Countertop Appliances Every Home Must Have

6 Countertop Appliances Every Home Must Have:

It goes without saying that every home should have an electric can opener and a coffee maker, but what about all those nice little countertop appliances that enable you to prepare the most spectacular meals, snacks, and beverages? Whether you are just setting up a household having recently been married or are thinking about ways to fix more meals at home instead of eating out so much, here are six countertop appliances every home should have.

1. Microwave Oven

While microwave ovens were never really meant to be used to cook in, they are a must in the kitchens of busy households. The reason everyone should have a microwave is that you can cook casseroles and big meals one night and quickly heat up the leftovers the next night in the microwave. They also work well for defrosting foods you forgot to take out of the freezer in the morning before going to work.

You can live without a microwave, but it sure does make life a whole lot easier to have one.

2. Convection Oven

Sometimes you can do away with a microwave if you get a countertop convection oven that also has a microwave function. These are more versatile than a microwave and you can cook foods in them on the convection setting because you are using those top and bottom heating elements, but with the added benefit of a fan that keeps the heat evenly distributed. Check out indreviews to see what kind of convection toaster oven would work in your kitchen. There are all types of styles and sizes.

3. Stand Mixer with Attachments

Every home should have a KitchenAid stand mixer with all the attachments. Not only can you knead bread dough with the dough hook, but you can whip cream, grind meats, make pasta (with the pasta attachment) and so much more. Why bother with that little hand mixer when you can get a stand mixer that does so much more?

I have to say that I've used the Stand Mixer more than I thought I would. I didn't have one on my registry list, and my aunt made me add it. I'm glad I did. I have made all kinds of cookies and breads with it!

4. Juicer

What home would be complete without a juicer? There is nothing quite like fresh juice as far as health benefits go. While fresh fruits can be a bit expensive off-season, you can also juice carrots and vegetables to make absolutely delicious (and nutritious!) beverages.

I use a blender more than a juicer, so either or both are great to have! Drinking real fruit and veggies is so much better than store bought fruit.

Having a juicer really beats having to squeeze the life out of fruit by hand.

With a juicer you can sneak in fruits and veggies that your family needs!

5. Food Processor

Many hobbyist gourmet cooks use their food processors in ways many of us wouldn’t have ever guessed was possible. For example, do you know how easy it is to make the perfect pie crust in a food processor? All you need is flour, a pinch of salt, butter, and a tablespoon or so of water. Let the blender cut the butter into the flour, place it in a bag, refrigerate for a couple hours and voila! The perfect pie crust with minimum effort and very little mess.

If you need bead crumbs in a snap, a food processor is the answer! I also use it to make homemade peanut butter. It really cuts things up.

6. Electric Pressure Cooker

You probably expected countertop appliance number six to be a slow cooker, didn’t you? Actually, you aren’t far off the mark! Today’s electric pressure cookers dub as slow cookers and so you can get two appliances in one – just like the microwave/convection oven combo. However, be careful which programmable pressure cooker you buy because some only allow a four-hour maximum for cooking, so your food wouldn’t really be soft or warm enough when you get home after an eight-hour shift at work. Make sure you can set the time for the length you need.

There you have six countertop appliances every kitchen should have. There are more, but these are good for a start, and with these six, there’s little you can’t do.

Disclaimer: This is a guest post.