Setting up a new kitchen is both exiting and overwhelming. You will see new stuff that you do not have but might need in every store that you visit. On top of this, friends and relatives will swear by their own favorite kitchen appliances and utensils and store salesmen will convince you that your kitchen cannot be complete until and unless you pick up each and every appliance available in their store ranging from ovens, steamers and coffee grinders to toasters, citrus fruit juicers and grill sandwich makers. While you will eventually get to know what you need and what you don’t as you start using your kitchen full time, given below is a list of necessary basic kitchen appliances that will help you out till then:
Food Processor: A food processor is the best thing to ever happen to the kitchen. Many people will tell you that the attachments are tough to handle and cleaning up is the biggest chore ever, but a food processor can actually speed up your time and productivity in the kitchen provided you know how to use one. Any good quality food processor will let you make juices; chop, slice, shred, mince and grate vegetables and meat; grind and puree and knead your dough for bread and pizza bases. Buy a food processor that comes with a blender so that you do not have to buy an additional blender, which is one of the most used and useful kitchen appliances.
Blender: If you are not buying a food processor or if your processor comes without a blender, then make sure that you buy a blender before you start cooking. It is a major necessity in any kitchen and extremely efficient and useful for making shakes, smoothies, purees, soups and sauces.
An Electric Beater Or Mixer: An electric beater, stand alone or hand held is a necessity for you if you plan to bake. These hand held or stand alone beaters ensure that your eggs and cream are perfectly whipped for cakes and that your batter is perfectly mixed. You can go for a manual beater/mixer if you are short of money, but they tend to consume a lot of time and energy and still fail to provide the results that an electric one does. They are also helpful in making soups, sauces and pastes of all kinds.
A Microwave: In a day and age of pre-packed, pre-prepared frozen foods, no kitchen is complete without a microwave. Microwaves are necessary for reheating and defrosting, which not only take up time but also result in a large amount of dirty utensils if you use a stove top. You can also use your microwave for basic cooking and end up saving a lot of kitchen time.
A Crock Pot: The only way that you can get perfect steamed rice with each and every grain standing out separately is by using a crock pot or an electric rice cooker. Just put in the desired amount of rice and water and switch in the device and your restaurant grade rice will be ready within no time. It is an ideal instrument for making soups and all-in-one meals and is also great for steaming vegetables.
