Small kitchen appliance buying guide

Defrost function

If you freeze bread to keep it fresh for longer, a defrost function will thaw out your bread before toasting, so you don’t have to alter the browning control.

Crumb tray

A removable crumb tray catches stray crumbs, so you can easily remove any debris from the toasters base which may burn.

Size

Toasters usually come with two or four slice slots, although six slice models are available. For smaller households or in compact kitchens, a two-slice toaster is ideal. Four-slice toasters are great for larger families or groups of people living together and most will let you use two toaster slots independently.

Ice crushing

If you want to make cocktails or iced drinks as well as more traditional smoothies, look out for blenders with the ability to crush ice.

Pulse function

A pulse function uses short bursts of power to blend so you can get the perfect consistency without second guessing.

Cups

Toasters usually come with two or four slice slots, although six slice models are available. For smaller households or in compact kitchens, a two-slice toaster is ideal. Four-slice toasters are great for larger families or groups of people living together and most will let you use two toaster slots independently.

Dishwasher safe

Cleaning your blender by hand can be tricky, so dishwasher-safe parts will help you save time.

Feed chute size

If you want to make your morning juice without any prep, look for a juicer with an extra-large feed chute so you can juice whole fruits and vegetables without having to chop your ingredients.

Jug or dispenser tap

A juicer with a jug will let you easily store and serve your juices, while a dispenser tap lets you pour the juice straight into a glass.

Processors

A food processor really takes the hard work out of preparing meals. From chopping and grating to blending and mixing, a good food mixer will help you whizz through any meal prep.
Its primary function is to chop ingredients, although the average food processor can do so much more. Additional attachments let you mix ingredients, slice vegetables, blend liquids, mince meat, and grate food.
A mini chopper is ideal for smaller food preparation tasks such as chopping onions for a meal.

Mixers

A food mixer is ideal if you love to bake – it makes mixing, whipping, and creaming so much quicker and easier, taking the strain out of hand mixing.
There are two types of food mixers – a stand mixer which includes a bowl and is mainly used for baking tasks such as kneading dough, and a hand mixer which is a handheld model and is ideal for smaller tasks such as whisking eggs.

Attachments

There’s a wide range of attachments available for most models - if it’s not already included in the box you may be able to purchase specialist attachments separately.

Food processors usually include a variety of blades for chopping, slicing or grating, and premium models may have a blending jug for liquids.

Food mixers usually include a regular mixer blade, a dough hook, and a balloon whisk for whipping egg whites.

Settings

Keep an eye out for handy functions including a Pause setting which lets you easily add ingredients as you go, and a Fold setting for incorporating flour into your mixes without beating the air out.

Timer

Working on a specific recipe? Some models include a timer so that you can keep track of how long you’ve been mixing.

Dishwasher safe

To make clean up even easier, look out for a model with dishwasher safe parts.