Finding the best appliances for small kitchens can be tricky. I’ve just moved from the countryside to the city and so my kitchen has halved – if not quartered – in size.
To my dismay, a toaster, microwave, kettle, and blender are four appliances too many for my narrow countertops. Given that many of us looking for small kitchen ideas are usually struggling for space, I thought it worthwhile to speak with our small appliance experts to find out what to buy to be more space-efficient.
Our busy team put these kettles, toasters, stand mixers, and more through rigorous tests. We compared them to their regular-sized competitors and judged them by the same standards, finding miniature models that are more than up to the task.
Best appliances for small kitchens 2023
You can trust Homes & Gardens. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, helping you choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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Best small food processor
Why you should buy it
A portable, cordless, and convenient alternative
Why we love it
It’s rare that compact alternatives deliver more than their regular-sized competitors. That is what this KitchenAid does: it’s completely cordless so you can use it anywhere inside, or outside. This was enough to convert our expert tester, Camryn, who didn’t have to charge the food processor all week.
The design works well. Rather than a classic chunky chute, this design has a neat dispenser indent on the lid. This is where you can drizzle oil and other liquids into your mix whilst it’s running. It’s easier to store and still simple to use.
Good to know
It’s smaller than your average food processor, so you will need to be patient. Camryn found that the dispenser needed to be refilled several times when adding oil to her pesto, rather than adding the oil all at once.
Best compact blender
Why you should buy it
An ergonomic and powerful option
What we love
When it comes to blending, NutriBullet is a trusted brand. They deliver quality results at a reasonable price and size. We tested this blender with smoothies, ice, and cauliflower rice and the blades could cut through it all. It looks sleek and subtle on the countertop, but is easy to store too.
Good to know
It only has one speed setting, so you will need to think about blend time more than blend power. The blade isn’t dishwasher safe either. The NutriBullet Go has even smaller dimensions if you’re really short on space. However, our experts think it’s better as a portable option because it lacks the power of a plug-in alternative.
An even smaller option would be an immersion blender. These can be stored in your kitchen drawers, but can be a little messier to use.
Best small hand mixer
Why you should buy it
Classic, convenient and compact
What we love
Our experts recommended this as a lighter and more straightforward alternative to stand mixers. It’s cordless and easily fits into your kitchen drawers, but still does a good job of whipping, beating, and mixing. Our expert, Molly, commented on how light this was to hold, making the user-experience particularly pleasant.
Good to know
As a cordless appliance, it’s not as powerful as corded versions. Molly was also disappointed that the turbo beaters are the only attachment included, so you need to whip cream with the same attachment that you use for mixing cookie dough.
Best small air fryer
Why you should buy it
Small and sturdy with impressive results
What we love
This air fryer is an expert in the basics. It has just a four-quart capacity and just one function (air fry), but it does it to perfection. Our expert tester, Alex, was impressed with the cooking speed and texture of a number of the items which he tested in the air fryer. Once finished, this is dishwasher-safe and easy to store away.
Good to know
With one powerful setting, it’s easy to overcook food. Once you are used to this strength, you can use it without much bother. It’s limited both on functions and capacity, but that is to be expected with a smaller design.
Best mini toaster oven
Why you should buy it
A compact cooker, designed for smaller kitchens
What we love
Ninja make some of the best toaster ovens and air fryers on the market. This low-profile model offers eight programmes, covering a range of cooking techniques, from toasting and microwaving to air frying.
Ninja designed a flip feature, so that this can fold away when it’s not in use, which is ideal for smaller kitchens. Our expert tester, Millie, was pleased with the speed, precision and quality with which the Ninja Foodi cooked salmon, baked muffins, and toasted bagels.
Good to know
The compact size means that this isn’t suitable for larger cooking challenges. Millie didn’t try bread, a whole chicken, or a cake, because it simply doesn’t have the capacity for it. Although the inserts are dishwasher-safe, Millie found that cleaning the heating elements was a little tricky.
Best multi-cooker
Why you should buy it
Does the job of multiple appliances in one
What we love
With 13 cooking functions, there’s more than enough to love about this multi-cooker. It’s high-tech, reasonably priced and still relatively compact. It can do everything from air frying and pressure cooking to roasting and our expert tester, Helen, was pleased with the results. For a versatile, easy to use appliance, this is a go-to.
Good to know
This multi-cooker isn’t designed to be small per se. We’ve included it in the guide because it does the job of multiple appliances, so saves on space. Also, it’s a small thing to note, but the cooking pot is stainless steel, so it doesn't have a non-stick feature. This means you’ll need to leave it to soak when food sticks to it before cleaning it off by hand.
Best slim toaster
