Blenders

Blenders are perfect for making sauces, shakes and purees while also having the added benefit of being small, so they should therefore fit in your kitchen cupboard or on the countertop with no problem at all.

We recommend looking at three things:

• Dishwasher safe parts: If parts can be cleaned in the dishwasher then it certainly makes life easier when it comes to cleaning up, particularly if you are planning on using a blender on a daily basis.
• Various speed settings & a pulse setting: If you want to blend a wide variety of ingredients then you definitely want to look for a blender that has multiple speed settings so you can blend both soft and hard foods.
• Removable filter cap: A removable filter cap undoubtedly comes in handy if you want adding the ingredients to the mixture to be as easy as possible.

A good first blender is the Breville BBL605XL.

Mixers

Mixers, such as the Breville BEM800XL, are perfect if you want to quickly blend ingredients. They tend to be an essential small kitchen appliance, particularly as they are very versatile.

We recommend purchasing a stand mixer rather than a hand-held one, as they feature a heavy-duty design, deliver better, more consistent results, and are generally more reliable.

Take into account the following:

• Mixing bowl – a large bowl is needed if you are cooking for your family or if you like to prepare food for the week in advance
• Beater action – it’s a good idea to purchase a mixer that rotates both the bowl and beater simultaneously, as it means less work for you
• Accessories – accessories are often an overlooked aspect of mixers, but if you want additional beaters or any other attachments (grinders, splatter guard etc) then it’s usually better to have these included in the price of the mixer rather than purchasing them separately.

Food Processors

Many people think that a blender can double as a food processor; however, this is incorrect, particularly when you consider that food processors tend to need liquids to keep the food mixing in the bowl, whereas blenders do not.

We recommend looking out for:

• Size of the bowl – The size of the bowl ranges from 4 to 16 cups, therefore, choose the one that best fits your needs.
• Various speed settings & a pulse setting: If you want to blend a wide variety of ingredients then you definitely want to look for a blender that has multiple speed settings so you can blend both soft and hard foods
• Attachments – Many people need various attachments, such as choppers, graters and shredders. However, this will clearly depend on your needs; therefore, make sure that you don’t pay more for what you don’t need. In many cases, the cheapest option is the best choice.

The Cuisinart DFP-14BCN or Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB are certainly worth checking out if you’re looking for a couple of the best food processors on the market.

Toasters

Nowadays, toasters, such as the Breville BOV650X and Breville BOV800XL, do more than just toast bread, as you can cook a whole chicken or turkey in one.

Look out for:

• The number of slots
• The width of the slots
• Whether there is a crumb tray or not
• Whether there is a lightness/darkness selector for the crust
• Numerous settings – I.e more than just a single setting for plain old white bread
• Defrost feature

Grills

When it comes to grills you want to look out for:

• Nonstick cooking surface
• Drip tray for collecting fat or other liquids
• A flat or ridged surface, which will depend on how you like your food to be cooked and whether fat will be caught in the drip tray

While many people think that George Foreman is the only brand that they should look at, other brands should not be disregarded. For example, theCuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 is an excellent grill.

A good place to read read reviews on a wide range of small kitchen appliances is The Right Appliance. Amazon tend to have the cheapest prices.