Kitchens are no longer just an area for cooking anymore. They have become an important game changer when it comes to making a statement with style in a home. It is not just the style and design features of the kitchen that make it look good and efficient but also the various appliances.

It does not matter if you do not have all the modern appliances but keeping whatever you have clean makes a difference to the way your kitchen looks. It is also important to keep your kitchen appliances clean for hygiene and safe cooking as well.

While some appliances may be easy to clean, some may be a bit difficult. Here are a few tips to help you keeps your appliances and refrigerators clean without any hassles.

• One of the best ways to keep the refrigerator clean is to check for any food in it that may have gone bad and toss such items out on a weekly basis. This will also help you make more space in your refrigerator and keep it organized as well. Keeping food that’s gone stale can emit a bad smell in the refrigerator too and sometimes some of it may even cling to other food items.
• Refrigerators and appliances may sometimes develop a sticky surface. You can wipe down these surfaces with a wet cloth to keep the areas squeaky clean.
• While cleaning the outsides of an electronic kettle is easy, it may be a bit difficult to clean the insides of it by just washing or rinsing it with water. Tea kettles tend to get stained over time. You can easily get rid of these stains with a mixture of water and white vinegar. Fill up the kettle with this solution, bring it to a boil, and then leave it for 10-12 hours.
• Appliances and refrigerators with a stainless steel surface can get dirty with frequent use. One of the common things that make these appliances look dirty is fingerprints especially those made by dirty hands. Sometimes even wiping them down with a cloth may not be enough. Rubbing the area with the finger stains with some coconut or olive oil removes the marks and adds shine to appliances and refrigerators with stainless steel surfaces.
• If your blender or mixer is not suitable to be washed in the dishwasher, then you can clean it easily by filling it up with a solution of warm water and a bit of dishwashing liquid. Run this container on the fastest setting of the blender for about 20 seconds to get all the food off from those little nooks and corners. You may want to repeat this process with some warm water once more in the jar to make sure there is no soap left in it.
• When you have no appropriate detergent to clean the water basin in your coffee maker clean, you can run a solution of water and vinegar through the machine to clean it effectively.
  Line your refrigerator’s shelves with placemats or any other alternative to avoid getting the shelves or racks dirty. These placemats can be taken out to be cleaned and dried conveniently. You won’t even have to worry about accidentally getting scratches or permanent stains on the shelves and racks of your refrigerator.

Keep these tips in mind to keep your kitchen appliances and refrigerators squeaky clean and beautiful. Always remember, a clean kitchen contributes to a healthy and hygienic cooking process.

5 Essential Small Electric Home Appliances

If you are someone who likes to spend most of your time in the kitchen, then you know what small kitchen appliances mean to you. Some people think they are just some extra appliances for home that will only serve one need and are not very useful. But, small electric appliances do come in handy and are useful depending on what your needs are. Not everyone needs all the appliances created just to cater small needs, but you do need some.

Here is a list of all the appliances for home you should buy for your kitchen which are useful and have a lot of benefits. These appliances sometimes only cater to one of your needs, so depending on your usage you can buy these small electric appliances.

1. Hand mixer or stand mixer

There are two kinds of mixers, a hand mixer and a stand mixer. A hand mixer is good if you have to do a lot of mixing stuff. Stand mixers are perfect as they make things easier for you. So, it totally depends upon you and your usage. KitchenAid has a good range of hand mixers that also have ultra power; even Cuisinart is a good brand that manufactures hand mixers. If you are looking for stand mixers then Bosch and KitchenAid, both have a good range of hand mixers.

2. Food processor

Food processors come in different sizes like the 11-cup food capacity processor and the 3-cup food processor. The size depends on your needs. If you have small requirements of making sauces, dips, and purees, the smaller one would work fine for you. But, if you will be chopping vegetables with that then the larger one will be more suitable for you. Cuisinart and Braun produce a really attractive range of food processors. They also make some of the best home appliances.

3. Two slot toaster or toaster oven

If you only need a toaster to toast some slices of bread then a small two slot toaster is the one for you. But, if you want to do some baking, roasting, and cooking along with toasting then a toaster oven is the best for you. Brands like KitchenAid and Hamilton Beach offer the best toaster ovens. Black+Decker and Krups have a good range of two slot toasters.

4. Blender

Blenders with high power have the ability to multi-task. They can make smoothies, puree, sauces, and also grind flour. The less powered blenders are lighter and smaller immersion blenders. They are convenient and easy to use. It is great for a quick task like making whipped cream. The usage of the blender depends on you so if you want to use it daily for making a lot of things then you should buy a high power blender. Ninja professional, Hamilton Beach, and Vitamix make the best blenders in the market.

5. Coffeemaker

There are a lot of different kinds of coffee makers that have different capacities. You can buy a single serve coffeemaker or even a full pot coffeemaker. It depends on how much coffee you need every day. If you serve coffee to the whole family every day then the full pot coffee maker is the one for you. But if you are someone who needs coffee daily and you live alone then the single serve coffee maker is perfect for you. You may get good coffeemakers by Bella, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, and Black+Decker.

These are some of the small electric appliances for home which most of the people have and are very useful. Food processors, mixers, and blenders are very common which we may find in all houses, but a coffee maker or a toaster are the appliances which specific people buy as they don’t serve a lot of needs.

Using electricity smartly can help you reduce your utility bills effectively. Not just that, smart use of energy is also a great to keep the planet clean and green. Households are now laden with appliances to make life easier; saving on electricity does not mean not using these appliances at all but using them smartly to save energy.

Here are some ways you can use your electronic items and save up to 40 percent on your utility bills.

Smart switches

Getting smart switches that have motion sensors are a great way to ensure that you don’t leave the lights on when not needed. Smart switches have motion sensors that detect movements and turn the lights on and off automatically. Getting smart switches that need to be turned on manually are a preferred choice of many as it helps avoid the chances of the lights coming on with the slightest of movements during sleep time.

Energy efficient appliances

Buying appliances and refrigerators that have an energy star rating is yet another way to save money on your utility bills. Appliances with energy star ratings help cut the bills by 20 to 30 percent. If you are planning on getting any new appliances and refrigerators, then make sure you look for models with an energy star rating. And if you have old appliances without an energy star rating, scrap the models instead of reselling to contribute towards keeping the environment cleaner in your way.

Regular maintenance of air conditioners

Air conditioners can perform well regarding energy efficiency if they are in the best condition. Service your air conditioning units to keep them performing well at all times and reduce your utility bills. You may even make sure that the maintenance affects your air conditioning system well by ensuring that their units are not placed in spots where there may be direct sunlight. Direct sunlight hampers the efficient performance of an air conditioner.

Regularly cleaned dryers

Your dryers cannot perform efficiently if there is any lint that may be stuck in its ducts. This results in the dryer using more energy and hence, increasing your utility bills. Try to clean the ducts as often as you can to ensure that these are lint free. There are brushes available that help you achieve this easily. Your choice of the kind of dryer will also affect your utility bills. A gas dryer is more energy efficient as compared to an electric one.

Smart meters

Getting smart meters help you reduce your electricity bills as these meters lets you track the amount of power the household is using. These meters also help in avoiding blackouts and overloaded grids. Smart meters allow its users to shut off the appliances in the home for fixed intervals as per the family’s convenience.

Refrigerator maintenance

Kitchen appliances and refrigerators contribute to a good chunk of the electricity bill. Maintaining your refrigerator and always keeping it in the best condition helps in avoiding consumption of unnecessary power that may be required to make it run efficiently. One of the ways to maintain your refrigerator to keep your utility bills low is by cleaning the coils once or twice a year. Clean coils help you to improve the refrigerator’s efficiency by as much as 50 percent. Other than that, ensuring that your refrigerator has a well-functioning door seal is also important to increase the energy efficiency of your refrigerator.

Use these tips to save hundreds of dollars on your utility bills, and you can also contribute towards keeping the planet safer and cleaner.

When buying appliances, it is the best to consider efficient ones. These appliances have a minimized effect on the environment and are also less expensive to operate. There are many consumers who opt for dishwashers that are energy and water efficient; this also reduces the overall impact on the environment.

There are so many manufacturers that are producing eco-friendly dishwashers, but consumers still need to pay attention when buying them. The price, capacity, reliability, and performance are the four most important things to look for in a dishwasher.

When buying energy efficient dishwashers, you will have to do proper research. There is a simple and basic way to find the efficiency of the dishwasher. To measure the water and energy consumption of the dishwasher, you have to measure the consumption of energy and water by the three cycles of the dishwasher. Then you can calculate the yearly cost based on assuming the use of a normal cycle which may be 50 percent of the time and the other cycles 25 percent of the time.

Buying an eco-friendly dishwasher is not an easy task, so you will have to consider everything. Hence, here is a list of the four best-rated dishwashers that are eco-friendly as well.

Asko D5434XXLS

When buying a high-performance dishwasher, we overlook the fact that they can be extremely inefficient, which means a lot of water being used in each cycle. The new Asko D5434XXLS has some innovative technology which is creating new methods for cleaning dishes without giving a huge amount on the utility bills.

The Asko dishwasher is a perfect combination of efficiency and performance. This dishwasher has a good design and is affordable. It has minimal water consumption and to operate it; it costs USD 24.22 per year. It also has incredible wash performance, and it comes under the four best-rated dishwashers.

Bosch Integra SHX98M09UC

The Bosch Integra will surprise you with its efficiency and performance. Its heaviest performance cycle also uses the average energy and water consumption. Though the Bosch Integra is an expensive dishwasher, it is the one of the best regarding efficiency. The other two cycles of the dishwasher also use less water.

The estimated cost per year is USD 19.46. This is the reason why this dishwasher is known as the most efficient of them all. It is a good product if you are ready to spend some money, as it is a bit expensive.

Whirlpool Gold WDF750SAYM

It is one of the most affordable in both – retail price and also operating cost. The utility bill of the Gold WDF750SAYM is USD 27.61 per year.

The machine has the most reliable and effective performance. It also has a neat and decent design which is perfect for anyone who is looking for a basic dishwasher with eco-friendly capabilities. This dishwasher has a front door interface which a lot of people don’t like, but with its affordability, you can just compromise with this.

Smeg STA8614XU

Smeg has good efficiency. It has normal and quick cycles that use less water; even its extreme wash cycle uses less water. It will cost you about USD 27.59 per year. This machine is very affordable though not as efficient which is why it is at the bottom of the list of the four best-rated dishwashers.

These are some of the dishwashers that have been tested and are proven to be energy and water efficient. These machines are tested based on their cycles and the yearly money consumption on operating and then judged as the best dishwashers.

When buying dishwashers, the first thing we look for is its price. Dishwashers come in many ranges from high to low price. The cheapest of them usually work on manual timers instead of sensors, which mean the cleaning will stop as soon as the time runs out, this result in unclean dishes. You should have a budget of at least USD 1,000 if you want a good dishwasher with better cleaning results.

There are so many brands that are making affordable yet highly-functional dishwashers. The most important things to look for in a dishwasher are performance, capacity, reliability, and price. These things should be balanced appropriately and do not forget the design of the appliance, as your kitchen should look beautiful at the same time. It is also important to look for dishwashers that are energy and water efficient. These kinds of appliances use less water in every cycle and also have less operating cost.

Almost all brands have a dishwasher that is affordable and is also packed with good features. It is always better to do a proper research before buying one of these. You can check affordable dishwashers on online stores and in retail in-stores; you will get a lot of results for cheap dishwashers.

Here is a list of the four best-rated dishwashers which are affordable and also have good features.

GE GDF610

The GE GDF610 has got everything a dishwasher should have. It has bottle washing jets, the ability to wash a single rack at once, and also a sanitizing cycle. It also has impressive drying skills.

If you are looking for a dishwasher with useful features, affordable price, and high-performance, this one by GE deserves a look. This dishwasher by GE offers four cycles. The GE GDF610 tops the four best-rated dishwashers list because it has good features and is also affordable.

Whirlpool WDT710PAHZ

We always think that we will have to spend a lot of money on dishwashers if we want something with good features. Whirlpool has just broken records with the launch of the new WDT710PAHZ which is inexpensive and also has high-end features.

It has a stainless steel finish, heated drying pan, and is a quiet dishwasher. This machine looks classy, so if you are on a budget, then this is the perfect dishwasher for you. It has a handle that is matte fingerprint-resistant stainless steel. The exterior of the dishwasher makes it look like one of those high-end expensive appliances, which is why it comes under this list of the four best-rated dishwashers.

Blomberg DWT24100SS

Blomberg is a new appliance brand which is known for creating high-powered cleaning machines. This machine is perfect for anyone looking for a basic dishwasher, as it does the work efficiently and quickly. It has a unique stainless steel control panel which makes it different. Though there are no unique features about the dishwasher, it has four cycles, i.e., quick wash, regular wash, china/crystal wash, and pots and pans plus. Though this machine has some missing features like the sanitizing option or control lock, it is still great for anyone who is looking for a basic dishwasher.

Whirlpool WDF540PADM

This is another affordable dishwasher by Whirlpool which has great looks and will make your kitchen look classy. It comes with some amazing features like a soak and clean cycle, sanitizing control, wash temperature settings, child lock feature, and more. The Whirlpool WDF540PADM is a classic dishwasher with some add-on features. This machine is perfect for anyone who is on a budget.

These are some of the best dishwashers that are affordable and have some good useful features. So which one are you planning to pick?

If you are someone who is tired of cumbersome task of washing dishes, then you should opt for a dishwasher. As dishwashers are water efficient, they use less water compared to ones washed by hand. This method of washing may be easy and convenient for people who live alone or where there are fewer people in a household. But if you have kids, then you know how packed up your life is and how many tasks you have to complete before going to bed.

Dishwashers are perfect for people who don’t have a lot of time to do the dishes. It just eases the difficult task of standing and washing all the dishes in the kitchen.

If you are still confused about buying a dishwasher; check some guides on using a one and you will find the easiest ways to use and maintain dishwashers.

So, if you are planning to buy a dishwasher this year, then here are the four best-rated dishwashers of 2017.

KitchenAid 44-Decibel Built-In Dishwasher

KitchenAid’s new dishwasher is everything that you will need in a dishwasher. The best part of this dishwasher is that it has a window with a lighted interior. It allows you to inspect whether the dishes are fully clean. It also has the feature of ProScrub that targets the stubborn mess. The 44-Decibel has an advanced pro-dry feature that delivers the best drying performance. They have made this dishwasher more advanced and highly functional. Hence, it is hardly a wonder that the KitchenAid 44-Decibel Built-In Dishwasher comes under the ‘4 best-rated dishwashers of the year’ lists.

Bosch SHE65T55UC 500 Series

The Bosch SHE65T55UC 500 Series makes the quietest dishwashers and has more than five different programs and other options. It has a load size sensor that automates the temperature of every wash. It also has a third rack for additional loading capacity and an Aquastop feature which protects the dishwasher from leakage 24/7. The design of the dishwasher is full stainless steel with LED time display. With its stylish body, LED display, and fewer noise features, this company is known to make the best dishwashers.

LG QuadWash 44-Decibel

The LG QuadWash operates the SmartThinQ technology so you can use your dishwasher conveniently with your smartphone. It has nine cycles technology including the dual control cycle. This feature allows you to adjust spray intensities. It offers maximum cleaning with its QuadWash system. The dishwasher is designed with NeverRust stainless steel tubs and accommodates more dishes. It also has ten years of warranty on the direct drive motor.

Electrolux EI24ID50QS Built-In Dishwasher

The new Electrolux Built-in dishwasher comes with the ProClean system which provides better cleaning. It has the SatelliteSpray feature which offers 4x more coverage without using more water. The built-in dishwasher has a feature that cleans thoroughly within 30 minutes. The Electrolux luxury-dry system gives outstanding drying results for every dish. It also has a 3rd removable rack and easy-lift adjustable racks for convenience. This dishwasher is a Luxury-Quiet dishwasher which cleans thoroughly with less sound.

These were the four best-rated dishwashers of 2017. You can look for other dishwashers as well according to your budget. These high-tech dishwashers have good user reviews, but, if you are looking for something basic, then you might get one at affordable prices at any good home appliance store.

Refrigerators are an important investment for any business owner who deals with any kind of foods and beverages that requires refrigeration to maintain its shelf life. While there are many items that need to be stored at a low temperature, there are many other items like frozen food that needs to be stored in a freezer only. Most refrigerators do not have a large freezer capacity, thereby reducing the amount of things you can store in it. This is where commercial freezers come into the picture.

There are several kinds of commercial freezers available in the market that can be used to maintain various products by optimizing their lifespan. These freezers are not just suitable for commercial purposes but can also be used in households with large families to store their frozen food. Upright freezers, also known as cabinet freezers, come in different capacities and prices. The best way to determine the capacity of the freezer for non -commercial use is by estimating it by considering a freezer space of 2.5 cubic feet per person.

Here is a guide to the best brands of commercial upright freezers and reviews of the top ones.

Kenmore

Kenmore freezers are famous for being the cost-efficient range of upright freezers. They offer upright freezers with a capacity of up to 20 cubic feet (big enough for a large household or a small business). These work well as commercial upright freezers, and Kenmore freezers are frost free while also being equipped with the auto defrost feature. The adjustable shelving feature allows you to arrange the wire racks according to your convenience and the size of the food you are storing in it. Kenmore has a mixed range of small upright freezers as well as bigger ones with many of them having a star rating as well. Some of these freezers also have energy saving ratings, and the operating cost is as less as USD 2.90 per cubic feet approximately for freezers from Kenmore.

Whirlpool

Whirlpool’s range of upright freezers is suitable for use at home and can even be used as commercial upright freezers for small-scale businesses. These are the best in class when it comes to energy efficiency. Upright freezers from Whirlpool are compliant to energy star ratings. One of the amazing features of freezers from this brand is the well-lit interiors. The freezers have LED lights inside the freezers which are pleasantly bright and offer convenience. The freezers come with a one year warranty and additional warranty can be purchased by the owner if required. The only drawback of Whirlpool’s upright freezer is that these do not offer the reversible door option which lets you fix the door to the freezer on the side convenient to you.

Frigidaire

Frigidaire ranks the best in class when it comes to the features offered in its upright freezers. Their range of small upright freezers is super convenient as they offer adjustable shelving and dividers so that you can store the bulkier items easily. Some of the Frigidaire models come with a soft freeze section that allows owners to store items that need a slightly higher temperature. This section is ideal for storing ice cream to keep it in a state that is soft enough to scoop and serve. The Arctic lock walls in some of the freezers help keep the food safe for up to 48 hours in case there is a power failure.

Keep your storage needs in mind when choosing an upright freezer. Getting a big one when you have fewer storage needs will only take up extra space and make you spend more money unnecessarily.