The Best Kitchen Appliances (small)

Is there any small kitchen appliance, short of a microwave, as versatile as a food processor? With a food processor you can blend and puree, frap and chop, you can slice meats and cheeses, cube vegetables, and do just about anything else. Some of the more advanced models have advanced capabilities, though none yet have aquired the ability to clean up after themselves.

A microwave oven is indispenable. You can cook whole meals in a microwave, heat water to boiling, thaw meats and vegetables from the freezer, cook up snacks and pop popcorn. The choices are limitless.

A good blender can do anything from chop nuts to blend liquids to puree vegetables and is nearly as versatile as a food processor - though don't ask it to cube.

A good mixer takes the difficulty out of baking and cooking by doing the hard part (mixing) for you. A quality mixer can give you years of service.

Nothing is as handy as an electric griddle, especially when you are trying to cook multiple items simultaneously. Electric griddles effectively expand your stove space. When it comes to cooking pancakes - electric griddles keep a uniform surface that frying pans or stove top griddles can't equal.

A Must-have for any busy family. Crock pots are highly adaptable. They cook food slowly, allowing for a meal to be put into the pot in the morning - and be ready to eat by the time supper rolls around. From meats to beans to soups, crock pots are a definite time-saver.

Toaster Ovens are very versitile. While not as quick as microwaves, they tend to heat food more thruroughly and can handle things wrapped in tinfoil, as well as giving bread and other items a "toasted" feel instead of the soggy warmness of microwave heating.