Busy lives mean finding out ways to make our days easier whether we are busy outside of the house or working from home. Wherever you spend your day, it has become obvious in 2020-2021 that most people are cooking at home more than ever. This means that making the most out of small kitchen appliances is helpful both from a time perspective as well as space. Saving time and having room to do the cooking means it is easier to create meals. Wanting good food without a lot of chaos and effort means learning to make the most out of the small appliances that you have in your kitchen.
While the price of smaller kitchen appliances can range from inexpensive to quite pricey, you can choose the ones you want based on what you think will benefit the kitchen area the most when it comes to preparing your meals. Finding the appliances that are usable and within the household budget means doing some research and thinking about which small appliances will enhance your time cooking and taste buds the best.
Morning Start
Small kitchen appliances to get your morning going right means creating good food with reduced fuss and muss. Coffees makers, toasters and waffle makers can all be part of the small appliance group that can get your morning started with a good breakfast. Whether that is simply a strong cup of coffee or a full breakfast, making the most of these small kitchen appliances will get the cooking done.
Buying the correct coffee maker is a more complicated decision than you would think. You need to consider the household budget and how complex you want the machine to be. If money is no issue, then you can buy a machine that is Wi-Fi enabled and does everything for you other than loading the beans and water. It grinds the beans, makes coffee on a timer, and offers you a great cup of java. It makes the most of your time and mornings. The other option is the one cup coffee maker that has everything in one place and does not waste a lot of coffee when you only want one cup. Both coffee makers are efficient and using them means you can have a good cup of coffee with little effort.
Toasters are another flexible small kitchen appliance that can be used in various capacities to make life easier and cooking great. Toasters can be found that are two, four, or eight slices and have various features such as toast, defrost and reheat with multiple browning settings. You also have the option of upgrading to a toaster oven if you want further helpful cooking features. These larger toaster ovens not only do all the things a regular toaster can do but also can bake, broil and heat. They can do almost anything your full size over can just in a smaller capacity.
These small kitchen appliances aren’t just about making waffles for breakfast. They can transition to making lunch and dinner fare as well. So, if you want to make the most of these small kitchen appliances then choose one that is the size you want, mini or larger, and get cooking. Brownies, quesadillas, cinnamon rolls, bacon and grilled cheese are just some of the recipes you can make with a waffle maker. Be aware that some even have removable plates offering more cooking flexibility when it comes to making food for all three meals as well as offering desserts as well.
Moving onto Lunch Time
Whether you want a sandwich or a full hot meal at lunch, there are small kitchen appliances that can do both. As pointed out with the waffle maker, machines such as these can be used to make hot sandwiches along with pizza and quesadillas if you are looking for something warm. Along with waffle makers comes the sandwich maker. These toaster-like appliances can make you paninis, sandwiches, kabobs and more. Quick and tasty lunches are simple with a sandwich maker.
Other lunchtime options can be cooked with mini crock pots, hot pots and microwaves. If you want something cooked and then kept warm, then a mini crockpot can do that. A hot pot is even more helpful as it can act as a pot, frying pan or skillet. These appliances save on space and clean up and are brilliant if you are living in a small dorm or residence. All these small kitchen appliances can make lunchtime and clean up a breeze especially if you have people in the household eating at different times. If you have premade meals, a quick zap in the microwave can make lunch easy to heat up and eat.
Dinner Without Fuss
Whether you are working from home, outside of the home, trying to juggle family life or school then dinner without fuss can be a stress reliever. Preparing dinner with small kitchen appliances can make things much simpler while still offering a great meal. There are lots of appliances that help get a good meal ready. An electric skillet can be one of those ways. Lots of optional recipes as they can bake, broil, stew and more. They can make a whole meal and reduce clean up time as well. Great for meals that are just for one or for a family. Also, these are good appliances if you are reheating or keeping things warm over time.
Along with an electric skillet, there are great multi-cookers out there that can make so much more than just a crockpot can. Multi-cookers can help you create great meals that are not only tasty but easy to clean up. Using a multi-cooker is more than making stews and soups. These versatile small kitchen appliances can do a lot. They can air fry, slow cook, steam, sauté, sear, bake roast and grill, as well as do canning and desserts. Whether you want a one-pot meal such as a casserole or a nice roast chicken with veggies it can do either. Multi-cookers are easy to use, and the internet is full of great recipes that can make meal prep a breeze.
Desserts, Bread, Drinks and Warm-Ups
Along with the regular meal planning, prep and cooking comes the extra preparation of desserts, bread and other “extras” you might need to do in the kitchen. Using small kitchen appliances to cook and prepare food has become easier as kitchen technology gets better and better. Multi-cookers are one appliance that opens the door to options beyond the crockpot basics. These small appliances can make warm breakfast cereals, soup, yoghurt, puddings, bread and dough so you have some wonderful tasting add-ons to your daily meals.
Along with multi-cookers, there are bread makers that not only give you warm homemade bread but can also create pizza dough, biscuits and more. While these appliances have been around for a while, they are becoming more efficient, easy to use and can not only bake hundreds of recipes, but they can also add things to the recipe as needed such as fruit and nuts through preprogramming. They are also great for keeping the bread warm, and desserts delicious. Multi-cookers have timers so they can be pre-set for start times, offer different loaf sizes, programming for various recipes and offer easy to clean up non-stick pans to make finishing simple. If you want fresh warm bread when you wake up, simply set it the night before and you wake up to a great breakfast treat.
The obvious small kitchen appliance that hasn’t been talked about yet is the microwave. It is one of those that have been around for years and each person uses it for their various cooking tasks whether that is thawing items out, warming them up or simply baking a quick snack like cake in a cup. Microwaves can cook veggies while you have other things cooking in the oven or reheat a quick bite of something when you end up working late. They are fairly inexpensive now and can be found in various sizes depending on the counter space you have. They can also be mounted or set into an area, so they are less obtrusive. Lots of options are available in microwaves that include various sizes, power and styles.
There are also appliances that will get your beverages ready as well. Using a blender, juicer or mini-blender can make your snacks a breeze. All can be used in one spot and are able to whip up a beverage and go. They are great when you need to take your morning smoothie with you or if you don’t feel light anything heavy to eat. Simple to use and clean up from and the smaller models offer easy storage ability as well.
Final Thoughts
Cooking at home is something that has become more prevalent in the last couple of years. Having the right small kitchen appliances on hand and making the most of them can make meals easy to make and good to eat. A little bit of research will get you a good brand that fits your budget and your lifestyle.
