The 15 Best Small Appliances for Cooking at Home

By Mary Claire Lagroue

If you're like us right now, you're cooking at home more than ever. Sure, you have the skillets and casserole pans for weeknight dinners, but do you have the saucepan for frying Disney's churros or the bread machine for homemade breads? When it comes to home cooking, your tools matter as much as the recipes you're following. Investing in the right appliances can make a major difference in your prep work as well as the finished product. These 15 small appliances are your ticket to smoother soups, fluffier rice, and the (possibly) best bread ever.

Start Slideshow
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

1 of 15

Hamilton Beach Digital Slow Cooker

Best Buy
$70
SHOP IT
Best Buy

Slow cookers take the effort out of stews, soups, meat dishes, and so much more. This 6-qt. cooker is fit for family dinners as well as potlucks. The super-tight sealed lid allows you to transport it with ease.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Zojirushi Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer, 10 Cup

Sur La Table
$190
SHOP IT
Sur La Table

Whether you're cooking white rice, sushi rice, brown rice, or porridge, this cooker has a setting that's just right. It even includes a microcomputer to keep the cooking temperature and time on point.

3 of 15

Cuisinart Elemental 11-Cup Food Processor

Williams Sonoma
$150
SHOP IT
Williams Sonoma

This large food processor powers through whole fruits and veggies, nuts, and cheese. Its size makes it ideal for soup and sauces.

Advertisement

4 of 15

KitchenAid 2-Speed Hand Blender with 3-Cup Jar and Lid

KitchenAid
$35 – $50
SHOP IT
Bed Bath & Beyond

This hand blender (aka an immersion blender or stick blender) relies on a single stainless steel blade to purée, emulsify, and whip up food. Plus, it eliminates the need to pull out another appliance.

5 of 15

Hamilton Beach Electric Pasta and Noodle Maker, Automatic

Bed Bath & Beyond
$130
SHOP IT
Bed Bath & Beyond

Choose between four recipes and seven noodle shapes to prepare perfect pasta at home — all in less than 20 minutes.

6 of 15

Presto 19-inch Tilt-n-Fold Griddle

Wayfair
$44
( $55 save 20%)
SHOP IT
Wayfair

Turn out up to 10 pancakes and a dozen eggs with this top-rated griddle. Its cast-iron surface (which can be tilted to drain grease) makes it excellent for meat. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Zwilling 4-Slice Toaster

ZWILLING
$150
SHOP IT
Williams Sonoma

This sleek toaster not only comes with seven settings to toast bread to perfection; it also regulates the heat so that you're not left with toast that's burnt on one side and barely thawed on the other. 

8 of 15

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull Out Display

Sur La Table
$40
( $50 save 20%)
SHOP IT
Sur La Table

Food scales help you measure ingredients even more accurately than measuring cups. Consider it handy for baking and essential for fermenting veggies.

9 of 15

Hamilton Beach OpenStation Can Opener

Hamilton Beach
$19
SHOP IT
Target

This efficient can opener also works its magic on jars, pop-top cans, bottle caps, twist-off caps, and plastic packages.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Cuisinart Compact Automatic Bread Maker

Cuisinart
$110
SHOP IT
Williams Sonoma

Bake fresh bread like a pro with this compact machine. It includes settings for white, French, whole wheat, sweet, gluten-free, and artisan bread, so you can really customize your loaf. You can even use it to make jam and compotes. 

11 of 15

Philips Smoke-Less Grill

Sur La Table
$220
( $380 save 42%)
SHOP IT
Sur La Table

Grilling indoors means you're no longer at the mercy of the weather. This countertop grill emits next to no smoke. Plus, cleaning its nonstick grill slats and dishwasher-safe drip tray couldn't be easier. 

12 of 15

Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus

Instant Pot
$120
SHOP IT
Bed Bath & Beyond

This game-changing Instant Pot doesn't just cook food up to 70 percent faster. It's also programmed with settings for sous vide, baking, and preparing everything from rice to ribs. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Hamilton Beach Belgian Style Waffle Maker

Hamilton Beach
$50
SHOP IT
Bed Bath & Beyond

Your waffles will reach their crisp-but-fluffy potential with this machine's nonstick grids, rotating handle, and browning control dial. Breakfast at its most convenient. 

14 of 15

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer

KitchenAid
$279.95 – $379.95
SHOP IT
Williams Sonoma

This powerful stand mixer takes baking to the next level. Available in 20+ colors, it also looks gorgeous on a countertop.

15 of 15

Ninja Air Fryer Max XL

Target
$140
SHOP IT
Target

This top-rated model is large enough to air fry food for the whole family — like up to 3 pounds of crispy, oil-free French fries. Just add its nonstick basket to the dishwasher come cleanup time.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.allrecipes.com