Not to be overly nostalgic, but there was a time not that long ago when kitchens had only a few appliances. Aside from your cooker and fridge, there might have been a toaster and a kettle. Maybe also a waffle-iron or sandwich toaster. Aside from that, there was not much to crunch the space in a room where space is so important. Now, however, most kitchens have an increasing number of items taking up space.

Say it with me: You’ve got your blender, your juicer, your ice cream maker, the bread maker, herb grinder… These are just a few of the items that are in more and more kitchens the world over. When you take into account that we also have more and more different utensils and pans, the average kitchen is getting cluttered. This means we need to either make some tough choices, or pick some hybrids.

Space-saving is a priority for many of us in the present day, and one way to achieve this is to have items that do more than one thing. We all know about the toaster-oven. That’s an obvious example. The fridge-microwave? Probably more of a fever dream. But there are more and more appliances that can do a few things at once – and they’re worth checking out.

Get A Blender That Can Do It All

When picking a blender, it is important to bear in mind that there are many options out there. Indeed, the mere word “blender” may mean different things to different people. What you really want is one that can juice, puree and grind, saving the space that would be taken up by three different appliances. Check out how Vitamix professional blenders are different from similar models. You may pay more initially, but you’ll save money, space and the cost of replacing cheaper models. Add to that saving the amount you won’t spend on expensive store-bought protein shakes.

Think Outside The Box

Hybrid kitchen appliances are not a new concept – you’ve probably had a fridge-freezer for as long as you can remember. However, some items have yet to get past the stage of “curiosity”. There’s an all-in-one breakfast machine that lets you fry, toast and make coffee, for example. There are also combi microwave toasters.

These items are commercially available but make sure you’ll actually use them if you buy them. Otherwise, they’re just taking up space, which is what you’re supposed to be trying to avoid.

All-In-One Hot Drinks Makers – Time And Space Saved

There is an increasing trend towards hot drinks machines that require filling with water and one simple button push. Hey presto, you have a ready-made cappuccino with no need to froth the milk yourself. You may not get the “authentic” coffee shop experience with these appliances. You also won’t get bored with them after a couple of weeks of grinding beans and cleaning up mess. They save time, space and work. Okay, so maybe it is cheating. So what? This isn’t a competition.

Your kitchen needs to prioritize space and convenience above all other things. If it lacks these, you’ll find meal and drinks prep takes longer and is more stressful. So if you need to take a few short cuts, that’s what you do. It’s not like you’re being audited on this.

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