Small kitchen appliances you need this autumn and winter

Posted on 14th October 2023

It is officially hot chocolate and heart-warming soups season – hooray! Small kitchen appliances are a must-have during the cold season – from baking comfort treats to creating easy meals for rainy evenings.

We round up the gadgets you need this autumn – ready to snuggle up with some hot drinks and enjoy delicious food? Here are our top picks…

Small kitchen appliances for baking

To me, autumn equals lots of baking. I love making drizzled cinnamon rolls or pumpkin spice sugar cookies – both go down a treat with everyone.

In my house, baked goods usually have a shelf life of around 24 hours, but if you have more self-restraint, you might need somewhere to store these treats for a few days. We’ve got you covered! Vacuum sealing sounds like a luxury, but can really help keep goodies fresher for longer. Just pop the cookies into the jar and seal away – extending the shelf life while testing your restraint.

Vacuum sealing starter set with cookies in jars — Vacuum starter set, £99.95, Zwilling.

While the mixing is half the battle in baking, the baking is the make or break. And to help you improve your taking skills, Kitchenaid has just launched its new Bread Bowl. It works like a Dutch oven and helps trap steam but is specially designed for bread and cake – or, as pictured below, delicious giant cinnamon rolls. Sounds good to me!

The bowl attaches to the classic stand mixer, and then the lid can be used for proving or as a handy tray for the bread in the oven. You can kneed, prove, bake and serve with one item – so handy.

Small kitchen appliances for soups and stews

Hands up – do you feel like you have less energy during autumn and winter? I always joke that I am solar-powered. If you have little energy but still want to prepare delicious food, enter your best friend: the slow cooker.

Choose your favourite recipe for slow-cooked meals and put everything together the morning. When you finish work or all your daily chores, the food will be all ready to eat.

It is one of the most straightforward small kitchen appliance you can find. But if you work from home, beware! The delicious smell from the kitchen can make you feel hungry all day. I’ve learnt this the hard way.

Slow cooker with stew inside — Slow cooker, available in Stainless Steel, Glossy Black, Blue Haze and Cloud Cream, £199, GreenPan.

slow cooker for autumn — 1. Slow cooker sear and stew 3.5 litres, £37.99, Morphy Richards. 2. Slow cooker 23200 3.5 litres in stainless steel, £34.27, Russell Hobbs. 3. Programmable slow cooker, 153.39, Cuisinart. 4. 6.5 Slow cooker, £36, Crock-Pot.

Hot and creamy soups are synonymous with autumn, in my opinion. There are many small kitchen appliances that can help you prepare your favourite soup. I personally love popping things in a pot, cooking everything for half an hour on the hob and then giving the mix a quick blitz with a hand blender. However, using a large blender or having a dedicated soup mixer is just as easy.

cuisinart hand blender — Cordless Pro hand blender, £100, Cuisinart.

hand blenders for autumn cooking — 1. Easy soup and smoothie maker, £94.81, Tefal. 2. SDA1714 maker, £47.99, Daewoo. 3. Blender 7000 Series, £159.99, Philips. 4. Immersion blender, £30, Chefman. 5. Hand blender MSM6B150GB in white, £19.99, Bosch.

Hot chocolate

How do you like your hot chocolate? Dark? With cinnamon or a kick of chilli? Well, I like mine made in the easiest way possible. As soon as it gets cold enough outside, a steamy cup of hot chocolate is a must most evenings!

There are many small kitchen appliances to aid you in making hot chocolate. However, my go-to and the easiest solution is a milk frother. You simply add all the ingredients and your choice of milk, press the button, and you are done.