Kitchen appliance categories
Countertop Picks covers eight core categories of kitchen countertop appliances. Pick a category to see our current roundups and buying guides.
Air Fryers
Air fryers use a compact convection fan to blast food with hot air, giving you crisp, fried-style texture on wings, fries, and reheated leftovers with a fraction of the oil and cleanup of deep frying.
Blenders
From daily smoothies to crushed ice and hot soups, the right blender comes down to motor power, jar material, and how much control you need over speed and texture.
Coffee Makers
Drip machines, single-serve pods, and programmable brewers all trade off convenience, brew consistency, and counter space differently — here's how to tell them apart.
Espresso Machines
Espresso machines range from one-touch super-automatics to manual lever machines — the right pick depends on how much control you want over the shot and how much maintenance you're willing to do.
Coming soon
Stand Mixers
A good stand mixer saves your arms on bread dough and whipped egg whites alike — bowl capacity, motor wattage, and attachment compatibility are what actually separate the tiers.
Coming soon
Toaster Ovens
Modern toaster ovens do far more than toast — many now air fry, convection bake, and dehydrate, making them a real countertop replacement for a second oven.
Coming soon
Food Processors
Food processors handle the chopping, slicing, shredding, and dough work a blender can't — bowl size and blade/disc variety are the main things to compare.
Coming soon
Electric Pressure Cookers
Electric pressure cookers cut cook times dramatically on beans, stews, and tough cuts of meat, and many double as slow cookers, rice cookers, and sauté pans.
Coming soon