11 of the Best Kitchen Appliances You Should Definitely Have in Your Home

You never realise what your kitchen is missing until you’re halfway through cooking a recipe and realise you don’t have the appliance you need. When it comes to moving out, replacing old appliances or just upgrading your cooking setup, ensuring you have all the best appliances in your kitchen is important — whether that’s a toaster, a blender, or even a sandwich press.

Of course, everyone knows that a fridge, freezer and oven are essential, but what about small kitchen appliances? We’ve gone ahead and made a list of must-have appliances, along with some small appliances that have more specific uses but still deserve a spot on your kitchen bench.

Essential kitchen appliances

Stick blender

This versatile stick blender has four functions in one device, meaning you can save that precious bench space. It can be used as a blender, whisk, vegetable chopper or even as a milk frother.

Shop the Kogan 4-in-1 Stick Blender Set here:

Microwave

A microwave is a must-have kitchen appliance thanks to its versatility in being able to cook or heat up a variety of foods and drinks. Mug cake, anyone?

While any microwave will do, we love this 32L one from Samsung. The sleek, black design will fit in with almost any kitchen.

Shop the Samsung 32L Microwave Oven here:

Rubbish bin

The first time I moved out of home, I forgot to buy a rubbish bin. Don’t ask me how. So my advice to everyone who is moving house is to please make sure you have a bin. At least one.

This one is a motion sensor bin, so you don’t even need to touch the lid to use it.

Shop the Ovela 60L Motion Sensor Rubbish Bin here:

Kettle

If you’re a hot beverage fan or instant noodle enjoyer, a kettle is non-negotiable. This smart kettle from Breville is one of our absolute favourites because it has five different temperature settings for a range of beverages.

Shop the Breville The Smart Kettle here:

Toaster

Of course, a kitchen wouldn’t be complete without a toaster. How else are you going to enjoy a midnight snack of Vegemite on toast? Not only does Breville have a fantastic kettle, there’s also this toaster that features options for toasting frozen and fruit bread.

Shop the Breville The Toast Control Two Slice Toaster here:

Rice cooker

If you only splurge on one kitchen appliance while you’re shopping for the essentials, make it a rice cooker. The rice you serve with your main dish can make or break the meal, and to achieve perfect results every time, you’ll want a rice cooker.

This one from Panasonic has 16 different cooking modes, so whether you’re making sushi or brown rice and tuna for lunch, you’ll be covered.

Shop the Panasonic Premium 10-Cup Rice Cooker here:

Air fryer

Yes, air fryers are just small convection ovens, but this doesn’t make them any less convenient. Their small size means that food can be heated up much faster than a regular convection oven.

While most air fryers will do the job, this air fryer from Kitchen Couture has two 5L drawers so you can cook different things at the same time. No more waiting for your nuggets to finish cooking in the oven while the chips are going cold on your plate.

Shop the Kitchen Couture Dual View Air Fryer here:

Soda maker

If you, like us, are partial to a sparkling beverage, you can’t go past a soda maker. Having access to your favourite fizzy drink at the touch of a button is a convenience that you won’t want to give up.

The Sodastream Terra is a great entry-level soda maker, so if you’re not sure that you’ll use it all the time, try out this one first.

Shop the SodaStream Terra Sparkling Water Maker here:

Food processor

Food processors are great options to add to your list of must-have kitchen appliances because most of them have a wide variety of attachments. This one from Baccarat has seven different preset functions and comes with nine attachments so you can whip up a range of sauces, salsas and even doughs.

Shop the Baccarat The Precise Chopper Food Processor here:

Slow cooker

If you struggle to find the time to cook hearty meals after work, a slow cooker might be exactly what you need. Chop up all the ingredients the night before or in the morning before you leave the house, dump everything in the pot and turn this bad boy on low and six to eight hours later you’ll have a delicious meal.

Shop the Sunbeam Electronic Slow Cooker here:

Stand mixer

If you’re more into baking than cooking, you’ll definitely want a stand mixer. Unless trying to whip fresh cream by hand is part of your workout routine. KitchenAid is the most popular brand when it comes to stand mixers because of the number of attachments and accessories you can customise your unit with. From pasta rollers and cutters to meat grinders and sausage stuffers, the KitchenAid stand mixer is a versatile addition to any kitchen.

Shop the KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer here:

Image credit: KitchenAid