Space-Saving Countertop Appliances for Small Kitchens

CR’s take: The Nespresso Essenza Mini is our top-rated single-serve coffee maker—and one of the most compact we’ve tested, too. It stands out with top marks in CR’s brew time tests and for its ability to control the brew volume for different strengths. The machine also features an auto shutoff and a height-adjustable drip tray. Like other Nespresso models, it requires Nespresso capsules, which the company recycles at no charge.

Footprint: 13 inches deep x 5 inches wide x 9 inches high

CR’s take: The Duo60 Instant Pot may deserve a spot on your counter (or inside a coveted cabinet) if you’re tight on space, especially if you often host a large group for dinner. It rates excellent for pressure cooking and can hold its own against a Crock-Pot in the slow-cooking department, too, though it may require more time. It also takes up less space than even the smallest slow cookers from our ratings. And if the 6-quart size still intimidates you, Instant Pot also makes a 3-quart version (we haven’t tested it) that’s 2 inches tighter all-around.

Footprint: 12.25 inches deep x 13.5 inches wide x 13 inches high

CR’s take: The Danby DDMW007501G1 receives near top-level marks in our heating and defrosting evenness tests, and it’s pretty quiet even when running on the highest setting. Of the more than a dozen small microwaves in our ratings, this model scored the highest on our speed-of-heating test. In our member survey, Danby microwaves earn a very good score for predicted reliability but a poor score for owner satisfaction.

Footprint: 13 inches deep x 18 inches wide x 10 inches high

CR’s take: It’s bigger than a standard toaster, but the compact Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P is still the smallest from our tests. Our testers found that corn muffins and frozen pizza came out nicely in this toaster oven. Slices of bread also turned out evenly browned in a snap, earning the oven an excellent score for full-batch toasting and toasting time.

Footprint: 12 inches deep x 13 inches wide x 10 inches high

CR’s take: Don’t discount how much you can do with the Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus DLC-2A food chopper. Some things may need to be done in batches, but the smaller 3-cup capacity is more efficient at chopping herbs and blitzing small amounts of garlic, nuts, seeds, or sauces. Plus, it only weighs 3 pounds and takes up as much countertop space as a postcard.

Footprint: 7 inches deep x 5 inches wide x 9.25 inches high

CR’s take: Rather than buy a separate blender and food processor, consider this Oster that consolidates both machines onto one tiny 8x7-inch base. The 6-cup blender jar and 5-cup processor cup are more than large enough for most kitchen tasks, and this product also comes with a 24-ounce blending cup for sauces or smoothies-to-go. The Oster Pro 1200 scores top-level marks for grating cheese and does a solid job across the board in all other food processing tests. In our blending assessment, it earns very good scores for crushing ice and making smoothies.

Footprint: 8 inches deep x 7.25 inches wide x 14.25 inches high (with blender jar)

CR’s take: Since the discontinuation of Vitamix’s space-saver series, the classic 5200 is once again the brand’s slimmest model. It aces our icy drinks and purée tests and earns near-top-level marks in our ice-crushing tests. The blender is also very durable, nabbing a top-level score in that assessment. Its height can be awkward for some kitchens, though; our testers found it too tall to fit underneath standard cabinetry. If you’re willing to forgo an extra square inch of counter space for a low-profile jar, consider paying about $90 more for the Vitamix 7500.

Footprint: 8.75 inches deep x 7.25 inches wide x 20.5 inches high

CR’s take: The 3-cup 1,000-watt Beast Blender packs a punch, acing our tests for icy drinks and puréeing. This personal blender is also incredibly durable and easy to use. But it’s only so-so at crushing ice. It comes with a travel-ready drinking vessel and cap, so you can take your morning smoothie on the go, and it has a two-year warranty.

Footprint: 5 inches deep x 5 inches wide x 15.75 high

CR’s take: The All-Clad KZ750D immersion blender aces our soup purée tests and is very good at blending frozen fruit and yogurt for smoothies. It operates at variable speeds, including a turbo speed, and comes with a one-year warranty.

Footprint: 3 inches deep x 3 inches wide x 17.25 inches long

CR’s take: The compact Hamilton Beach Professional All-Metal 63240 stand mixer won’t take up too much space or take a big bite out of your budget, either. It’s equally excellent at whipping and kneading in our tests, and it’s almost as good at mixing things like cookie dough. Our testers found it fairly convenient to use and clean, because the head of the mixer tilts. It comes with a dough hook, a flat beater, a wire whisk, and a generous five-year warranty.

Footprint: 14.8 inches deep x 9.8 inches wide x 13.5 inches high

CR’s take: If you don’t want to sacrifice counter space for a stand mixer—or only need an electric mixer for the annual bake sale—the Cuisinart Power Advantage HM-50 hand mixer can be stashed in a drawer between batches of batter. It earns an impressive rating in our lab’s chocolate chip cookie dough test and a near-top-level score for whipping heavy cream into fluffy peaks.

Footprint: 8 inches deep x 3.5 inches wide x 6 inches high