11 Kitchen Appliances for Preparing Comfort Foods When It’s Chilly Outside

When the temperature drops and cozy cravings kick in, the right kitchen appliances can help transform simple ingredients into warm, comforting meals. From slow-simmered soups and hearty stews to freshly baked bread and hot cocoa, winter comfort food is all about low-and-slow cooking, rich flavors, and minimal effort. Having a few reliable kitchen appliances on hand not only saves time and energy during busy, cold weather days, but also makes it easier to cook nourishing homemade meals to warm you up inside. Here are 11 essential winter kitchen appliances you’ll want to have in your home to prepare satisfying comfort meals when it’s cold outside.

With more than 181,000 Amazon fans raving over its many uses, the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker is a popular and reliable item for making stews, soups, and other hearty meals. This multitasking gadget combines the functionality of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and warmer—but it doesn’t just replace them, it upgrades them. With the push of a button, your meal will cook up to 70 percent faster. Key features include customizable smart programs, safe and easy steam release, a stainless steel steamer rack, and a dishwasher-safe lid and inner pot that make cleanup easy.

Enjoy crispy, delicious foods without loads of fat thanks to a quality air fryer. Whether you are in the mood for some French fries or biscuits, an air fryer will help keep you toasty. The Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 6-Quart Air Fryer offers six preset programs: air-fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. EvenCrisp technology gives food a crispy exterior and tender interior, while using up to 95 percent less oil than deep frying. This quality model is praised for its speed, versatility, and ease of use. It has an extra-large air fryer basket and convenient touch control display so you can access your favorite settings with the tap of a button. Best of all, cleanup is a breeze because of the dishwasher-safe fryer basket. It’s also available with a smaller 4-quart capacity for those who have limited kitchen storage space.

Blenders are ideal for making sauces and gravies or blending hot soups into creamy textures without needing cream. The Ninja BL660 Professional 1100W Blender is built with an 1100-watt motor to power through tough ingredients without slowing down, and the 72-ounce pitcher is well sized for batches. This blender has three manual speeds, pulse control, and a dedicated single-serve function for personalized blends. There is also built-in food processing to easily mince, chop, and grind ingredients. Finally, two convenient lidded to-go cups are included.

Electric kettles are primarily used to heat water quickly and efficiently, but can also be used to make soothing drinks like tea, coffee, and hot chocolate or prepare instant foods like oatmeal, soup cups, and ramen noodles. The OXO Brew Adjustable Temperature Kettle is made from durable, BPA-free borosilicate glass that offers thermal-shock protection and water-level visibility. The kettle boils up to 1.75 L of water faster than a microwave and safer than the stovetop, and water is heated and held for 30 minutes at your preferred temperature. It is cordless and sits on a 360-degree swivel base, and has a comfortable non-slip handle providing a secure grip that stays cool to the touch. Finally, the reusable stainless steel filter strains water as you pour and can easily be removed for cleaning.

A food processor is another great tool for blending silky purees and soups. The Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus Food Processor offers an efficient 250-watt motor and patented reversible stainless steel blade to quickly chop, dice, and grind ingredients. This 24-ounce appliance is durable yet lightweight and has a convenient push-button control panel. The dishwasher-safe bowl and lid provide for easy cleanup, while the motor base can be wiped clean with a damp sponge or cloth. A spatula and recipe book are included.

Waffles are a classic comfort food, whether you are serving them for breakfast or with chicken for dinner. The DASH Mini Waffle Maker features a 4-inch waffle mold to create adorable, bite-sized waffles. The PTFE nonstick surface ensures easy release and quick cleaning, delivering perfectly shaped waffles every time. Simply plug it in and add batter to cook up single or multiple mini waffles in no time. You can even use the waffle maker to make hash browns, cornbread, cookies, and more.

Blend soups, batters, and more directly in a pot or bowl using an immersion handheld blender to minimize the mess. The Braun MQ5000 Vario Hand Blender Stick is a sleek, must-have kitchen appliance for effortless mixing. This powerful 400-watt hand blender features a unique bell-shaped blending shaft and ultra-hard stainless steel blades, reducing suction and drawing food inward for smoother results. The digital controls offer five speeds, allowing you to tackle a variety of tasks from blending soups to whisking eggs with ease. Its stainless steel material ensures durability and it is dishwasher safe for convenient cleaning.

Warm up with a delicious mug of hot cocoa. The AMZCHEF 8-IN-1 Milk Frother and Steamer is an 8-in-1 multi-function automatic milk frother that can be used to make dense froth milk, airy froth milk, hot milk, and more to create your favorite hot cocoa, cappuccino, or latte right at home. This item offers safe induction heating to warm up milk efficiently and evenly to avoid overheating. It is simple to start and operate with only one knob, and the modern and high-tech screen displays the menu of functions.

Slow cookers are the definition of convenience; these handy appliances allow you to make set-it-and-forget-it cozy soups, stews, and chilis in no time. The Breville BPR700BSS Fast Slow Pro Slow Cooker has 11 functions, allowing it to take the place of a pressure cooker, rice cooker, stockpot, and a long list of other devices. The easy-to-read bright digital display keeps you apprised of everything going on inside the cooker, from its internal temperature to the pressure level. You can use the preprogrammed functions or customize your own settings. The included steam basket and rack expand your meal options, and it’s extra safe with a locking lid, a hands-free automatic steam release, and a safety valve.

Cozy on up with a piece of toasty homemade bread. This compact Cuisinart Bread Maker Machine offers a variety of crust colors and loaf sizes, as well as 12 preprogrammed menu options that allows you to make everything from loaves of bread to pizza crust and cake. Choose from three crust colors (light, medium, dark) and three loaf-size options to customize the appearance, texture, and amount of bread you prefer. Fully automatic and easy to use, this appliance features an LCD display to view countdown time, current cycle, selected options, beep reminders, and a 60-minute “keep warm” cycle.

Hand mixers are a great tool to have when whipping up some homemade baked goods. The Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer has two easy clean beaters, two traditional beaters, two dough hooks, and a whisk. The attachments easily eject from the mixer and are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. The snap-on storage case holds all the attachments, reducing the chance that they are lost or misplaced. This mixer has the power to get a variety of jobs done quickly, whether you’re kneading thick bread dough, mixing brownies, or whipping cream.

 

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