Until last week this was the state of the top of our refrigerator – a cluttered eyesore packed with small kitchen appliances that we didn't have room to store elsewhere. Then, in a fit of spring cleaning, we decided we'd had enough. Every small appliance in our kitchen – 13 in all – was subjected to scrutiny with the goal of getting rid of anything we didn't really "need."
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to appliance assessment and purging. For us, the factors included kitchen space, cooking styles, frequency of use, performance, and how essential (to us) an appliance is for a particular activity. We wanted to share our thought process in the hope that it may help others to assess their own appliances and kitchens and make them less cluttered, more useful, and more beautiful.
 | Stand mixer: Ahh, my beloved KitchenAid Epicurean mixer! This was a gift from my parents nine years ago. It has always been a challenge to find room for it in our small apartments, and I don't use it every day or even every week. But, like Sarah Rae, I consider it one of the Basic Baking Tools I Can't Live Without. I also use it to roll pasta. |
 | Upright blender: Our blender had such a weak motor that my boyfriend and I rarely used it. Time to say farewell! We can get by with our food processor, though we're also considering replacing it with a space-friendly immersion blender (any favorites to recommend?). |
 | Rice cooker: It took a long time to let go of this one. What "proper Asian household" doesn't have a rice cooker?! But the truth is we never really liked the Zojirushi and have found that we can make rice just fine in a ddukbaegi on the stove. We don't miss the rice cooker at all! |
 | Food processor: Not everyone needs a food processor but in our home it gets used all the time for soups, sauces, nut butter, bread crumbs, doughs, and more. (Check out these Top Ten Ways to Use Your Food Processor!) Keeping it was a no brainer. |
 | Juicer: Ever since I bought the Hurom Slow Juicer I've become one of those juicing fanatics and use it almost daily. It works beautifully, feels like it will last a long time, and has a relatively small footprint. I also waste fewer fruits and vegetables now that I can juice them. |
 | Electric kettle: I loved this Breville One-Touch Tea Maker and the quality of tea it brewed. So why part with it? Ultimately I realized heating water in a pot on the stove works well enough for me. Plus, I thought my boyfriend's mom would appreciate it even more. At least we can visit it! |
 | Convection toaster oven: Our Breville Smart Oven hogs up a lot of counter space but it uses less energy and time than our full-size. We use it all the time for baking, roasting, reheating, and in place of a toaster or microwave. |
 | Coffee maker: My boyfriend uses this Jasper Morrison coffee maker daily and it actually looks nice on the counter, so it gets to stay. |
 | Coffee grinder: I'd be up for replacing this with a charming non-electric coffee grinder (not that it would save space) but I don't think my boyfriend would agree first thing in the morning! |
 | Seltzer water maker: We're keeping the SodaStream for my boyfriend, who likes to drink soda. It doesn't take up too much space, helps cut down on plastic waste, and friends always seem to enjoy trying it when they come over. |
 | Hand mixer: This is useful for those times when I want to make whipped cream without hauling down the KitchenAid or whisking by hand. I also take it with me when making and serving desserts at relatives' houses or other places without a mixer. |
 | Waffle cone maker: We got this for one reason only: to make waffle cone pasta. It was fun but certainly not a necessity. Off to Goodwill it goes. |
 | Yogurt maker: We used this a lot when we first got it but haven't touched it in years. It's totally possible to make yogurt without a yogurt maker and we've given ourselves one month to use this or it's gone. |
We also regained quite a bit of cupboard space after the weevil incident (a blessing in disguise!) and some additional reorganization. We're happy to report that all of the appliances we've decided to keep can now be stored out of sight, except for the stand mixer, which is so tall it must live on top of the fridge, and the coffee maker and countertop oven. The kitchen feels lighter, cleaner, and ready for spring!
Related: Kitchen Cure Week 2: Clean Out Tools & Gadgets
(Images: Emily Ho; Amazon.com)
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Wow..at first I thought, 13 appliances!, why would anyone need that many?? But after careful thought and jotting down what I owned, realized I had the same amount: coffee maker, coffee grinder, soda stream, KA, cuisinart, mini-cuisinart, hand blender, toaster, wafflemaker, blender, rice cooker, electric griddle and electric frypan. To be honest, the only thing I honestly think I can get rid of is the rice cooker as 90% of the time the rice I cook is brown, black or wild rice which I think cooks better on the stovetop. Everything else gets used fairly frequently believe it or not. "Fairly" meaning once/month at least. Even though I have a small galley kitchen, I have a large walk in pantry with lots of shelf space where things are stored so my countertops are bare with the exception of my coffeemaker and soda stream.
Oops, I just realized that I have one other appliance I forgot (make that 14!) and refuse to depart with: my slow cooker! It gets used once/week during the cooler, winter months.
14 appliances-how embarassing.
In my tiny kitchen the essentials were food processor, electric kettle, toaster oven, and hand mixer. I had some of those other appliances including a panini maker, Foreman grill, and ice cream maker all given as gifts. Having a kitchen with about 3 feet of counterspace will really make you reassess what you think you need and what you actually need.
I love my kitchen gadgets and would hate to have to part with any one of them. BUT, having said that, I just moved the slow cooker to the storage closet and haven't thought about it once since then. So - do I NEED it? And here I am, thinking about buying a rice steamer (this would be my second attempt at long term ownership). I just can't help myself!
as a thought on this idea: we got a few appliances that were small for this very reason. We chose a small waffle iron compared to the monsterous ones that flip (who needs that!?), we have a very small hand blender that we still fit into its' box for storage. The only thing we have large of is the coffee grinder - it holds 1/2 lb of beans and DH loves it!
Wow that is alot I only have about 5. I am think about getting rid of the blender and crock pot. I'm thinking I might use it but really i I only take it out about once a year.
I guess different strokes for different folks, but I find it puzzling that you'd keep the toaster oven, juicer, and seltzer machine but toss the rice cooker. I don't use mine every night, but I love the convenience of it, and it doesn't take up too much space.
I've always been puzzled by why people like toaster ovens so much. They take up a ton of space, and I can't think of anything I'd do with it that I can't do with a (much smaller) regular old toaster or my oven.
I agree with gambrius on the toaster oven. My boyfriend has one and whenever I go to make toast, pizza, baked fried chicken, etc. he always turns to that appliance. I proceed by looking at him in confusion and using the toaster/real oven.
Oh I love this!!! All that space cleared just appeals to me!!! I am really considering a food processor... I love my kitchnAid mixer more than life... is their a processor out there that ranks that high?
If anyone even talked about getting rid of my coffee grinder I'd probably break up with them, or at least make them sleep on the couch for a week, even if they were replacing it with a hand cranked one. If I lost power and couldn't make coffee with my french press because I couldn't grind the beans I would probably just grind them with a hammer or my teeth. I'm very charming I assure you.
@gambrinus is a toaster oven maybe faster to come to temperature, or cheaper to operate than a full size gas oven? I don't own one, but when I did I thought it was pretty good for broiling if I remember correctly.
We have a handmixer, a waffle cone maker (its stored in the basement though where it doesn't use counter or kitchen cabinet space since we use it rarely, but we usually make a lot as christmas presents), an electric water kettle (faster and more energy efficient!), a coffee maker and a very old toaster which is rarely used and is stored in a beautiful cabinet in the living room. So in the kitchen we actually have only three appliances and two rarely used but still useful one which are stored elsewhere. I could get by easily with a hand-mixer and a electric kettle.
Yes, I too, would break up with the guy who suggested I get rid of the coffee grinder and brewer.
May I suggest an immersion blender with all the attachments, which will take the place of a blender, small food processor, hand mixer, and probably a few other things I can't think of right now.
let's see.... in order of frequency of use: coffee maker, coffee grinder, toaster oven, hand mixer, ice cream maker, blender, mini food processor, waffle maker (roommate's), crock pot (haven't really used it since I got a dutch oven).
@gambrinus: you don't really 'need' a toaster oven, but it's about an eighth of the size of an oven so it heats up faster, uses less electricity, and doesn't heat up the kitchen as much. It's wonderful when you want to cook something in the summer and you don't have air conditioning or when you're cooking something small. Mine is very small and only takes up a little more space than a normal toaster. The convection ones are larger, but more useful in the range of items you can bake in them.
Red X on the yogurt maker. It is fun to make yogurt without one. Scald milk, inoculate, put in a warm place... you can look it up.
Plus If you make your own you have it in quantities sufficient to make some yogurt cheese or.... The maker kills off imagination.
I have the Cuisinart stick blender with attachments (whisk, mini chopper) and I love love love it. I use it mostly for the immersion blender, but the mini-chopper is nice when you have something little to blend rather than hauling out the larger food processor, and the little whisk and cup are PERFECT for making whipped cream.
And to all dumping on the toaster ovens - what @foodefafa said - I'm likely getting one soon because I'm on the 3rd floor of a 3-flat in Chicago and it gets unbearably hot up here in the summer so much so that I never bake awesome cobblers with the fantastic summer fruit 'round these parts. Toaster oven ftw!
I've done the same in the past year as I moved from a 2000 sq ft house to a 500 sq ft rental (the joys of divorce) and now am living in an 800 sq ft space.
In some cases, I replaced what I had with something smaller. Use a 2 cup rice cooker instead of the 5 cup & gasp, 10 cup I used to have. Yes, I'm asian too. Also use a mini blender now to make my smoothies. Got rid of the toaster oven, now use a microwave/convection combo and.... drum roll please, no big oven, at all.
I'm looking to get a good immersion blender too, I've had one in the past and it is truly multifunctional. Then, I could probably just leave my mini blender at my office.
Also consider downsizing dishes, glasses and utensils. This made such a huge difference for me. Who says you can't drink water or juice out of a stemless wine glass? I do it every day.
I've been through so many immersion blenders but I think I've found a keeper with my Viking immersion blender. It comes with the balloon whip attachment (great for whipping creme and sauces). I added the chopper attachment which is great for anything from nuts to chocolate. The blender is heavy duty and gets the job done - quickly.
Interesting question. Our general rule nowadays is hat we think long and hard before we acquire anything with a plug. We have and use: coffee maker and burr grinder, kitchenaid mixer; cuisinart and mini cuisinart; toaster; toaster oven (I use almost daily for open face cheese sammies, which are my breakfast of choice--much faster to heat up than regular oven); immersion mixer; blender (though I am thinking about tossing this). Used to have and have discarded over the years, microwave, crockpot; electric skillet, deep fryer, popcorn maker, electric wok (all wedding gifts in 1980); waffle maker; and some others I am sure I am forgetting. We do still have the milkshake maker my parents got as a wedding gift in 1947--although we don't use it much, it works great and looks totally cool .
I can't see the need for so many appliances, or why you would toss the rice cooker and not the toaster oven, but I generally loathe toaster ovens.
Toaster, Kitchenaid mixer, food processor. I may get a coffee grinder, but I hardly drink coffee, and when I do, I just strain it over a glass. No coffee maker needed. And why do you need an electric kettle? Just get a stove-stop kettle. Also, I'm still undecided about the immersion blender. I guess if I have to indulge in a vanity item—you know, other than the KitchenAid—then a neat Cuisinart would be just the thing.
In order of frequency of use: espresso machine, KitchenAid stand mixer, Cuisinart food processor, crock pot, toaster. I'm getting rid of my blender because I haven't had a need for it since getting the food processor and I'd be happy to get rid of the toaster but my husband uses it. The stand mixer and food processor get almost daily use.
@se7en I highly recommend the 16c Cuisinart Elite food processor. It has a liquid seal so you can puree soups without them spilling over the sides and it has three interlocking bowls in 16, 13 and 4 1/2 cup sizes. It's a Williams-Sonoma exclusive and has been worth every penny.
I counted 17 - toaster, kettle, Nespresso milk frother, Nespresso coffee machine, microwave, Kenwood chef, Barmix, Dualit hand mixer, large rice cooker, small rice cooker, slow cooker, icecream maker, blender, spice grinder, grill, food processor and juicer.
I originally purchased the large rice cooker but found it too big to use just for one cup. The smaller size is perfect and we use it a couple of times a week.
I rarely use the food processor - the mill attachment on the Barmix is fine most of the time. And I'd definately vote for a Barmix immersion blender - my mum's is still going strong after 25 years.
I could easily get rid of the juicer - in fact I might get rid of it this weekend.
Love it! I was seriously just thinking about doing a blog post on the same thing. I have loads of kitchen appliances (mostly hand me downs) and a tiny kitchen. Some stuff needs to go...
Here's one I was debating about: a Belgian waffle maker. I think I use it once a year. But I like Belgian waffles a lot! And if you want to make them, I don't think there's another way. Should I keep it or toss it?
I almost never use my blender since I got an immersion blender. I have the kitchen aid one that cooks illustrated recommends and it's fantastic...I use it almost daily. With the exception of just a few chores, it would almost replace a food processor, too. Plus it fits in a drawer.
I have a rice cooker, electric water kettle, toaster oven, KA, handmixer, immersion blender, mini food processor. I use the KA if I am doing a big batch of baking otherwise it stays in its box. I use my immersion blender to make greentea soymilk frapp. It stays under the counter most of the time.
My rice cooker and my toaster oven are probably the appliances that get used most often. I would be lost without them. I know you can make rice on the stove, but after if I'm cooking after work, that's one less thing I have to worry about.
As for my toaster oven- it's toasts the bread and if I want to broil some cheese toast or something simple, it's quick and efficient. I often use it to heat up food in lieu of a microwave (friend food, sandwiches, burgers and pizza etc). It's awesome!
Does nobody buy ready-ground coffee...?
My husband and I both have relatives in the U.K. and they all have electric kettles. When we received one as a gift, I was skeptical. What was wrong with my whistling stove-top kettle?
But as a daily tea-drinker, it is one of our best appliances. It boils water much faster, looks perfectly handsome on the countertop (can't say the same for its friend, the ugly coffee maker), and stays clean (the stove-top one was constantly getting splattered from cooking).
I think it really depends on where your priorities lie. My upright mixer stays on the counter and is easy to get going so I don't need a hand mixer. I wouldn't take up counter space with a seltzer maker or juicer. I can't live without my rice cooker. I find an electric kettle invaluable so much faster than stovetop but it's not on my counter. We do have an upright blender and toaster on the counter. Of course the coffee grinder and maker could only be pried out of my cold dead hands.
So all told we have 6 appliances on the counters and a couple like the tea kettle and slow cooker stashed away.
@ saucefiend --
How dare you suggest that Kitchn readers would do something as plebeian as buy PRE-GROUND COFFEE! :)
As an irregular coffee drinker, I find it easier to grind beans as I need them. But if I was a daily coffee fiend, I would think, why not get a barista to do it with their zillion-dollar burr grinder? Better than my $14 Proctor-Silex.
I have the exact yogurt maker pictured in this post, and while it may not be the most inspiring machine, I just love the little glass jars it comes with, because they're so handy for taking my yogurt to work. I don't have to think about it in the morning. Plus, a yogurt-maker doing its yogurtifying thing on the counter sparks all kind of conversation (people always want to know what the hell it is). Then I get to tell them how easy it is!
Overall, I'd say it's a machine that's great for single-serving folks, or yogurt noobs (of which I was one, when I received it as a gift).
OMG I love my toaster oven why heat up the oven for only three cookies or one baked potato? I love the idea of the smart oven and might just have to up grade.
I love the tea kettle. The one I have boils so fast (48 oz in under 4 min) that I use it to boil water for pasta and to blanch vegetables.
I just did a count and came up with 10. Admittedly there are some functional duplicates, but I'll live. We can't all be minimalists ;)
We couldn't live without our electric kettle or coffee maker, or our coffee grinder for that matter.
I can't believe you got rid of the Zojirushi =(
God, you made me go ahead and list them all...ugh. Way too many. And I'm thinking of getting rid of several:
Daily Use:
juicer
Weekly:
rice pot
food processor
coffee grinder (2, one for coffee, one for spices)
slow cooker
KitchenAid stand mixer
stick blender (2)
toaster oven
Rarely Used:
hand mixer (but I like to use it for small jobs)
toaster (best for plain old toast)
blender (I can probably dump this, but like it for drinks)
waffle iron (2)
ice cream maker
I'll probably dump the blender, but that's it. I use these
Have:
Electric Kettle (another big tea drinker)
Kitchen Aid Mixer
Slow Cooker (for beans!)
In Dire Need of:
Food Processor
With much debate, decided to do without:
Microwave
Toaster Oven
My kitchen is way too small to house the appliances I used to have. But not having a microwave or toaster has taught me how great toast from a cast iron skillet is, and how easy and tasty stovetop popcorn can be.
Wow: this post got me thinking about my tiny kitchen! Musts: Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart FP, Cuisinart IB, blender, coffee grinder and maker (as well as the old stove top espresso maker), crockpot and toaster oven. Re toaster oven: ditto on the too hot in the summer, and quicker. I might toss the toaster we have, and just use the toaster oven after reading this post. It just never occurred to me to not have a toaster. I don't have counter space for everything, but have no problem hauling out the kitchenaid when needed from a shelf right off the kitchen. Now that I have the KA, I will probably also get rid of the automatic bread machine.
What a great post! I've been drooling over the big kitchenaid stand mixer for years, and slowly trying to make room for it. Didn't replace the slow cooker when it died (only slightly miss it), replaced stick blender with stand blender (much better for kid's smoothies, used weekly). I want to get rid of the monster bread maker, but DH uses it once a month for pizza dough. Waffle iron, food processor, electric kettle, coffee grinder - oh to be a nomad and not need any of it!
It's funny what we can and cannot live without. Personally, I have no need or desire for a microwave, so never replaced ours when it broke.
On the other hand, though I have no space for it and therefore no business owning it, I can't part with my ice cream maker. Making ice cream from scratch is one of summer's most sublime pleasures.
I am possibly alone in that I buy pre-ground coffee, and I'm a huge coffee lover. I just can't be bothered to do it every morning, so I grind it at the store. My brother used to be a huge snob about grinding his coffee fresh, but then he got one of those horrible kuerig (sp?) things and now he drinks all his coffee brewed a cup at a time via a tiny, pre-ground and measured plastic K-cup.
Am I the only one with a love-hate relationship with my stand mixer? I love it for the 10 minutes I use it per week...hate it at all other times. It is just so enormous, beyond cabinet storage--so it lives counter-top all the time. Grrr. Constant hate of the attachments--which number in the dozens...I have a storage box in the basement with the sausage grinder, and extruder, the pasta roller, the 10 blades and bowl for chopping/slicing, the two smaller bowls, the lids...etc...all of which I have never used.
I currently have a food processor, coffee maker, two coffee grinders (one for coffee, one for spices), microwave (built in, so thankfully it doesn't affect my storage or counter space), electric tea kettle, and electric wok.
I'm going to give away the electric kettle and wok at some point, and also replace my roommate's toaster with a small toaster oven. I also want a stand mixer and immersion blender, eventually.
So, that will leave me with a total of 8 small appliances, which I think is reasonable. My parents have a bread maker they want to offload, and I'd love to have a waffle iron or ice cream maker, but... we'll see.
I drink instant coffee, and make rice on the stove. My Kenwood mixer incorporates an upright blender (which doubles as food processor). That does away with 5 of the appliances on the list.
To all the people hating on toaster ovens: Toaster ovens are amazing. Please learn to love them.
Right now I love my toaster oven because I have a small apartment and using the oven really heats the place up. Since I'm usually only cooking for my boyfriend and I, it's easier to roast veggies in the toaster oven which doesn't heat up the apartment and it gets to the proper temperature faster.
I also keep cookie dough in the freezer and the toaster oven is great for popping in a couple balls and having fresh baked cookies.
And that toaster oven saved my life when we moved into our new apartment and couldn't get the gas turned on for over a month.
At this point, you'd have to pry my toaster oven from my cold dead hands. Seriously.
As someone already mentioned, different strokes for different folks. We have a super tiny kitchen (zero counter space except for the Ikea Forhoja kitchen cart).
One thing I can't live without is my immersion blender (Kitchen Aid in case you're wondering but when I was doing research, Bamix was a good contender but for the price and the number of useful attachments for what I needed, I went with Kitchen Aid). I still have a blender/food processor combo but that only comes out when I have a higher capacity yield that the immersion blender can't handle efficiently (more so for the food processor use like chopping in bulk). I still have a small electric coffee grinder but no coffee machine. We use a double wall french press instead and use this for tea as well. I used to think I needed a rice cooker since it's something I grew up with. But honestly, rice turns out just fine on the stove top in a clay pot (just need to watch it more closely). Another thing you could add if you make rice on the stove is a heat diffuser (best one is a cast iron plate). My mom uses this and minimizes the burn when she's less careful about watching the rice. And yes, my mom has gotten rid of the rice cooker as well. She said it was only useful if you needed to cook large batches of rice everyday (so if you do, a rice cooker is still handy). Also thought I could use a crockpot but invested in a pressure cooker instead (can be used to make rice as well without the issue of burning but I like the crunchies in the clay pot). Have never regretted that decision. Also have a Foreman grill. Used to use that all the time until I got one of those stove top cast iron griddle/grill plates.
I still do need to add a mixer to my setup. Wish I could have a stand mixer but don't have the room. Thinking about adding a hand mixer but for now, I use a plain old whisk... not quite the same and my arms get tired.
Here are other things on my wishlist. Ice Cream maker–used to have a small hand crank one and miss making ice cream (although could use an electric one if I get it). Toaster Oven–another item I used to use and it's handy for smaller things vs. using the oven. Plus, making toast on the stove top is not quite the same for me. Also want to add, I do not have a microwave. Have gone on for 6 years without it. Always thought I needed it but have found I don't miss it at all.
But knowing me, if I had more room, my wish list will probably be much larger.
thorndale - if you have a gas stove, you can indeed boil water in a kettle pretty fast. If you have a crappy apartment size electric stove and you don't come to life until after your first sip of black tea in the morning...it's a different story.
I can assure you that I'd give up my electric kettle only when you pried it from my cold dead fingers.
Haha cedargr0, YES! I have a crappy apartment stove with 2 of the 4 burners that only intermittently enjoy working.
Plus its a kettle. In my kitchen, it's not a tool for international environmental change. It makes my tea, then I'm done and I unplug it. I don't debate the energy costs etc. I just want my tea, darnit! Unpopular an opinion as that may be, its mine.
good post!
we love our cuisinart immersion blender (see link below) and find the little chopper-bowl attachment great for small batches of pesto or salsa; plus the whisk attachment is AMAZING for whipped cream. totally don't miss our standing blender, as our immersion and food processor take care of all our blending needs!
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&q=cuisinart+immersion+blender&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=725161751414011573&sa=X&ei=tXKCTe6PM5S8sAPSzuDrAQ&ved=0CEEQ8gIwAQ#
Breville's cordless immersion blender makes it easy to one-handedly stand the thing in the sink once the soup is pureed.
I have an unhealthy addiction to kitchen gadgets, plugged or unplugged, several still in their boxes. That said, get a good quality immersion blender (I LOVE my KitchenAid) and you can dump both your blender and your hand mixer and avoid pulling out the full sized food processor half the time.
I can't believe they got rid of the zojirushi either. I used to cook rice on the stove as a poor 20 something and would never go back. A rice cooker doesn't need to be watched and keeps the rice warm for hours after.
After much research, I purchased the Bamix immersion blender from Williams Sonoma.
I have a huge electric tea kettle and could make do with a smaller one but the pros of a tea kettle are the speed the water heats up at and the fact not only do you not need to turn on the stove, you can leave a kettle plugged in for long periods of time (a godsend when you are in bed all day with the flu).
What a fun post and slew of comments!
We need to thin the appliance herd, too. Without question, we're keeping the coffee maker, coffee grinder, slow cookers (I have 2 plus an electric roaster that we use to roast chickens), microwave, waffle maker (regular use at our house!), rice maker (too many burnt pans to ever go back), electric kettle (handy for tea and home canning), kitchen scale, and immersion blender with attachments. I'd give up the toaster, but hubs says no. I got rid of the food processor last year. This sounds like sacrilege, but I'd be willing to part with the KitchenAid as I just don't do that kind of baking anymore. Oh, and the big electric griddle that only gets used once a year when we're pressed into cooking for a gathering.
I agree with paring down appliances. We have been trying to do the same thing the past couple of weeks!
Question: What do you do with the old appliances? We have a couple of things we have not used since we got them as wedding gifts 3 yrs ago so they're in great condition but no one is biting on Craigslist and there is no Goodwill in a convenient distance... ?
RE: toaster ovens
I can't live without mine. I find it to be as important as my coffee maker and refrigerator. I have made tons of things in mine, from cinnamon rolls to casseroles, even salmon en papallote. I use it for normal toast as well. Since I only really cook for one or two, it is much better than using my oven. I picked up one of the larger ones. My mother also uses hers frequently. Hers takes up as much space as her 2 slice toaster (which I really find redundant in having). Seriously, you can't knock having one without trying to make a small meal for one or two.
@ cedargr0 --
Right on! Electric stove = painful wait times for water to boil.
The other great thing about the electric kettle is, um, it goes off automatically. I used to be a constant offender when it came to not hearing my kettle whistling on the stove. That was not very green of me! Anyway, mine is older than I am and I rescued it from my grandmother's basement. But if I was getting a new one... mmm, Breville.
Use my coffee bean grinder, electric kettle, food processer, and toaster oven everyday. Also have a hand mixer and a stick blender for making soup. The microwave died after 20 yrs. I havn't replaced it. Got rid of the rice cooker and the George Forman grill. Don't miss them one bit. Dreaming about a Kitchen Aid stand mixer in aqua sky.
@ abt, if you are not looking for a profit, try offering them to your friends. When I got married, I pawned a whole bunch of dishes, pots, pans, etc. off on friends who were happy to take them. Everything was in great condition, but wedding gifts brought newer and nicer things. The "old" stuff got a home! Win-win!
Abt, I agree with offering them to friends or how about co-workers? Especially those just starting out.
I did it with handbags and jewelry, brought a bunch of stuff into the office, laid it out on my filing cabinet & told the co-workers to help themselves.
It's so interesting to see how people's needs differ. We use our rice cooker and electric kettle on a daily basis, and our (two!) slow cookers at least weekly.
On the other hand, I can't remember the last time we used the upright blender, and our ice cream maker is gathering dust in the pantry.
We've never owned a stand mixer and don't do much baking, but I do like the toaster oven for things like charring peppers and toasting nuts.
Even at my ripe old age of 68 I am ADDING small appliances to my kitchen. In the last 6 months I have needed to overcome some disabilities by getting a KitchenAid immersion blender complete with all the attachments, and I use the chopping beaker almost daily for veggies, plus a slow cooker (not using it as much as I thought I would), a huge Presto griddle (OMG yes!) and a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Amazon delivered all to me in perfect condition and I enjoy them all immensely. They compliment the Cuisinart coffee maker, the big KA mixer, the Cuisinart blender, the Panasonic bread machine which I use at least every other day, and the George Foreman grill. These small wonders do things for me that arthritis threatens to end forever, and I am so thankful for each one! Winning the $$$ in a contest so I could afford them was just awesome, though! I also snagged a brand new smoker for $20 from a neighbor, so I am in appliance heaven! The one appliance I would never want is a toaster oven - too big and lousy at baking.
Oh, and I have added a new Cuisinart food processor to my wish list at Amazon.....anyone want to give one away?
i noticed no one has suggested the combo blender/food processor. is that because it compromises on both?
We use the electric kettle, standard toaster & coffee maker daily. I've never once used & liked a toaster oven (2nd piece of toast always cooks faster) or a rice maker. We have a stand mixer that we use atleast once a week and a break maker, ice cream maker & grinder that all get used semi frequently.
As Alton Brown says, never own anything in your kitchen that only does one job, except for a fire extinguisher.
In that list, the stand mixer, food processor and coffee maker (oh, and grinder) are the only things I need.
Not having a dishwasher, my wife and I also have a stick blender. Because, frankly, the food processor can be a pain in the ass to clean by hand.
@AT23 I've got the combo but rarely ever touch the blender part since I've gotten the immersion blender. The food processor part has been the more useful half for me.
the coffeemaker, george foreman grill, are used daily. the coffee grinder, toaster oven, slow cooker, electric griddle, rice cooker are used often. the only things we don't really use is the blender and hand mixer.
i'd love to have a kitchenaid stand mixer, but can't justify the price right now.
I have four: a toaster oven, microwave, juicer (which I just got for Xmas!) and a blender. I wish I could live without any, but I use these quite a bit and they save time and energy by not using an oven.
It seems as if some of your appliances could still go though! Why have a stand mixer and a hand mixer. I would part with the hand mixer. Also, there are now coffee grinders and coffee makers made into one now. That would cut down one more!
This is why we picked a rental unit with a giant pantry. Hard to come by, not the perfect neighborhood, but our culinary whiz-bang is an important factor.
I understand that you want to get rid of things, but I just couldn't do the rice cooker. My rice skills are dangerous enough to make the cooker a must have.
Wow! This is fun. We have a KitchenAid stand mixer, food processor, and blender (all in cobalt blue: love). Also a microwave, a toaster, a hand mixer, a waffle iron, and an electric Dutch oven.
I would cut off a toe before getting rid of my Zojirushi. Perfect rice and perfect steel cut oatmeal every time.
Huh. I consider myself a minimalist - despite having oodles of storage space - and still counted about a dozen appliances, all of which get used pretty regularly. (If they didn't, out the door they'd go).
I haven't seen the need for an immersion blender. Anything I can do with one of those, I can do with my cheapo upright blender and I have no idea how the hell I'd make a margarita with an immersion blender....
I have not one, but TWO slow cookers - two sizes. They're the nuts for barbecue, among other things, as well as keeping stuff (meatballs, sausage...) hot during parties.
Wow, I have two. I have a toaster oven and a water cooler (hot water and cold). No microwave, no blender, no food processor or mixer. Granted I live overseas and only bought what I needed to. I do however add a microwave, kitchenaid mixer, bbq, food processor and blender when I'm at home.