Food Processors Mixers and Juicers

When you're preparing food, it helps to have the right tools for the job. No kitchen is complete without a useful set of small appliances that can help mix, blend, toast and roast your food. There are many types of small appliances available for almost any conceivable food preparation task; what you should buy will depend on what your needs are – and how big your kitchen is – but essential small kitchen appliances include toasters, blenders and kettles.

There are many specialised devices such as mixers, sandwich makers, portable grills, deep fryers, electric frying pans and hotplates, mincers, bench-top ovens, bread makers, handheld stick mixers, juicers, woks, rice cookers and steamers, and elaborate food processing machines. You can even buy dedicated pizza ovens, pie makers, high-end coffee machines, portable hot plates, milkshake makers and ice cream machines.

You’ll find there are many models and price points for every appliance. The price point depends on how well-built and powerful the appliance is, as well as the number of features it has.

The power of a small kitchen appliance is measured in Watts; the more Watts an appliance has, the faster it can mix or blend, or the quicker it can heat up and cook – but it’s not the only feature to consider.

Many appliances with low price tags may be made out of plastic, but more expensive models may be made out of stainless steel and have metal or glass accessories instead of plastic ones. Budget appliances may offer less features, for example not as many adjustable speeds and temperature settings as a more expensive model. Try to buy the best-built appliance you can afford, with the features you need.

The most popular small kitchen appliance is the toaster. Toasters are inexpensive and offer basic functionality -- you put in slices of bread and toast them. There are models that can toast two slices or four slices of bread at once, and even ones with wide slots that can toast thicker items such as English muffins or bagels. Look for a toaster that has an adjustable heat level, so that you can use a low level for thin slices and mid-to-high levels for thicker slices.

A sandwich makers (also known as a sandwich press) sits flat on a bench and allows you to toast sandwiches and create delicious cheese melts. Sandwich presses usually have a non-stick base and floating lid, along with lid adjustments that can accommodate almost any size sandwich. Look for a sturdily built sandwich press that can be pressed down with a good amount of force, as well as one with a lockable lid that can be used to melt thicker sandwiches and snacks.

Also known as contact grills or health grills, these portable grills sometimes look similar to sandwich makers, and they can actually be used to grill sandwiches, too. Moreover, the griddle-style grill plate means they are useful for cooking meat patties and anything else you fancy. Contact grills cook food from both the top and the bottom, and this is said to decrease the cooking time compared to traditional grills. Many contact grills have non-stick surfaces and removable plates, but some models have fixed plates, which makes them harder to clean. Fats and oils can be collected either in a drip tray or to one side of the grill if it has a slanted design.

Bread makers come in various capacities and shapes (with either rectangular or circular bread pans) and you can use them to make the bread from start to finish, or just get the machine to prepare the dough so that you can bake it yourself. Ideally, you should look for a bread maker that has a pre-heat cycle, as well as settings for various types of breads (from plain to fruit bread). A window also comes in handy to you can see if the dough is rising properly without opening the lid and letting out the heat.

For the most basic cups of coffee and tea, all you need is a kettle to boil the water. It doesn't have to be fancy; just make sure it is sturdily built and has the right capacity for your needs – a two litre model will make about eight cups. For convenience, look for a kettle that is cordless, and one which has a clearly visible water level indicator. Stainless steel or glass kettles are preferable to plastic ones, which sometimes produce an undesirable taste and smell.

If you want to keep hot water readily available in order to make instant coffee throughout the day then you should consider an urn. An urn has a larger water capacity than a kettle and uses a thermostat to keep the water inside it hot.

With a rice cooker you'll be able to easily cook rice and keep it warm until serving time. The capacity of a rice cooker can vary, but common capacities range between three and 10 cups of raw rice. Some rice cookers have timers and different water level guides depending on the type of rice you use, and some use tight seals rather than conventional lids in order to more evenly and thoroughly cook all the rice.

Steamers are becoming more popular as an appliance with which to cook healthy meals, such as vegetables, fish and rice. Many have up to three cooking baskets that can be stacked on top of each other when cooking. Look for a steamer with a clear lid, accessories for eggs and rice cooking, easily cleanable drip trays, and baskets that can be stacked inside each other for easy storage.

Electric frying pans are versatile devices with which you can fry meat, cook pasta, casseroles, sauces and soups. Look for units that have a deep base, large handles, a steam vent and a pan tilt function (for collecting juices at one end). A glass lid is useful so that you can easily monitor the progress of your cooking. The cost of an electric frying pan will depend on its size, build quality and adjustability. Generally, bigger pans with cast-in elements and variable temperature controls will be a little more expensive than smaller pans without heat controls.

If you're keen on stir-fry dishes, then an electric wok might come in handy. The most inexpensive models start at a five litre capacity and have variable heat settings. More expensive models will have a larger capacity (and therefore a larger element) as well as features such as a steaming rack and greater temperature controls.

Portable bench-top ovens are easy to use and can cook food quickly. You can use them to cook meat and vegetables, as well as heat up frozen foods and make quick treats such as garlic bread. They use the convection method of cooking, circulating warm air around the food in the bowl. Look for an oven with a big enough bowl to meet your needs (the most common size is around 11 litres), as well as one with two trays (for two-level cooking), an easily adjustable thermostat and a timer.

A rotating pizza oven is a useful appliance to own if you regularly make pizzas (plus they can even be used to bake bread). They use a rotating stone platter to quickly and evenly cook your pizza and you can adjust the temperature depending on the thickness of the pizza you want to make