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A guide to small kitchen appliances
The smart oven can roast, toast, reheat, slow cook and air fry. PHOTO | COUTESY | foodandwine.com
What you need to know:
- With open-plan kitchens on the rise, designers are putting stylish new spins on everyday kitchen gadgets. They are colourful and more visually appealing enough to be used as part of the décor.
As our kitchens get smaller and our time shorter, the need for appliances can do more becomes inevitable. With advanced technology, now can find smaller appliances that deliver above and beyond their size.
There are appliances smart enough to complete the food preparation process on their own and those that offer multifunctionality.
Multicookers
With multicookers, one no longer requires different appliances to slow-cook, deep-fry, sauté, sear, or bake. All you need is versatile and smart cooker such as the Tefal’s Cook4Me+ Connect.
This little dynamite does everything from slow cooking to yogurt-making, of course done at different times.
It has Bluetooth-connectivity, which enables one to download recipes for more than 100 dishes that can be cooked in less than 10 minutes. You can monitor cooking progress from your smartphone too.
Stand mixers
Remember when one needed a mixer and an oven to be able to bake? But with new models of stand mixers such as the Kenwood’s Cooking Chef, you can beat and mix your dough and bake your cake using the same gadget as well as slow cook and stir-fry food.
Air fryers
Air fryers have dominated the healthy eating space for a while now. The latest models of air fryers will give you the crunchy fries as well as cook up steaks, burgers and chicken nuggets using as little oil as possible. But even more it is able to cook almost twice as fast as the oven.
Steamers
Steam, bake, pressure cook and slow cook all in the one pot. These multipurpose steamers heat up quickly and are crafted to perfection with the ability to cook a variety of rice, eggs, chicken fish and more.
With digital timers, water sensors, and pre-set modes, you are able to spend less time in the kitchen, making this gadget more compatible with your busy everyday life. Plus, it can also keep food warm for up to 12 hours.
Automatic bread maker
The automatic bread maker is the perfect gadget to add to the kitchens of those who prefer bake their own bread. If you prefer the warm loaves from your own oven, look no further than the acclaimed Cuisinart’s Compact Automatic bread machine.
Designed to make loaves in a variety of sizes, this machine offers additional flexibility by including 12 preprogrammed options, a 13-hour delay-start timer, and settings that allow you to bake various types of bread and control whether the crust is light, medium or dark. Its slim vertical baking pan, with easy release, makes use and cleaning simple and keeps the machine slim and suitable for counters in smaller kitchens.
Food processor
For most home cooks, it is not the cooking that takes the most time but the preparation that must be done before cooking - chopping so many vegetables before cooking can be tiresome. This is why a food processor is required.
It has never been easier to puree tomatoes, cut onion, or make dough. In a matter of minutes, a food processor can slice, purée, combine, and produce dough and batter. This is unquestionably the first tool you should have in your kitchen because it may easily cut your preparation time in half.
High speed blender
For modern, time strapped cooks, the blender is a must-have gadget. Not only do they make blending smoother, but their blenders are made to last, saving you from buying a new one every few years. These impressive machines feature higher levels of horsepower than traditional countertop blenders to handle tough tasks.
The heftier motors create a stronger vortex at the bottom of the pitcher that makes quick work of blending thick mixtures or crushing ice. High-speed blenders typically feature more preset programme settings than a standard blender to give you control over the quality of your blend.
Juicer
You live a healthy lifestyle and your juicer is likely one of the centerpieces of your small kitchen. And that’s the conundrum. You will need a juicer such as the Omega Vertical Low Speed Juicer.
The juicer boasts a large capacity but a small footprint, making it perfect for smaller kitchens with less counter space. The low speed system limits froth and foam preventing oxidation enabling the juice to be stored for up to 72 hours without degradation or juice separation.
Smart oven
Smart ovens offer many new features that you may find convenient or beneficial, particularly if you enjoy a bit more guidance or precision when cooking or love a high-tech appliance. Smart ovens cook meals in mere minutes, which is ideal for those nights when all you want is a quick meal for the family. They can roast, toast, reheat, slow cook and air fry.
Most of them are compact enough to sit on a small counter without hording the space. They also connect to WiFi, making them some of the best luxury small kitchen appliances for tech-obsessed foodies.
