Your time is precious, and cooking and cleaning can take up an excessive amount of it. No wonder people spend hundreds or more annually on small appliances and gadgets meant to improve efficiency in the kitchen and household.
In the zeal to save time, people often spend money they don't have on products that over-promise and under-deliver. Also, many appliances are single-purpose, meaning they can only perform one job, unlike an oven that can bake, roast, heat, and clean itself.
It is time to be a protector of your pocketbook and your time. You need to look past the advertising and social media hype around specific appliances and see the value in devices you already own. Homeowners often spend money on five unnecessary appliances.
1. Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is likely one of the most overrated kitchen appliances. Before you shout and curse at your computer screen, consider that your oven can cook at low temperatures for long periods. You can also use a Dutch oven.
You will need to convert slow cooker recipes for oven cooking, and there are some added steps, such as browning the meat before throwing it into a pot. Still, you can save money and space by using the appliances you already have.
2. Bread Machine
There is nothing better than freshly baked bread. People often assume that the only way to make bread is with a bread maker; they're wrong. Before you shell over $100 to $150 or more on a bread machine, consider what your oven can do: bake.
A bread machine is basically a tiny oven with a single purpose. Your range is more versatile and can allow the baking of multiple loaves at once.
3. Juicer
In pursuing a healthy lifestyle, many people will spend hundreds on a juicer. People know that fruits and vegetables are the keys to health and well-being, so they naturally want to increase the amount they eat. Unfortunately, juicers do not give you the benefits of eating whole fruit and veggies because they strip away the fiber.
Also, juicers are challenging to clean and can make quite a mess. If the maintenance is not enough to dissuade the purchase, consider the size.
4. Pizza Oven
A pizza oven is another example of a single-purpose product. The problem with such products is that they take up space and result in wasteful spending.
As with slow cookers, your home oven can perform the duties of a pizza oven. While the oven will not rotate the pizza, you can turn it at specific intervals if necessary.
Manufacturers sell pizza ovens at various price points. You can purchase one from $150 up to $5,000. Unless you plan on starting a pizza shop, save your money.
5. Steam Cleaner
The steam cleaner is another popular and hyped appliance. Steam cleaners are effective, but most homeowners do not use them enough to justify spending $100 to $200.
Most carpet manufacturers suggest steam cleaning carpets every 12 to 18 months. If you prefer to DIY the task, you can rent a cleaner from a home improvement chain for about $30. While the rental fee might sound expensive, the equipment is professional-grade, much better than consumer-grade cleaners.
Infomercials, social media posts, and marketing videos push single-purpose products as revolutionary and time-saving devices. In reality, you likely already have the most practical appliances in your kitchen.