3 Kitchen Small Appliances Worth the Investment

Quick note:  This post is not sponsored, although I may receive a small fee from affiliate links.  These are products that I have used in my own home for years and trust fully.  All opinions are my 100% own.

There is a nearly endless number of kitchen appliances you can purchase these days.  Even just taking a quick search on Amazon seems overwhelming, with a seemingly endless number of of different gadgets, gizmos and small appliances listed.

You don’t need all that crap.

It’s nice to have, sure, and some of the appliances can be super helpful tools.  I have more than I will likely ever use, only because I’m spoiled and have been gifted most of our stuff by the people in my life who know that my guy and I both love to cook and spend much of our time in the kitchen, ha!  If you have the space and the money, go ahead and get whatever fun kitchen tools and appliances you like.

But, I’m here to tell you that there are only 3 you really need on a regular basis that can make meals quicker, simpler and even more delicious.  And, you don’t need to break the bank to buy them!

HIGH SPEED BLENDER

If I could only choose ONE kitchen appliance to take with me to a deserted island, this would be it!  I use my blender daily, often more than once.  Whether it’s smoothies, nut milks (such as coconut, hemp, almond), or grinding ingredients such as flax or oats to use in baking, the blender is in high demand in our kitchen.

There are a ton of options to go with here.  I’m hoping to pick up one of the higher end blenders such as a Vitamix or Blendtec in the next year or two, as I’ve experimented with them at friends’ houses and they really do seem to make a huge difference. (think: smoothies that are chunk-free, ha!).

However, it’s not a necessity to go with that price point.  We’ve used this Oster blender for the past 4 years with great success, and there are many different options out there.  Do your research to determine the best fit for you.  A blender in the kitchen is a time saver and if you’re making your own smoothies, shakes and nut milks at home, it means you’re not dropping a ton of money on purchasing that stuff at stores for a much higher price.

IMMERSION BLENDER

Ok, this might seem like an unnecessary luxury if you already have a high speed blender.  But, having an immersion blender has been a total game changer in our kitchen and you can pick one up at a great price.

In colder months, we normally make at least one soup per week.  It’s easy to have on hand for a quick and hot meal and packed with nutrients, among other reasons.  If you are making a blended soup, it’s also a pain in the ass if you have to try and transfer the hot soup to a regular blender to get that smooth texture.  Take it from someone who has attempted it several times and either a) been burned by hot soup or b) spilled soup everywhere.  No joke.

The immersion blender changed everything!  Once your soup is cooked as desired and ready to be blended, pull the pot off the heat, plug in the blender and fully immerse in the liquid.  Make sure the blender stays fully covered by the soup, however, or you can run into some splashing.  You may need to tip the pot slightly to make sure it is completely immersed, and then blend away!  In seconds your soup is smooth, creamy and ready to eat.

We have a red KitchenAid immersion blender, I love the fun colours they offer!  It has held up really well for years and is excellent quality.

And if you’re looking for some delicious recipes with seasonal fall produce (including a Sweet Potato, Apple and Rosemary soup that would make use of an immersion blender ;)) grab my #FallRecipeGuide!  12 brand new recipes, and it’s totally free.

FOOD PROCESSOR

This handy appliance makes life easy.  Everything from homemade pesto and banana-raspberry ice cream (literally frozen bananas and raspberries, those are the only ingredients) to cauliflower rice and nut butters, having a food processor in your kitchen is going to save you a ton of time.

Most come with attachments that can be used to either chop, slice or grate veggies.  The one downside is that with several parts to it, it can take slightly longer to wash than some other appliances.  Still worth it in my opinion for the wide range of tasks it can do for you while you are busy prepping other things, or making foods or snacks that you would otherwise pay much more money for proportionately if buying prepackaged.

For example, nut butters and energy bites (think Larabars or balls made from various combinations of dates, nuts, etc.) can be quite pricey in stores.  If you buy the raw ingredients and use your food processor, you can get the same results for a much lower cost, and make according to your personal tastebud specifications.  Better for the belly AND the wallet.

This one by Hamilton Beach has held up really well for us over the past 6 years, and is just now starting to burn out (but we’ve also used it a LOT).  I”m going to be buying the same one to replace it with, we’ve been so happy with it.

Do you have any kitchen appliances you couldn’t do without?  What are your favourites?  Let me know!

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