If you are a regular visitor to real estate sites, you already know the secret to a good kitchen photo: Clear the counters of all the small appliances. Because despite their label, most toaster ovens, coffee makers, and other kitchen electronics are clunky and countertop-hogging—not to mention unattractive.
Not these. I asked our editors for their favorite truly small appliances—compact machines that get the job done, look nice while doing it, and either stow away easily afterward or look great sitting out on the counter. Here are their picks.
Above: Both Francesca and Margot swear by their Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processors; $34.99 at Target. Neither has ever felt the need to supplement with the full-sized versions. Francesca uses hers to make spice pastes, sauces, and dressings; Margot mostly to chop up nuts and onions quickly.
The Stylish Rice Cooker for Two
Above: The Dash Mini Rice Cooker is another recommendation from Francesca. “I’m generally against kitchen equipment, but rice cookers make perfect rice and keep it warm until you’re ready to eat,” she says. This one is petite—it make 1 to 2 servings of rice—and good-looking. You can find it at Bed Bath & Beyond for $24.99.
The Neat and Tidy Hand Mixer
Above: I bake only when I’ve been peer-pressured into it (e.g., PTA bake sales and my kids’ birthdays), and on those rare occasions, I reach for my Cuisinart 9-Speed Hand Mixer, which can easily handle cookie and cake batters. This one is particularly good on account of the storage case it comes with; on sale for $89.95 at Williams Sonoma.
The Small but Mighty Coffee Maker
Above: I love that you can make just a single cup of coffee with the Technivorm Moccamaster Cup-One—but it’s not reliant on waste-generating pods to do it. Made in the Netherlands, this laboratory-chic coffee maker measures just 11 by 6 1/2 by 12 inches; $204 on Amazon.
Find more recommendations for compact appliances and electronics here:
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites
Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.
Full Access Individual Subscription
Benefits include:
Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive the full-text daily newsletters
All features that Members have access to
Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Become a Member at no charge
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Start the Conversation