I got married last summer. When my now-husband and I went to register for gifts, we found ourselves escorted throughout one well-known store by a representative who was eager to see us end up with every conceivable appliance. “This is the time when you can ask for anything, and people will give it to you!” she explained. We disagreed with her and made some major edits to the list back at home.
So what do you need in the way of appliances? Which ones make life easier and which just take up space? Here are the pros and cons of some of the most common (you know, the ones that everyone tells you you “have to have.”) Click on the text to expand any section.
- You want to make one pot of food and then eat it all week.
- You want to make your own bone broth or stock.
- You won’t have time to cook in the evenings but you are okay with cooking in the mornings.
You might not want one if…
- You hate washing large, heavy ceramic vessels by hand (and you don’t want to use liners).
- You hate chopping vegetables, measuring spices, or otherwise prepping meats and produce before work.
My personal verdict: indifferent. But my husband likes them, so we elected to keep one of our combined three.
- You consider toast and/or bagels to be a snack food.
- You want to toast or reheat certain things (tuna melt, flatbread, leftover pizza etc.) without using the microwave or waiting for your oven to preheat.
- You want an easy way to roast baked potatoes or other small items without using the oven.
You might not want one if…
- You are primarily using it for the toast function, rather than the oven function (just get a pop-up toaster or use a pan on the stove).
- You prefer cold pizza.
My personal verdict: use it almost daily.
- You drink a lot of smoothies.
- You want to make soups that require you to purée the ingredients.
- You love mixed drinks and/or are training to become a bartender.
You might not want one if…
- You only want it for the soups (immersion blender is better).
- You like the idea of having smoothies every day but you hate the idea of washing your blender every day.
- You want to juice vegetables like carrots or kale, not just shred them up (for this, you really do need a juicer).
- You have a history of throwing wild parties and are trying to kick the habit. (But if you have this habit, you probably already own a blender.)
My personal verdict: occasional use. When you need a blender, only a blender will do. But how often will you really need a blender? Mine is on its last legs, and I haven’t really felt a sense of urgency about replacing it because I have an immersion blender as well.
- You want to make your own pesto.
- You want an easy way to shred cheese/make bread crumbs/mince vegetables/chop nuts.
- You want some extra help with making bread or pasta dough.
- You are trying to save time with prep.
You might not want one if…
- You are trying to save money.
- You don’t own a dishwasher (lots of parts to wash by hand).
My personal verdict: buy one if you can afford it. Food processors are a luxury that you can replace with elbow grease, but few things are as convenient, versatile, or delicious as homemade pesto.
- You plan to do a lot of baking.
- You cook for large numbers of people.
- You want to make your own pasta or grind your own sausage (but you will need to make sure you also purchase the appropriate attachments).
You might not want one if…
- You have limited counter space.
- You have a perfectly good handheld mixer and don’t plan to make pasta or sausage.
- You’re still getting started with cooking and think a stand mixer is overkill.
- You take pride in mixing all doughs by hand and think a stand mixer is cheating.
My personal verdict: I didn’t register for a stand mixer when we got married (because I thought it was cheating), and I now wish I owned one. It’s on my Christmas list.