Your Favourite Kitchen Appliances

So what is your favourite kitchen appliance?

The one thing that you really couldn’t do without?   Opinions vary enormously: even here at DIY Homefit we had to agree to disagree!  But we’ve come up with the following list of five that we think are probably representative of the majority of our readers. But maybe we’re wrong!

Have a read and let us know what you think  …..

• Slow cooker

These tend to wax and wane in terms of being trendy but for some people they are an absolute essential!  Particularly at this time of year they can make your daily life much easier.  A little bit of preparation in the morning can result in a warm nutritious dinner waiting for you when you get home.   The large capacity of a slow cooker makes it ideal either for families or for people who love entertaining.   Look for a better quality slow cooker with a central stoneware bowl: not only are these hard-wearing but also easy to clean.  Interestingly, a slow cooker only uses about the same amount of energy as a light bulb, so is much more energy efficient than an oven.

• Electric stand mixer

As the name implies, a stand mixer is designed to stand on the counter surface rather than being handheld.  It is seen as essential by those who love baking, as it makes it so much easier – and more effective – to mix ingredients together.     Different mixers come with a different assortment of accessories so choose the combination that will work best for your particular needs.  They can also be very stylish: so whether your taste is contemporary or more retro, there is bound to be the perfect design for your kitchen!

• The smoothie maker

Smoothies are a bit like marmite: you love them or hate them!  But for those that do love them, a smoothie maker is an essential not a luxury.  Indeed, even if you are not a fan of smoothies, a smoothie maker can also be incredibly useful for preparing other food such as soups, sauces, purees and baby food.   Many of them can not only blend any type of fruit or vegetable but can handle tougher ingredients such as nuts and seeds and also crush ice.

• Coffee machine

As any self-respecting coffee drinker knows, freshly brewed real coffee is the only way to drink it!   There are now a wide variety of coffee machines on the market that can either prepare coffee by the jug or the cup.  Some use pods, some use packs of ready ground coffee (which smell amazing when you open them!), and some will even grind coffee beans for you.  Shop around for the best combination that will fulfil your coffee-making needs.  Again, coffee machines com in all kinds of different styles – from large high-tech gleaming chrome devices to cute little retro ones.  But if you’re a serious coffee drinker there’s no contest: this has to be an essential feature of your kitchen!

• Toaster oven

These are becoming increasingly popular and many people are now preferring to have a toaster oven than a microwave.  Toaster ovens are mini convection ovens that fit neatly on a small counter top.  They usually have a front-opening door, wire rack and removable baking pan.  They are incredibly useful for toasting bread, baking, and general heating up.  They work fast and can be much more economical than a large oven when cooking for small numbers.

So did we get it right?  If your favourite appliance did not make it onto our list why not get in touch and let us know?   While you’re at it, do have a browse through the products on our website.  After all, if you might be getting some brand new kitchen appliances this Christmas you might then decide that you also need some new DIY kitchen units to house them in the style which they deserve!   Take a look through our  gallery of kitchen pictures to get some ideas and inspiration!