As someone who loves to cook, outfitting my kitchen with all the best appliances and gadgets was a top priority when I was a newlywed! When you create a must-have list of kitchen items for your registry (and avoid the common pitfalls of selecting items you’ll never end up using), you can ensure you’ll receive practical and useful gifts from your loved ones. The Registry at Bloomingdale’s is a great place to get started because they carry all the top brands in small kitchen appliances! Read on for some of my top kitchen recommendations for your wedding registry!
A Blender
You’d be surprised how versatile a good blender can truly be! A quality blender like the Braun PureMix Countertop Blender does everything: it stirs, mixes, chops, purees, liquifies and crushes ice! So whether it’s a smoothie in the morning before a jog or a frozen drink to unwind after a long day, a blender serves so many purposes, you can’t go without! Plus, the sleek stainless steel will look sharp in any modern kitchen.
Did you know that Braun has been around for nearly a century? With quality German design and engineering, their small kitchen appliances are stylish and offer unique solutions to your everyday needs. As you’re filling up your registry, definitely check out the Braun PureMix Countertop Blender and the many other products Braun makes to outfit your kitchen!
A Slow Cooker
Life as a newlywed can be hectic, and a slow cooker can be a life saver! If you choose a digital one, you can set it in the morning before leaving for work and know it will turn off exactly when you need it to. The best part is coming home to a hot meal that’s ready to serve! You can even get entire cookbooks devoted to recipes just for the slow cooker, and Pinterest has a plethora of ideas, too.
A Food Processor
My mini 3-cup food processor has served me incredibly well over the years. Of course, you can go for a larger capacity if you have the counter space, but for daily use, a mini chopper works a treat! Chop garlic, slice vegetables, whir up a quick sauce (when you don’t feel like dirtying the blender)… a food processor is a practical choice and can be a real workhorse in the kitchen.
A Countertop Oven
Living in Florida, I’m not always keen to warm up the entire house by running the regular oven. That’s where a countertop oven comes in handy. It’s great for baking or roasting smaller portions (perfect for a couple of newlyweds), and it also takes the place of a toaster, giving you more counter space!
An Immersion Blender
While not completely necessary, an immersion blender is an invaluable tool for quick purees like soup. Since it can be used in hot or cool liquids (just be careful if using it in hot liquids on the stovetop), it’s a versatile tool that takes up little space in the cabinet.
A Coffee Maker
Everyone’s preference for a coffee maker differs, and there are plenty of choices out there: single cup brewers, 12-cup drip coffee makers with carafes, or even espresso machines. Go for a digital option that lets you set auto on/off times and other preferences so you can always guarantee a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.
A Rice Cooker
This one might surprise you, but rice is incredibly versatile, and rice made in the rice cooker is almost always better than the stovetop variety. I use mine at least once a week to get fluffy, perfectly cooked rice. I’ll let you in on a secret, though – while I definitely recommend choosing quality appliances (which of course are never the cheapest options), you can break that rule with rice cookers. Mine was purchased for less than $30 about 5 years ago and it’s still working perfectly.
A Stand Mixer
There’s no denying that a stand mixer is a wonderful appliance, but you might want to hold off on registering for one. For starters, they’re a bit of a financial investment, and they have a large footprint. So, unless you’re an all-star baker and have no space constraints in the kitchen, I would save the stand mixer for a later date.
Things to Skip
Of course, there are always exceptions, but there are certain small kitchen appliances that end up collecting dust after the wedding, so I have a few suggestions for items you might consider skipping on the registry. Unless you’re an avid baker, skip the bread maker – they’re rather large and bulky. I’d also skip the juicer unless you’re willing to invest in fresh produce all the time. And even though it’s tempting, ice cream makers rarely get used and just take up space.
Generally speaking, any small appliance that only really serves one purpose (i.e. a crepe or waffle maker, a soda machine, etc.) isn’t the best choice for newlyweds and should probably be left off the registry. Stick with the essentials – and choose GOOD quality for those items – and you’ll be all set!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of De’Longhi Group. The opinions and text are all mine.