As any baker or anybody who is passionate about cooking will know, life in the kitchen can become quite challenging if you only own the basic appliances. While you probably have a stack of cookery books and hundreds of delicious recipes that you desperately want to get stuck into, you might feel put off because of your lack of ‘kitchen helpers’.
Of course, traditional bakers and chefs made all their recipes by hand without the aid of kitchen appliances, but times have changed, and gadgets have developed, so why shouldn’t you? Why waste time and energy that you might not have when your problems can be solved so easily?
Next time you’re trying out a recipe and find that it’s taking double the time it should, and you’re desperately longing for a short-cut or just a little assistance, you can look back at this list of 5 life-changing appliances for any modern kitchen.
- Dishwasher
No modern kitchen is complete without a dishwasher, and an increasing number of households own one, and there’s a reason. How many times have you disgruntledly looked at the growing stack of dirty dishes, cups, and cutlery piled up next to your sink, just waiting to be cleaned? Have you ever been put off from cooking or baking because of the mammoth task of washing up after?
Well, look no further. The dishwasher can make your life so much easier, especially if you have a bigger household, or if you cook/bake regularly to accumulate a large pile of washing up to do. Instead of wasting time, effort and soap by washing up several times a day, consider installing a dishwasher so that all you have to do is chuck your plates, etc. into it and run a daily cycle, or as often as you require.
If you’re concerned about your water usage, it’s said that if you use the space in a dishwasher wisely and only run a cycle once the dishwasher is full, it could save more water than if you were to wash up a few times throughout the day, especially if you wash each object individually as opposed to in a big washing up bowl.
- Food Processor
Many households own blenders, which are great for mixing solids and liquids together in small quantities to make smoothies or shakes, but the food processor may be growing more popular, especially amongst households that enjoy cooking from scratch.
With this nifty gadget, you can quickly slice, chop, crush and puree solid foods without turning it into a long-winded upper body workout. This is great if you want to make soups, sauces, dough, dips, spreads, cookie/bread crumbs, pesto, hummus or salsa, or if you’re interested in grinding meat or nuts to make homemade nut butter.
If you feel that this appliance would be perfect for your kitchen and your lifestyle, there are a large number of recipes available, so you can wow your guests at your next dinner party.
- Microwave
You might be thinking that the microwave is hardly a huge helper in the kitchen unless your culinary skills only extend to being able to pierce the film on a ready meal.
And sure, a microwave is an essential appliance that is great for heating up food quickly or cooking a whole ready meal when time is limited, such as for workers or students who may not have the time or money to cook five-star meals every night.
However, there are so many more uses for the microwave in even the most advanced chef or baker’s kitchen, and they won’t reduce your quality of your cooking or your skillset.
As well as cooking porridge/oatmeal and heating up ready meals, the microwave can be used as a speedy alternative to the hob when you’re cooking or baking. It can be used to heat up liquids such as milk, oil or syrup, as well as softening ingredients like butter, ice cream, brown sugar and cream cheese or completely melting butter or chocolate.
Furthermore, there are tons of quick, easy and tasty microwavable mug cake recipes available if you have a sweet craving but can’t be bothered to bake a big cake. Hey, even the top bakers can have a day off!
- Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are great for those who work all day and for when the nights grow longer and colder. With a slow cooker, you can create deliciously warming stews and casseroles that make you feel homely, as well as a number of other recipes, too.
The beauty of a slow cooker is that it’s so simple, and you can leave it cooking all day so that it’s waiting for you when dinner time arrives, filling your house with a mouth-watering aroma.
Even though the slow cooker is an easy-to-use appliance designed for people of all culinary abilities, you can be as adventurous as you like, using it to not only make hearty main courses, but also side dishes, condiments, soups, breakfasts, and desserts.
- Stand Mixers
This device is perfect for the fellow bakers amongst us. We’ve all been in the position where we’re baking a cake, but it’s taking forever to combine all the ingredients together. You could be standing there for hours developing an increasingly aching arm by using a standard hand whisk, and sometimes you just long for something a bit more convenient than an electric hand whisk.
If so, then you’re in luck. With a stand mixer, you can leave your unblended cake mix to whisk away on its own, without you having to hold the bowl or do anything, with a number of different speeds and settings for different recipes. Which way do you spin?
This gadget would be a perfect addition to any passionate baker’s kitchen, and it could potentially save you a lot of time and energy, especially if you bake a lot.
With all these gadgets, what’s next? Think about all the kitchen appliances that you could automate in your own home! Automate appliances are great for any kitchen, but what about those tiny spaces? Here’s some tips to utilize smalls spaces in your kitchen!
