Kitchen Appliances

What Should You Look for When Buying Kitchen Appliances?

Check the Warranty

Always look at the warranty before you buy, especially for an expensive electrical appliance such as a fridge or oven.

Energy Star Ratings

Dishwashers, fridges and freezers sold in Australia are all required to display their Energy Rating Label, which is usually expressed as a number of stars between 1 and 6. This rating shows how much energy an appliance uses to run, which is important since it affects your electricity bill as well as your household's environmental impact.

Think About the Best Use of Kitchen Space

The size and shape of your kitchen dictate which products you can consider. Limited counter space or a small kitchen can easily be overwhelmed by too many appliances, so decide which things to prioritise and where to put them.

If, on the other hand, your kitchen is large, it can be hard to narrow down your choices. You'll still need to prioritise your needs and make a decision about how much storage space you want to allocate to appliances.

Above all else, you need to be able to cook, clean, and live comfortably in your space, large or small. Kitchen appliances can make that easier if you make intelligent choices.

What Appliances Do You Need in Your Kitchen?

In a standard Australian kitchen you'd expect to have the following appliances:

Large Kitchen Appliances

• A fridge to all your fresh ingredients, dairy products, leftovers and drinks cold.
• An oven for baking and roasting.
• A cooktop for frying, boiling, steaming, etc.
• A rangehood to remove smoke, steam and odours from your kitchen while cooking.
• A dishwasher for washing dirty dishes and cutlery. There are plenty of households who manage without one and wash everything by hand, but many large or busy households would consider a dishwasher essential for their lifestyle.

Smaller Kitchen Appliances

• A microwave for reheating leftovers and cooking packaged meals or snacks
• A toaster for cooking toast, crumpets and English muffins
• A kettle for boiling water

Some Non-Essential But Popular Kitchen Appliances

• A coffee machine is a great way to spend less on takeaway coffees while still enjoying barista quality brews.
• A bread maker allows you to join in the growing pastime of baking your own bread, which has increased in popularity during COVID lockdowns.
• A slow cooker is a great addition to your kitchen for cooking stews, curries and other meals that require a long cooking time on low heat.
• A pressure cooker or multi-cooker can cook a huge variety of meals very quickly using a high pressure steam method. A multi-cooker can also combine slow cooking functionality in one single device.

Best Kitchen Appliance Brands

Bosch, Westinghouse and Neff have strong reputations and positive customer feedback for their large kitchen appliances. Meanwhile, Breville, Sunbeam and KitchenAid are likewise recognised for their high-quality small kitchen appliances.

Should You Buy Kitchen Appliances Online or In-Store?

The obvious reasons to shop in-store would be to inspect the products first-hand and speak to a salesperson face-to-face for advice. Stores sometimes also have promotional offers or stock clearance offers that can be worth taking advantage of. However, it's harder to compare prices between physical stores in order to find the best deal, and stores don't always stock the range of brands or models that you could find online.

On the other hand, buying appliances online gives you the opportunity to evaluate a wide range of brands and products, then to find the best deal on the one that you choose. Online retailers of kitchen appliances have also made huge progress in their delivery and installation services, with the latter being particularly important for large appliances.

Where to Buy Kitchen Appliances Online

Some of the leading online retailers in Australia for kitchen appliances are Appliances Online, Bing Lee and The Good Guys.