Kitchen spaces in modern homes can be tiny, but even if you are blessed with ample storage, why waste it with appliances that are bulky, costly and even worse – unnecessary.
Yes, redundant equipment in the kitchen can mess with your cooking mojo if its presence is literally cramping your culinary style.
So before you go out to shop for culinary gizmos, here’s a list of items that are completely pointless to have in your kitchen:
1. Bread Makers
While the idea of waking to the smell of freshly-baked bread every morning might sound wholemeal - sorry, wholesome, the process is rather time-consuming and tedious. But as time passes, you might (as many others have) tire of your bread maker and either banish it to storage or allow to it take up precious counter space.
What you can use instead: You don’t have to give up on baking bread without a bread maker. A convection or microwave oven, and even a rice cooker can do the job too. Best of all, you probably already have at least one of these appliances in your kitchen.
2. Egg Cookers or Boilers
People have been cooking eggs for centuries with hot water in melt-resistant holders, so why exactly do we need to spend money for an “egg machine”? Most dedicated egg cookers are not typically expensive but some actually are. Such as this one on Lazada selling for over RM300!
What you can use instead: Almost anything you need to accomplish with an egg can be done in a simple pan or pot, sometimes even a mug will do. Upgrade to a high-quality ceramic pot or stainless steel pan instead to boil, poach, fry and scramble your eggs to perfection. They will last longer, use less oil, easier to clean and are versatile enough to cook a variety of dishes; not just eggs.
3. Doughnut Bakers
While it is an exciting prospect to craft your own doughnuts, making this treat is not likely to be a recurring affair. After all, most malls in Malaysia house at least one major brand of delicious, freshly-made doughnuts. So unless, you own a bakery, just skip the doughnut baker.
What you can use instead: You can easily make doughnuts at home in convection or microwave ovens, with the help of inexpensive moulds or pans that can be found at any bake shop.
4. Baby Food Machines
Steaming, pureeing, blending or mushing can be accomplished with the items you already have in your kitchen. Why purchase a replica of the same thing, just a little smaller in size? If your concern is the hygiene of the appliances, just wash regular-use blenders or food processors with dishwasher liquid, then soak in warm water and wash again with baby-safe cleansing liquids. Simply doing this will save you hundreds of Ringgit and valuable kitchen space.
What you can use instead: Invest in an easy-clean, high-quality blender, food-processor or handheld blender to puree baby food. At the same time, these appliances can be used to blend ingredients for other meals as well.
5. Sandwich Makers
Sandwich makers can be rather convenient but it certainly is not an item that you can’t live without. If you don’t have the space, a sandwich maker is just going to add clutter and take away space from items that actually belong on your countertop.
What you can use instead: Buy a non-stick frying pan to grill the top and bottom side of bread while melting cheese and deli meats on the inside. What’s more, a non-stick pan is a healthier cooking tool as it lets you use less oil for your dishes. And again, you can make more than just sandwiches in it!
6. Ice Cream Makers
This appliance falls under the same category of the doughnut maker. We suspect that simply buying ice cream, instead of making it is the more convenient option that will win out in the end. Even if you are a DIY kind of person, the novelty of ice cream makers is likely to wear out after a few tries.
What you can use instead: If you are a maestro in the kitchen looking to cook up crazy ice cream flavours or simply looking to make healthy cold treats, a simple household blender can do the trick.
7. Stand Mixers
If you bake cookies, cakes and meringue very often, then you might actually need a stand mixer. However, if you only make a single batch of cookies or pineapple tarts every time Christmas or the Lunar New Year roll around, then you might want to reconsider this purchase.
What you can use instead: A whisk or wooden spoon along with a mixing bowl plus a bit of elbow grease will achieve the same result- at a fraction of the cost. Hand mixers are also a cheaper, less bulky option that’ll work just as well.
8. Steamers
Steaming your meat, fish and vegetables is such a healthy way to cook meals, but do you really need a one-trick, hulking cooker to do the job? Not really.
What you can use instead: Buy a steam basket (which usually costs under RM20) to steam vegetables, fish and meat in a rice cooker. You can also use a metal colander in a pan of hot water to steam.
9. Juicing Machines
Juicing for health resolutions in 2017? We still recommend that you skip massive juicing machines as these can be very expensive and space-consuming. Cheaper models on the other hand may sometimes yield very little juice, which in addition to being noisy, is a pain to clean.
What you can use instead: Mini or portable bottle juicers and blenders are space-efficient and costs less than the big machines do. Some brands are also more effective at squeezing out fresh juice than traditional machines. Plus, many of these feature a blending container which doubles as a bottle, where you can switch out the blade for a cover and drink on the go!
When you’re Starting Fresh
If you’re moving into your own place for the first time and have zero kitchen appliances to your name, where do you start? Well, for most Malaysian homes, you should be able to get by with just a rice cooker, fridge, kettle and blender as well your basic utensils (e.g. wok frying ladle) and a stove. For other kitchen appliances, follow these three handy tips when shopping:
- Choose energy-efficient models. Equipping your kitchen with environmentally-friendlier models will save you money in the long run.
- Buy multipurpose appliances. Avoid single-use appliances and choose kitchen helpers that can fulfil three or more functions instead.
- Look for quality brands. Even though lower-end items may seem cheaper at first, it could end up costing you more if it breaks down and doesn’t come with a warranty.
Are you moving out for the first time and in the market for a new home to rent or buy? You can minimize your search efforts and maximise the results by simply taking advantage of PropSocial’s nifty post your requirements and let the properties come to you!
(Written by: Desiree Nair, 28 April 2017)
