Small Appliances

The new and improved Cuisinart Prep Plus 11-Cup Food Processor has been keeping steady on top of the best-sellers' lists for quite a while. Is this because it's a quality product, or because there are a lot of places to find it on sale now... or both?

I'd say: both.

It's not ...

Keurig coffee makers are best known for those little K-Cups, single-sized beverage servings in a wide variety of flavors. Due to the popularity of these appliances, you don't have to shop Keurig exclusively to find coffee flavors you like. Companies like Celestial Seasonings, Green Mountain Coffee, and even Wolfgang ...

If you're a coffee lover, especially one who loves to make your early-morning concoctions fresh from scratch, you probably already have a burr grinder, or at least know about them. They're much, much more efficient at grinding than their blade-grinder competitors. Most of the value-priced electric coffee grinders you'll ...

This Black & Decker 4-slice Toast-R-Oven is a frequent best-seller due to its relatively low retail price -- and the fact that it's pretty easy to find on sale. If you look around long enough, you should be able to find this toaster oven for under 30 ...

There are a lot of advantages to choosing an electric water boiler over a traditional stovetop kettle. With today's technology, you can find a product that's "faster than a microwave and safer than a stovetop" -- as is the claim of the popular Toastess Delfino Electric Kettle. After seeing ...

A couple weeks ago, I bought a stainless steel water bottle for a friend. She was always complaining of the "plasticky" taste after her drinks were left inside for hours -- not to mention they'd be piping hot after sitting in the car.

I had some cash to spare and I ...

Hamilton Beach drink mixers have been around ever since 1911, and replica models these days reflect the nostalgic Americana of soda fountains, malt shoppes, and jukeboxes playing doo-wop late into the night. Coming across a classic replica Hamilton Beach Milkshake Maker like this one may seem like the real deal. ...

Convection n. -- a highly sought-after airflow cooking method that uses fans to circulate hot air inside an oven. This speeds up cooking time and evens out the irregularities in cooked consistency.

And now, this same convection oven technology can be found in a portable bread maker. Sounds awesome, right?

The Cuisinart ...

Although its price is hard to beat, the Oster BCCG08 is a blender I would only recommend as an "occasional use" purchase. You'll probably be able to find it for a steal of a deal -- then again, there's always a reason behind that.

What the BCCG08 does have going for ...

"You get what you pay for" is a saying I've often used to reinforce any purchase that I didn't happen to find on a clearance shelf. If something's dirt cheap and it breaks, I don't feel so bad about any poor investment skills -- it's all about the bargain shopping ...

One way to get a healthy, filling breakfast each morning is to get up early and cook all your proteins and breads from scratch. But while that may be the best-tasting way to go about your morning, chances are it's not the most feasible thing to do day ...

If you're like me, you crave every extra minute that you get to sleep in. Snooze alarms are used multiple times in the morning. Everything you need for your day is set out the night before, so when that dreaded 10th snooze alarm goes off, the only thing ...

Looks like the Zojirushi front-runner for Best Bread Machine has some competition now. The results are in, and this West Bend breadmaker has been shown to perform just as well as its more expensive competition, if not better.

What I like most about this West Bend model is the quality of ...

A lot of thought went into this Breville slow cooker, rated "Best" by Cooking Light Magazine. I can tell that the manufacturers wanted to incorporate extra elements in this product that would actually be improvements, not just extra bells and whistles.

One feature that stands out is the EasySear Insert with ...

When the hot weather arrives, I always crave an icy treat. If I can whip one up in under five minutes, then all the better. One candidate for exactly that task is the Rival Snow Cone Maker. But how does it perform?

The machine works by using the ice cubes from ...

Here's a bit of culinary trivia: Did you know that the creator of the food processor was from Burgundy, France? A man named Pierre Verdan came up with the concept over 35 years ago. He put his French catering business sense to good use and created an appliance to ...

This refrigeration unit from U-Line is more of a beverage cooler than a standard mini-fridge. While it can be used to store food items as well, the clear glass door and adjustable shelving inside are best suited for storing various kinds of drinks. Juice, beer, wine, soda, and water bottles all ...

This compact refrigerator from U-Line is one of few models available in its particular size. The 1115RS comes from the Origins series with a capacity of 3.3 cubic feet, and it measures 14-15/16 inches wide by 34 inches high.

Since this mini-fridge comes from U-Line, it has quite a long-standing reputation to ...

The U-Line Corporation has been in the refrigeration business for over 40 years, creating refrigerators that at first glance seem to be a step up from typical household appliances. This means the U-Line Compact CO1175 Refrigerator not only has functional expectations to live up to, but it also has the ...

Norwalk Juicer varieties have been manufactured for over 75 years. The Norwalk initiative started in 1910 by Dr. Walker, who opened Norwalk Laboratories of Health Research to promote juice therapy and the raw foods diet. Today, the concept of juicing is growing in popularity thanks to Dr. Walker's initial research.

The Norwalk ...

Pizzelle cookies are a fun treat to make, especially when you have an easy-to-use electric appliance that will make them in less than a minute. Such is the promise of the Chef's Choice Pizzelle Pro, and considering the rave reviews it has received from cooks nationwide, the Pizzelle Pro ...

There's more than one way to make a pizzelle. Some cooks prefer the easy way, i.e. pouring batter into a non-stick electric appliance and waiting a few seconds until it's ready to eat. And some cooks prefer traditional, tried-and-true methods of using cast iron or cast aluminum appliances that produce ...

If you've ever used a standard electric juicer and been frustrated with its limitations, chances are you'll be really impressed with the list of features advertised on the Hurom Slow Juicer. Hurom says that this juicer will retain a higher level of vitamins and nutrients, get rid of pulp and ...

Many waffle makers these days are electric, non-stick, and automatic. But despite all these modern conveniences, many cooks swear by the tried-and-true cast iron waffle maker and allege that the texture and even cooking distribution just can't be beat. For health-conscious cooks, a cast iron waffle maker also ...

For grilling without an actual grill, most chefs resort to stovetop griddles of heavy cast iron. The Scanpan Classic 11-inch Square Griddle gives nonstick results without the weight of cast iron. Hand-cast aluminum poured under 200 tons of pressure distributes heat evenly over the entire surface of the griddle. ...

Ahh, I remember our little dorm fridge. Every time we opened the door, which didn't hold much, whatever was stored there would spill out onto the floor of our room. We could barely fit some plastic reusable ice cubes in the tiny freezer. We had a dorm cafeteria, so the bother wasn't much ...

Frequently referred to as one of the best coffee makers on the market by people who have enjoyed owning one, this tall drink of water (err, coffee? hot water??) comes from the Zojirushi company, makers of exceptional hot water pots and rice cookers. That fact alone is enough to ...

I like this device because it feels like having an extension of my body with the ability to blend. The movement is far more natural than the awkward way I have to hold a regular mixer. I can maneuver it with simple rotations of my wrist, with no strain, ...

This perfect marriage of rice cooker and steamer means fantastic results for your waistline and any healthy eating plan This is the Asian equivalent of a Crock Pot, or one pot meal. Meat, seafood, eggs, veggies, or tofu can go inside along with your rice. The rice cooks without monitoring and ...

I am a lover of sweet treats, but standing over the bowl with the mixer, I can never quite find a comfortable position. Sometimes everything goes well. Other times, I wish I had an extra set of hands. That is where the versatility of a hand/stand mixer is ...

Chemistry class was always a favorite of min -- the tubes, beakers and flasks, the interesting experiments. I guess that's why I'm drawn to this unusual coffee making system by Bodum. Each time a pot is made, it's like a little laboratory in my kitchen. It is as much fun ...

If you use or store more than a few bottles of wine per week or you are beginning to be able to detect the subtle differences that emerge with greater knowledge, you need a special place to store your selections.

When you have a dedicated wine chiller, it is possible ...

The Gaggia Titanium Super Automatic Espresso Machine features a double boiler system to separate water supplies for brewing and steaming and fully programmable settings. Perfect espresso is the consistent result, with options for several brew times and varieties of product.

This beautiful machine is not difficult to comprehend. Internal sensors warn ...

Whenever a product is advertised "As Seen on TV," I tend to be dubious of the claims. The Nuwave Infrared Oven may not revolutionize your life, but it does a good job of cooking a variety of foods without heating up the kitchen, once you learn its ways.

The main energy sources ...

Sharp has really raised the bar with this full-featured oven. If you are searching for a true all-in-one solution to countertop cooking, then this may be just the thing to meet your needs.

The Sharp R-820JS looks to be a sophisticated microwave oven at first glance. The controls are ...

The Krups XP1500 Coffee and Espresso Machine is a moderately priced combination coffeemaker that wants to please everyone but unfortunately ends up falling short in its coffeemaking abilities and convenience.

With the aim to produce an appliance that satisfies the coffee as well as the espresso drinker, Krups has come out with this ...

This sturdy and compact espresso maker from Cuisinart has all the features that make for a great coffee making appliance for your kitchen. The question is, does it provide enough features and convenience to compete with others in the price range?

The EM-100 Espresso maker is a pump-driven machine capable of coffee brewing ...

This programmable eight-cup Renaissance Drip Coffeemaker from Saeco uses a thermal stainless steel and carbon fiber carafe to keep coffee hot rather than a warming plate. Although that is energy efficient, and the unit shuts off after brewing, it can affect both temperature and flavor of your morning brew.

When ...

Until someone comes up with a radical new technology for toasting bread, we will be choosing our favorite device from small slotted boxes with spring plungers, little changed in a lifetime. All the while cursing the heavens for burnt or underdone toast. Into the fray comes this ...

Panasonic's 1250 Watt NN-H765WF Microwave Oven offers push button control and an automatic 15-inch diameter turntable for even cooking. Ten power settings actually power down rather than giving infrequent bursts of high power as many microwaves do. At lower power settings, the cooking is more controlled with temperatures remaining constant.

Three ...

Built for slicing, shredding, mixing dough, and blending, the all purpose ten-cup Black and Decker FP 1550S Food Processor can perform well but requires some special care. The ten-cup capacity is misleading, with amounts well below this level being a safe amount for this lightly built machine.

Although the 500-watt ...

Excelling at some common food processing jobs like kneading bread dough and slicing fruits and vegetables, the Cuisinart DLC-5BK Food Processor falls short in other areas. The rated capacity of seven cups is not an accurate working volume -- three cups of liquid is the maximum working load.

Although the useful ...

The ESAM3300 is known as a Super-Automatic for good reason. This style of machine is designed for absolute push-button convenience when preparing Italian coffee drinks.

Manufactured in Italy, this model features a burr grinder and will hold up to 7 oz. of coffee beans ready for automatic grinding right before the brewing ...

This convection toaster oven from Krups offers sophisticated electronic controls along with innovative quartz heating. All meant to elevate the experience beyond what you would expect from a countertop appliance.

The oven has an interior capacity of .59 cubic feet, which is roomier than most toaster ovens in this category according ...

If you are looking for an efficient, quick way to heat water for coffee or tea without the potential hazards of boiling water on the stove, then an electric kettle is for you.

The Chef's Choice electric kettle has a 1.7 liter capacity, almost 2 quarts. There are smaller kettles on ...

Coffee is a religion. And for those of us who worship daily at the altar, the promise of better coffee and easier preparation will always get our attention. This espresso maker from Nespresso in Italy sounds like true coffee nirvana, albeit an expensive one. I mean, the machine is ...

KitchenAid's Ultra Power 5 Speed Hand Mixer doesn't have the power the name implies and will require a light touch. More advanced versions of the Ultra Power mixers offer a wider range of speeds and options for higher torque. With this five speed hand mixer, you'll have to compensate by ...

For the many small jobs a pop-up toaster can't handle -- like open-faced sandwiches with cheese -- a full-sized oven does not make good economic sense, wasting watts on a snack-sized item that could as easily be spent on a turkey. The Sanyo Space Saving Toaster Oven fits neatly in that ...

The Rival 22 Quart Roaster Oven does more than roast full size turkeys -- this particular model can be used as a spare oven, capable of baking, roasting, or even slow cooking soups and stews. Maximum turkey size for this device is over 18 pounds, with room left ...

Cuisinart's DCC-1100 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemake offers 24 hour programmability plus settings for 1 to 4 cups of brew. Programming and use is not self explanatory, however, and you'll find the manual essential until you're accustomed to the system.

The DCC-1100 does have water filtration and a warning light which flashes ...