Many of us own at least a couple of kitchen gadgets – appliances designed to make everyday cooking and baking tasks easier. But what’s the difference between a favourite food prep product and the one that sits in the back of the cupboard gathering dust?
For me, it doesn’t always come down to how well the appliance does its job, or even how fast it is. I don’t have a dishwasher at home, so my gadgets that are easiest to clean seem to get the most use in my kitchen.
Kitchen gadgets
My mum bought me a great Kenwood food processor for my last birthday which made delicious hummus quickly on two occasions. But since the large bowl and blade were such a pain to wash, I now never think to use it when I’m preparing an elaborate meal (and I’m more likely to buy my hummus from the local supermarket anyway).
Similarly, my housemate loves smoothies and was quick to jump on the personal blender trend. A year later it’s safe to say we all have a love/hate relationship with her noisy Nutribullet. While it makes tasty, healthy smoothies and can even blend pine nuts for a homemade pesto, it ruins all chance of having a conversation or listening to the radio when it’s switched on in our shared living space.
Buying the right appliance
Our reviews test scores are broken down into different features, so if you have a particular product bugbear you can make sure to avoid it. But it can be hard to know before you buy whether a kitchen appliance is going to revolutionise the way you cook or spend its life unloved in a drawer.
What makes a product a fad or a kitchen staple? It seems to be different for everyone. Some people love hybrid products, as one appliance with lots of different accessories saves space and money over time by not having to shell out for each individual gadget.
Or if you don’t need all the capabilities of a (often very large) hybrid appliance, you can buy smaller, cheaper and more specialised gadgets that are often less expensive and easier to store.
Your kitchen preferences
What matters most to you when buying and using new food prep products?
Maybe like me, you can’t stand spending ages washing up every night, you hate waiting around for your gadget to work its magic, or you simply want a product that does its job well. Let us know by voting in the poll or leaving a comment below.
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