I got rid of the microwave over a decade ago. I traded in the coffee maker for a french press about 4 years ago. I still have the hand mixer, Kitchen Aid, AND immersion blender, but the hand mixer MIGHT go but I do use it occassionally. You will have to pry my rice pot from my cold dead hands, but I'm Asian, so that's a given. We've added a juicer and I really like it. The coffee grinder got repurposed into a spice grinder. I still have the two waffel irons and I like them both for different reasons. Blender is dying, but I'll keep it until it goes totally kaput. Food processor gets used damn near every time I cook, so that stays. I still have too many THINGS.

I would recommend thinking twice about replacing a hand mixer with an immersion blender. I love my immersion blender, but the whisk attachment on it is pretty lightweight and almost flimsy. It's perfect for things like whipping cream or beating eggs, but I wouldn't use it to mix up a small batch of dough or batter. While I don't really like my hand mixer, I keep in around for some of those in-between jobs when I just don't want to haul out the stand mixer.

It's possible that newer immersion blender models have a more sturdy whisk, but I'd definitely check it out before purchasing. BTW, I have an 8 year old Braun immersion blender that remains one of the most frequently used appliances in my kitchen.

I'm surprised that you're willing to give up your hand mixer, since we use ours pretty regularly for things that just don't work with the immersion blender (I'm thinking mainly about baked goods - creaming butter & sugar, making quick breads, etc.). One person's kitchen treasure is another's kitchen trash!

I'm not surprised they ditched the hand mixer - they've got a stand mixer...why would you bother with something less powerful? I've had my immersion blender for about 5 years now and it's fantastic! I don't use it for mixing dough, but the blender attachment works great for more liquid things like pancake batter or quiche batter. Mine also came with a mini processor bowl which works great for chopping fresh herbs, nuts, etc, when I don't want to bother dragging out the food processor.

It's the basic Cuisinart stainless immersion blender, which runs about $50: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006G3JRO/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000EGA6QI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=03TBRXT4PYYTNA84HYW6

I'll second that; if you have a stand mixer, a hand mixer seems redundant. This is coming from someone who did all her stirring with a spoon for years before finally buying a now-beloved Kitchenaid. I still only use it for heavy-duty stuff--kneading dough, whipping egg whites--and do most everything else by hand. Spoons are easier to wash than are beaters and blender parts.

I don't have a stand mixer yet, and I'm still ready to toss my hand mixer. It does a terrible (and terribly slow) job of creaming butter and sugar, which is the only thing I use it for. The immersion blender whisk makes great whipped cream and egg whites. I've just given up baking anything that involves creaming until I can afford the kitchen space for a good stand mixer.

Love, love, love my Cuisinart stainless steel immersion blender and its various attachments (same one as mentioned by Ginbelle)! Ditto on the whisk not being super sturdy, but may not be an issue for you if already have a stand mixer or, like me, have the need for something stronger infrequently enough to be able to rely on elbow grease on those occasions.

Got a reliable, hard working little hand mixer from Target for $30 and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I find it's MUCH better than it's $300 cousin, the stand mixer because you have more control. I never find clumps at the bottom when I've used my hand mixer- but it's pretty much a given with the stand.

I seriously hope that the rice cooker you ditched is not the one used in the little photo...

That particular rice cooker, Zojirushi with NeuroFuzzy technology, is amazing. It makes every kind of rice and grain I've thrown at it with precision. Not to mention great Japanese-style mixed rice with vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, and the perfect lightly scorched bottom which is a hallmark of great mixed rice dishes.

The only things I have in my kitchen for appliances are: the Zojirushi rice cooker, Black and Decker toaster oven, and my Keurig Platinum.

When I got married 2 years ago, I didn't understand why my mother-in-law thought I needed a stand mixer. Since then, I've used my beloved KitchenAid probably once a week and I can't imagine life without it. The hand mixer I thought I needed? Never bought one, probably never will. I think owning both would be pretty redundant.

I would keep the hand mixer as well, but I don't have a stand mixer. Turns out it's really hard to make icing with a wisk...

Kitchenaid stand mixer, and blender/food processor combo are the two that are used most frequently. The Krumkake iron only gets used once a year (at Christmas), but I'm Norwegian, so it's pretty much required.

We have a french press and a coffee maker, and could probably part with one or the other. I also would really like to acquire an immersion blender and an air-pop popcorn maker.

Other than that, we do pretty much everything else in cast iron and love it! :)

I have a Braun Immersion Blender with a mini food processor attachment that I have used at least 3 times a week for the last 12 years. I am thinking of trading it in for a newer stainless steel model one of these days...just because - not because I NEED to...

Thanks for the immersion blender recs!

Re: the hand mixer, we realized we really only used it for small batches of whipped cream -- everything else gets mixed in the KitchenAid.

@mntwmyn We are Asian, too, and it felt so wrong to get rid of the rice cooker. The Korean pot we have makes better rice, though!

@spicygyoza We never liked the Zojirushi -- blasphemy, I know!

I downsized my 12 c coffee maker for a 2 cup french press and replaced the 10 year old blender and food processor with an immersion blender. My hand-me-down handheld mixer might be next to go!

I'd surely be interested to know how you use the ddukbaegi to make rice. Right now, the rice cooker is the kitchen appliance I can least imagine living without! (Hand whisk whipped cream? Sure! French press coffee? Ok. Cook rice in a regular pot? Not possible!)

That particular Zojirushi model was possibly the worst rice maker I've owned, so it was easy to let go. A decades old Zojirushi did a much better, consistent job of cooking rice, sans bells and whistles, and we've not had any problems switching to cooking rice with the ddukbaegi.

When I moved from NYC to SF last year after finishing culinary school, I kept: KA Stand mixer, KA Blender, KA spice grinder. I gave up FrancisFrancis X5 espresso maker, microwave, toaster, immersion blender, rice cooker, drip coffee maker, hand mixer, can opener, and about 2 kitchen worth of things people had given me.

Felt great, don't regret any of it.

i don't get all the rice cooker talk. I'm sure they work great but so does a regular old pot with a lid-my rice is perfect every time.

Rather than do without some appliances when I moved into a small space with a teeney weeney kitchen, I merely downsized the actual item. Got a smaller rice cooker (2 to 3 cups is enough for me typically), salad spinner and substituted an electric kettle for the air pot.

I did away with the blender, coffee maker, oven, hand blender (use my KA and Bamix immersion for everything) and toaster oven.

I'm with the first poster, I pity the fool who tries to take away this Japanese girl's rice cooker. You didn't like the Zojirushi? Too bad, I have a recent model (the silver, 3 cup) and it totally rocks.

Oh, yeah ditched the electric griddle and the ice cream maker too (figured out I much rather just buy Hagaan Daaz).

We just moved and are still unpacking our kitchen, however I had to locate my blendtec blender and one of my crock pots. I also have the Cuisinart immersion blender many previous posters have and I can't imagine living without it, especially when using it in a pot of hot food. I wouldn't use it as a replacement for the hand mixer I got rid of, however my KA stand mixer does that job. We also ditched the ice cream maker before the move.

Oh dear; this is going to be embarrassing.....

I have some lovely deep kitchen drawers that I mostly choose not to open. I just peeked inside one and found it contained two electric coffee grinders (I use the third as a spice grinder) and an old wooden hand mill, three French presses, a stack of Melitta filter holders in various sizes and an insulated coffee pot made by Thermos. Another cupboard yielded a Krups espresso maker and a Phillips filter-coffee maker. I use none of these things any more, having made the switch to the delights of Nespresso capsules a few years ago. But getting rid of them?????

Moving away from coffee, I use my ancient Japanese rice cooker each time I cook rice, make all my bread using my Panasonic bread-maker (I have had one since they first appeared on the market many years ago; this is my second, maybe third machine - the other/s wore out). I regularly use a microwave, an electric kettle (I'm a Brit!) and an electric toaster; occasionally I need one or other of my two stick blenders and sometimes an electric hand-held whisk.

I long ago got rid of my food processor (too fiddly to wash up) but regret allowing my Kenwood to be sold. Personally I would not have bought the raclette machine, but using it makes my husband happy. And talking of melted cheese, who doesn't have at least three different types of fondue set (cheese, meat, chocolate) in some forgotten corner?

The yogurt-maker, popcorn-maker, waffle-maker, electric carving knife (a sure indicator of age!) and juicer are now rarely, if ever, used and should probably be dumped. At some stage. As should my very fancy (and at one time, much-used) ice-cream maker, which is still in its padded packing material from the last time we moved house.....

I couldn't live without the blender (soups, smoothies) but I'm with you on everything else. Once I started rinsing rice and paying closer attention to the time, I decided I like stovetop rice better than RC rice. I use my KA mixer at least 5 times a week, it's essential and the only one that stays on the counter (plus: it's pretty!). But I'm cooking for 3 or 4, including two teenagers, so batches are bigger.

I have an embarassing amount of kitchen appliances as well and yet I still want another: a hand mixer. I was once again reminded of this when I went to whip up egg whites for Sunday morning pancakes and I had to pull out my KA. It would have been nice to just use a smaller hand blender for something like this.

@Ms. Tiggy- Love that you mentioned your Krumkake iron here! My family makes Norwegian Christmas cookies every year, so we would never dream of giving that up (although it lives in the basement the rest of the year).

I'm currently going through a purge of my own. I've been at it for a week and am actually enjoying the experience. I'm not yet into the kitchen, but when I do there will be several small appliances sent to the Goodwill or DAV. We have so many that we haven't touched in years...it's sad. Thanks for the inspiration!
Sherry @ http://familycrockpotrecipes.com

I have a stand mixer, but the handheld one is useful if you need to whip up a small amount of cream or egg whites.

I've never used a rice cooker, but my pressure cooker makes excellent rice so I'm not sure there's a need.

"I never find clumps at the bottom when I've used my hand mixer- but it's pretty much a given with the stand."

I really hate complaints about an appliance that are a result of the user's inability to read the manual.

wish I could ditch the microwave, but husband likes it. I like food warmed up on the stove better. For those dubious about a rice cooker, the beauty of it is not just that it makes, rice, it is that it holds it at the perfect, beautiful temperature. Ditched my food processor. I both cook and bake frequently, and I just never figured out why people love food processors. Cuisinart immersion blender is lovely. Stand mixer is a MUST. Coffee maker: you will pry that from my cold dead hands.

I haven't ditched my hand mixer for one reason - if my stand mixer takes a die what would I do! I lived for years with a hand mixer and now I store it deep in a closet because I don't use it but worry that on the off chance that something will happen to my stand mixer while I am making hundreds of cookies for an event and I will be in BIG trouble! Space can be a problem, I know, but occasionally I do save something just in case!

I have a Sharper Image immersion blender that I'm very happy with and the whisk attachment on it is not at all flimsy. My mom found it for me at TJMaxx for $30.

I just got an immersion blender to replace my upright blender. It works better for hummus, soups and smoothies, takes up less space, and is easier to clean.

Oh, and we have an electric can opener that my fiance gave me for my birthday. We had four hand openers that all failed miserably at actually opening cans, and now I love the electric one so I wouldn't give it up!

Love our KA immersion blender- tried the Cuisinart one, and it died within 2 months, but the KA is brilliant.

Here's blasphemy: the KA stand mixer that I lusted after for so long hardly gets used since it's so much easier to use the Cuisinart hand-mixer. It gets the entire bowl mixed without having to stop & scrape down, I can use it on things sitting over a pan of simmering water on the stove, and have you tried using a stand mixer to beat ONE egg white?

I've adjusted the stand mixer to its maximum, and I still have dry mix on the bottom. And it's so hard to get things into the bowl while it's going. Great for dough though.

I love my KA stand mixer,food processor, coffee maker with built in grinder, and one that I haven't seen mentioned....... My iced tea maker. Come summer that appliance gets a daily workout and has surely paid for itself many times over as my husband switches to iced tea abandoning his diet coke once the maker comes out!

I recently gave away my programmable fuzzy logic rice cooker and my stovetop pressure cooker. They were replaced by a Fagor 3-in-1 multi-cooker (rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker). It's quiet and works like a champ. Makes a variety of grains (and beans, etc.) in minutes, turns itself off, and I don't have to watch it. Quinoa in 4 minutes, dal in 8. Best, no messy liquid spouting out of the vent, like I experienced with my rice cooker.

I love my Cuisinart immersion blender with mini food processor and use it almost daily!

I'm always looking to purge kitchen items. It seems we feel we HAVE to have these things, but then... how often do we REALLY use them. I have pared down to VitaMix (used several times a day!), food processor and... my air popper for popcorn in 3 minutes!

I've been DYING to get rid of the crock pot for the last couple years, but my husband insists we "need" it, but since I work from home... I can cook things in our dutch oven the same way we'd use the crock pot.

I'm even ready to donate the juicer. It's so bulky and annoying to clean... I opt for a smoothie over juicing because I get the added bonus of fiber and no clean up OR food waste. Ugh...

I LOVE my Aeropress. I finally bought an extra for work (in order to stop dragging mine to and from from home) and one for my sig. other's place. :) I just picked up a hand grinder and my coffee needs are met. Although, my Aeropress has RUINED coffee for me....most coffee shops (local or corporate) cannot compare to what I can make.

L

Sometime i'm wondering can we can't use the blender in our dinner progress. But, i find it no. Those chief tool are so convenience when we need use them.

I don't have counter space to leave my stand mixer out so it has to stay in the basement. For that reason I tend to use it sort of infrequently. I use a hand mixer often for most smaller jobs like whipping egg whites, cream, simple doughs, etc. I also use my food processor and immersion blender often, and we use our simple 2-slice toaster at least 6 days a week, sometimes more than once a day! I would really like a rice cooker as I have a serious rice cooking impairment, but don't have space for it so I've resisted buying one.