Some home appliances are often met with an eye roll, but given the chance they just might transform your life. Here are eight underrated home appliance that you should be adding to your Christmas list.
Electric lint remover
Fewer things are more frustrating than digging out your favourite jumper at the start of winter and finding it covered in annoying pill balls. But all is not lost if you have one of these beauties on hand.
An electric lint remover or fabric shaver offers an easy and affordable way to save your fabrics from fuzz, lint and pill balls.
If you source a good one, it can be used on everything from socks to your sofa.
Not only will it refresh your wardrobe, but it’ll also transform the chore into a satisfying pastime.
Smart water bottle
These might seem like a gimmick, but the concept behind them is pretty smart – to make people more aware of their water intake.
There are many different versions of smart bottles, a “reminder bottle” grabs your attention by glowing or sending notifications to your smartphone. Some even report the temperature of your beverage, while others simply track your intake.
You can often set your own hydration goal for the day and the app will let you know how much you should be drinking to stay on target.
Vegetable spiraliser
If you’re looking for an alternative to pasta, or just want to eat more vegies, a spiraliser could revolutionise your recipe repertoire.
It offers an easy way to create specialty diet approved, nutrient-dense, delicious dinners. It’s quick, easy, efficient and creates minimal food waste.
While hand-cranked spiralisers will get the job done, electric spiralisers make life much easier.
Read: The hidden dangers lurking in your kitchen
Food processor
Streamline your cooking and make chopping, grinding and blending by hand a thing of the past. These handy gadgets can help you save money by making your own nut butter, regular butter, hummus, whipped cream, salsa and soups.
Most food processors come with several tools to chop, shred, slice, blend, and press, so the cooking possibilities are endless.
Pressure cooker
Those who lead a busy life and often cook in a hurry will appreciate any time-saving kitchen trick.
From ribs that fall off the bone, to stew, casseroles or braised meat, a pressure cooker can achieve great results in less than an hour. Risotto can be on the table in half the usual time, with very little stirring.
Pressure cooking is a very economical way to cook, and nutrients and vitamins in the food tend to be preserved better.
Modern-day pressure cookers are also a lot more pleasant to cook with than their predecessors. They don’t emit that high-pitched screeching sound you may remember from your childhood.
Sandwich press
A jaffle iron or sandwich press is one appliance that evolves with you. They’re a staple in university share houses to take a simple sandwich up a notch, but they can also be used to grill vegies, make omelettes, cook chicken and more.
They tend to heat up quicker than most grills or griddle pans, so are ideal for meals when you’re short on time.
Read: The best kitchen appliances as voted by Australians
Clothes steamer
If ironing is your most hated chore, a clothes steamer should be on your list. They don’t typically work well on heavy fabrics such as denim but they’re ideal for soft and delicate fabrics such as silk, satin, polyester and jersey. Steam is also great for smoothing out sleeves, pleats and ruffles that can be difficult to treat with an iron.
Handheld clothes steamers are lightweight, take up little space and produce wrinkle-free garments much quicker than ironing.
Handheld vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is ideal for cleaning a large area rug or a room with wall-to-wall carpet, but they tend to be bulky and heavy and aren’t appropriate for every space. Handheld vacuums are light, easy to use and can clean those hard-to-reach spots such as under the car seats, behind the TV and under the bed.
Smart light bulbs
If you want to make your home just a little smarter, smart bulbs are a great place to start. They allow you to control the lights, set timers and schedules, and change colours with your smartphone or your voice if you have a smart assistant.
Initially, smart light bulbs may cost more than regular compact fluorescent or LED bulbs, but they typically use less energy and have longer life spans.
They’re a lot of fun to use, you can set a whole new mood for any room in the house with just the tap of a button.
Read: These smart home gadgets help in ways beyond imagination
What home appliance couldn’t you live without? Share your favourite gadgets in the comments section below.
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