Setting Up a New Kitchen

At one point my kitchen counters were so filled with small appliances that I couldn't find a place to work. Small appliances are cool toys. Even Tool Time's Tim Taylor was facinated by them, and he didn't do any of the cooking! It's very easy to get carried away buying these toys.

My recommendations in this area weigh heavily on the ability to either multi-task, or be of frequent use. These are the kinds of things that you’ll want to keep out, and available at all times. No back-of-the-closet toys here. For example, I don't recommend an expresso maker, but if you love expresso, and are awake enough before your first expresso of the day to actually use an expresso maker, you might want to buy a toy or two I haven't recommended.

I would caution you to think hard about whether you really will use a new toy. I love ice cream, but I'm never going to take the time to make ice cream from scratch. I love pizza, but those revolving frozen pizza bakers take up a lot of room, and don't work as well as my dependable range. But that doesn't mean I'll never buy another toy for my kitchen! I will. But here we're talking just the basics.

So let's get started by talking about the biggest little multi-tasker around. The microwave oven.

The Microwave Oven

Microwave ovens have become almost as common as sinks in kitchens. For many people, the microwave is the primary cooking appliance in their kitchen. But what do you really need in a microwave oven?

The first thing you need to think about is size. Do you really need a microwave big enough for a turkey if all you're doing is making popcorn? I've never been in a kitchen where space isn't at a premium. That humongous microwave is either going to take up counter or cabinet space that's really needed.

Maximum power is another consideration. A decade ago, most microwave ovens were in the 500-700 watt range. These days 1000-1400 is common, but you're likely to pay a premium price for more than 1200 watts. As long as you avoid ovens with less than 1000 watts, you should be okay here. But keep in mind the wattage when you're looking at recipies from older cookbooks.

Turntables are indispensible. Pass on any oven without one, but keep in mind that your effective interior space is only the area above the turntable, not the entire internal cavety. Compare apples to apples when looking at sizes.

One of the neatest features to come about in the past couple of years are sensors that automatically turn the oven off at the correct time for whatever it is you're making. They use a combination of humidity and temperature. Early versions used in commercial microwaves near vending machines were pretty crude compared to what's available today in consumer models.

You would think that the more food choices available for these automatic levels the better, but that's not really the case. You won't use them all, so don't pay a premium for levels you'll never use.

Other Small Appliances

Everyone needs a toaster. But which one is right? Do you like toasted English muffins? Make sure you get a wide slot. Do you make BLT’s for a big family once a week? Maybe a long slot is better for you. If all you need is a basic toaster, don't pay an arm and a leg. If you later find out you need more from your toaster, it's easier to move up when you're discarding a toaster you paid $15 for than it is to let go of a $100 toaster.

Electric can openers can be pretty inexpensive, but if you don’t open many cans, or if all the cans you open have pull-tops, it’s optional. Don’t be enticed by add-ons like knife sharpeners or ice crushers. They aren’t worth it.

I once lived around the corner from a McDonalds. I could get all the fries I needed in less time than it would take to warm-up the oil in a deep fryer. But I live in a better neighborhood now, and there are things besides fries that I want to deep fry. While those mini-deep fryers may look like a good way to get a quick fry fix, they aren’t big enough. The most important aspect of a deep fryer is it’s ability to recover after cold or frozen food is submerged. The if the fryer is too small, the temperature drops too far to effectively recover.

A slow cooker or a crock pot is a nice thing to have around, too. I’m not big on those things that need to slow cook all day long, but when there’s a pot luck in the office, I like to bring in a warm dish. I like the six quart size.

Something that has fallen out of fashion that is very useful is the electric skillet. Sure, anything it does you can also do with a big enough skillet on the range, but there’s one big difference: A thermostat. You can simmer something forever without having to constantly check and adjust the heat.

A relative newcomer on the block is the food processor. But the problem with a food processor is most are too big for what they can do best, and they have too many parts. A small, simple food processor, however, is indispensable. Start off with a small food processor, and if you find yourself wanting a bigger one, get the bigger one later. I seldom use my full-sized food processor, but I use my mini-sized one all the time.

I’m not a big fan of blenders, and certainly not those with more than 3 speeds. While some people will try to convince you that you can use a blender like a food processor, the truth is that it’s not very good for anything except high speed mixing of liquid and semi-liquids. You don’t need 10 speeds for that! In fact, you may find a “stick” blender – a blender that you insert into what you’re blending – may be the better choice for you.

While a high-end stick blender may be able to take the place of a hand mixer, I don’t advise it. Keep the stick blender simple, and easy to clean, and you’ll reach for it more often. If you do a lot of baking, an inexpensive hand mixer is good for a start. If you don’t do a lot of baking, a simple hand mixer is enough. Those big stand mixers look neat, but they take up a lot of space. If this is your first kitchen, wait until you burn-out your hand mixer before considering one. (And if you don’t burn out your hand mixer, you probably don’t need a stand mixer!)

And last, but not least for small appliances, an electric knife. You’d be surprised how it’ll come in handy, especially if you make a lot of roasts. They do a great job of cutting when you don’t want to exert any downward pressure that could misshape things, and result in bad cuts.

We’re starting to move from small appliances to hand tools, but before we go there, let’s stop and take a look at another big category: Cookware.

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