11 Kitchen Appliances That Make Life Easier
There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal. Unfortunately, sometimes time restraints can cause you to reach for the takeout menu or a bag of instant noodles. Instead of opting for a quick meal that leaves you feeling unsatisfied, there are kitchen appliances you can incorporate into your cooking routine that provide many benefits. For example, cooking appliances can help speed up cooking time, make cooking easier, allow meals to be more hands-off, or a combination of the three.
Below is a list of kitchen appliances that make cooking easier, so you can enjoy more home-cooked meals during the week.
Slow Cooker
Slow cookers do not help you speed up cooking times for meals. However, they allow the cooking process to be more hands-off so you can tackle other tasks instead of watching your food cooking. Slow cookers are a must-have kitchen appliance if you're looking for an option to make cooking easier.
You can add all the ingredients (protein, veggies, grains) directly into the slow cooker, leave it on low for 6-8 hours, and have a tasty meal ready for dinner. It's a versatile cooking appliance so that you can make everything from large batches of breakfast to dinner stews, desserts, and more. It's a great option for larger families, home chefs who host or attend get-togethers often, or those who want an easy meal prep option.
Plus, it keeps your food warm until you’re ready to eat.
Food Processor
Food processors are another great option for home chefs who want to take some of the chopping time from their recipes. Using a food processor allows you to chop or dice vegetables finely. It's also excellent for making nut butter, doughs, and sauces. A food processor can even help grind up meat for homemade sausages.
Rice Cooker
While rice is not a complicated item to cook, it typically requires you to watch the boiling pot of water during the cooking process. Instead of waiting nearby your pot of rice to ensure it doesn't overflow, you can use a rice cooker. Simply add the rice and water into the rice cooker (according to the directions) and turn the switch on. With a more hands-off process, you'll have fresh rice ready in 20 minutes
Espresso Machine
Purchasing an espresso machine can be a good investment if you typically create coffee-flavored desserts (like tiramisu). It also allows you to brew your morning coffee, saving you time and money as you can skip the typical coffee shop stop.
Using this coffee machine may take some time to learn, though it offers a way to make hot coffee in the comfort of your home. Once you've mastered using an espresso machine, you can whip up coffee-based recipes like BBQ marinades, sweet treats, and more.
Instant Pot
Using an Instant Pot saves you quite a bit of time in the kitchen. This appliance can be used in various recipes, such as creating chicken dishes (in about 15 minutes). With various settings, including pressure cook, sauté, brown, simmer, etc., you can cook nearly any recipe in an Instant Pot.
Plus, you can leave the Instant Pot while the ingredients are cooking and come back to a fully cooked meal.
Air Fryer
Air fryers have become a top trending item for creating healthy meals, and for a good reason. You can easily use air fryers to prep items like French fries or other fried food with a much smaller quantity of oil. Plus, air fryers use a convection technique that cuts down on the length of cook time.
Instead of baking fries in the oven for 20-30 minutes, you can have a batch of crisp fries in 10-15 minutes.
Microwave Oven
While the microwave is frowned upon by many chefs, it does aid in creating recipes more easily. For example, you can put a stick of butter in the microwave for a few seconds if you need melted butter for a pie crust.
While you can’t cook everything in the microwave, it’s a great tool for reheating items and odd and end tasks.
Deep Fryer
Deep fryers can come in handy if you want a quick, comforting meal without leaving your house. In comparison to baking items such as fries or chicken, you'll find that a deep fryer cuts down on cooking time significantly.
Not much prep is required for deep frying, making it a convenient and easy kitchen appliance to utilize.
A few tips for working with a deep fryer:
· Ensure the oil is at the correct temperature before inserting your food. Cooking food at the incorrect temp can lead to longer cook times and soggy items instead of crispy.
· Never drop items directly into the oil, as it can cause hot liquid to splash. Instead, use the basket to lower your food into the oil easily.
Bread Maker
A bread maker is a great option for those who love fresh bread but don't have time to wait for the bread to rise. You'll only need a few ingredients to make a fresh loaf of bread, including flour, yeast, and water. After you add everything to a bread maker, it will combine and knead the ingredients for you.
After allowing the dough to rest and rise, the bread maker will also bake the loaf. You'll have fresh bread ready in about 2-4 hours.
Indoor Grill
Depending on where you live, firing up the grill may not be an option year-round. If that's the case, you'll benefit from an indoor grill that offers a similar smoky flavor and char marks. You can cook any items on an indoor grill that you would on an outdoor grill, such as steaks, burgers, corn, etc.
Indoor grills are also typically budget-friendly, with many options available for under $100.
Electric Kettle
Electric kettles are great for a few reasons. They help heat water quickly, making it easy to create instant noodles or hot tea in a matter of minutes. Plus, you don't need to watch the water boil on the stovetop; electric kettles turn off when the water is boiling or at a preset temperature (in some cases).
