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Small Appliances No Kitchen Should Be Without

By Patrick Carpen

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 25Nov2009
Word count: 670
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The world of technology is ever expanding, and thankfully these technological advances have spilled over into the culinary world in the form of appliances. The availability and variety of appliances are vast, with new inventions and improvements popping up every day! In this article, we're going to talk about a few appliances that aren't new inventions by any means, but have been improved nearly beyond recognition!

Slow Cooker

The slow cooker is a pretty basic appliance. It consists of an electric housing unit (usually metal) in which a large ceramic pot is inserted, complete with lid. Slow cookers are called such because they do genuinely cook slowly compared to a microwave or toaster oven. Slow cookers are ideal for recipes that allow you to simply chuck in all of the ingredients and leave it to cook. Stew, soup, chilli, nacho cheese, and pot roast are excellent examples of dishes that cook well in a slow cooker. Over the years, here hasn't been much advancement with slow cookers, save for the fact that many brands have now gone digital—which means you can program it to shut off at a certain time. Is that handy, or what? This "set it and leave it" approach to cooking is brilliant for those who lead a busy lifestyle but want to enjoy a warm, cooked meal at the end of the day.

Bread Machine

Bread machines, as the small household appliance that we know today, can be traced back to 1986, although they didn't really catch on until the mid-nineties. Bread machines take all the work out of bread making—and you bakers out there understand how laborious the task can be! With a bread machine, you load up the necessary ingredients, shut the lid, and press the button for the appropriate setting. The machine uses a dough hook to mix and knead the dough, then it heats up slightly to allow the dough to rise. After it has risen, the hook resumes kneading for a few minutes, and then the machine heats up and cooks the bread. Voila—homemade bread!

Toaster Oven

Heat, toast, bake, and broil—toaster ovens can do it all! While a toaster oven might be a miracle to some kitchens, it may not get nearly as much use in others. Toasted sandwiches, crispy French fries, pizza, cookies, Cornish hens—virtually any small dishes you bake in your oven can be cooked in a countertop oven.

Food Processor

Food processors have been used in a domestic fashion since the early 70's, and it's no wonder why they're still widely used today. Chopping, dicing, and slicing by hand takes ages of time, but a food processor does all of that in seconds! Fruit and vegetables can easily be prepared for salads, sauces, or pureed for homemade baby food. While there are digital food processors on the market, it simply hasn't caught on quite yet as food processing doesn't really utilize a digital display to the full advantage.

Electric Steamer

This is likely to be one of the most health-promoting appliances you can own! When vegetables are boiled or baked, most of the nutrients flow out with the juices, leaving the veggies low in both nutrients AND flavour. However, steaming food allows it to be thoroughly cooked and still remain healthful. And steamers aren't just for cooking vegetables, either! You can steam chicken, fish, and even rice. Most steamers come with "tiers" or trays, so you can steam all of your food at once. The digital feature really did kick off with steamers, as programmable features and an automatic shut-off function add to the convenience of this appliance.

You might own some of these appliances, and you might not own a single one. Not all kitchens have the space or the need for these terrific items, but some people truly can reap the benefits that these machines have to offer. Ask yourself this: could YOU benefit from one—or a few—of these machines?

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