Best small kitchen appliances: 9 compact buys for even the coziest cook spaces

As someone who reviews small kitchen appliances for a living, it's a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I love trying and testing new things, but on the other hand, there's only so much room in my cooking space. The latter is something that my husband loves reminding me of, every single time I get another delivery. Yes, I have my story down but no, I will not be sharing any behind-the-scenes footage of our one-in-one-out policy.

Try telling me to get rid of my small coffee maker, I dare you. On a serious note, if there was one incredible gadget that made my java, juice, fries, and frothed milk, I'd buy it today. But for the time being, my husband and I have compromised on these six appliances. Because happy wife = happy life, right?

Cuffed up or not, if you live in a small space (say a tiny apartment, dorm, or houseshare), these compact kitchen appliances are affordable and stylish enough to be displayed on the coziest of kitchen counters, especially if you're short on storage. 

Best small kitchen appliances for compact schemes

The quick list

The best small air fryer

The Cosori Lite 4-Quart Smart air fryer is the convection oven I chose to keep for my compact galley kitchen. In my opinion, it's best for small families or couples thanks to its smaller capacity and it comes in three muted colorways to suit all kitchen countertops. This small air fryer is even roomy enough to fit a whole 3.5-pound chicken, so your poultry doesn't have to play Twister if you're short on oven space.

The smart control system lets you start cooking, monitor your food's progress, find recipes, and more all from an app on your phone. And, when we have guests around, voice-activated cooking is my party trick (you just need to sync it up with your smart speaker).

Read our Cosori Lite review for more snug-but-chic speak of this machine.

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The best personal blender

The NutriBullet Pro 900 is the brand's most powerful bullet blender, and it really did the trick when I used it to make smoothies. From frozen fruit to tough kale stems, even the most lump-prone ingredients won't make it past this gadget.

The design is simple and easy to use. Press the blending cup down onto the base after screwing on the blending lid and twist. I left it to blend until I was happy with the consistency and then twisted it back to the neutral position (where the motor should stop).

Seeds, berries, and a tough pineapple core were traceless with this top-choice blender after churning for one minute. My finished smoothie was very creamy with no fiber residue. Cleaning-wise, the blending cup can go in the dishwasher, but the blade can't. 

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The best portable blender

It might seem a little counterintuitive to include two small blenders in this guide, but they serve two different purposes. While the Nutribullet can grind spices, make pestos, hummus, and thicker sauces — this two-button on-the-go appliance can help you to shake up your smoothie/juice bar-spending habits. 

It's lightweight, looks good, and can be charged using a USB-C power cable (N.B: The first charge takes two hours). And, before you think it's just for healthy virtuous people, our review said that it could (hypothetically speaking: wink wink) be used to make frozen margaritas to enjoy with your picnic in the park.

Functionality-wise, the flip-top lid means that you can sip with ease, and in between guzzling, you can hold it with the hinged carry handle. As with more and more food-grade products these days, it's made with a ribbed BPA-free plastic vessel, so you don't need to worry about toxic chemicals leeching into your drink.

On the whole, it's easy to clean. You can drop a little dish soap and warm water into it and whizz away, but be sure not to submerge the motor in water if you are handwashing it. The fact you can't remove this part is one of the reasons why our reviewer didn't give it five stars.

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The best bean-to-cup coffee maker

Bet you the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of a bean-to-cup coffee maker is something clunky with lots of bells and whistles, knobs, and a milk frother that you practically need a science degree for? Well, that's not the case with the Cuisinart DGB-2 Grind & Brew Coffee Maker.

If being able to speak lots of languages means you're multilingual, then this machine is multibeangual.  Yup, totally made that word up, but hopefully, you get what I mean. The ability to switch between roasted cherries, pre-blitzed beans, or capsules is a game-changer and means that you can chop and change your coffee whenever you want. So much choice!

Naturally, grinding coffee is a noisy job, but it's expected with this appliance. And, if you use the eco-friendly reusable cup, it is a little hot (but so are disposable filter papers). Lastly, there isn't a warming plate, but the coffee dispensed is hot and delicious, so I can't imagine you'll need this feature, anyway. Personally, I just pre-fill my cup with boiling water from my faucet or kettle.

The best small iced coffee maker

You'll no doubt recognize Keurig as one of the most famous coffee machine brands out there. But if you're after the best Keurig appliance for personal use (perhaps in a home office), this is the perfect small coffee maker.

Keurig's pod coffee machines are some of the most versatile out there as the brand works with coffeehouses like Starbucks and Dunkin' to bring out new flavors so that your tastebuds will never get bored. As well as making conventional hot coffees, you can also switch things up in summer with a chilled drink.

Read our Keurig K-Slim + ICED Single Serve Coffee Maker review for more information.

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The best small electric tea kettle

We haven't tried the petite version of the popular Smeg kettle just yet, but we do love the normal-size version — and the only difference between them is their capacity. With a smaller design comes a lighter weight (just 2.2 pounds!), and it boils your water even faster. Winning!

I personally love the look of the Smeg kettle, but it might on the spendier side depending on budget. If a huge tea kettle isn't a necessity (for example, if you live alone or with one roommate or partner) this will totally cater to your needs. It costs less than the original, and it only boils three cups of water at a time. This means less electricity usage and less water wastage in a two-person household. My colleague Annie has had hers for years and she raves about it. In fact, she's so set on the fact that Smeg appliances are amazing, she invested in the toaster, blender, hand blender, and even the fridge to match.

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The best small milk frother

Personally, I'll happily survive with a good coffee maker that just makes espresso. But many of my friends prefer to sip java topped up with a splash (or generous glug) of milk. So rather than pouring cold milk straight from the fridge, I like to give guests a coffee shop-style experience with fluffy clouds of warm milk.

Breville takes the risk out of burning milk in the microwave, and you don't need to know how to use a steam wand either. It makes the most velvety-smooth lattes and cappuccinos without the queues, daily cost, or misspelled name on your cup. It holds up to three cups of milk, but that's not the only reason why it's #1 in our milk frothers guide.

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The best small toaster

This Classic Dualit toaster comes in a variety of colors, and the two-slice model is packed with innovative features and functions to make life simpler every day. The ProHeat elements benefit from a protective natural mineral layer (Mica) that covers the filaments, making them virtually unbreakable and easy to keep clean. There's also an extra-lift lever which is handy for removing smaller slices and things like end pieces or English muffins that don’t always pop up properly.

When testing, my colleague Millie enjoyed the fact that this toaster will fit the largest of bread slices, and didn't skip out on testing the top portion of our classic slice. However, you may find that your toast burns if you run a second use immediately after the first. This is because the elements retain heat very well. It took just 1 minute and 30 seconds to reach the perfect level, making this one of the fastest toasters we've tried.

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We don't know about you, but we're kind of over flat soda, and single-use plastic. Except, those multinationals and supermarkets know what they're doing by putting offers on 2-liter bottles and having cold cans at the ready. But, we think this invention might be your way to break up with those tempting beverage deals.

Unless you have a car, carrying those big containers of cola can be a struggle, so this machine allows you to make soda on the spot, without going to the store. With a 20-flavor menu (that you can mix and match), you'll never tire of trying out new combinations. And, Ninja has even pulled out the stops to create energy drink concentrates and flavorings enriched with B vitamins.

In testing, our reviewer tested out all of the carbonation levels (medium is typical of your standard seltzer, but she preferred high). And, she liked that there were two strength settings, essentially dosing the drink with a different syrup: water ratio. What makes this stand out from your Sodastream, for example, is that the syrup is mixed into the drink by the machine, rather than being poured in afterward.

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Compare these small kitchen appliances

How we test small kitchen appliances

Whether it's me or another member of our ecommerce team, I can proudly say, we've tested all of these compact kitchen appliances. Most of the time, we're able to review them in our big professional kitchen, but, to offer you the most authentic experience of how they'll fit into your day-to-day life, we'll also take them home to assess the following:

• Features: Are they effective, how many are there, and how easy is it to use the appliance?
• Size: Can the appliance fit into a small kitchen space (such as a studio apartment, or tiny kitchen with limited counter space?
• Energy usage: We'll calculate the wattage and cost per use
• Purpose: Does it deserve space on the counter or in kitchen cabinets compared to a a similarly-functioning appliance 
• Cost: Is it worth the price tag, or will another similar item that costs less do the job on a smaller budget.

Meet our reviewers below:

Christina Chrysostomou

Christina reviewed the Cosori Lite air fryer for us, and it's become a permanent addition to her kitchen countertop. She uses it on a daily basis, whether it's for cooking "hard-boiled" eggs and warming croissants for breakfast or making more substantial meals.

Annie Collyer

Annie owns the Smeg kettle at home and has used it for years to boil water for her green tea, English Breakfast tea, and pasta. It has stood the test of time, which just proves the point she lives buy: buy cheap, buy twice. She hasn't tested the mini version, but these kettles are the same apart from their size.

Millie Fender

Millie is our former head of reviews for Real Homes. Formerly our expert for all things kitchen-related, Millie has tested many of the aforementioned small kitchen appliances in this guide, including the Dualit toaster. She liked that it could accommodate thick-cut slices of bread. The brand also gets a thumbs-up for sustainability seeing as each part can be fixed or replaced by their team.

She's also had hands-on experience with the Nutribullet blender and likes the fuss-free nature of this gadget. There's no need to clear your kitchen workspace and the blades and motor are pretty powerful when you consider the small size of the machine.

Heather Bien

Heather Bien tested the Ninja Thirsti Drinks System for Real Homes. She’d never tried an at-home seltzer machine before, so went into testing without any expectations at all. However, she likes to consider myself a beverage barista. You’ll often find her mixing syrups for her lattes or trying out new cocktail combinations, so she was all over the idea of being able to customize her seltzer down to the number of bubbles, strength, and combination of flavors.

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn reviewed the Keurig coffee maker for us and liked its simple functionality. She appreciated the slimline design, which makes it suitable for dorms, small apartments, and home offices. She also had hands-on experience with the Breville BMF600XL Milk Frother and commented on how well the interchangeable discs were to use and store onboard afterward.

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