significant amount of additional energy, either. These accessories are a great way to avoid having to fill up ice trays or frantically run to the store for ice ever again!
Storage bins
With a good set of storage bins, you can get rid of so many things. Banish disorganized fridges full of packaging in every conceivable shape and size. Reduce the number of spills that dirty the shelves and trays. Minimize the amount of food that goes to waste. Eliminate unwanted odors. These bins mean air-tight storage for all your ingredients, snacks, and leftovers, so you can categorize everything in your refrigerator for easy viewing and retrieval—while also slowing down the spoiling process so food lasts longer. If used right, you can even fit more in your fridge than ever before!
Blender accessories
Additional blender jars
There are plenty of occasions where it can be useful to have multiple blender jars on hand. If your blender uses a glass jar, they’ll serve as spares in case one falls and breaks. Tackling recipes where you need to prep multiple ingredients with this tool? Additional blender jars will help you get everything done faster without having to wash a single jar multiple times—while keeping each blended ingredient separate. Some brands even offer jars that make your blender multipurpose! This KitchenAid expansion pack, for example, includes a jar that can turn your countertop blender into a personal one, too.
Tamper tools
Blend your smoothies faster and more effectively with a tamper tool, which often comes packed with the blender itself. This simple accessory helps you press your ingredients down while they’re being processed, allowing for even blending and a perfectly smooth consistency. If you need to turn your attention to other kitchen tasks as you blend, you can even get a tamper holder to keep it in place.
Travel lids
Maximize the convenience of portable and even countertop blenders with a travel lid. Simply replace your regular blender lid with this one, and it’ll turn your blender jar into a personal cup that can accompany you on all your errands. Brands like Ninja even specifically design these for users with a busy on-the-go lifestyle—its Nutri Ninja Cup, which is compatible with multiple Ninja blenders, comes with an easy-to-use Sip & Seal travel lid similar to what you’ll find on a tumbler.
Coffee maker accessories
Reusable coffee filters
If you’re getting into a more sustainable lifestyle, want to save more money upfront, or simply hate those days when you run out of paper coffee filters, consider getting a reusable coffee filter instead. Accessories like Cuisinart’s Reusable Goldtone Filter are typically made of mesh. Aside from cutting down on your waste, these can actually enhance the flavors in your morning cup of joe—because, unlike paper filters, they extract flavor from coffee’s oils instead of trapping it. They can even be used in multiple coffee makers, so you don’t need to buy a new kind of filter if you’re making the switch from a French press to an espresso machine!
Milk frothers
Love your lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites? If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can still achieve that perfect foamy milk layer every time with a milk frother. Whether you opt for a hand-held model like the BonJour Beverage Whisk or an electric one, this accessory gives you the opportunity to practice your inner barista and make your favorite coffee beverages at home.
Coffee grinders
Enjoy brews made from freshly ground coffee every morning with a coffee grinder. Bought coffee grounds can become stale over time—but by processing beans yourself, you can extract fresher, more enhanced flavors for every cup you make! Just starting out? Get an easy-to-use accessory like this manual coffee grinder from Henning Lee. Are you a more discerning coffee enthusiast? Achieve your preferred strength and flavor using a model that provides additional controls, like the Salton Stainless Steel Smart Coffee Grinder.
Oven and range accessories
Baking mats
Want to cut down on waste? Hate it when your cookies stick to the pan? Get rid of all those worries with a baking mat. Often made of non-stick silicone, this accessory is a great reusable alternative to baking parchment. Food will slide off it every time without making a greasy or sticky mess, and you can simply wipe it clean! Brands like KOCHBLUME even offer baking mats in different sizes, perfect for any baked good you have in mind.
Air fryer accessories
Baking pans
Expand the versatility of your air fryer with a set of baking pans. With these handy accessories, you’ll have the perfect molds for making your favorite pastries with just this top kitchen appliance—perfect if you live in a home or apartment that can’t accommodate a full-sized oven! Consider collections like the Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven Baking Set, which boasts dedicated pans for baking everything from cakes to brownies—plus non-stick coatings and dishwasher-friendly features to boot.
Grill racks
By getting some grill racks, you can do even more with your air fryer! These allow you to grill and roast your favorite meats and vegetables to perfection, even indoors. Some brands even offer stackable models, so you can use your humble air fryer to cook a grilled feast for the entire family!
Silicone mats
Make your air fryer even easier to use with a silicone mat! This humble accessory can replace those paper linings while providing more functionality. Non-stick coatings mean nothing will stick to the insides of the air fryer itself, and you can simply rinse or wipe down each mat after use. The best part? Thanks to their silicone material, each mat can distribute heat more evenly, preventing hot spots and ensuring everything you cook in your air fryer is a perfect golden brown throughout.
If you want to make cooking more convenient, fun, and less of a chore, make sure you have these essential kitchen appliances and accessories in your arsenal! Missing a few key tools? Find what you need right here on QVC.
Your Questions, Answered
What are the most essential kitchen appliances every home should have?
Some of the essential kitchen appliances your home should have includes refrigerators, ovens and ranges, dishwashers, microwaves, toasters or toaster ovens, air fryers, slow cookers, instant pots, coffee makers, mixers, and blenders.
How do I choose the right refrigerator for my kitchen?
First, consider the size of the kitchen space you can dedicate to it. Leave some allowance for room around the refrigerator to allow for airflow that will prevent it from overheating. From here, choose the most convenient design for your needs. Some options you’ll have include top freezer, bottom freezer, side-by-side, French, and compact models. You can also select a fridge based on the additional features it provides, including adjustable shelving, temperature and humidity controls, water and ice dispensers, and smart technology integrations. Be sure to look for an ENERGY STAR label if you want a refrigerator that will be more friendly with your electricity bill.
Are air fryers worth the investment?
Air fryers are definitely worth the investment for their health benefits alone, as they don’t use oil to achieve that perfect crisp. However, they can be especially useful if you don’t have the kitchen space for an oven in your home. Their versatility means you can not only use them to fry food, but bake it, grill it, and even roast it. That makes the air fryer one of the best kitchen appliances you can get if you want something that’s worth every penny.
What are the benefits of using a slow cooker or instant pot?
The benefits of slow cookers and instant pots stem from their convenience and ease of use. Slow cookers alone allow you to simply “set and forget” the dishes you’re cooking, meaning you can take a quick five minutes to prep dinner in the morning and return to a completed dish come nightfall. Meanwhile, instant pots offer versatility. Because they’re multi-cookers, they can help you create countless meals using a variety of cooking methods, including baking, braising, and steaming.
How do I maintain and clean my kitchen appliances?
The best way to keep your kitchen appliances clean and functional for longer is to simply accomplish minor maintenance tasks more frequently. In other words, look over them after every use. That way, you’ll prevent small issues from building up over time and nip any major cleanliness or maintenance issues in the bud. Most appliances can be wiped down with a damp cloth. Others are dishwasher-friendly, which should make it easier to keep them clean over time. For frequently used appliances like your fridge and dishwasher, it’s best to do a deep clean every week or month. You can clear your refrigerator of unwanted items and wipe it down every time you go grocery shopping, and run a cleaning cycle on your dishwasher after liberally powdering the interiors with baking soda and leaving it to loosen stubborn stains overnight.
What are some uncommon but useful kitchen appliances?
If you want to do more in your kitchen and experiment with more technical recipes, you can try uncommon but useful kitchen appliances like ice cream makers, food processors, bread makers, sous vide machines, and dehydrators.
How do I make the most of my coffee maker?
To make the most of your coffee maker, start with your beans. You can use a coffee grinder so you’re always brewing fresh grounds that provide excellent flavor. The coarseness of your grind will depend on the kind of coffee maker you use. Espresso machines, for example, work best with finely ground coffee, while coarser grounds are ideal for French presses. To make better cups of coffee at home, you’ll also want to use filtered water and a reusable mesh coffee filter. That will allow your coffee maker to extract as much flavor out of your coffee grounds as possible.
What accessories should I consider for my kitchen appliances?
To maximize the convenience and effectiveness of your essential kitchen appliances, consider using the following accessories.
• Refrigerators: water filters, ice makers, and storage bins
• Ovens and ranges: oven thermometers, baking mats, range hoods
• Coffee makers: reusable coffee filters, milk frothers, and coffee grinders
• Blenders: blender jars, tamper tools, and travel lids
• Air fryers: baking pans, grill racks, and silicone mats
How do I ensure my kitchen appliances are energy efficient?
The best technique is to always look for an ENERGY STAR label when shopping for kitchen appliances. This government-backed certification guarantees that a product has been proven to provide significant energy savings through verified testing methods—without compromising on quality and functionality.
What are some of the kitchen appliance brands I should look for?
Some of the top brands for kitchen appliances include Ninja, Whirlpool, Cuisinart, Samsung, and KitchenAid.
