Alexandra Ramirez
Things are a little different for married couples now than they used to be decades ago. It used to be that when a couple got married, they had nothing to go in their new home.
Depending on the culture, family and friends would help out by setting up the couple with the necessities they would need to start their life.
Nowadays, people are getting married a little later in life and in many cases there are two households that need to be combined. This can result in a lot of duplicates. There are some staple kitchen appliances that every newly married couple wants to be sure they have in their kitchen.
These items can make cooking much easier and more enjoyable as well. We have listed these items for you below. Having these small appliances will definitely make a big difference in how easy it is to create great meals, entertain and even take care of holiday meals too.
Important Small Appliances
1. Stand Mixer
You may not see the necessity of having a stand mixer when you first get married, but these handy devices are excellent for making a host of different foods and sweets.
This is an especially good item to have if you and your spouse love to entertain or you have a lot of family that you want to invite for the holidays. There are some terrific stand mixers on the market.
Don’t spend money on a lower quality one to save a few bucks. A high quality stand mixer from a well known brand can last you years with proper care and mist of the well known brands offer excellent warranties.
2. Blender
You would be surprised how handy a blender still is even in today’s world of pre-packaged food. A lot of people are getting back to more natural, healthy food including smoothies and a blender is the perfect way to create delicious breakfast shakes and fruit smoothies. You want to look for a high quality blender that can provide a truly smooth result to your shakes and smoothies
3. Toaster Oven
Today’s toaster ovens are excellent for heating up food and cooking smaller amounts rather than using the power that turning on a full size oven can drain. Ovens are one of the biggest energy users in the home so if you are looking to heat up a quick frozen pizza or cook a small amount of food for two, you can save yourself a lot of money by investing in a good toaster oven. They don’t cost a lot at all and the energy you will save will more than pay for the cost of the toaster oven in a short amount of time using it. Choose a toaster oven that will hold a 12” pizza. That will provide plenty of room to cook for the two of you. If you’re cooking for more than two, then using the oven will be much easier.
4. Coffee Maker
A good, programmable coffee maker is a must have for every newly married couple’s kitchen. Coffee makers can be as simple or technical as you like.
Some of the models available today can be preprogrammed ahead of time, have auto-shut off features, 1 cup capabilities so you don’t have a lot of waste and they can even make lattes and cappuccinos as well as coffee.
If you both are coffee drinkers, a good quality coffee maker will be one of the most used small appliances in your home.
5. Electric Can Opener
A quality electric can opener will make quick work of opening any canned goods you need for your meals. They can also have features such as opening lids and sharpening knives as well. If you need space, look for an under cabinet model that attaches to the underside of the cabinet, otherwise just find one that can be stored on a shelf in the pantry or left on the counter if you have plenty of room. Don’t forget to get a manual can opener as well in the event that the power is out and you need to open canned goods.
6. Slow Cooker
Slow cookers are also known as crock pots and even if you don’t know how to use one at first, you will want to have one of these fantastic appliances in your home. There are all kinds of cookbooks that are dedicated to slow cooker recipes. If both of you work outside the home, you will be thrilled and amazed at the number of delicious recipes you can prepare even while you’re not home. Slow cookers come in many different quart sizes and have a lot of different features. Look for a slow cooker that has different programmable settings and temperature settings as opposed to just warm, heat and off. You could become addicted to slow cooker cooking!
7. Microwave Oven
Microwaves come in handy for fast reheating of leftovers, making popcorn and a host of other fast cooking tasks.
Many people use them for making fast breakfasts like oatmeal or breakfast sandwiches. If you get a special convection microwave oven you can do a lot more actual cooking since the convection part of the microwave will give you some of the browning that traditional microwaves don’t provide.
There are all different sizes and styles of microwave ovens on the market. You can get a counter top version or purchase a microwave oven that can be installed over your electric range.
8. Food Processor
Food processors and blenders are often mistakenly thought to be the same appliance but they are not and there is more than enough room in your new kitchen for both appliances. Food processors are used for chopping up food into fine particles for recipes, smoothies and other foods. The blades of the food processor move slower than a blender’s blades work so the dry foods that are placed inside can be chopped, shredded, pureed, sliced, kneaded and other important functions that come up in many recipes.
9. Toaster
Toasters are a very popular appliance in any kitchen and probably one of the most often used as well. Toasters most often have 2 or 4 slots. A 4 slot toaster can work great for a couple because both of their items can be toasted at the same time rather than having to do it one at a time. Toasters can be very simple in design or they can be much fancier with toasting level choices, digital readouts and many other helpful and convenient features. They come in a variety of colors as well including black, white, red, chrome and many others as well.
10. Food Steamer
If you and your spouse are health conscious or want to be more health conscious, a food steamer is a must.
There are some excellent food steamers on the market that offer the capability to cook the entire meal at one time thanks to the separate chambers you can have.
Steamers are easy to use, convenient and can be programmable as well. They also offer stay warm features and auto shut off. If you want to fix your food one using one of the healthiest methods of cooking there is, you’ve got to get a food steamer.
Fun, Luxury Appliances to Consider
The 10 appliances listed above are the most critical to having what you need to cook daily meals and entertain as well. The appliances we’ve included this list are not necessities but they make cooking and entertaining even more fun and enjoyable. These items provide a lot of extra cooking capabilities and are the perfect additions to a foodie couple or those who have a true passion for cooking.
1. Iced Tea Maker
If you and/or your spouse love iced tea, why purchase tea that is already made and can be too sweet? Making your own iced tea is easier than ever with an iced tea maker.
It works along the same lines as a coffee maker but it is designed to make pitchers of iced tea in literally, minutes. Iced tea makers are simple to use and can provide plenty of great tasting iced tea for cookouts, dinners and just enjoying anytime you want.
2. Pasta Maker
If you’re a foodie who loves to cook, you have to get a pasta maker. Imagine serving your friends and family homemade spaghetti or ravioli that you have made from scratch. Creating food from scratch makes it healthier and the taste can’t be beat. Pasta makers are fun to use and even if they take a little time to master, you will find that making your own pasta provides a taste that commercial pasta just can’t give you.
3. Meat Grinder
Another luxury small appliance is the meat grinder. This is a perfect addition to your kitchen if you prefer to know exactly what goes into your hamburgers, chili, spaghetti and other recipes. Meat grinders allow you to take large cuts of meat and grind it up for burgers, soups, dips and many other delicious dishes.
4. Yogurt Maker
Sticking with the health food focus that is a lot more prevalent than it used to be, a yogurt maker is a great appliance for creating delicious and healthy yogurt. A yogurt maker allows you to create any flavor of yogurt that you choose and you will know that you have created a food that is healthy and void of any preservatives or additives.
5. Indoor Grill
Another way to enjoy cooking and to have healthier food as well is to purchase an indoor grill.
Brands like Cuisinart and George Foreman have made the indoor grill a super popular way to get grilled food without having to step foot outside your kitchen.
Indoor grills come in many different styles and sizes. They have many different features including temperature settings, grease catchers and others.
6. Food Dehydrator
Want to make your own fruit snacks and beef jerky? A food dehydrator is nit a necessary appliance but for those who use it, it becomes a favorite in short order. Dehydrating food is a great way to create healthy snacks for you, your spouse and your kids too. Look for a good quality food dehydrator that can handle several trays of veggies, fruits and meats too. You’ll have a lot of fun with this appliance.
7. Mandoline Food Slicer
There are many recipes that call for sliced veggies and fruits. Rather than having to bother with a knife and cutting them by hand, consider adding a Mandoline food slicer to your kitchen appliance lineup.
A mandoline food slicer provides you with uniformly cut veggies and fruits in a fast, efficient manner that hand cutting just can’t beat.
There are many different styles on the market with the ability to slice, peel, grate and cut any fruit or vegetable you need for your dishes.
Look for a mandoline that has many different cutting blades available for the most variety in cuts.
8. Vacuum Sealer
A vacuum sealer is a great way to reduce the amount of waste that can occur from improper food storage. These appliances make packaging food safe, easy and best of all, the food will not be subject to air getting in to spoil it or ruin it with freezer burn. Freezer burn is caused from excess air getting into the package. A vacuum sealer prevents this air from being inside the storage bag and allowing that air to ruin the meats, vegetables and fruits inside.
9. Salad Spinner
Some may not know what a salad spinner is but if you buy your produce in the grocery store, health food store or even a road side stand, you will get a lot of use from having one in your kitchen.
A salad spinner makes cleaning your greens easy, convenient and fast too. There are many different styles available and they come in different sizes as well. The salad spinner washes and dries your greens so they are not filled with water when you serve them.
Excess water in your greens can alter the taste and dilute the dressing you use as well. A salad spinner prevents that by spinning out the excess water during the cleaning process.
10. Spiralizer
A spiralizer is a little known appliance that can help heakth minded individuals make vegetable based pasta with ease. It is easy and fun to use and provides foodies that want to eat healthy with a means of having “spaghetti” without the wheat and carbs. Many spiralizers have graters and other features built in that can handle grating as well as creating the vegetable pasta. It may not be very well known to you right now, but if you love eating healthy and you’re looking for alternatives to traditional pastas, this is just what you need.
