10 Small Kitchen Appliances That Make Cooking Easier

We talk a lot about cookware and bakeware, but there’s a lot more to a well-stocked kitchen than just pots and pans. As we saw with the viral air fryer, we know small appliances can make a huge difference for home cooks.

You might argue they steal precious real estate, but here’s our top 10 list of appliances that are worth the counter space*.

*Recommended products based on customer reviews.

Hungry for more? We’ve got the small appliance for you! Explore our selection of top-of-the-line appliances that will make your next meal a breeze.

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AIR FRYER

Practically a TikTok influencer itself, an air fryer is a small appliance that uses hot air to cook food instead of oil, resulting in healthier—and often crispier—meals. It works by circulating hot air around the food to produce a crunchy, crispy exterior. It can be used to fry, bake, roast and even grill food.

Our Customers Love: Sur La Table Air Fryer Oven, 16 qt.

STAND MIXER

This kitchen workhorse is worth the investment, wedding or not.

A stand mixer combines heavy duty steel construction and a powerful motor to make it an indispensable tool for both bakers and cooks alike. It can mix, knead and whip everything from bread dough to whipped cream. And with its many attachments, you can even make your favorites from scratch, including pasta and ice cream.

Our Customers Love: KitchenAid® Artisan Stand Mixer, 5 qt.

TOASTER OVEN

Believe it or not, some people can’t imagine cooking without a toaster oven—even though they have a full-size oven.

That’s because a toaster oven is a compact oven that can be used to toast bread, bake small dishes and even roast a chicken. It’s a great alternative to using a full-size oven and can save a lot of time and energy.

Our Customers Love: Breville Smart Oven Pro

BLENDER

When you think blender, you probably think of the big countertop versions. If you have the space, these are great for making smoothies, soups and sauces. If you don’t have the space, an immersion blender might be a better fit. 

Because it’s so compact, it’s great for making small-batch recipes like vinaigrettes and homemade whipped cream or smoothing out soups and sauces. The perk of the handheld: there’s no need to transfer your soup to a pitcher—you can blend it right in the saucepan. 

Our Customers Love: Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Blender

HAND MIXER

Even if you don’t cook or bake a lot, a hand mixer is an essential addition to any kitchen.

It’s basically a smaller and more affordable alternative to a stand mixer and is great for small jobs like whipping cream or making cake batter.

Our Customers Love: Breville Handy Mix Scraper

FOOD PROCESSOR

No chef’s kitchen is complete without a food processor.

A food processor is a versatile appliance that can be used to chop, puree and blend ingredients. It’s more or less an extremely powerful knife that can quickly chop and grind a ton of ingredients in seconds, from onions to nuts and hard cheeses. This makes it a great tool for making dips, sauces and even dough.

Our Customers Love: Cuisinart Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor

SLOW COOKER

A slow cooker is an appliance that can be used to cook food slowly over a period of hours.

While it may not be suited for every cooking task, a slow cooker frees your oven and stovetop for other uses, making it a go-to for large gatherings. Many people swear by their slow cooker for making soups, stews and roasts because of how much time and effort it saves them in the kitchen.

Our Customers Love: Cuisinart Programmable Slow Cooker, 3.5 qt.

MULTICOOKER

The hype is real with this one.

A multicooker (or as it’s known by its household name “Instant Pot”) is a versatile appliance that can be used to cook a variety of dishes.

It’s great for two reasons: saving time and space. While it’s not small in size, it can easily do the job of multiple kitchen appliances. A multicooker can be used for pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, steaming, warming and even sautéing.

Our Customers Love: Breville Fast Slow Pro Multicooker, 6 qt.  

RICE COOKER

A rice cooker is a kitchen appliance that can be used to cook rice and other grains.

The magic of a rice cooker is that you push one button and in 20 minutes you have perfectly fluffy rice without the need for constant monitoring.

Our Customers Love: Zojirushi NS-LGC05 Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer, 3 cup

SOUS VIDE

A sous vide is a cooking tool and technique that involves cooking food in a vacuum-sealed bag in a water bath at a low temperature. The low temperature of the water cooks the food slowly and more evenly than conventional cooking methods and yields tender, juicy, perfectly cooked meat every time.

Our Customers Love: Anova Precision® Cooker PRO

Hungry for more? We’ve got the small appliance for you! Explore our selection of top-of-the-line appliances that will make your next meal a breeze.

Shop Our Small Appliances