4 Small Kitchen Appliances I Can't Live Without

It seems like every time I go to the store, there is another new kitchen gadget or appliance on the market. Sometimes I look at the new contraption and lust after it, but most of the time, I find myself coming up with reasons why I don't need the gadget. While few of the new items interest me, there are some tried-and-true small kitchen appliance I cannot live without. These four appliances are used several times a week in my home and seldom leave my counter for their designated spot in the cabinet.

The first of these items is my immersion blender. Immersion blenders are also known as stick blenders, or hand-held blenders. I love my immersion blender because it has so many uses. I use it to puree sauces before making lasagna and the high speed attachment is great for grinding coffee beans. My immersion blender also has a whisk attachment and traditional hand mixer beaters. Immersion blenders are available from a wide variety of manufacturers. If you do a lot of homemade sauces or make a lot of items from scratch an immersion blender may be your new favorite kitchen tool.

The second item I use frequently is my small George Foreman Grill. While this product is available in many sizes I prefer the small one over a large one. It's great for cooking for one person. Grilling a chicken breast takes only a few minutes and hamburgers taste great when cooked on the George Foreman Grill. I have also used it to prepare hot dogs, sausages, and grilled cheese. It is also great for heating up left over items such as burritos or quesadillas. The easy clean non-stick surface makes this product one of my favorites.

Iced tea is on of my favorite drinks. There is always a pot in my refrigerator or one in the process of being made. Iced tea is easily prepared in the Iced Tea Pot by Mr. Coffee. I have tried making iced tea the old fashioned way but it just does not turn out the same. I never have to worry that my iced tea will be too strong or too weak. This small appliance is definitely worth the $20 I spent on it.

The fourth and final small appliance I can't seem to get by without is my food processor. A lot of people only use their food processors on occasion but I use my for a lot of things. It is great for mixing together dips for pot luck dinners and many other dishes. I have a large one and a small one but my large one gets much more use.

While I also have the traditional small appliances these four appliances are more useful than a toaster or blender could ever be. If you don't have these items in your kitchen you should seriously consider investing in one or all of them.