Small Appliance Buying Guide

Air Fryers - Dehydrator, Rotisserie

An Air Fryer is a small kitchen appliance, like a mini oven, that sits on the work surface and cooks healthy, tasty food quickly. You can also buy multifunctional air fryers that come with extra settings such as rotisserie or dehydrator for even more cooking options.

Don’t be fooled by the name, an Air Fryer does not fry your food, instead they work like a fan oven but are much, MUCH smaller in size. Air circulates around the inside and because of their small interior the air inside an air fryer can circulate quicker which reduces cooking time significantly.

 

Best Air Fryer Features & Things To Consider:

• Digital Timer - All air fryers include a timer but we’d recommend choosing a model with a digital timer and not a manual dial. This makes timings more accurate and visibility of cooking times is better.
• Additional Cooking Functions - If you plan to cook a wide variety of dishes look for models with extra options like bake (perfect for desserts), rotisserie (great for roasting meats), dehydrate (dehydrate fruit and veg for snacks) and grill (ideal for fish).
• Dishwasher Safe Parts - It is always worthwhile looking for an air fryer that has dishwasher safe parts (baskets/lid/removable racks) for easy, thorough cleaning.
• Temperature Control - Precise temperature control is important to ensure perfect results. Most models enable users to set the temperature within a range of 80 to 200°C.
• Consider How Much Food You’ll Cook - Cooking for one or a family? Small models (4L) have sufficient space for around 2-3 servings, larger air fryers (12L) will easily create 4 main meals for a family of 4 or more.

Ironing isn't everyones idea of fun but it's a job that needs to be done if you want to eliminate creases from your clothes and look smart for the day ahead! It's important to find an iron that will glide through the ironing pile with ease.

With our selection of irons you can enjoy crisp, perfectly ironed sheets and crease free shirts in no time. Here are a few features to look for when buying a new iron;

• Steam Iron - Steam irons help to remove creases from your clothes and sheets. Steam shot irons feature a small water tank. The user is able to set a steam rate to tackle light or deep creases. With the steam shot setting switched 'on', your iron will give powerful bursts of steam which helps to remove stubborn creases. This is particularly useful for removing creases from shirts. Steam irons are the most popular type found in most households. Steam generator models are much bigger as they hold more water in a separate water tank. The iron sits on top of the water unit. Steam generator irons provide high pressure steam so are good for tackling large loads or heavily creased items but their size can cause storage issues.
• Smooth Soleplate - Consider the material of the soleplate. Ceramic plates will glide smoothly over garments making ironing quicker and easier. Irons featuring an anodised coating are even more desirable and provide the best scratch resistance.
• Iron Weight & Cord Length - Always remember to check the length of the cord and the weight of the iron as these are really important factors to consider. Steam irons weigh around 1.5kg when the water tank is full. Steam generator irons generally weigh less as the water and components are stored within the base unit. A longer cord length is recommended as it will provide greater flexibility during ironing.

Another kitchen essential in the trustworthy toaster. We have four slice toasters that are ideal for families or toast lovers! Our two slot toasters are great for smaller kitchens.

If you're looking to buy a new toaster it is worth seeing what features to consider to ensure you pick the best toaster for you;

• Slot Size - Slot size on toasters varies between models. Long slot toasters are designed to fit two slices of bread in one slot. The appliance is slimmer and longer in style. If you regularly toast crumpets or tea cakes look for toasters with extra wide toaster slots or adjustable slot widths.
• Toaster Controls - Most toasters come with a defrost, reheat and cancel button as standard. Defrost is great as you can toast frozen bread without defrosting. Reheat will warm your toast. Toast can go cold quickly so this is another useful setting. Top of the range toasters may include a bagel setting which will toast one side of the bagel.
• Style & Number Of Slots - Toasters are available in a wide array of colour and style options. You can choose from brightly coloured toasters through to stainless steel designs. Models include push control or touch control. We always recommend choosing a toaster with independent controls. Slots are usually controlled in pairs, this allows you to brown bread, buns and bagels to varying degrees, ideal if you want to toast crumpets and bread at the same time. Finally, you can opt for a two slot or four slot design. Four slot is the preferred toaster for families and bigger households.