11 Most Important Kitchen Appliances for First Time Homeowners

I remember being terrified when I first moved out and bought my first house. For my first home, I was undecided about which small kitchen appliances to purchase. It took me a long time to find out which appliances were worth purchasing and which were not.

Here’s what I learned as a result of that experience:

A toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker, microwave, immersion blender, conventional blender, and food processor are all necessary small appliances for your first house because they will be used the most.

I’ve bought a lot of tiny kitchen appliances because I’ve been around the block a few times, so I’m in an excellent position to know what you need, what you don’t need, which brands are better, and where to buy them.

So let’s take a look at the tiny appliances you’ll need for your first home, and we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions. I only choose goods that I either own, have tried, or thoroughly studied to ensure excellence. I also include both high-end and low-cost options, so my recommendations are suitable for any budget.

What are the essential appliances for a new home?

A refrigerator, washer and dryer, toaster oven, microwave, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, blender, and food processor are the ideal equipment to buy first for a new house. There’s a lot to buy when you’re setting up a new property, especially your first one.

As a result, it’s critical to determine the most essential items and purchase them in that order. After all, you’ll be on a tight budget unless you land that six-figure job right out of college.

So, let’s take a look at the essential appliances for a new home, room by room.

KITCHEN UTILITIES

A microwave is a must-have for warming leftovers.

Toaster — Ideal for bagels or morning toast.

Toaster oven: Perfect for reheating pizza or other items that might take too long in a larger oven.

Blenders have a wide range of applications, from smoothies to creamy soups and sauces.

Food processor — quickly chop, grind, grate, or prepare bread dough (with a separate blade).

APPLIANCES FOR THE HOUSEHOLD

Unless you live near a laundromat, a washer and dryer are a must-have.

Vacuum cleaner: While not necessary if you don’t have carpet, they are helpful even on solid floors, especially if you have pets.

A compact handheld dustbuster-type hand vac, as opposed to a giant portable vacuum cleaner, is ideal for cleaning crumbs off a coach or getting into tiny nooks and crevices.

Yes, you may upgrade with a humidifier or dehumidifier, as well as air and water purifiers. However, those are probably not necessary to get a simple beginning home off the ground.

If your new home lacks central air conditioning and heat, you’ll need to install window units and space heaters, depending on where you live in the country and the world.

What kitchen appliances are required?

A refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, coffee maker, and smaller kitchen appliances such as an immersion blender, food processor, and Crock-Pot are among the most significant appliances for your kitchen.

The kitchen is frequently referred to as the “heart” of the home.

I can’t tell you how many parties I’ve hosted or attended when everyone ends up in the kitchen at some point. If you have no experience with cooking, start with a few kitchen appliances I described above: microwave, toaster, toaster oven, blender, and food processor.

However, a completely equipped kitchen that is ready to host dinner parties or your parents will require a few additional items. So, in addition to those, consider the following

A Blender for Immersion

This is a mini blender that can be used on the go. Unlike a countertop blender, which you pour ingredients into, this one follows you around as you cook or prepare food. It’s essentially a long handle with a blade attached to the end.

To protect you and reduce spatter to a minimum, the blade is partially covered. Because the blade is usually detachable, you can throw it in the dishwasher once you’re done.

On the stove, are you making broth and vegetables? Put the immersion blender into the soup and purée until it’s smooth and creamy. However, it also works wonders on sauces! In a matter of seconds, turn whole peeled tomatoes into tomato sauce!

Slow cookers, such as the Crock-Pot

The Crock-Pot is not to be feared! My wife had seen me make meal after meal in our slow cookers for years, but she was terrified to try it herself. They’re so easy to use that once you’ve tried one, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one!

While most recipes are a little more involved than simply putting the ingredients in and turning it on, they aren’t overly complicated. The slow cooker is the ideal one-pot dinner solution for soups, flawlessly pulled pork, chili, and even lasagne, so you’ll want one.

Grinder for coffee

Why not? It’s so simple, and they’re inexpensive.

Of course, if you don’t drink coffee, you can probably skip this step. For the rest of us, though, nothing beats freshly ground coffee. You’ll never drink instant coffee again if you buy whole beans (don’t freeze them) and grind them fresh every morning.

Even if you have a Keurig or other pod-based coffee maker, get a refillable cup (the landfill will like it) and grind and fill each morning.

What are the most ineffective tiny kitchen appliances?

Electric can openers, espresso machines, bread machines, pasta makers, egg cookers, and popcorn makers are among the most ineffective tiny kitchen appliances to avoid. While they are all theoretically beneficial, they are rarely employed in most households. A few items aren’t essential unless you’re the type of person who is obsessed with unique devices and wants to own everything. So, at least when you’re setting up your first property, I would avoid the following little kitchen equipment and gadgets, especially if you’re on a tight budget. I discussed a few of these earlier, but here’s the complete list with explanations.

An electric can opener? Can’t you open a can with your hands?

Espresso Maker — I adore espresso, but do you know how often I used one of these when I had one? Approximately twice a year. When you require a caffeine fix, head to Starbucks.

Bread machine - I used to have one of these as well. And don’t get me wrong: freshly made bread is AMAZING! What’s more, guess what? You can prepare it in your oven as well, and at least my machine kept popping the lid open during baking, destroying the bread.

Pasta Machine: Fresh pasta, like fresh bread, is fantastic! But, let’s be honest, let’s be honest. How much time are you going to spend making pasta by hand unless you’re Martha Stewart when you can get an excellent box of organic bronze-dye extruded penne for under three bucks?

Sharpening knives with an electric knife sharpener: The vast majority of them don’t work at all, if at all. I have a simple sharpening stone that I use to drag the blades of my non-serrated knives across at a 45° angle. I work on one side at a time, pressing down forcefully as I go. It could take 10-20 passes, depending on how dull your knife is. Then, using sharpening steel, align the tines on the knife’s blade.

Ice Cream Maker — As with most of these, this sounds like a fantastic idea. But the reality is that you’ll probably use it once in a while, and when we do have ice cream, it’s usually in a restaurant.

What should my first kitchen purchase be?

The following are must-have products for your first-time home kitchen:

1. a coffee machine
2. A high-quality chef’s knife, 8?? or 10?? in length
3. 1-2 large plastic cutting boards that can be washed in the dishwasher
4. 8-person utensil set (essential knife, fork, and spoon sets)
5. Cups, plates, and bowls (enough for eight people)
6. Utensils for cooking (wooden spoons, slotted spoons, ladles, spatulas, tongs)
7. Towels for the kitchen
8. A blender and a food processor
9. An immersion blender is a type of blender that is used to
10. Heating pads (for grabbing hot items from the oven as well as setting on the counter, so your hot pot doesn’t burn the counter)
11. Bowls for mixing
12. A set of baking sheets made of metal
13. Cups for measuring

What does a home cook require?

So, if you know a bit about cooking and want to advance your skills and tools, here’s what I recommend.

No.1 An outstanding chef’s knife

A brilliant chef’s knife just cannot be replaced. You’ll need one that’s approximately 10 inches in diameter, and if you’re serious about cooking, you’ll need a good one. I have three, but I only use two of them, and they are identical. They were built by Global and cost me around $100 each at the time. That was nearly two decades ago! I sharpen them once a month, and before each usage, I line the tines with a sharpening steel (which can’t sharpen a dull knife).

No.2 A micro plane or zester

Lemon zest is used in a lot of recipes (finely grated lemon peel).

This is readily accomplished with a zester or micro plane (handheld grater with extremely small grates). I have both, but if I had to choose one, I’d choose the micro-plane because it can quickly grate parmesan and has a variety of other purposes.

No.3 A juicer that can be squeezed by hand

The juice of a lemon, lime, or orange is sometimes called for in a recipe. While you can just cut them in half and squeeze with your hand, a hand squeezer will yield more. It also has the added benefit of not making you shriek in pain if your squeezing hand has any cuts. They usually come in three sizes (color-coded in green (limes), yellow (lemons), and orange (orange) (oranges). However, I find that the yellow one works well for all three, and I squeeze lemons the most.

No.4 A chopper for one’s hands

Yes, if you’re Gordon Ramsey, you’ll probably be able to juggle garlic and onions in no time. A hand chopper is ideal for swiftly, uniformly, and efficiently chopping garlic, onion, carrots, and other vegetables for the rest of us. I had the same one from Zyliss for ten years till it broke last month. Many of them don’t stand up well over time, so read reviews first.

Unfortunately, Zyliss no longer manufactures the model I had, so I’ll have to start over. However, I am aware that they produce some excellent goods.

No.5 Teakettle

There’s no need to get all flashy and electric.

While you can boil water in a pot, if you’re making tea or need to pour the water into a cup or something with a small opening, an affordable teapot should be on your shopping list.

What are the top ten utensils in the kitchen?

The following are the best cooking tools to have:

1. Chopper for the hands
2. Juicer squeezed by hand
3. Peel potatoes, carrots, ginger, and a variety of other vegetables with a micro plane peeler.
4. The micro plane can’t handle more significant bits, so use a cheese grater instead.
5. Solids or silt can be removed from liquids using a wire mesh strainer.
6. A whisk is considerably superior to stirring with a spoon when whipping things.
7. Wooden spoons — Use them to stir sauces, toss salads, or sauté in a skillet. You’ll need a few of these.
8. Spatulas are a spatula used to scrape food, nothing beats a decent spatula for flipping a pancake or an omelet. You might want a few different sizes of these as well, and I like non-metal ones because they are less likely to scratch your cookware.
9. Tongs are used to remove food from hot oil or lift hot food to place on a platter.

What is the most helpful kitchen appliance?

Aside from the essentials, a food processor is the ideal kitchen tool to have. The food processor can be used as a blender, meat grinder, grater, and bread dough mixer, and it can puree, prepare salad dressings, and hummus with ease.

However, the ideal kitchen gadget is a very personal choice. Furthermore, comparing apples to oranges is difficult because each kitchen gadget and appliance has a different purpose. I’ve owned the same Cuisinart food processor for over a decade. This is one of my favorite tiny kitchen equipment since it lasts forever.

I’ve used it for a variety of purposes, including

Salad dressing - Combine garlic cloves, vinegar or lemon juice, fresh herbs, and perhaps a tablespoon of dijon mustard in a food processor and pulse while slowly drizzling in extra virgin olive oil.

Tortilla dough — the non-sharp dough blade makes it simple to prepare dough for tortillas, chapatis, empanadas, and a variety of other dishes.

Pesto - Nothing beats homemade pesto. My wife prefers canned pesto since it’s quick and convenient, but this is beyond criminal. Pulse in a few fresh garlic cloves, a bouquet of fresh basil leaves, grated parmesan cheese, and pine nuts while drizzled in extra virgin olive oil. There is no pesto in a jar that compares!

Masa for tamales - Tamales are pretty simple to make, and most people have no idea. Yes, they take an hour to cook, but the preparation is quite simple! It’s as simple as getting some masa flour from the grocery, mixing it with some non-hydrogenated shortening or butter, and then pulsing it with the dough blade. Then sprinkle your chosen toppings onto corn husks or banana leaves and steam for delicious tamales.

And that’s only scraping the surface of their abilities—multiple uses, simple to clean, dishwasher safe, and designed to save you time.

So, let’s go over those again.

For Your First Home, Here Are 11 Must-Have Small Kitchen Appliances

No.1 Use a blender

It is a terrific technique to prepare a quick smoothie or blend a soup or sauce until it’s silky smooth.

No.2 Blender or food processor

Making sauces, dressings, bread dough, chopping nuts, and a variety of other meal preparations has never been easier.

No.3 A coffee machine

It’s a must-have for my morning routine, and it’s likely to be the same for yours. While going to a coffee shop for a treat is fun, it’s more cost-effective to prepare your own most of the time.

Another issue many have about Keurig coffee makers is if they may be left on all day or if they should be turned off after each use.

No.4 A coffee mill

With coffee grinders being so inexpensive, there’s no reason not to own and utilize one. It makes much better coffee and keeps the whole bean coffee fresher for longer.

No.5 Blender with Immersion

It’s a must-have tool for swiftly puréeing a sauce or soup.

No.6 The microwave

I’m sure I don’t need to explain how good the microwave is for fast reheating most leftovers or boiling water.

No.7 Toaster

There’s no alternative to a basic toaster when it comes to creating bagels or toast. Even the excellent toaster oven isn’t up to the task (which is why I recommend both).

No.8 Toaster Oven

The most pleasing way to reheat pizza is to make a small dinner or reheat anything too large for a standard toaster. It heats up considerably faster than a traditional oven. It doesn’t transform your kitchen into an inferno on a hot summer day, unlike a regular oven.

No.9 Use a Crock-Pot (or other slow cookers)

When you’ve worked all day and are exhausted, the last thing you want to do is prepare a large supper, yet eating out every night is expensive. The slow cooker is brought into play. Simply load it up before work and leave it to perform its magic while you’re gone. Dinner is ready for you when you get home from work.

No.10 Hand mixer

A hand mixer is essential if you need to beat eggs, make handmade whipped cream, or bake something. While the tiny man with the two replaceable beaters is a good option, go for gold with a Kitchen Aid mixer if your budget allows it.

No.11 Pressure cooker

When it comes to one-pot dinners and quick meal solutions, a pressure cooker, like your Crock-pot, can be a lifesaver for busy working people. I hope that this post answered some of your questions concerning the minor appliances you’ll need for your first home. As the name implies, a pressure cooker seals in the pressure. It remains airtight, dramatically speeding up the cooking process and cutting your cooking time in half.

A pressure cooker can prepare virtually any meal that can be cooked with steam, boiling, or braising. However, it should not be used for products like pasta.

Have we covered all of the tiny kitchen appliances you’ll need for your first home?

Moving into your first house can be nerve-wracking since you never know what you don’t know, no matter how well you prepare or how excited you are.

This list of necessary small kitchen appliances, on the other hand, was created to assist you in getting started on setting up a practical kitchen that won’t have you panicking every time someone new comes over for supper.