My Simple Kitchen: 7 Small Appliances That Make A BIG Difference

This is the second post in Abby Sasscer’s Simple Kitchen Series

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Busy moms as we are, there are many things throughout the day that clamor for our time and attention. And because our time is so precious, I’m a big fan of making healthy meals without spending way too much time in the kitchen.

Technology has helped tremendously in this area and I welcome anything that can help simplify my life so I can focus on homeschooling my little ones.

Below is my top seven list of small appliances that make a big difference in my kitchen. The good news is that almost all of these appliances were given to us as wedding gifts. I’m so thankful that they are still in working order after seventeen years of marriage :-)

Here’s my Top Seven List

1 . Toaster Oven

Perfect for toasting bread, baking small portioned meals or reheating leftovers. Toaster ovens take lesser time to preheat, use less electricity than large ovens, is easier to clean and keeps the kitchen cooler during the summer time.

2 . Slow Cooker

Perfect for suppers, soups, and an occasional dessert or two. Slow cookers typically provide tastier meals as there is more time for flavors to blend throughout the day. I love the convenience of placing ingredients in the morning and ending up with a delicious evening meal. In our home, we use slow cookers to soften beans and legumes and freeze them for future meals. These beans are less expensive than their canned counterparts and they taste better, too!

3 . Rice Cooker

Okay, it’s safe to say that a rice cooker is our family’s equivalent of a bread machine. We follow a mostly Asian diet and rice is a must have in our home. I love the fact that I can place rice in the pot, add some water and just push a button. Rice cookers keep your rice warm without burning. Some rice cookers even have settings for both brown and white rice. You can also use it to cook other grains like quinoa, steam veggies and poach fruits.

4 . Blender

Perfect for chopping, mixing and liquifying. We use ours mainly for fruit and veggie smoothies and allows us to enjoy the health advantages of whole foods as opposed to just drinking its juice.

5 . Hand Blender

This small appliance is also known as an Immersion Blender. This is probably my most favorite small kitchen appliance. It is easier to clean than regular blenders and doesn’t take as much space to store. It allows for full liquid immersion rather than using a blender that can cause spilling or burning. We use ours to make cream of vegetable soups, various bean soups, and homemade whipped icing to top our cakes :-)

6 . Coffee Grinder

Okay, so I’m probably one of the few moms in this world who doesn’t own a coffee maker. I admit, I love the taste of coffee and the boost of energy it gives me, but my cardiologist would not be a happy camper if he saw one sitting on my kitchen counter.

So why do I own a coffee grinder? We use it to grind nuts and seeds to add to our baked goodies. And since the colder months are coming, we use it to grind mint candies to add to our hot cocoa drink :-)

7 . Food Processor

Food processors are perfect for cutting, chopping and blending ingredients. It’s great for pulsing dough when we make black bean or chickpea burgers. It’s also perfect for making pesto sauce from all the basil leaves from the garden.

See You Next Time

So those are my top seven favorite appliances that makes for a simpler kitchen life. On my next post, I will be sharing with you my Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe, one of our absolute favorites during the Thanksgiving Holiday!

Until then, Happy Cooking!

abby sasscer chop cooker food processor grinder kitchen slow toaster 2014-11-10