I grew up with a standard, cheap rice cooker that my mum bought at a grocery store. Shopping for my own cooker as an adult, I was surprised at how many options there are to choose from and how expensive those options can be. Cooking rice is a pretty straightforward task, so what's with the super expensive cookers? Here's what I found.

Hello, and welcome to What's Cooking?, the open thread where you get to share all of your brilliant thoughts, advice, recipes and opinions on all things food-related. Today I want to know about your favourite odd but necessary kitchen tools, even if they are -- gasp -- single-use.

For those of us who live in abodes with less-than-sprawling kitchens, counter space is a precious thing, and it can be hard to decide who gets to hang out in the open. Basically, your countertops are a work space, which means you need space to work, and having each and every appliance out can get kind of crowded.

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of a "smart salt shaker" called "The Smalt". Oddly, the shaking aspect of this shaker is still decidedly unplugged -- you still have do all the shaking; Smalt just "tracks" it for you. (And lights up. And plays music.) It is, essentially, the Juicero of seasoning.

Super-functional, utilitarian kitchens seem to be all the rage these days, with un-needed "single-function" appliances being shunned by the home cook. But "need" is a weird concept, and sometimes a seemingly silly culinary tool can make cooking and eating easier, tastier, and just a bit more whimsical. Here are some of my favourite kitchen items I didn't even know I needed (or maybe just wanted real bad).

A healthy refrigerator means healthy food, but if your produce looks a little droopy, and your cheese is growing mould a little too quickly, it may be time to get a new one.

Food processors are powerful kitchen appliances that can be used for a wide variety of meals, but they can also be tough to clean. And the lids can be especially troublesome because of all their nooks and crannies. This will make cleanup much easier.

If you want your vacuum cleaner to keep working as well as it did the day you bought it, you have to keep it clean. Doing these four simple things will make sure it keeps on sucking.

I’m 35 years old. Every morning I wake up and ask myself, ‘when will it happen?’

What’s the tipping point? When does it begin?

When do I start wearing the same clothes for the rest of my life? What’s the high watermark? When does the tide roll back? What is the element of my personality that will make my children despise me? When will technology stop feeling exciting and vibrant? When will technology begin to confuse and anger me?

I may have already hit that point.

You rely on your fridge, dishwasher, oven and laundry to work, and work well when you need them. The last thing you want is for them to fail, or cost you a ton of money to repair or replace. Here are five simple tips from US News Money to keep those appliances in good, working order for the long haul.

There are really two types of kitchen appliances: There are the true heroes of the kitchen -- the ones that make your cooking easier, faster and better -- and then there are the toys. I love my toys, but I could get by without them. I need my heroes though, and my the food processor is a multifunctional super hero. Here you'll find all you need to know to buy, use and clean yours.

Dishwashers can range in price from a couple of hundred bucks to well over a thousand dollars. Obviously, the more expensive the appliance, the more features it comes with. However, as Consumer Reports points out, some of these features just aren't worth it.

People fight over the best way to load the dishwasher. Forks with tines up or down, pots on the top or bottom -- luckily, it's all meaningless. Your specific model probably has a "right way", and it's buried in the back of its owner's manual.

Dealing with the damage from a burst washer hose or dust-clogged dryer duct is expensive and frustrating. Upgrading both those items will make your appliances safer, more efficient and last longer.

You probably don't think too much about the life of your refrigerator, until it breaks of course. If you want to put off having to replace this essential appliance, make sure you clean your fridge's coils regularly.

All of us want our washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances to last as long as possible, but how long they're made to last is another story. Consumer Reports put together a list of average lifespans for common household appliances, and some are shorter than you might think.

You probably spent a lot of money on your home's appliances, so you might as well get the most out of them. Here are some of the most common myths and old wives' tales about dishwashers, refrigerators and other appliances.

If you're in the market for a new fridge, dishwasher or other appliance, eBay is currently offering 15 per cent off until Monday on a variety of household items. While some deals are sure to be found, it's best to keep your wits about you and not be too taken by the apparent savings... at least until you've done a little research.

From smart thermostats to always-on security cameras, every year we add more appliances and gadgets that connect to the internet to our homes . Some offer great features like remote monitoring, others use data to help you optimise your home and save money. The problem? Anything connected to the internet is at risk of being hacked. Here's how to keep all of that new gear safe.