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Small Kitchen Appliances
Not too long ago, a hand-cranked meat grinder was a common sight in most kitchens (along with egg beaters and ice boxes!). If you’re too young to remember those days, you probably wonder how our mothers, grandmothers (or great-grandmothers) got along without a food processor—or even a blender or an electric mixer. They did just fine, but there’s no need for today’s busy cook to “have to” spend a lot of time hand chopping, grinding and whipping when a machine will do the work—often more proficiently—in minutes. Although you could get by without any of them, owning these appliances has been a true source of comfort for me. These items surely will help you make the most of the time spent in your kitchen.
Must Haves
Blender (standard): Although technically, the food processor does many of the same jobs as a blender (purée, liquefy and blend), the results are frequently different. Use a blender when puréeing bananas or when a thicker, more emulsified texture is desired in mixtures that don’t contain eggs or an acidic ingredient (such as vinegar or mustard). The food processor tends to leave these types of mixtures with a thinner, more watery consistency. When choosing a blender, remember—simple and steady wins the race. In other words, steer clear of blenders with loads of buttons.
Mixer (electric hand-held): For those who only dabble in baking, there are some great hand-held appliances with surprising power.
Toaster/Toaster Oven: A toaster oven is more versatile than the regular push-down-the-slice type. Great for open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches, baking potatoes and even warming small plates or serving dishes!
Fancy Footwork
Blender (immersion, or stick): An immersion blender (also called a “stick blender”) is a convenient tool to purée soups, sauces, etc. without straining or even removing the food from the vessel in which it cooked.
Deep-fat fryer: Although I use a deep fry thermometer, choosing to use a thermostatically-controlled electric fryer is the safest (and most efficient) way to fry in deep fat. This is especially true if your stove is electric, since it’s more difficult to regulate the heating element quickly.
Food processor: Although some used to consider this a “luxury,” over the past two decades a good basic food processor is more readily available and at a more affordable price. Pie crust dough, homemade butter, even fresh mayonnaise are all made so quickly and efficiently in the food processor that this is one machine I’d rather not do without. Great for quickly chopping, shredding, lightening flour mixtures, etc. This is also my preferred tool to make pie crusts, to grate large amounts of Parmesan cheese as well as semi-soft cheese for pizza and to chop large amounts of chocolate (which saves wear and tear on my knives). It’s convenient to own an extra workbowl, blade and top, for a full size food processor. Mini processors are also terrific for mincing and puréeing small things like garlic, chipolte peppers and roasted peppers.
Ice cream maker: Either hand-cranked or electric. Although very pricey, if you plan on making homemade ice cream often, using an electric model is a good choice since this type comes with built-in refrigeration and will allow you to churn successive batches of ice cream without having to wait twenty-four hours between each batch for the canister (of non-electrics) to chill properly. A less expensive alternative is to choose a simpler model that will allow you to purchase extra canisters that can chill simultaneously.
Meat grinder: Certain electric mixing machines have grinding attachments available, to avoid having to have (and store) a separate appliance.
Mini chopper (electric): I love having a mini chopper (one that’s even smaller than a mini food processor) for mincing small amounts of garlic and puréeing small roasted peppers. Some can successfully grind hard seeds, dried mushrooms and chocolate into fine powder (although I prefer a spice grinder for that). However, be aware that after being used for garlic, the plastic cup on some mini choppers will retain the scent. If yours does, and you’re planning to use this for other than savory purposes, then have two and label one "garlic only" to avoid mix-ups.
Mixer (electric heavy-duty): Among all the machines, the best and most reliable electric mixers have one central paddle and a separate whisk attachment instead of two separate rotating beaters. The bowl capacity should be at least 5 quarts, for versatility. When making certain cakes, a heavy, good-quality mixing machine will do a superb job of creaming butter and sugar. It then enables you to slowly incorporate eggs while continuously beating in air to achieve greatest volume, thus achieving the lightest texture. A heavy-duty mixer is also very helpful when making brioche dough or cream cheese pastry and whipping egg whites. It’s wise to purchase an extra bowl for mixtures that are made in stages.
Pasta rolling machine (hand-cranked): The Atlas pasta machine is very efficient and durable.
Pasta rack (wooden): For hanging fresh pasta strands to dry.
Slow Cooker (Crock Pot): For busy people, a crock pot makes it possible to have dinner ready and waiting when you get home at the end of a long day! I suggest getting a large one (up to 7 quart capacity) to be able to make enough to freeze. I prefer the model called a “Smart Pot” (comes in a 6 quart capacity) which turns to a “keep warm” setting after the preset time is completed.
Spice grinder (electric): An electric spice grinder is the most efficient way to grind peppercorns, hard seeds, whole spices or beans to a fine powder. Use a mini food processor or a mortar and pestle as an adequate—and muscle building—substitute.
Waffle Iron: Belgian waffle irons have the deepest pockets and create the crispest waffles.
