Upgrade Your Dinner Game With the Best Countertop Kitchen Appliances

Top Pick: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 6 Quart

Early last month, I decided to make something I loved but never made myself: pork belly. I bought the ingredients and made a plan but didn’t realize how long it would take to slowly braise. As I was wracking my brain for alternatives, I walked past the closet that held the pressure cooker that I purchased at the start of 2019 and barely used since then. The results blew my mind. My pork belly was packed full of flavor and tenderized in just 37 minutes, instead of the nearly three hours of cooking time that it would normally take without one of the best-rated kitchen appliances.

These appliances can be extremely useful in upgrading your cooking. These five are my personal favorites and are useful in a large number of recipes. If you haven’t stepped out of your comfort zone recently, these appliances will help you do that and take your cooking to the next level.

Best Pressure Cooker: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 6 Quart

The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 is one of the best-rated kitchen appliances, as well as one of the best-selling models on Amazon. Not only is it a pressure cooker, but it’s a sterilizer, slow cooker, yogurt maker, saute pan, rice cooker, and warmer. It’s super easy to clean with a fingerprint-resistant stainless steel lid and dishwasher-safe accessories. It’s one of the best appliances for meal prepping with a delayed start function that can be triggered up to 24 hours in advance.

Best Hand Blender: Amazon Basics 500 Watt Multi-Speed

The Amazon Basics 500 Watt Multi-Speed Immersion hand blender is great for mixing soups, sauces, smoothies, and more. It offers a lot of control when blending hot or cold liquids, reducing potential splatter and spillage. The blending stick is detachable for cleaning purposes and elongated for use in tall containers and deep pods. This product also has a compact design to fit neatly in a drawer or cabinet for storage purposes. It also boasts 500 wats of blending power and multiple speed settings.

Best Juicer: Cuisinart CCJ-500 Pulp Control

There’s nothing quite like freshly squeezed orange juice! I’m not talking about the store bought kind that says “freshly squeezed” on the label. I mean real deal,  like the DIY lifestyle kind of fresh. The Cuisinart CCJ-500 has dishwasher-safe parts and is BPA free. It also has an extra-long snap-up spout to accomadate more glasses and prevent dripping.

Best Food Processor: KitchenAid 7-Cup Contour Silver

Food processors are the bomb! Make your own sauces, dips, and soups with just the flick of a button. And the KitchenAid 7-Cup Contour Silver is no exception. The sealed, leak-resistant work bowl is dishwasher safe and comes with an easily latched lid for a simple set-up process. With this appliance, you can chop, puree, shred, and slice to your heart’s content!

Best Coffee Grinder: KitchenAid Blade – Onyx Black

Coffee experts say that it’s best to grind your own beans rather than rely on those already processed. The KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder is perfect for the writer or freelance, who formerly frequented their neighborhood coffee shop prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its stainless steel blades offer durability, able to grind enough beans to make 12 cups of coffee in one sitting. The 4-oz. stainless steel bowl has measurement marking, so you don’t even have to think about how much you’re poring. This bowl is also removable, allowing for a quick transfer to your coffee maker. The product also has a 1-year replacement warranty in case anything goes wrong.

This story was originally published by Chaya M. Milchtein on 08/18/2020 and updated with new information by Juliana Clark on 03/19/2021.