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Your kitchen should have the right tools. Welcome to A Guide to Gearing Up Your Kitchen, a series where I help you outfit the space with all the small appliances you need (and ditch the ones you don’t).
The kitchen is the only indoor space where you get to use power tools to make things on a regular basis. Fine, I guess most folk call them appliances, but you can’t deny that your kitchen appliances are major tools, and some require serious voltage. Whether you have few outlets in your old kitchen, a surge protector plugged into an extension cord, or you just can’t deal with another freakin’ plug, it might be time for you to consider some cordless kitchen appliances.
A few years ago, I lived in an apartment where the kitchen was long and skinny. It was situated in such a way that all of the outlets were on one wall. It was an old building, so those outlets numbered exactly two. The stove and an air conditioner shared an outlet (I know, yikes), and the fridge commanded the other. I wish I had considered some cordless appliances then. That would have saved me some frustration, and quelled the consistent nagging fear created by dubious surge protector arrangements.
Luckily, I moved—and there are cordless appliances now that are absolutely worth your attention. They can free up your outlets for the big players—the stove, microwave, refrigerator, and maybe an air conditioner—and they can streamline your movement in the kitchen to effectively give you more space. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cordless appliances that don’t make much sense (a “cordless” kettle that, indeed, has a cord), so here are the best ones that can actually help you in the kitchen.
A wireless immersion blender
I have always loved the flexibility of an immersion blender, but a wireless immersion blender is the peak of wire-freedom. A stick blender is great for zapping up a smoothie or addressing a whole pot of creamy broccoli soup, but you wouldn’t believe how many things I used to knock over with the cord plugged in three feet away.
Consider these wireless immersion blenders so you can stop knocking things over:
I use the All-Clad wireless immersion blender—it has a reliable battery that holds onto its charge for about three days if you use it for blending every day. The charging base is small, and while the company says it takes two hours to bring it back up to full battery life, mine only takes about one hour. When it’s not in use, you can tuck the base away into a drawer or cabinet.
A cordless hand mixer
When I was a teenager, we had a hand mixer for making cookie doughs and cake batters, but my mom insisted all mixing had to be done with the bowl in the sink. I have no idea why (it’s not my fault that whipped cream can splatter). Do you know what’s not near her sink? An outlet. A cordless hand mixer would be extremely helpful in this particular situation.
Mix batters untethered with these hand mixers:
Cordless hand mixers come with rechargeable battery packs that hook onto the back, or they have plugs so you can charge the mixer up beforehand. They’re still just as light (if not lighter) as their corded predecessors, you can walk around as you blend, or quickly relocate to an open counter or table if you’re in a crowded kitchen during the holiday season. Heck, you can even bring it outside.
A rechargeable blender
Another helpful tool to add to your cordless line-up is a blender. Granted, these battery-powered blenders don’t provide quite the same results you could get from a full-sized machine delivering 1,300 watts of power, but don’t underestimate the importance of low-key and light-weight.
Whip up a marg in the park with a rechargeable blender:
These blenders have a to-go cup functional design, and can hold up 16 to 18 ounces. They’re a good solution for folks that whip up smoothies on a daily basis, but they can be the perfect size for making a cup of hollandaise sauce or blending a few margaritas. The clean-up is easier than with a heavy, full-sized blender’s container, and it all packs up easily into the cupboard until tomorrow. In fact, you could bring it to the park or on your next camping trip and blend up a few drinks on the spot—you can’t do that with a cord.
A handy food processor
Full-sized food processors use up plenty of energy, too, so finding a cordless one is a little less likely. Still, this KitchenAid food chopper fits the bill. Although it’s smaller than a beastly 14-cup food processor, the five-cup container is nothing to sneeze at. You can still produce a range of results from this portable appliance, like full servings of salsa, dips, sauces, and food prep for your meals.
KitchenAid has an entire “Go” line of cordless appliances, and many of those appliances are listed here. If you like one, you might enjoy the whole product line. These cordless tools can open up your kitchen to a more flexible design, keep counters clear, and allow you to unplug those extension cords once and for all.
