Small Cooking Appliances

The list of convenience continues to grow as more and more small appliances are developed or adapted to the speed and expertise today's cooks need and appreciate. Microwaves, toasters, and coffee makers are common in many kitchens, but numerous devices can bring specialized cooking capabilities into your kitchen. Here is a sampling of small cooking appliances.

Rice Cookers

• Cook rice to perfection without having to stand guard throughout the cooking process
• Most have menu settings for white, brown, mixed, and sweet rice, as well as porridge
• Serve your rice moist and warm when you're ready with a keep-warm feature
• Also good for steaming vegetables or for slow-cooking soups and stew

Woks

• Great for cooking authentic Asian cuisine: stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, and roasting
• Bowl-shape design heats more evenly than traditional frying pans, reduces the amount of oil needed, and prevents ingredients from flying out of the pan
• Made of stainless steel, copper, or aluminum, but carbon steel is generally the material of choice
• Flat-bottomed woks are better suited for electric ranges; round-bottomed woks work well on gas ranges but also on electric ranges if used with a collar to distribute heat

George Foreman Grills Make fast, healthy, grilled meals anytime of the year Contact electric grills combine contact and radiant heat to cook on both sides Grilling surface depends on the model - larger models can grill an entire family meal all at once, and individual trays of some grills are handy for cooking different dishes beneath the grill Versatile models offer a solid grill surface and a griddle to cook steak, seafood, vegetables, sandwiches, or even pancakes, while some models have a cooking stone for searing Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned cook, you can find small cooking appliances to help you cook it right, either because you don't know what you're doing without it or because you'll settle for nothing less than the best.