The Best Kitchen Appliances of 2011
The best kitchen appliances are those that make cooking so easy that it feels less like a chore, and more like a joy. Listed below are some of the best kitchen appliances of this year.
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer
So you’ve seen it in persimmon. You wondered if the pear one would work with your dark wood cabinets. You scoffed at the idea of a boysenberry colored one until you saw one in person. And when someone said they were going to adorn theirs with a Union Jack flag tricked out with sparkles, you didn’t even flinch, instead nodding in complete agreement. Yes, this is about Kitchen Aid mixers, specifically the Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer. Its got inumerable fans on Amazon. It’s one of Oprah’s favorite things. But why is it so popular? For starters, it’s got 325 watts of power, which makes tasks like creaming butter and kneading dough a breeze. It comes with three attachments, including a flat beater that makes mince meat out of meat loaf, a hook that mixes and kneads dough like it was water, and a wire whip that whips mayo and egg whites into shape. Add the slew of other available attachments into the mix, and it feels like the Kitchen Aid is its own kitchen. The other attachments available practically turn the Kitchen Aid mixer into a kitchen in and of itself. It’s an extremely well made, durable, good quality product that people love not only for its obvious talents, but also because it’s an All-American, Made In America product. At around $240, you’re getting a supersonic deal for this machine.
Cuisinart CSB-77 Smart Stick Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper Attachments
A hand blender is like a miracle on a stick for someone lacking the space or the funds to get larger or more expensive blenders and food processors. The Cuisinart CSB-77 has a 200-watt motor that purees, blends and mixes without breaking a sweat, all as it rests in the palm of your hand. It’s a handy food processor, thanks to the chopper attachment. It blends, whips and chops directly inside the bowl or pot that you’re working out of. Fewer dishes! It can be used to make the best organic soups in mere seconds, puree baby foods, etc. It’s the type of appliance that, for about $50, no kitchen should be without.
Hamilton Beach 33967 Set and Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
This 6-quart slow cooker is one of the top-selling kitchen appliances on Amazon. It's incredibly easy to use. Take the items you want to cook and place them in the pot. You can choose from three different modes. Program mode allows you to set a time, cook the food, and the cooker will then go into “keep warm” mode so that the food stays nice and warm once it's cooked, without drying out. The manual setting is perfect for traditional style cooking. At $45, it’s one of those appliances that you think you don’t need until you have it, and then wonder how you ever lived without it.
