Small Kitchen Appliance Buying Guide - The Essentials

Questions to ask yourself before purchasing new small kitchen appliances:

How often do I cook?

If you're often found in the kitchen preparing a meal for family and friends, consider purchasing a higher quality small  kitchen appliance .

What types of food do I usually cook? Depending on what you make, you probably use some appliances more than others. Consider spending more money on small kitchen appliances that you often use, so you get a higher quality unit that will last longer. How much counter space do I have? If you have a limited amount of counter space, look into buying compact kitchen appliances that don't take up a lot of room. Another way to save space is to look for 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 appliances. These small kitchen appliances combine a couple appliances into one handy unit.

Types of Basic Small Kitchen Appliances:

Blenders

Blenders allow you to prepare a wide range of tasty meals. They're great for making sauces, purees and shakes. This small kitchen appliance easily fits in your kitchen cupboards or on your countertops. Some handy features to look for include:

• Multiple speeds and a pulse function - allow you to blend a wide variety of ingredients to the perfect consistency
• Dishwasher safe material - allows for easy cleaning
• Removable filter cap - allows you to easily add ingredients to your mixture

Toaster Ovens

Easily warm up leftovers or prepare a quick meal with this small kitchen appliance. Toaster ovens use less energy and are more economical than using heating a full-sized oven to heat a small dish. They take up minimal counter space and are very effective. These handy units are very versatile and can be used for preparing breakfast, lunch or dinner. Look for toaster ovens that have these features:

• Quick preheat - saves time because you don't have to wait very long for the unit to heat up
• Audible alarm - reminds you when your food is done cooking
• Adjustable oven rack - allows you to easily get your food in and out of the toaster oven

Toasters

Toasters are a small kitchen appliance  that's found in almost every household. These handy appliances are great for toasting bread, frozen waffles and other foods. They are generally less expensive than other appliances and are very versatile. Be sure to look for a unit that has:

• An appropriate number of slots - toaster generally come with 2 or 4 slots
• Adjustable power settings - many units will allow you to adjust the heat and power settings, so you can enjoy darker or lighter toast
• Hinged or removable crumb tray - makes cleaning and maintenance very easy

Slow Cookers

Slow cookers provide an easy way to cook a delicious home-cooked meal. They're convenient because you can toss your ingredients into this small kitchen appliance, turn it on and come back a few hours later to a perfectly cooked meal. It's quick and easy, but tastes like you've spend the entire day cooking. Some key features to look for include:

• Multiple temperature settings - most slow cookers come with high and low settings, but some feature a convenient medium setting
• An appropriate pot size - most pots come in 3-1/2, 4 or 5 quart models
• Removable liner - for hassle free cleaning, try to find a liner that's non-stick and dishwasher safe

Mixers

Mixers are great for quickly blending ingredients for cooking and baking. They're very versatile and are a kitchen essential for any household. This small kitchen appliance comes in two forms: hand-held or standing mixer.

Hand-Held

A hand mixer is ideal for households that occasionally use a mixer. This small kitchen appliance is typically less expensive than the larger standing mixers, but they don't usually come with as many features. Most hand mixers are lightweight and can easily be stored in one of your kitchen cabinets. Key features to look for include:

• Ergonomic handle - make sure the handle has a comfortable shape that fits your hand
• Different speeds - the mixer should have a variety of different speeds, so you can mix different types of dough with a variety of consistencies
• Beaters - each mixer should with a basic set beaters or mixing mechanism

Stand mixer

This small kitchen appliance features a heavy-duty design that's ideal for someone that does a lot of mixing. A stand mixer is usually more expensive than other types of mixers, but generally features a higher-quality design and construction. It's also more convenient because it features a hands free design that allows you to multi-task. Some key features to look for when purchasing a new mixer include:

• Mixing bowl size - look for a mixing bowl that's appropriately sized for the quantity of dough you usually make.
• Beater action - some mixers rotate the bowl, some rotate the beaters and others rotate both the bowl and beater
• Accessories - many units come with additional beaters or other attachments

Please browse our website and take a look at the wide range of small kitchen appliances we offer. If you have any questions or would like to place an order, don't hesitate to contact us by phone, email or chat.