Refresh your kitchen with stylish appliances

Investing in some new and stylish appliances is an affordable way to revamp your kitchen, writes Tracey Hordern

For most households, the kitchen holds a special place in the home. Not only the space where food is stored and prepared, the kitchen is often what initiates families and friends coming together. Increasingly, the kitchen space is now also one of the larger spaces in the home. And, as any real estate agent will tell you, the kitchen, along with the bathroom, are the two most valuable parts of your home – and the two most scrutinised spaces by potential buyers.

APPLIANCES

An affordable approach to revamping your kitchen is to invest in new, stylish appliances. Worth an estimated $30 billion annually, Australians tend to believe that when it comes to kitchen appliances, you get what you pay for. Most of us see the value in spending a little bit more for quality and well-known known brands, rather than the false economy of buying a cheap appliance that is unlikely to go the distance.

The range of finishes now available is where much of the development has gone. Finishes now vary from high-grade stainless steel, coloured ceramics, metallics and even high resistant glass being one of the latest finishes of choice.

Following is a run-down of some of the latest kitchen appliances available from retailers in our region or online.

MULTI-FUNCTION KITCHEN AID

The Holy Grail of kitchen appliances, and while a Kitchenaid is a big investment, these are indispensable for the truly keen home cooks and bakers. While a Kitchenaid is a popular and attractive appliance, be sure you will use it. There is little point spending a small fortune unless you intend to use most of the functions in a particular model.

COFFEE MACHINES

For coffee drinkers, the range of coffee making appliances now is huge. The new generation pod coffee machines are popular as are the increasingly almost professional coffee machines. If you do use a coffee pod machine, try to use environmentally friendly pods, otherwise they are destined for long-term landfill.

TOASTER

These are getting larger, with four-slice toasters increasingly popular for families. As well as size, the design change for toasters has been abundant with attractive, coloured ceramic or copper finishes popular. If you do choose an appliance with a stainless steel finish, ensure you buy the best quality you can afford. The market is flooded with cheap stainless steel appliances that degrade very quickly.

KETTLE

Taking pride of place on most kitchen benches and stovetops is the humble kettle. Some of the new finishes are stunning, including the latest electric glass kettles, though the vintage inspired ceramic kettles can be incredibly attractive as well.

If you’re a big tea drinker and require boiling water in a hurry, choose an electric kettle with the element inside the kettle. These types of kettles boil much faster than a stovetop kettle does.

BLENDER

The blender is a kitchen staple with multiple functions, from blending up your favourite smoothie or soup, to grinding cooking ingredients and crushing ice for easy frozen drinks. For obvious reasons, don't blend hot soup; always wait for it to cool first.

SODASTREAM

This is one comeback act, hugely popular and one of my favourites kitchen accessories. The Sodastream saves on landfill (bottled water) and allows you to make your own sparkling water. Each of the large national stores stock their own model of the gadget, so you may find it helpful to compare models and prices.

TAKE NOTE OF STAR RATINGS

There’s no point getting an eight-slice toaster for a small household. Either read reviews online, or better yet, view the product at a store and ask staff what will best suits your needs, while taking into account the all-important energy rating.

ADD AN ISLAND

Not everyone needs, wants or can afford to completely renovate their kitchen. Another less dramatic strategy – if you have the room - is to add an attractive and practical kitchen island. There’s a huge assortment of sizes and styles of kitchen islands to suit any budget and any taste.