We’re traveling less and entertaining more. And our tastes are getting more sophisticated in terms of cuisine, design and technology. In fact, countertop appliances are becoming so capable and fashionable, they may eventually render traditional kitchens obsolete.
“Without an oven you used to be up the creek. Now you could move into a home without a cooking range and be fine,” says Beth Hensperger, author of more than a dozen cookbooks, including The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook and Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook. “With the right small appliances, you could have a whole kitchen—and a good one, too.”

We are entertaining more than ever, having replaced exotic foreign travel with exotic cuisine. Housewares that prepare international dishes for dozens and operate outdoors are in high demand, as is anything that cooks and cleans automatically. “Keep warm” settings, “cordless,” “self-cleaning” and “dishwasher safe” are all popular features. In fact, if an appliance could buy the groceries, then climb into the dishwasher at the end of the evening, many of us would pay a premium.
Large-capacity appliances mean we can tend to the stove—or our guests—while our high-tech helpers provide backup. Microwaves and countertop convection ovens have become indispensable for this purpose, such as the Oster 6292 convection oven ($120), which has a unique shape and finish with digital controls for baking, broiling, dehydrating and 6-slice toasting. Its non-stick interior is roomy enough for a pizza. Aroma’s AST-910 convection oven has a tempered glass window so you can monitor the microwave-speed cooking at temperatures up to 500°F. It retails for $80.
Combination convection/microwave ovens offer the best of both in less space. Sharp’s stainless-steel convection microwave, the R-90GC ($1,200), for example, circulates super-heated air to bake, brown, roast and grill foods up to 5-times faster than a conventional oven. It comes with 84 cook settings, 100 recipes, 17 microwave options and, thankfully, a 30-digit lighted display that explains every step.
Microwaves are so handy; it’s not uncommon to have more than one. Sharp offers two options for second units that don’t clutter up the counter. Sharp microwave drawers are now available in 24- and 30-inch models (KB-6014L and KB-6015K for $850). Newer compact models like the MWG7047TW from Haier America pack a lot into a small package. This 0.7 cubic-foot capacity microwave oven offers a 1-touch auto-cook menu and 10 power levels, and lists for $58.
Panini grills were designed for making panini’s—those toasted thick-crust Italian sandwiches filled with vegetables, cheese and meat—but they are also great for preparing casual meals fast. Breville’s SG820XL Maxi 2-in-1 Panini Press, for $69, has a floating top plate and 10 depth settings so you can tailor use to your preference, recipe, or ingredients, whether you want sandwiches wafer-thin or packed full.
Electric woks offer a way to prepare stir fry or tempura without tying up a burner. For example, Aroma’s new 5-quart AEW-306 has a glass dome lid with an adjustable steam vent, a non-stick surface and temperature control probe. This dishwasher-safe wok retails for about $39 and comes with racks for tempura and steaming.

Oddly, slow cookers—which promise the antithesis of the microwave—can also prove a hostess’s best friend. The 6-quart models allow for the preparation of soups and stews hours before a dinner party, while smaller models are great for dips and appetizers.
Traditional slow cookers are ugly and bulky—not a plus for cooks who want to serve guests directly from the crock. Lately, manufacturers have begun to address this shortcoming. West Bend’s model 84765 oblong slow-cooker has a removable 5-quart coooking pot that doubles as a serving dish, and an insulated carry tote so you can take it to a picnic.
“Today’s slow cookers have nothing to do with the crock pots we grew up with. These machines have come a long way,” says Ms. Hensperger, whose newest cookbook focuses on using slow cookers for entertaining.
Rival’s 5.5-quart model 4865 for $100 comes with more than 200 pre-programmed recipes stored in the electronic display. Slow cookers are still available with a simple on/off mechanism, but Ms. Hensperger recommends low, high and keep-warm settings. She is a fan of smaller, oval shaped slow cookers—a simple variation introduced a few years ago. “With an oval shape, you have more surface area and can cook cuts of meat that won’t fit in a round model with the same capacity,” she says.
Proctor Silex’s 1.5-quart oval 33115, 3-quart oval 33275 and 6-quart round 33060 are permanent fixtures on Ms. Hensperger’s countertop. She uses the smallest to feed herself, the largest for guests. Slow cookers are very inexpensive. All three of hers can be had for only $65.
“All the old-fashioned braises and stews really are better made in slow cookers. I also find them excellent for cooking polenta. I used to stand at the stove until my arm was falling off. Now if I have company, I can make and serve polenta in a slow cooker and not even break a sweat,” she says. “They’re great for busy people who want real food. In the morning, you toss in the ingredients. At 5, you have dinner.”

Restaurant-Style Cooking
With the proliferation of cooking shows, cookbooks, gourmet magazines and international restaurants, chefs have risen to the status of celebrities and we have become a nation of foodies. In the endless quest for culinary perfection, many will pay a premium for the kind of equipment once available only to the pros.
For the serious home cook, Viking Range Corporation has added the VFP12 food processor ($300) to its restaurant-quality appliances. What you pay for with Viking products is not fancy technology or multiple settings but the power and durability a professional chef would expect.
This food processor, for example, features basic one-speed operation, a pulse option, and knife and dough blades. The motor is powerful but quiet, and the 12-cup shatterproof bowl has an ergonomic handle and twin feed tubes for small or large foods. Like most Viking appliances, this one is available in white, black, stainless gray, graphite gray, cobalt blue or bright red.
Oster offers its own line of appliances styled after restaurant kitchens. Their stainless steel ODF540 deep fryer ($156), for example, has a hefty 3-liter capacity, dishwasher safe components, and dual wall construction for added insulation.
Sushi, pilaf, paella and wild rice dishes are all great for dinner parties but preparing them on the stovetop requires more concentration than many hostesses can manage. This is where a high-tech rice cooker comes in handy. The best are made in Japan where most households rely on rice cookers. Zojirushi’s pod-like NS-ZCC10/18 ($180-190) comes in 5.5- and 10-cup capacities. Neuro fuzzy logic technology allows for automatic adjustments to temperature and heating time according to pre-programmed settings for porridge, white, brown and sushi rice, plus a keep-warm function.

Blenders were invented in 1922 but they’ve come a long way since then. With industrial-strength motors and a dozen speeds, today’s high-powered blenders allow you to puree soups or serve frozen drinks and shakes in the time it takes to push “chop” and “mix.” Some are so beautiful you can use them as serving pieces.
Cuisinart has a blender large enough to serve a house full of party guests. The model SMO-56 ($120) has a 500-watt motor and up to 1500 watts of pulse power—enough to crush ice for seven margaritas. Specifically designed for entertaining, this blender features a 56-ounce pitcher with dishwasher-safe parts, a tap mounted on the carafe, and push-in cord storage.
In a dramatic departure from the utilitarian plastic blender, Jenn-Air has a line so artful you can use the pitchers as serving pieces. The 72-ounce glass pitchers for the Attrezzi JBL800 (listed at $200) form hour-glass sculptures with the bases and come in etched pink and clear glass, mottled amber, cobalt blue, red and green. Mix and match them with bases of stainless steel, antique copper, oiled bronze and pearlescent black or white. Power was not sacrificed for design here, with a 500-watt motor, electronic touch controls, and solid-metal construction.

Coffee for Connoisseurs
As with cuisine in general, coffee has gone international. It’s not enough just to brew a good cup of joe, guests now want the option of after-dinner lattes, espressos or cappuccino. Coffee has taken on a gourmet quality once reserved for fine wine—and there are endless appliances to indulge it.
Even coffee grinders, once humble little workhorses, have gone high-tech. Melitta’s model MEBG8B Coffee Mill, for $29, shuts off automatically after your beans are ground. It also has preprogrammed buttons for grinding enough to brew 4, 8, 10, or 12 cups and a dial for selecting one of 18 grind consistencies, from very coarse to very fine for espresso.
For dinner parties, Cuisinart recently introduced its largest capacity coffeemaker to date, the 14-cup DCC-2200 ($185). Program brewing time for your dinner party the night before; a reset button stores settings. The brushed stainless steel coffeemaker has self-clean and shut-off features. An audible “beep” signals when brewing is complete—or you can hit pause for a single cup midway through.
If you frequently entertain larger groups, you might consider the commercial-size ACU-45S from Aroma, a stainless-steel coffee urn that brews up to 24 cups, then allows guests to serve themselves.
Pod brewers have also taken off. Simplehuman’s cool, stainless-steel CAF115 ($130) produces an 8-oz or 5-oz cup of coffee, while for a bit more, $300, Bunn O Matic’s My Café pod brewer can make a single serve cup of coffee or tea in 30 seconds.
Bosch introduced their Benvenuto gourmet B30 coffee machine with a list price of $1,884—obviously targeting serious espresso drinkers. With a high-pressure brewing system that immerses the freshly ground coffee in the ideal water temperature and a built-in water filter for a pure taste, this machine brews one or two cups at time. For that price, it must make some tasty espresso.
As the price of gas and oil continues to soar, it makes sense to take full advantage of our electrical appliances when we have a houseful of friends and family. Who knows? With all this high-tech countertop help, we may even have time to mingle.

Beth Hensperger has written cookbooks for slow cookers, rice cookers and bread machines. Every time she writes a book about cooking with an appliance, she starts with resistance to the appliance and ends up addicted to it. “I think many people feel that way. If they didn’t learn to use an appliance from Mom or a friend, they’re afraid of it,” she says. “You don’t realize how attached you get to your usual methods of cooking with stove top and oven until you start working with electric appliances.” Her tips for breaking in a new cooking appliance include:

Start slow. Work up to complicated recipes after you’ve mastered the basics. Learn the rhythm and quirks of the appliance; each one is different.

Don’t rely on the recipes that come with the appliance. If possible, get a cookbook written specifically for that type of appliance. Authors spend hours a day for months on end experimenting with these appliances on every recipe. Let them do the work for you.

Read the owner’s manual. If something isn’t working right, call the manufacturer’s customer service. If this is not listed on the manual, you most likely can find it on the Internet. Most appliance-related cookbooks include a chapter on operating the appliance. High-tech housewares save time in the long run but require a learning curve.

What you need to know about:

• slow cookers: Plan for extra cooking time. Even your stovetop’s lowest setting cooks faster than the slow cooker. Corned beef, for example, can take 10 hours. Learn to put ingredients in before bed or work—then forget about it.

• rice cookers: Not only do these steam rice, many can cook meat at the same time. It’s worth investing a bit more for ones with multiple settings and double-layer steamer trays.

• bread machines: These are great for wet, sticky doughs difficult to work by hand. Technology has improved dramatically in the past five years, so if you haven’t tried a newer model, you’re in for a surprise.

What’s Hot Now

What’s hot in small electric housewares?
For one, location. Small electrics that used to be kitchen homebodies are now showing up throughout the house. Prime locations for mini-kitchens with small electrics are:

• Nurseries
• Master suites
• In-law Suites
• Exercise Rooms
• Family Rooms
• Bathroom Spas

Looks count too. What’s chic right now?

• Countertop appliances in all colors of
the rainbow, like this new KitchenAid
stand mixer in Azure Blue.
• High-end professional style models
• Cordless models
• Product lines with a family look so
everything goes together

What to buy? The top 6 in-style products include:

• Bread Makers
• Rice Cookers
• Sandwich Makers
• Coffee Grinders/Mills
• Espresso/Cappuccino Makers
• Egg cookers, like the Chef’s Choice
stainless steel egg cooker for $30
that quickly cooks up to 7 eggs,
exactly the way you like them.