What Are the Must-Have Kitchen Appliances You Need in Your Studio?
Malaysia may be a small country, but it has the fastest growing and developing economy in Asia. Today, more than 32.7 million people are residing and working there, and most of them are staying in a small place like an apartment or a studio rather than houses with parking lots. They prefer it that way since small spaces tend to generate lower utility and rental cost, which are more affordable. That is why it is a fantastic place to live in, whether for a long or short while.
But there is one problem, it is tiny for traditional kitchen appliances. As a small apartment owner, for sure, you have problems with your meals. Most often than not, you call for take-out from one restaurant to another to satisfy your hunger. However, this kind of lifestyle can be expensive. Sometimes, you have to pay the delivery guy some tips for delivering your food on time.
On the other hand, equipping a small kitchen with the best appliances can be a challenge since counters are a few steps away from one another. The most suitable kitchen equipment for small living spaces tends to be compact, so it would fit and does not take much space.
No wonders why most small apartment owners prefer to get an electric stove than a gas stove. Not only is it smaller in size, but it is much easier to clean. However, they should, at times be, wise when purchasing kitchen appliances for their home. Besides having a budget, you should have a checklist that will act as your guide. This article can be that for you. Therefore, keep your eyes peeled and read things thoroughly.
What Are the Things to Think About When Buying Kitchen Appliances?
Even if you own a small space like a studio, you can still enjoy a wide range of kitchen appliances. The trick is you need to know how long it would last until it can no longer meet your needs. For example, a rice cooker has a lifespan of seven to eight years for regular use and three to five years for heavy use.
Besides its usage, you also need to consider other things before deciding if you should buy it or not. Let us discuss those things you need to think about when purchasing kitchen appliances.
Should You Get a New Kitchen Appliance or a Second-Hand One?
New Kitchen Appliances
Pros
Buying the latest kitchen appliances have an obvious advantage. It is new, which means no one has used it yet. In other words, it does not show any signs of wear and tear. As such, you can use it without worrying about whether it will hitch later or not.
Cons
The only drawback of a new kitchen appliance is its cost. The latest it is, the higher its price tag. That is why if you want to buy a new electric oven, get it when the shop is on sale. During that time, its cost would be cheaper than its original price tag.
Second-Hand One
Pros
The only good thing about second-hand kitchen appliances is that they are cheap. You can get one at the lowest price possible if it has tons of parts to repair. Sometimes, you can even buy one in thrift stores.
Cons
Even though the prices are cheaper, the repairs a second-hand kitchen appliance needs are no joke. Most often than not, the parts of old models are hard to find. That makes the repair more expensive. Also, you have to wait for a while before you can use it in top condition.
Is It Energy-Efficient?
As time passes, many things have changed. Today, instead of cooking meals in firewoods, we use either an electric stove or gas stove to make and prepare our food. However, not all kitchen appliances are energy-efficient. Some use more energy than usual. As such, the electricity bill increases.
To guarantee that would not happen, always remember to check whether it is energy-efficient or not. If it is, that means it uses less energy.
Will the Kitchen Appliance Fit?
The next thing you should consider is its size. As you already know, most kitchen equipment is quite enormous. Therefore, make sure the kitchen appliances you would want to buy fits well in your kitchen area. As a result, you would not feel cramps while cooking your favourite dish inside your kitchen.
To make sure it fits, measure your kitchen area and see if the dimensions of the kitchen equipment you want have the same size. If it does, then that is the one you need to purchase.
Is It Easy to Use?
Since you would be using it at your studio, make sure it is easy to use. It would be a good idea if you would not have to spend hours to make it work.
To find out about this matter, read the customer reviews of the kitchen appliances you want to buy. If the previous buyers love it and mention is user-friendly, then get yours now.
Does the Style Suit the Kitchen Area?
Even though the kitchen appliance’s style is not like dressing up clothes, the way it looks impacts the ambience of your kitchen area. For example, if your rice cooker, hand blender, electric stove, and electric oven are all in black, your kitchen would have a modern and minimalist look.
These are the things you need to think about when buying kitchen appliances in Malaysia. That is why you should take your time and choose which you determine is the best option for you. See whether it suits your budget and lifestyle as well.
What Are the Kitchen Appliances a Studio Should Have?
As you already know, there are many brands and types of kitchen appliances available on the market today. That is why it is hard for buyers to choose which one to get for their kitchen. To take away that hassle and improve your shopping experience, here are the kitchen appliances a studio owner like you should have.
Electric Stove
Unlike a gas stove, an electric stove is safe to use on nearly any cookware since it has no exposed coil showing. Even though it looks different, it can cook foods evenly and quickly.
Plus, it has a high-temperature setting that allows you to change the level in one tap. The only thing you should mind when buying this kitchen appliance is its price. Compared to a gas stove, this one is a bit pricier.
Hand Blender
Compared to an ordinary blender, this kitchen appliance works with one hand. All you need to do is hold the hand blender in either of your hands, and it would mix and stir the ingredients inside the mixing bowl. Sometimes, it works, even not plugging it into the electric socket. Just make sure its battery has enough energy to do the blending.
You could use a hand blender to make whip cream, homemade mayonnaise, smoothie, and even purée soups.
Rice Cooker
All Asian households would not be complete without a rice cooker. Therefore, even if you own and live in a small space like an apartment, you should still consider having a rice cooker in your kitchen area. As such, you could enjoy eating hot rice all the time and cook other things such as making soup.
Electric Oven
If you love baking and heating cold meals from the refrigerator, you should get an electric oven. This kitchen appliance allows you not only to heat meals but also bake your favourite dessert. Plus, you can use this equipment for up to fifteen years! Just make sure you do the proper cleaning maintenance so it will last that long.
Dishwasher
If you are too tired of washing the dishes every meal, a dishwasher can help you with that. All you need to do is place the plates and cookware inside and let the dishwasher do its trick. After a few minutes to an hour, your dishes are all spotlessly clean.
Mini-Refrigerator
To ensure all of your ingredients remain fresh at all times, you would need to invest in a mini-refrigerator. This kitchen appliance is like the regular one, but it fits in small spaces like a studio. Having this would save you whenever you have uneaten rice left in your rice cooker. You could store the old rice there and cook it as fried rice the next day.
Coffee Maker
Have a coffee maker if you are too lazy to boil some water in a pot. With this kitchen appliance, you would not need to pour hot water and brew coffee separately. You could do it once at the same time.
These kitchen appliances are compact. Therefore, it would fit well even if you have a small kitchen area. Make sure when you purchase any of these devices, choose the one that appeals to your needs, budget, and preferences. As such, you would not regret your purchase.
How to Keep Kitchen Appliances in Top Shape?
Like most things in life, kitchen appliances, even the high-quality ones, eventually wear and tear over time. That is why it matters you should know how to take good care of it so the equipment’s good condition would last for a long time.
Here are the pointers you need to remember when keeping the kitchen appliances in top shape.
Run a Regular Inspection.
Make it a habit of inspecting the condition of your kitchen appliances. It will help you find any issues ahead of time. As such, you could avoid being in an unfortunate situation like your rice cooker cannot cook rice. Or your coffee maker is unable to brew a cup of coffee.
If you can, run the regular inspection at least once a month.
Often Clean It.
Thoroughly clean your kitchen appliances so they would not develop any mould, fungi, and mildew inside. Do this matter after every use. Just make sure you keep everything dry so its parts would not have any rust.
Read the Manuals Carefully.
As you already know, not all kitchen appliances have the same manuals. Each one has different instructions written inside. Therefore, the steps included in an electric stove might not work well on an electric oven, even if both of them work via electricity.
Repair Broken Parts.
As mentioned above, even the latest kitchen appliances wear off over time. Before that could happen, be sure to repair its broken parts. Fixing the component has helped, so you could still use it for a long time.
Schedule Professional Maintenance.
Even if you already inspect its condition, the eyes of an expert are different. At a glance, they could tell whether something is wrong with the kitchen appliance. That is why you should let the experts handle it once in a while. Check the manual to find out how many professional maintenance services it needs in a year.
By following these tips, the kitchen appliances you purchased will surely last for a long time. If it did and it remains in good condition, you might be able to sell it as a second-hand item and for a better deal. That is why you should take good care of the kitchen appliances you have and plan to buy in the future.
Are You Ready to Purchase Kitchen Appliances for Your Small Apartment?
It is okay if you are not yet ready to purchase kitchen appliances for your small apartment. That is a natural thing to feel, especially the choices to choose from in the market are endless. Just keep in mind that once you decide to get equipment for your kitchen, be smart with your decision. Choose compact size equipment like a hand blender, electric stove, rice cooker, etc.
In any case, you are looking for where you can buy these kitchen appliances, go to Harvey Norman Malaysia. They have several pieces of equipment suitable for small living spaces like a studio like yours.
Did you find this article helpful? If that is the case, be sure to share it on your social media. That way, your family and friends would know what kitchen appliances to get when they move into a smaller space like a studio.
