For centuries, the kitchen has been considered as one of the most important rooms in a house and cooking as a significant form of 'art'. And why shouldn't they be? Considering that the most essential element, crucial to one's survival – food - comes from that very room and is made using the tools it accommodates. 

Keeping up with the never-ending evolution of kitchen and culinary arts, these kitchen tools or appliances have evolved  just as radically. These kitchen appliances, which have been transformed, scaled down and highly modernised over time, have not only served to ease the procedure of making meals but also helped save heaps of money and invaluable time.

While even in the mid 1990s, most people depended on non-complex tools that required a lot of manual effort, this generation's culinarians and amateur cooking enthusiasts have fully automatic electronic gadgets at their disposal. Today, baking a cake, which took hours of a devoted baker's diligence and patience, is a piece of cake indeed due to top notch state-of-the-art equipments like the microwave oven, electric mixer and icing turntables. Without today's kitchen appliances which are modern, user-friendly and affordable, cooking would be absolutely unimaginable.    

So we decided to jot down a list of popular kitchen appliances, brands and where you can find them. Here's our pick of the top 7 kitchen appliances that are found and used in almost every household in town: 

The Blunder-less Blender

Much like its simplistic appearance, this appliance is just as simple to use. The most primitive one of its kind also contained a mundane lidded jug and a knob that controls the blade's rotation. Sayla Pervin, a homemaker, admitted that ever since she bought a blender from a local brand outlet, she has had no use for the mortar and pestle that she got as a wedding present about 27 years ago. "It just sits idly in one corner of the store room now while I use the blender for all my day-to-day kitchen chores starting from mashing garlic, ginger and onions to making mouth-watering smoothies and drinks for my kids."

Blenders come at different prices starting from Tk 2,000 to about Tk 8,000 and can be bought from any local electronics shops or brand outlets. Brands like Walton, Miyako, Conion and Kenwood sell blenders that cost between Tk 1,000-2,000 while for ones with more features, you can visit Philips and Panasonic outlets.

Not Just Baby-Food Processor 

In terms of components as well as usage, a food processor is quite similar to a blender, having a bowl instead of a jug and a handful of additional uses. "Besides making curry paste, chopping veggies and processing keema(minced chicked/beef), I use the processor to knead dough and even mix cake batter when I sometimes bake," explained Shabana Naved, another homemaker and master home cook. Without the food processor which she got in 1992 for Tk 7000, she believes she would have to put a hold on making delectable kebabs (her specialty) and resort to medieval means of knives and the traditional 'boti' to complete her kitchen works.

Prices range between Tk 5,000-20,000 and Singer, Walton, Philips and Panasonic are some of the notable brands that sell food processors.  

Cooking While On the Move – Rice Cooker

Commonly used by working individuals and those living alone, the rice cooker has been the best friend working on its own, keeping your staple element ready to eat as soon as you arrive home. The 3 very basic steps you have to follow are-

-Wash the rice 

-Add water to the rice 

-Switch on the cooker… and voila!

The cooker will automatically turn itself off as soon as the temperature inside surpasses the boiling point of water which does not happen until almost all of the excess water has evaporated. Thus, the most difficult task which is getting rid of the excess water can be easily averted. Siddiqua Mahe Jabin, a student of BRAC University living in a hostel in Dhaka, got hers from her hometown in Bagerhat and stated that it's the best method of getting her meals cooked within 

the shortest time. "The rice cooker has made cooking rice a hassle free and time efficient activity for me," she added. 

Reasonably priced rice cookers, costing Tk 1,000-2,000 are manufactured by brands like Singer, Walton, Miyako and Nova. Once again, if you have a bigger budget, you can resort to Philips and Panasonics and avail more upgraded rice cookers. 

Meal in Minutes – Microwave Oven

The oven is probably the most common kitchen appliance, used to heat different food items as well as to create many appetising dishes including pizzas, oven-baked pastas and multiple confectionery goods. The best part is it is extremely user friendly, and with some basic knowledge everyone starting from 10 year olds to adults can use these with ease. "I usually use the oven to prepare my morning's oatmeal and to reheat meals," claimed Fuad Zaman, a soon-to-be graduate of BRAC University. "It really helps to save my time and lets me avoid going near the stove," he said.     

Prices start from as low as Tk 10,000 for brands like Vision, Conion, Midea and Atashii and go as high as Tk 50,000 in case of high-end brands like Philips, Panasonic and Samsung. Other brands include Galanz, LG, Konka, Singer, Walton, Eco+, Whirlpool, Sharp and Siemens.    

Life of the Party - Barbeque Grill

Whether there is a special occasion in the house or not, a barbeque grill is surely a must-have for every chef and home cook out there. The grill helps cook the best meat and enhances the taste, making it twice as good than it would have tasted when cooked on a frying pan. Aklima Khannam, a housewife and former schoolteacher admitted that although it takes her the same time as it would have taken to cook in a normal frying pan, the barbeque grill needs less oil which is quite healthy, and grills the meat perfectly, resulting in tender and juicy dish. 

Delonghi and Weber manufacture portable barbeque grills. Besides these, you can find them in some local household appliances shops also.   

Fancy a Sandwich (Maker)?

The appliance's title itself is pretty self-explanatory. This device makes morning breakfasts as well as midnight-snacking way easier and helps to make sandwiches very quickly and with minimal fuss. "I just cut up the ingredients and put it on the bread and pop it in. The machine does the rest, from melting the cheese to grilling the bread and sandwiching it together," answered Samama Rahman who is studying Journalism in the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, when asked about his favourite kitchen appliance. "It also automatically stops grilling so nothing ever gets burned," he added gleefully. 

Sandwich makers sold by Singer, Conion, Miyako and Vision are ridiculously cheap and can be bought for just about Tk 900-1,500. With a higher budget of Tk 2,000-4,000, you can easily afford brands like Panasonic, Philips and Kenwood. 

The Real Life Saver - Coffee Maker

There is no better way to kick start your drowsy system on a weekday than indulging in a cup of steamy coffee. Upoma Rashid, a recent BRAC University graduate and current employee at Toru, the Idea Tree, strongly agrees. "It actually helps me get through a rough day at work and thanks to this life saver, I don't have to go out to some coffee shop and spend money there everyday," she admitted. 

A coffee maker is truly an essential good and you can find one for Tk 2,000-3,000 if you settle for brands like Walton, Ocean and Miyako. Philips, Siemens and Panasonic coffee makers are pricier and cost around Tk 3,500-5,000.

BONUS: The Futuristic Device - Dish Washer 

A not-so-common (hence futuristic) kitchen appliance in Bangladeshi homes is the dishwasher. Although vastly used in the western part of the world, this device is yet to gain a foothold in our society. 

Using a dishwasher is quite simple. The dishes are required to be placed neatly on a dish rack inside the washer. Next, the detergent has to be put in the soap dispenser and finally you have to choose a wash cycle (light/heavy), depending on the kind of dishes you have inserted in the washer. 

Dishwashers are quite expensive and cost around Tk 50,000-70,000. Siemens and LG dishwashers are available in the country.      

Where to Buy Kitchen Appliances From? 

Kitchen appliances can be found in uncountable shops around the city. In case of shopping malls, you can list down Shah Ali Plaza (Mirpur), Rajdhani Super Market (Tikatuli), Mouchak Market (Mouchak), Rajlokkhi Complex (Uttara) and Bashundhara City Shopping Mall (Panthapath). 

A larger and more affordable range of goods can be bought from the Bangabandhu Stadium Market (Gulistan), Sher-E-Bangla Stadium Market (Mirpur), Baitul Mukarram Market (Gulistan) and New Market, Dhaka. 

Besides these, you can visit branches of electronics shops like Best Electronics and M.K. Electronics. Local 'around the corner' electronics shops also sell a number of common kitchen appliances that can be bought at reasonable prices.

By Nafisa Faruque

Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed