Buying guide
Best Small Kitchen Appliances for Small Counters
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Quick answer: For a small kitchen, pick appliances that replace others and that you will use at least weekly. For most people that means one multi-use cooker (an air fryer, toaster oven or multi-cooker), a rice cooker if you eat rice often, a blender or immersion blender, an electric kettle, and a coffee maker that fits your habit. Measure your counter and cabinet first, and skip single-use gadgets you would use less than once a month.
Small kitchens do not need fewer appliances so much as the right ones. This guide helps you decide what earns its space, using footprints instead of hype.
How we choose
- What we tested and for how long: Appliances we have used in our own kitchen are marked as tested, and we cooked with each one for at least 4 weeks before writing about it. We never call something tested if we have not used it.
- What we checked from manufacturer specs only: For products we have not used ourselves, we rely on the manufacturer’s published specifications, such as capacity, wattage, size and cord length, and we say so in the pick.
- How we measured footprints: We list width x depth x height in inches from the manufacturer’s product page. For appliances we own, we also confirm the size with a tape measure on our own counter.
- Prices checked on: Prices change often, so check the current price before you buy.
Step 1: Measure and count
- Measure free counter space (width and depth), the gap under wall cabinets, and a cabinet shelf for storage.
- List how often you cook each type of meal each week.
- Decide on a rule: if something goes on the counter, something else goes away.
Check the manual for clearance. Many heat-producing appliances need space around and above them, so do not run an air fryer or toaster oven under a low cabinet without checking.
Step 2: Choose by habit
The best small appliance is the one that matches how you actually cook. Start with what you made last week, not what you might make someday, and match it to a habit below.
- You reheat, crisp or bake small portions: an air fryer or an air-fry toaster oven.
- You make soups, beans or one-pot meals: a multi-cooker, if you have somewhere to store it.
- You eat rice or grains every week: a rice cooker.
- You blend smoothies or sauces: a blender or personal blender. For soups and sauces with little storage, an immersion blender takes less room.
- You drink tea or coffee every day, or eat instant meals: an electric kettle or a coffee maker.
- You make toast or small bakes and rarely use the oven: a toaster or toaster oven.
- You often chop dips or sauces: a mini food processor.
If you cannot name the last time you made the dish, skip the appliance for now. Our picks by category below show what each one is good for and when to skip it.
Step 3: Decide what to buy first
If you are starting from scratch in a small place, a sensible order is:
- A way to heat water (electric kettle or a pot).
- One flexible cooker (air fryer or toaster oven).
- A blender or immersion blender if you use blended foods.
- A rice cooker or multi-cooker if you eat rice or one-pot meals weekly.
- Everything else only when you can name the meal you will make with it.
What to skip
- Gadgets that do one thing you can do with a pan
- Large appliances that never fit on your counter
- Sets and bundles with items you will not use
Storage tips
- Keep daily appliances on the counter and everything else in a cabinet or on a rolling cart.
- Use a shelf riser inside a cabinet so a second appliance fits above the first.
- See our guide to small kitchen storage for renters.
Our picks by category
We have grouped the small appliances by category. Each category lists a few options with their footprint (depth x width x height in inches), so you can compare them with your counter space. The “Our pick” column shows what we use in our own kitchen, or why we skipped it, and the “Best for” and “Not for” columns help you match each appliance to how you cook.
Looking for a rice cooker specifically? Read our rice cooker guide for one or two people.
The items we have selected under “Our pick” is for reference only. Please check your own space and needs before you buy.
Quick answers
What is the best small kitchen appliance?
It depends on what you cook most. For many small kitchens, a multi-use cooker such as an air fryer or toaster oven gives the most flexibility. A rice cooker, kettle or blender may suit you better if you use them weekly. Choose the one that replaces other tools.
What are the top ten small kitchen appliances?
Common ones are an air fryer, toaster oven, multi-cooker, rice cooker, blender, immersion blender, electric kettle, toaster, coffee maker and mini food processor. You do not need all ten. Pick the ones that match what you actually cook and have room to store.
What small appliances should you have in your kitchen?
Start with a way to heat water, one flexible cooker, and a blender or immersion blender if you use blended foods. Add a rice cooker or multi-cooker only if you cook rice or one-pot meals weekly. Skip single-use gadgets.
What are some good small appliances for a tiny counter?
Look for compact versions of tools you use often, such as a personal blender, a small rice cooker, an immersion blender, and a kettle. Check the footprint in inches and the manual’s clearance rules before buying.