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Editor’s Picks: 5 Favorite Small Appliances for the Small Kitchen

If you are a regular visitor to real estate sites, you already know the secret to a good kitchen photo: Clear the counters of all the small appliances. Because despite their label, most toaster ovens, coffee makers, and other kitchen electronics are clunky and countertop-hogging—not to mention unattractive.

Not these. I asked our editors for their favorite truly small appliances—compact machines that get the job done, look nice while doing it, and either stow away easily afterward or look great sitting out on the counter. Here are their picks.

The Sleek and Slim Toaster Oven

Muji Fukasawa MOMA Vertical Toaster Oven
Above: The Muji Vertical Toaster Oven ($159) by Naoto Fukasawa is at the top of Alexa’s list. An admirer of its narrow and tall shape, she recently had the opportunity to see it person while on a photo shoot in Brooklyn. See At Home with C. S. Valentin: French Eclecticism in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.

The Little Processor that Could

Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor
Above: Both Francesca and Margot swear by their Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processors; $34.99 at Target. Neither has ever felt the need to supplement with the full-sized versions. Francesca uses hers to make spice pastes, sauces, and dressings; Margot mostly to chop up nuts and onions quickly.

The Stylish Rice Cooker for Two

Dash Mini Rice Cooker
Above: The Dash Mini Rice Cooker is another recommendation from Francesca. “I’m generally against kitchen equipment, but rice cookers make perfect rice and keep it warm until you’re ready to eat,” she says. This one is petite—it make 1 to 2 servings of rice—and good-looking. You can find it at Bed Bath & Beyond for $24.99.

The Neat and Tidy Hand Mixer

Cuisinart 9-Speed Hand Mixer
Above: I bake only when I’ve been peer-pressured into it (e.g., PTA bake sales and my kids’ birthdays), and on those rare occasions, I reach for my Cuisinart 9-Speed Hand Mixer, which can easily handle cookie and cake batters. This one is particularly good on account of the storage case it comes with; on sale for $89.95 at Williams Sonoma.

The Small but Mighty Coffee Maker

Technivorm Mocchamaster Cup-One
Above: I love that you can make just a single cup of coffee with the Technivorm Moccamaster Cup-One—but it’s not reliant on waste-generating pods to do it. Made in the Netherlands, this laboratory-chic coffee maker measures just 11 by 6 1/2 by 12 inches; $204 on Amazon.

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