If you have enough resources, it is fairly easy to give in to the temptation of buying all the kitchen appliances that keep coming out of the market. However, we all know that some appliances do come with hefty price tags and inevitably, the whole lot of these end up as clutter in our kitchens anyway. If you are still trying to decide what kitchen appliances you should buy, here are some tips to get you by.

1. Large kitchen appliances can indeed be worthy investments, so try to make sure you have the works: lifetime guarantee, service warranties, spare parts warranties, etc. Try not to skimp on this detail so that you do get your money's worth. Freezers, refrigerators, ovens (including microwave ovens), stoves, dishwashers, and exhaust chimneys (and fans) are some of the few examples of larger appliances you would need in your kitchen space. Aside from price, your priority here would be space. Try not to get too large or too small appliances that can hamper regular movement in this area. If you are unsure of how much space you do have, a few minutes with the measuring tape can easily solve your problem.

If you do have a certain “theme” for your kitchen, you may want to check out some brand appliance stores both online and offline that can help you find the pieces you need. For example: your kitchen has the futuristic theme (with blue chrome and steel trimmings,) there are some stores that may have the appliance set that will fit into your kitchen theme. However, this does not mean that your options are limited to branded products. There are still a fair number of unbranded appliance manufacturers that can give you quality products. The key here is to really shop around, and don't forget the warranties and guarantees to boot.

2. Small kitchen appliances should be a matter of functionality. Which ones are you most likely to use all or most of the time. Sure, there are some appliances that do entail “seasonal” usage (like ice cream makers or pressure cookers); but your foremost priority should go to the ones that are almost always on top of the kitchen counter. For the consummate dish experimenter some of the regular appliances would be: chopper, electric peeler, food processors, grillers, roasting pans, and waffle irons. For those who love their drinks, there are the blenders, the juicers, coffeemakers (grinders) and electric hot water pots. For people who love to bake: there are the food mixers, cookie presses, the bread maker, roasters, etc.

Whatever it is you decide on, make sure that the appliances will get a lot of mileage in your kitchen. Again, make sure that you have the paperwork intact (warranties and guarantees.)

3. Make your appliances work for you, and not the other way around. Try to see exactly how much workload your appliances will get from you and the rest of the people in the house. Having a freezer when no one really uses it is a waste of both money and space. You could always use the freezer in the refrigerator and dispense of the other one. On the other hand, if you have a small stand mixer that you use frequently to make several batches of cookies in one go; you may want to switch to another mixer with a larger bowl capacity. This way, you get to use your appliance only once to create the same number of cookies, which will save you time, money and energy.