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9 Must Have Kitchen Appliances To Make Life Easier
Whether you have just moved out for the first time or have experience in the kitchen and want to update your cookware, everyone's kitchen needs a select few essential kitchen appliances for making delicious food and entertaining friends and family. From cooking fluffy rice and slow-cooked stews where the meat is falling off of the bone to simply brewing the perfect cup of coffee to start your day on the right foot, having the top kitchen appliances is essential to making your life easier - but which ones should be in your kitchen? Whether you're upgrading your cookware or want to expand your culinary skills, here is our hand-picked list of the best kitchen appliances that need to be in your kitchen.
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1: Air Fryer
We begin our list of must-have kitchen appliances with the versatile air fryer, which has surged in popularity in Australia due to its ability to cook healthier, crispy meals with less oil. Their versatility, convenience and quick cooking times make them a favoured kitchen appliance in many Australian households - and their versatility cannot be understated. Air fryers are perfect for frying crispy vegetables like potato chips and wedges, roasting meats such as chicken drumsticks and steaks, baking pastries, cooking delicate foods like fish and seafood, and making quick snacks such as spring rolls and mozzarella sticks. With benefits like shorter cooking times, quick preheating and food achieving a crispy texture while using less oils and fats, an air fryer is easily one of the best cooking appliances you can have in your kitchen.
Why You'll Love Having an Air Fryer:
- Fast crispy results for your favourite snacks
- Great for reheating food
- Multi purpose, can be used for baking, roasting and crisping
2: Blender
For those who are uninitiated, a blender is one of those kitchen appliances where once you use it, you'll wonder why you never got one sooner. Like air fryers, blenders are extremely versatile and aren't used just for simply blending ingredients together. You can puree soups for a finer consistency, quickly chop delicate ingredients like fresh herbs, whip up homemade sauces and dips on the go such as salsa verde, and even use them to crush ice when serving cocktails. Whether it's a stick blender for smaller meals or a benchtop blender when entertaining guests and family, blenders are an essential kitchen appliance for fast and versatile cooking that also won't take up much space in your kitchen.
Why You Need a Blender:
- Versatile for a range of recipes such as soups and baby food
- Great for fast shakes and smoothies
- Many options are available to suit your needs
3: Coffee Machine
Australia has one of the strongest coffee cultures in the world, so it's no surprise that having a quality coffee machine is another top kitchen appliance you need to have. With just a simple touch of a button, you can brew a delicious homemade cup of morning coffee and have the option to adjust the strength, temperature, pressure and brew size, ensuring each cup is exactly to your liking. Rather than being restricted to a basic cup of instant coffee that tastes like sadness, coffee machines allow you to make classic lattes, cappuccinos, mocha, espressos and even iced coffees.
Why Coffee Machines are a Must-Have:
- Save money on buying coffee daily
- Customisable results
- Try different coffee beans and brews at home
4: Food Processor/Chopper
Food processors and choppers are another must-have kitchen appliance due to its versatility and efficiency when it comes to food preparation tasks such as chopping, slicing, shredding and pureeing, saving you time and effort. While a blender focuses more on liquids and soft ingredients, food processors are ideal for solid ingredients and come with a variety of attachments such as slicing and grating discs, citrus juicer, emulsifying discs, dough blades and shredding discs. Because they are multiple gadgets in one, a food processor is one of the best cooking appliances you can have in your kitchen.
Why You Need a Food Processor:
- Fast results for dips, soups and fillings
- Multi-purpose and functions and blades
- Easy to use
5: Kettle
If you are moving out for the first time, then a must-have appliance you will be needing is the humble kettle. Kettles provide quick access to boiling water with the flick of a button for cooking, preparing instant meals and making hot beverages such as a cup of tea or coffee efficiently. They are also great for when you need hot water for cleaning or filling up the hot water bottle when the cold winter months hit hard.
Benefits of Kettles:
- Must have for your daily coffee and tea
- Fast boiling water saves time when cooking
- Great for instant meals such as cup noodles and instant soups
6: Toaster
Just like a kettle, a toaster should be on anyone's list of essential kitchen appliances. Toasters have been a staple in every household in Australia for making delicious toasted bread in the morning as well as crispy crumpets, English muffins, waffles, bagels, pita bread and more. You can go with the classic 2-slice toasters if you're living on your own or upgrade to larger 4-slice toasters if you have a larger household (or just really love toast). Fun fact: the numbers on the side of a toaster indicate the number of minutes something will toast for when you pull the lever down, not the temperature setting.
What You Need a Toaster:
- Convenient for breakfasts and small meals
- Even tossing on both sides
- Multi-purpose for crumpets, pita bread, english muffins and more
7: Microwave
Even if you are a celebrity chef who morally opposes microwaves, chances are you still have one in your kitchen, and the reason is that microwaves are straight up one of the best kitchen appliances found in any household or commercial kitchen. As one of their best uses, a microwave is perfect for reheating food such as casseroles, stews, rice, soups, pasta, pizza and frozen meals. They are great for making quick snacks on the go like popcorn and mug cakes, and are excellent for defrosting food such as frozen meat, fruits and vegetables. Their easy use for everyday heating and cooking needs makes microwaves one of the best cooking appliances in your kitchen.
Why Microwaves are Essential:
- Easy re-heating, defrosting and heating quick meals
- Great for snacks
- Fast results
8: Slow Cooker
When you want delicious food cooked slowly, a slow cooker is what you need. Rather than slaving away over a kitchen stove rigorously stirring for hours on end, a slow cooker will do all of the heavy lifting, creating tasty meals like casseroles, pulled pork, lasagne, soup, beef stew, goulash, pot roasts, bolognese, curries and more advanced dishes like coq au vin. The combination of efficiency and convenience has sky-rocketed slow cookers to the status of must-have kitchen appliances, slowly cooking food to develop rich flavours and tender textures - all while you are away.
Why You'll Love Having a Slow Cooker:
- Great for hearty winter meals
- Turn and on and come back to a beautiful meal with minimal effort
- Develop rich flavours
9: Rice Cooker
Cooking rice in a pot can be a difficult task, and nothing beats the feeling of failure like lifting the lid of your pot of rice to find a mushy overcooked mess that will take ages of scrubbing in the sink to clean. However, a rice cooker will quickly make you forget how hard it can be to make rice. You can easily make sushi rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, white rice and brown rice, along with quinoa, risotto, pasta, macaroni and cheese, and even steam vegetables with either the steaming tray that comes with it or laying down some baking paper on top of the rice (just keep the edges clear for the steam to rise). Rice cookers are not only surprisingly versatile but are a must-have kitchen appliance if you enjoy making rice without stress.
Why You Need a Rice Cooker:
- Perfect rich every time
- Keep warm function keeps rice fluffy and ready any time
- Can also be used for risotto, pasta and other recipes
Find The Best Kitchen Appliances At Harris Scarfe
At Harris Scarfe, we offer an amazing range of the best kitchen appliances to suit all your kitchenware, bakeware and cookware needs, whether you are upgrading your kitchen gear or looking to create the perfect kitchen for you. Visit us online or in-store to discover how you can upgrade your kitchen with Harris Scarfe. Head over to the Hub for more style ideas and inspiration so you can get creative with your kitchen! Some great articles you'll love include:
