Monday, May 11, 2009

Kitchen appliances it's worth it to pay more for

For anyone who reads my blog, I'm sorry I've been gone for so long. I went on vacation in early April and then right afterwards I got terribly sick for literally 3 weeks! Then I had a TON of catch up work and I'm still not 100% back on my feet, so it's been tough. Anyway, on to my post!
I'm always looking to save money, but sometimes you really do have to spend some or you'll end up with useless junk. My first food processor is a good example. I paid $35 for it and it was broken within about 2 months. My first blender was a cheap, $25 model that burned out after 1 month of use. Since then I've been amassing an arsenal of sturdy, built to last appliances that cost more, but are well worth the extra money. Here are the ones I've gotten so far.

Black and Decker food processor: $250
After my crappy $35 food processor broke, I went ahead and bought a decent one for $250. That was 6 years ago and since then I've used it almost every day for chopping and grating vegetables, mixing dough, making hummus, pureeing soups and making sauces. A good food processor is an extremely handy tool for any cook. I would say it's been my most useful appliance.
Champion juicer: $220
I know this isn't a practical appliance for everyone, but I thought I'd include it just the same. My juicer is a wonderful tool in my quest for more healthy living for my family. I use it to make all kinds of juice combinations for just drinking straight, or for smoothies or for raw soups and even for Popsicles. If you like fresh juice, go ahead and buy a juicer. I've had mine for 7 years and it's been great. Nothing makes me feel better as a mother than to serve my kids a tall glass of freshly made juice, or a Popsicle that contains no sugar or additives or a frosty vegetable/fruit smoothie that they scarf down with delight.
Black and Decker blender: $150
A good blender is essential for me, because I make so many smoothies and I also make my own almond milk. My goal is to eventually buy a Vitamix, which is a kind of super blender. It costs about $450, though, so I'm still saving up. A good blender really does make life easier.