The kitchen appliances you need – and don't need

Walk into any home electrical store, and there’ll be an astounding variety of kitchen appliances on sale. From freestanding mini-grills to induction hobs, air fryers to wine fridges, you could fill a house with cookery-related gadgets. Yet many of these devices duplicate the work of existing appliances, while some seem destined to end up gathering dust at the back of a kitchen cupboard.

To help cut through the clutter, we’ve profiled four kitchen appliances every home could benefit from, and four which wouldn’t be missed if you chose not to buy one. We’ve ignored non-electrical ‘gadgets’ like banana slicers or spiralisers, and refrained from criticising electric carving knives, which are noisy and dangerous – but also invaluable if you suffer from certain disabilities.

The must-haves…

1. Air fryer

It’s tempting to dismiss air fryers as a triumph of hype over substance, yet many owners swear by them. Air fryers are great at cooking without needing to warm up, and they tend to achieve consistent results when reheating frozen food, while using very little fat. Despite occupying a lot of worktop space, their limited internal capacities aren’t great for families.

2. Multi-plate sandwich maker

Many of us grew up with an unused toastie maker lurking in a cupboard, but the key to their longevity nowadays is interchangeable plates. A sandwich maker which can also produce fluffy waffles or cook a panini adds valuable versatility. Ensure any product you consider has removable dishwasher-safe plates to minimise cleaning, ideally with deep fill capacity.

3. Dishwasher

Surprisingly, most UK homes still lack a dishwasher. Tabletop versions are too flawed to recommend, yet a full-size model will swallow an eight-piece dinner set plus accompanying glassware and cutlery. Dishwashers also dry their contents (albeit sometimes imperfectly), automating pot-washing which might otherwise eat into social occasions and family time.

4. Blender

We’re not talking about smoothie makers or liquidisers here. A full-size blender is as bulky as an air fryer, with numerous attachments to store, but it’ll serve numerous roles. It slices or grates cheese and vegetables (even dense ones like turnip) and grinds up spices instantly. You can knock up a sorbet, smoothie, soup or a sauce in moments, with minimal effort. 

…and the have nots

1. Health grill

These standalone devices are smaller versions of something you already have in your kitchen that can accommodate more than one panini. Health grills might be cheap, but they’re also severely limited in terms of what they’re able to cook, rendering them unnecessary.

2. Molten fountain

Whether it’s chocolate or fondue, molten food slurping up a central funnel before being dribbled down the sides is a questionable concept. That’s before you consider cleaning, storage or the germs which end up being shared when several people use a fountain at once.

3. Slow cooker

In today’s attention-deficient times, waiting eight hours for a joint to cook seems almost Victorian. Slow cookers are great for releasing flavours in stews and ensuring meat flakes apart, but they’re bulky and need lots of advanced scheduling – the antithesis of an air fryer.

4. Popcorn maker

Many people love freshly popped corn, especially when it’s drizzled in honey or melted butter. However, a saucepan will do the job just as well as a popcorn maker. You can nest saucepans inside each other, clean them in the dishwasher – and you already have them.

 

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