Buying guides
Which one, for the job you actually have
A hub compares everything in a family. A guide answers one question — a budget, a first appliance for a kitchen with one free socket, a machine whose spare parts will still be stocked in five years — with a ranked shortlist and a reason for the order.
- Air fryers
The best air fryer for a small countertop
Three air fryers ordered by what actually decides the purchase in a small kitchen: the space they take, the clearance they need above, and how much food fits in a single layer.
- Waffle & crêpe makers
The best waffle maker for a family
Three waffle irons ordered by the two things that decide family use: how many waffles come out per bake, and whether the plates can be replaced when the coating goes.
- Hand mixers
The best hand mixer for bread dough
Three hand mixers ordered by what stiff dough actually asks for: motor power, metal internals, and a lowest speed slow enough to keep the flour in the bowl.
- Countertop blenders
The best blender for soup
Three blenders ordered by what hot soup actually asks of a jar: heat resistance, usable capacity below the rim, and a control range that can leave a texture coarse on purpose.
- Immersion blenders
The best stick blender for a deep pan
Three stick blenders ordered by the two figures that decide use in someone else's stockpot: shaft reach and weight — and only one maker publishes either.
- Table grills
The best table grill for four people
Three table grills ordered by the figure that decides how many people eat at once — plate area in square centimeters — and by whether the plates come out for the dishwasher.
- Stand mixers
The best stand mixer for bread
Three stand mixers ordered by the figure that decides bread: how much dough the machine will actually turn — published by exactly one of them — and what its gearbox is made of.
- Multi-cookers
The best electric pressure cooker
Three multi-cookers ordered by the specification the appliance actually is — the working pressure in kPa — and by whether the inner pot is steel or a coating that wears.
- Cooking food processors
The best cooking food processor
Three cooking robots ordered by how much their makers are willing to publish — because in this family that varies from a full specification sheet to a color.
- Mini ovens
The best mini oven for baking
Three countertop ovens ordered by whether your own tins will fit — a question exactly one maker answers — and by the temperature range they publish.
- Raclette & fondue
The best raclette grill for a big table
Three raclette grills ordered by the two things a large table actually needs: enough pans for everyone sitting down, and a cable long enough to reach the middle.
- Sous-vide cookers
The best sous-vide cooker
Three sous-vide appliances ordered by what actually separates them: pump flow, adjustment fineness, and whether a stick or a tank suits your kitchen.