Kitchen Appliances for Busy Families

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We want to nourish our families but, we are really busy. Thankfully we live in the 21st century and there are lots of appliances to make our job easier and faster. Here are my top 5 picks for kitchen appliances with a couple honorable mentions. Plus, I've included two appliances I live without to simplify my busy life.

My Top 5 Kitchen Appliances for Busy Families

1. Hand Mixer

Quick to get out, easy to store and a huge help with mixing. I use this handy mixer for my Revamped Chocolate Chip Cookies! I seriously love the storage for the attachments! 

2. Slow cooker

With a little morning prep, a hot meal can be ready after a busy day with one of these! Here is one similar to mine. 

3. Immersion blender with mini food processor

Seriously I use this all.the.time. I use the immersion blender for pancakes, date paste and chocolate spread. I use the mini food processor for making bread crumbs, getting onion into really fine pieces for the kiddos, and freshly grinding flaxseeds. The whisk attachment makes some really fine whipped cream. And I love, love, love that my immersion blender limits the number of dishes to wash!!!!!!

4. Keurig

I use my Keurig multiple times a day. I use hot beverages as a way to satisfy sugar cravings without the sugar. Most of the time I choose the reusable filter and add my own coffee grounds to save money and the planet from all those pods/kcups. I also use hot water from the Keruig and a silicone "tea bag" with loose leave tea regularly. I have first generation Keurig with no carafe, since I'm the only coffee drinker it works out, but I love that the newer versions have the carafe option.

5. Blender

A decent blender is a necessity for smoothies, which are wonderful and are one ways I get fruits and vegetables into my kids. While I love that my blender has a glass carafe, I don't think it does the best job with pureeing those smoothie bits. It gets the job done but, I've heard better things about Vitamix, Blentec, and Ninja. These blenders can be a big investment and I just don't have that in the budget right now so we make due with our Cuisinart. 

My honorable mentions: bread machine and ice cream maker:

I use my bread machine frequently, especially for these cinnamon rolls, but I wouldn't consider it a necessity. 

I also really like homemade ice cream.  Many store bough ice creams are contain perservatives and high fructose corn syrup which we try to avoid. We have found a couple brands of store bought ice cream with fewer additives, but nothing can beat the taste of homemade!

The two appliances I choose to live without to simplify my life right now: Kitchen Aid Mixer and a large food processor.

While many recommend these two items, I have never had the budget to purchase them, and I actually find that makes my life a little more simple. There are many recipes I can eliminate because I don't have the equipment. I also like the counter and cabinet space available because both these times and be bulky or difficult to store. 

So there you have it! What kitchen appliances are essentials at your house? Let me know if the comments below or on social media.

Erin Marie

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