10+ Useful Cooking Appliances for Your Kenyan Kitchen

There are a gazillion of small appliances in the market these days, it gets slightly overwhelming and you can’t decide if it is a need or just another gimmick itching to invade your kitchen counter space. The good news is; this post is crafted precisely to address that

We will list and discuss each small appliance, decipher what it does, and really justify the purchase by your use case scenario. What I need is not what you need remember, and vice versa.

These appliances will be classified into two categories; 1. Small Cooking Appliances, 2. Food Preparation Appliances. In this post we will focus on cooking appliances and the post on food preparation appliances will be linked at the end of this

Table of Contents

1). Toaster

I mean this is the first listing on this post, not because it is in the name of the site, but because of a different reason. *The editor winks aggressively

I love toast, and it shows. The guy who invented toast might be considered weird back then but a true genius here. Bread is cooked already and this mad lad decided to take it on another cooking round.

Be warned; once you enter the realm of toasted bread, there is no coming back. The crunchy, sweet crisp golden-brown slice, is nothing comparable to your average mushy, pale, and sad-looking slice of bread. You need a toaster, that dings don’t even debate that, get one right now. Toasters are relatively affordable to many, with like KSh 2,500 you can get a good reliable unit.

2). Toaster Oven

This combines the powers of a toaster and an oven into a single unit. If you need a toaster and oven too, then you don’t need a dedicated toaster or oven. Just get this instead. You can toast and bake in this one, with no limitations. Plus toaster ovens are compact and not bulky compared to cooker ovens. The only limitation from standard ovens is the capacity, if that applies to you. A good quality toaster oven in Kenya starts at KSh 10,000

3). Microwave Oven

I love bashing microwaves and how they are terrible, but today I will try to be civil and unbiased. Personally, I don’t own a microwave. Whatever it does, I find other appliances that do it better. Say warming leftovers; that is literally why you get a microwave right? I find warming in the airfryer does like a 10x better job, and an air fryer is not even meant for that.

I mean it is not like a microwave cant warm food, it does so good and quicker even, but the texture and taste of your food are compromised. The food, say a pizza slice will be more rubbery and bland. Eating cold food is better than microwaved in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend getting a microwave oven. However, if you feel like you really need one, get a quality one. Premium microwave ovens start from Ksh 10,000.

You can opt for the straightforward microwave, the microwave with a grill, or go all out with the microwave boasting convection capabilities.

The simple microwave does basics like making tea and heating leftovers. The one with a grill opens a new avenue to heating frozen pizzas pies and rolls. Finally, the boss the one with convection ensures even heating thus better food, crispier and evenly done. Ultimately the choice of the microwave will lie on your use case and preference

4). Air Fryer

I think everyone needs an air fryer, that is a bold statement but; who doesn’t love convenience, crisp food, better-tasting food, and soggy-free fries? Cooks from frozen without the need to defrost that appeals to the lazy like me.

An air fryer’s operation mechanics is simply circulating hot air to fry food. You are now wondering how air can fry. You need to use oil, but the oil used is less than 1% of what you would use in deep frying. The oil is heated and vaporized now the air has the oil droplets that circulate cooking and crisping up your food. The crispiest; chips, fries, wedges, or bacon you will ever in your entire life will be from an airfryer. You need like 1-2 tbs of cooking oil to make fries for two, and no oil is used for bacon as it renders out its own.

Air fryers not only air-fry but have other functions like; de-hydrate, bake, and grill. Remember me saying they appeal to lazy people? Well, most air fryers have temperature and time presets on the screen. So it is just tap on what you are making and start. Upon cooking completion, the unit beeps and turns off. Most models keep your food warm after this.

No hassle of heating up the giant oven for a small meal batch of fewer than 3 people.

Now re-heating, the air frying function does a good job that you might never touch your microwave again. Or if you were considering getting a microwave, get this instead.

I could go on and on about air fryers but I have an in-depth post on air fryers, their functions, and their cooking presets for common foods and snacks. An Air Fryer Will Literally Change Your Life.

Cheap air fryers start at KSh 7,500, and premium models offer better value and functionality starting at KSh 14,000

5). Deep Fryer

For a small kitchen or limited budget, I wouldn’t recommend getting a dedicated deep fryer. But do I wish I had one? Darn yea! Deep fryers are good but the value isn’t there in my opinion, it is just for convenience

You don’t have to drain oil from your pan after you are done. For a deep fryer, the oil lives in the unit and you fry anything you want anytime, till the oil needs replacement. Also, deep fryers are covered on top reducing oil burn risks, from accidental splashes.

There is oil temperature control for precise deep frying, not like on a stove top where the temperature on the indicator is not the same as the oil temperature at an instance.

I will continue using my trusty pot, filled with oil to deep fry until I have a disposable income. This shouldn’t be a priority appliance, it is just a nice to have equipment, well unless you deep fry like every day, who even does that? Wanna clog arteries?

Kitchen deep fryers are inexpensive, starting from KSh 7,000 you can get a decent model from a reputable brand.

6). Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are just pressure cookers but on a uno-reverse card. They do the opposite of pressure cooking. Pressure cooking is a cooking methodology of subjecting food to higher temperatures and pressure, thus cooking at a fraction of the time. Slower cooking on the other hand cooks slowly, at low temperatures over long periods of over 6 hours. You need to start preparing dinner at 11am literally.

You probably have many questions, first things first; what is the advantage of slow cooking? Slow cooking cooks the food delicately retaining all flavors and nutrients, food will taste better, richer, and more homogeneous compared to the same food pressure cooked.

On the energy use subject, you are probably worried that in the 6-hour cook time, the appliance will use all your electricity tokens, worry not my child, these appliances use approximately 100W which is 0.1KWh( units) for every hour. Meaning in 6 hours you will use less than 1 unit. A pressure cooker in reference uses up all that in an hour. So no difference.

Slow cooking is not ideal if you have a busier lifestyle, it is for those who care how the food should taste. Some pressure cookers have a slow cooking mode, but dedicated slow cookers will always be the winner.

This is not a must-have appliance just a fancy add-on. If you have the space and budget for it and are also picky with your food taste go for it. You can grab one starting at just over KSh 7,000. I personally will get one when the big bucks start rolling in

7). Rice Cooker

Yes, it is called a rice cooker, but what if I told you it not only cooks rice? It cooks several other foods and normally comes with a steamer basket for steaming while rice is cooking.

You don’t need a rice cooker as a primary priority, but if you can please get it. Whether you are good at making rice, or it burns before cooking is complete; I believe everyone needs a rice cooker. Even if you make good rice on the stove, it won’t always be consistent-not every day is Christmas.

Also, it will just make your life easier. However, if you have an issue with cooking rice, I summon you to get one. They are relatively cheap starting out at under KSh 3,000. To get convinced further if you need a rice cooker, Why do rice cookers exist?

8). Electric Pressure Cooker

Just like a rice cooker, don’t let the name fool you. Modern electric pressure cookers have other functions besides pressure cooking such as; yogurt, slow cook, sauteing, steaming, broiling, poaching, and braising… I can keep going on and on but I’m sure you get the gist. (Honestly, I can’t keep going on and on, I literally ran out of examples lol ).

So an electric pressure cooker is a multifunctional small appliance, in case that was not obvious. The pressure cooker has presets for cooking common dishes like stews, rice beans, eggs, and so on. So the unit sets temperature and time, and you can DIY if you please.

You saw the mention of rice and you are probably wondering, “If a pressure cooker can make rice, then why on Earth will anyone buy a rice cooker?” Valid question, I had that too initially. The answer is, yes a pressure cooker can make good rice, but it is not as good as a rice cooker’s rice. If you want the fluffiest rice, the rice cooker is the only way to go

9). Sandwich Maker

I love sandwiches as much as Joey Tribbiani, so you know where I’m headed with this. Get this one if you are a cool person who loves sandwiches too. The plates compact your bread into a sandwich by applying heat and pressure, just like metamorphic rocks in Geography class.

The plates are non-stick so you get a smooth sandwich, just remember to preheat and then oil your plates before your sandwich can go in. Cooking spray works too. Line your sandwich bread slices on the bottom, add toppings, then crown your toppings with a top slice. Then push down the upper flange of the unit and secure it with the lock. When done, your unit will indicate with an LED light.

The diagonal lines on the plate do the pre-slicing for you. Your rectangle slices of bread will be portioned into triangles. We all know triangle sandwiches test better.

If you love sandwiches and make them on the pan, or oven it is fine too, but hey! You are probably ending with a loose sandwich with the sandwich fillings falling off with every bite. Tomato slices are the biggest culprit here. Even worse you will be missing those fancy triangle cuts.

They say, if it is not tight, it is not right. A sandwich maker makes compact sandwiches and everything is enclosed tightly, so a less messy sandwich, you also don’t risk burning your precious hard-earned sandwich compared to a sandwich made on an iron skillet.

Some sandwich makers come in 3-in-1 models, where the plates are removable and interchangeable. The other two plates are for waffles and grill. This is a good value, but dedicated waffle makers next on the list will do a better job at waffles, and so will the dedicated grill on the grilling subject discussed later in this post.

A sandwich maker is affordable starting at KSh 2,000 and from KSh 5,000 for high-end models

10). Waffle Maker

Everyone in my life seems to love waffles by an unhealthy amount, I love waffles but not that much. Waffles are just fancy pancakes, or pancakes with extra steps. Pancakes are fluffy all through while waffles are crusty and crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Waffles also have pockets, that will store your syrup drizzle, unlike pancakes everything flows over.

If you are a waffle person get this, and the same thing if you want to try waffles. You need a waffle maker, there is no other way to make waffles.

Waffles are made by pouring pancake-like batter on the waffle iron, then covering it with the top flange to spread the batter and cook everything. Works like a sandwich maker. Once done a light indicator comes up.

Dedicated waffle makers start at KSh 3,500 from good trusted brands

11). Bread Maker

Ah, the glorious bread maker, a machine that takes the age-old tradition of kneading dough by hand and replaces it with a whirring contraption that does all the work for you. Gone are the days of getting your hands dirty and feeling the satisfaction of manually shaping that perfect loaf. Now, you can simply dump your ingredients into a machine, press a few buttons, and voila! Freshly baked bread magically appears.

But hey, if you’re all about convenience and avoiding the hassle of traditional bread making, then the bread maker might just be your new bestie. So go ahead, embrace the modern marvel that is the bread maker.

12). Egg Cooker

Now this is the definition of being excessive, do you need a dedicated appliance to boil eggs? Well, not bad as it sounds, this egg cooker is probably the smallest appliance on the list. So don’t be bothered if counter space is your concern. This small appliance boils up to 6 eggs at a go. You can boil eggs on a stove with water, (probably the most inefficient way), steam in the air fryer basket, or even on a rice cooker.

This unit is efficient, in terms of energy use and shorter cook times. It is cheap just KSh 3,000 for this Nutricook model. Other cheaper brands are just under KSh 2,000

To need a dedicated egg cooker, you must be consuming a lot of eggs, especially deviled eggs. Reminds me of Ron Swanson

13). Popcorn Maker

The mention of popcorn makes my head go ‘skrr papapapa skididipapa’, 2017 was a good year. A popcorn maker does exactly what it does, pops your popcorn kernels. I don’t think anyone needs this so bad, but if money grows on trees, buy it. I would personally get it if it was cheap, but KSh 4,500? That is a deal breaker.

Honestly, I love popcorn; I hate how the kernel pieces get stuck between my teeth and gums sometimes, but popcorn is the way to go when watching anything. Since I tend to finish off the entire giant bowl before the Marvel Studios logo is done animating, I think I could use the unlimited supply of popcorn thanks to this popcorn maker. Now you all know what to get me for my birthday 🙂

The advantage of a popcorn maker I imagine will be perfect popcorn. Unlike in stove-top popcorn making, where you have to choose your compromise; either have leftover un-popped kernels or cook longer and risk burning your popcorn. I imagine a popcorn maker handles both of those problems, if it doesn’t then it shouldn’t exist in the first place.

14). BBQ Grills

Goorge Foreman Electric Grill — Electric Grill

Need to grill some BBQ indoors on your countertop? Can’t go wrong with an indoor grill. They use an electric element to heat up meaning they are smoke-free. But if you are a serious BBQ guy you won’t use electric grills because you lose out on the signature, smoky BBQ taste and flavor.

Verdict

While you can do without any of the listed appliances like a caveman, they offer a smidgen of convenience and make your life easier. Get whatever you feel will suit your needs. Personally, I can do without everything but my trusty toaster. If it breaks down I will probably attach my bread to a stick and toast it over the fire, like how it was done back in the stone age.

Small appliances are mostly inexpensive and offer a good investment as some last for decades if used properly, they can be passed down to your generations to come if taken care of.