We know that smart grocery shopping can make a huge difference in our daily expenses and savings. But a few small appliances and electricals can help you achieve that same purpose. What’s more, they make cooking from scratch quick and waste-free. Check out these useful kitchen appliances that are sure to keep you busy and your budget on track!
1. Slow Cooker or Multi-Cooker
Slow cookers or multi-cookers are your go-to appliances when you want a hot meal cooked gradually in one pot. All you need is to dump your ingredients into the ceramic crock then programme it to do the slow cooking for you.
Best features: I love how its set-and-forget system lets you do other tasks and enjoy home-cooked dishes at the same time. Some models even come with various functions like pressure cooking, braising, sous vide and yoghurt making.
Saving potential: With these multipurpose and useful kitchen appliances, you won’t have to buy other cookers that take up space. They’re also perfect if you love bulk cooking to save time and reduce energy costs. Plus, who needs takeaways and meal delivery apps after a busy day when you have mouth-watering soup or stew waiting for you at home?
2. Electric Pressure Cooker
Electric pressure cookers are somewhat similar to slow cookers. They’re exceptional in cooking stews, soups, beans and stocks in one pot. The pot can even double as a pan for boiling, steaming, sautéing and browning.
Best features: But unlike slow cookers, electric pressure cookers tenderise meat in minutes! With a faster cooking process, pressure cookers can preserve food quality and nutrients. You can learn more about the benefits of pressure cooking from this article.
Saving potential: Cooking your meals in one pot speeds up your cooking and cleaning time. This benefit is essential if you love a quick meal prepping routine. Fast pressure cooking also means significant energy savings. But the best part is, you can turn inexpensive ingredients or meat cuts into healthy meals.
3. Sous Vide Machine
If you want a more space-efficient slow cooker, then immersion circulators are for you. These useful kitchen appliances let you cook restaurant-quality meals in a vacuum at a precise time and temperature.
Best features: Compact sous vide machines are highly intuitive and work with your regular cookpots. All you have to do is clip it, set it then walk away!
Saving potential: With precise sous vide cooking, you get to avoid wasting food or overcooking that expensive steak! If you live in a large household, you can use the immersion circulator with a big water container. This way, you can cook several vacuum-sealed foods in one go for freezing.
4. Stand Mixer
A kitchen stand mixer has interchangeable beaters for creaming, kneading and whipping. With it, you can handle mixing duties without the elbow grease. Some models even come with nifty timers, so you get consistent mixing results every time.
Best features: Stand mixers may be a premium investment, but their multipurpose role in the kitchen makes up for it. If you love baking, a stand mixer lets you recreate all sorts of baked goods at home. You can even use compatible attachments for meat grinding, pasta making and more.
Saving potential: Stand mixers let you enjoy freshly baked bread that is not only more delicious but also cheaper than those from bakeries. Also, these useful kitchen appliances make it easier to recreate gluten-free baked goods with inexpensive ingredients.
5. Hand-Held Blender
An immersion blender is a stick-like appliance that can turn food into smooth purees. Some models include a blending bowl, but most let you blend food directly in the cookpot.
Best features: Compared with a regular blender, immersion blenders are more versatile. They come with interchangeable blades to achieve varying food textures. They can fit in your kitchen drawer, too.
Saving potential: With a hand-held blender in your kitchen, you can make fresh and inexpensive baby food for your little ones. Also, there’s no need for you to buy store-bought dips, smoothies and soups. Clean up takes no time either.
6. Food Processor
Food processors are useful kitchen appliances that make prep time a breeze. Their interchangeable blades let you do more than slice and chop, too.
Best features: While you can always reach for a cutting board and knife, it’s a lot faster to prep veggies and fruits in bulk with a food processor. It also lets you cut food in uniform sizes, so they cook evenly. Other models even include plastic beaters for making bread dough and cake batters.
Saving potential: Skip those pre-chopped vegetables, ready-made breadcrumbs and shredded cheese at the grocery. A food processor can do them for you, fresh and without the extra cost or packaging.
7. Food Vacuum Sealer
A vacuum sealer is a must-have if you want to keep things fresh longer and avoid wasting food (and money!). This appliance lets you store food in an airtight environment, away from moisture, freezer burn and harmful bacteria.
Best features: Food vacuum sealers are useful in the kitchen. But you can also use them to protect non-food items like documents, electronics and travel essentials.
Saving potential: If you love meal prepping, sous vide cooking and growing your food in the garden, a food vacuum sealer can come in handy. This appliance is also perfect for storing leftovers or seasonal produce in bulk. This article lists down its many other money-saving benefits.
Kitchen appliances are undoubtedly indispensable nowadays. Aside from convenience, they also provide various forms of savings, from money to time to space. But if you want to save more, I suggest purchasing appliances that match your lifestyle. And when possible, opt for smaller, energy-efficient appliances. This way, we can enjoy cooking from scratch without the bill shock!
