Kitchen appliances: What do you really need?

When it comes to kitchen appliances, there are two categories; needs and wants! Many kitchens are cluttered with appliances from bread makers, rice cookers, toasters, blenders, coffee machines, dishwashers, rubbish disposal units, food processors, ovens, sandwich makers, microwaves, juicers, and many more with esoteric uses. If your kitchen is cluttered and unworkable, or if you are considering what to stock your new kitchen with, then these tips may help.

Kitchen appliances

There are a plethora of possibilities out there when it comes to kitchen appliances, and many look terribly tempting, either for your own kitchen or for gifts. Here's how to choose.

• The absolute essentials are a good quality fridge and oven/cooktop. These two items have to form the basis of any good kitchen, and it is worth missing out on some of the extra accessories if it means buying excellent quality here. Choosing an oven with a good easy to use grill may save on buying a toaster and separate grill, too
• Microwave ovens are considered an essential by many people, but are they really? Honestly assess what you would use one for, how often it would be used, and whether spending the money on one is worth it. If it is a genuine time saver for you, a microwave may be the third kitchen essential
• Toasters are definitely useful items for time saving, easy food preparation. Choose one that has the capacity you need and is easy to clean
• A toaster oven is probably redundant if you have a good oven with a grill, and a toaster. In this case it's probably just something else to clean. If you move a lot, though, a toaster oven can be an excellent portable way of insuring yourself against houses that lack a good oven
• Garbage disposal units maybe handy for those in flats or units. If you have a yard, though, compost is cheaper, better for the environment and excellent for the garden
• Food processors and sticks can be very handy. If you won't use it a lot, a food processing 'stick' is small, effective, easy to clean and stores in a kitchen drawer
• A dishwasher may fall into the category 'essential sanity saver' if you lead a busy lifestyle. In this case have one, but purchase one with good energy and water efficiency star ratings
• Other appliances such as coffee and bread makers, rice cookers, toasted sandwich makers, juicers and more are usually annoying to clean and should be considered on a genuine use basis. These jobs can be performed by the basic appliances you have, so are hard to justify in a crowded kitchen or on a crowded budget

Every kitchen needs a good quality oven / cook top and fridge, and beyond that most items are extras that you may or may not have a genuine use for.

What kitchen appliances do you need?

In many ways this is a question that you need to answer yourself. Beyond the two essentials there are three or four items that many people find improves their life by giving them more time and ease of food preparation, and a host of other objects that may simply clutter the kitchen and be seldom used. Avoid impulse buying of appliances and you will generally avoid clutter and waste in the kitchen.