What's the most flexible, convenient, plug-in cooking appliance ?

[Michelle53]

Hi all,

I've been pondering adding one cooking option to my space, over and above my microwave.  I also have an electric kettle, a blender, and a french press for coffee.  I've avoided providing a cooking option thus far, due to extra cleaning, safety and, well, just the smell of cooking things I don't cook myself (I'm Vegan). 

I have very limited counter space, and it has to be something that plugs into a regular electrical outlet.  Something safe, and relatively easy to clean, that doesn't require a myriad of supporting pots, pans and utensils. 

Those of you who like full kitchens will probably shudder, but maybe hosts with tiny houses can offer some suggestions ?   

Right now, my short list of possibles includes:-

Toaster Oven

Electric Skillet

Single/double hot plate

I'm not considering crock pots or slow cookers, or anything that can be left unattended for hours. 

Suggestions, anyone ?   Other thoughts ?

Thanks !!

[Colleen253]

@Michelle53  At least a toaster oven isn't a one trick pony. Guests can do  more than make toast with it, especially if you get one on the larger side. Just make sure to get a model with a crumb tray that slides out, rather than the door that opens at the bottom. So much easier to clean!

[Michelle53]

@Colleen253  Yes, I have one like that in my kitchen. 

[Dee--and-Barry-0]

For safety, we opted for an induction cooktop.  You are right to be concerned about cooking smells.  Our guests are long term (30 day minimum due to COVID) so cooking is a must. Once we go  back to shorter term stays, I may eliminate the cooktop to avoid frying smells and mess.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Michelle53 

I have a kitchenette in my 2nd apartment where I stay for work during the week, and since Henry is the better cook between the 2 of us and I usually get meals at the office canteen I don't cook for myself often.

But for the occasional simple meal at home alone, I use the electric kettle, microwave the most, and later got myself a toaster. You can make a lot of things with the microwave but not toast. 

Fyi, I use silicon pots/cookware (for pasta, eggs, bacon, instant noodles etc.) to cook using the microwave - it's easy and simple to clean 😃

[Fred13]

@Michelle53 We added last year one of those 'K-Cup' type of coffee makers, but the one that uses the tiny  cup types, since the Kruger generates way too much trash.  The guests bring their own cups (tiny box) and in flavors they like. It has been popular. It complements the kettle and french press. 

   Wide-capacity toasters (like Kelly said) that can accommodate thick bagels has also been well received.

[Robin4]

@Michelle53  @Colleen253  @Jessica-and-Henry0  @Sarah977 @Dee--and-Barry-0 

It has been my experience that guests come here to relax and not attempt to be the next 'Masterchef' champion.....they want to keep cooking to a minimum. 

With that in mind from conversations with guests, the most popular cooking appliance I keep out in the cottage is a very old George Foreman double sided griller.......a  'snack and sandwich' toaster.

My mother bought one, I think back in the mid eighties....she used to call it her George Formby!

I was so impressed with it I bought one the same and although it is starting to show its age a bit, when I bought a new air fryer I put it out in the guest cottage.....and guests really do just love it!

The beauty of it is, being on a angle the fat runs away and everything you cook in it tastes and feels a lot cleaner, and healthier.

You can make toasted sandwiches in it, it cooks chicken of beef shaslicks beautifully, great for a steak or marinated chicken breast fillets, potato chips or wedges, carrots and a few other vegetables. It is even great at (after leveling up the cooking elements) doing my version of what I call 'toad in the hole' which is a slice of bread with a drinking glass size hole cored in the middle into which I fill with a beaten egg with cheese, tomato and parsley and top when done with a touch of Parmesan.

About the only thing it won't do is boil a saucepan of water, or make that desert Cremé  Caramel!

I find most guests don't want to go to any effort, they don't want to get the recipe book out, they just want to cook a snack, have a steak and leafy greens salad (of which we have heaps in the garden) cook up a bit of tofu or Halloumi and I find, apart from the toaster this is the most used cooking appliance in the cottage.

I said guests don't want to get the recipe book out, but I do provide with it a sheet of delicious snack suggestions which they appreciate! Many people do not realise just how versatile this appliance is!

Over the years this appliance has evolved and has come down in price but, for sheer versatility and ease of use I would highly recommend.

My pick.....a good quality snack and sandwich toaster......or if you can still track one down, a 'George Foreman' lean, mean, fat grilling machine!!

Cheers........Rob

[Michelle53]

@Robin4  I think some kind of toasting device is probably the way to go.   On grilling machines, how to you dispose of the fat ?     It's fine that the fat "runs away", but that presupposes some place to put it afterwards.   I can't imagine how many plumbing issues I'd have, if folks decided that "away" was down the drain.  

It's a very different scenario when one has a cottage with an outdoor trash bin. I couldn't offer that because an outdoor bin would attract bugs. And guests hate bugs. So everything has to go into the interior trash bin, and I rely on folks to bag it up and put the bag out for me to pick up (this, in itself, is a compliance issue). 

Philosophically speaking, I'd rather be encouraging folks to visit one of the great local eateries around here, than trying to cook up a storm at my place. There's a lot within walking distance, and I provide a detailed map. 

But I get that a breakfast option would be good, and I could totally deal with the smell of a nice toasted bagel. 

[Fred13]

After the stove, the cooking apparatus our guests use the most is a Q-2000 grill:  https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/gas-grills/q-series/

[Kevin1322]

This type of thing?.  Just 30 GBP Quids. 

A small air fryer might be worth a look at. you can cook almost everything in one.

We have one with a 10 inch footprint in the kitchen. Cooks all sorts from bacon, roast potatoes, fries, hash browns, popcorn, even cakes. you name it. 

If you google Air Fryer Recipies you'll be amazed! 

Steak, asparagus, burgers, veg, shrimp, meatballs, donuts, baked potatoes, fish, chicken, sweet potatoes.... Healthy option too, low/no-fat, low odours,  clean, self contained, idiot proof.   Sue uses it a lot for the guest breakfasts! Basically it's a tiny oven with a timer that guests can't mess up with. 

When we moved into this house we were waiting (in vain) for a gas engineer to connect some propane for our range cooker,  laws are pretty strict in the UK about connecting gas to a kitchen, and so we lived well for at least 6 weeks on what we cooked in an air fryer, a sandwich toaster and a slow cooker! 

Whole sunday roast dinners rustled up with the help of an air fryer more than once, including the sprouts! 

If you put the word frying out of your mind, and look on it as a compact idiot proof self contained little cooking unit that can also fry things as well with just an aerosol misting of oil, uses a tiny amount of electricity, and doesn't get in the way, it might be a handy thing in a kitchen with limited surfaces (as ours is)

And no mess whatsoever, hardly any fat down the drain. cheap electricity use.  What's not to like!

[Debra300]

@Kevin1322,

How is the cleanup for this appliance?  I thought about getting one before deciding on an induction cooktop, but I was concerned about it getting cleaned properly.

[Kevin1322]

One small "pan" that pulls out. Just wash in hot water. Teflon coated. 

To be honest we cook all sorts in ours, we have a big one as well, and they use so little oil or fat that they just seem to keep themselves clean.

The whole units are self contained, so there is no fat splattering about, or fat pouring out like the grills/toasters.

It's a dubious accolade but the Air Fryer seems to have been designed for the single bloke or student. If it was solar powered I would take it on camping bike trips with me 🤣

You can clean it out with a kitchen towel in seconds.

The range of stuff we have cooked in our air fryers is mind boggling. 

Sue my wife is a chef, (apparently there is a knife in the kitchen that is worth more than my bike,) but I am still  allowed  to use the air fryer. So it must be quite idiot proof 🤷‍