"UNLESS you fancy yourself as a Nigella or a Jamie you've probably shunned kitchen gadgets apart from the basic kettle, toaster and maybe a blender. That's hardly surprising because they used to be bulky, dust-gathering monsters and having too many implied that you didn't have a life - akin to having a huge array of DIY tools.
Well, it's time to look again and enter gadget heaven because those gizmos have been transformed.
Designers have wok en up the fact that the kitchen is now the most important living room in the house so everything in it right down to the lemon squeezer should be seriously stylish as well as functional.
So never mind the cooking, show off the gadgets
CHOOSING YOUR KIT
You know you need new kit when you shred your knuckles when you use the grater, and after mixing and blending ingredients by hand the kitchen walls end up with more ingredients than the bowlGood kitchen tools won't just look good, they will feel right - and you shouldn't need a degree to fathom the instructionsInvest in the right gadget for the job and it will pay for itself over and over again by helping you produce a professional result and saving oodles of timeConsider the work top space and make sure you don't overcrowd it. A separate cupboard for gizmos is fine but you probably won't use them as much as if they're easily to hand
ESSENTIAL GADGETS
Kettles can sing and practically dance these days. Morphy Richards beech handle kettle, with its perspex base, is a good looker. It costs pounds 70 and is available from DebenhamsThose who hate burnt toast and wasting energy will love Marks & Spencer's stainless steel toaster. It's bulky but has a mechanical bell timer and a single slice option. It costs pounds 99The functional and well-priced Rosemary Conley's juicer/blender in white is hard to beat. It costs pounds 39.50 from John Lewis
KITCHEN COLOUR
Make light work of measuring with Typhoon scales, in pink, cream or blue, pounds 30, brighten up mornings with a bright red Dualit two slice toaster, pounds 109, or get a smart red KitchenAid blender, pounds 100. All from Debenhams
GRAND IDEAS
Serious cooks swear by KitchenAid's award winning mixer and its fans include Nigella LawsonPriced from pounds 299, you can also help a good cause by buying a limited edition Lavender mixer which will raise funds for Breast Cancer Care, at pounds 350Coffee addicts know that Gaggia's appliances are the Rolls Royce of coffee makers. Gaggia Classic coffee maker in nickel finish, pounds 299.46 from John Lewis
LUXURY GOODS
Panasonic bread maker bakes all types of bread, including 100% whole meal and multigrain. It even has a 13-hour time delay option so you can wake up to a freshly baked loaf, or a rapid bake option that produces beautiful bread in just under two hours. It costs pounds 98.50 from John LewisHealth fanatics will appreciate the stainless steel health work top grill, which allows fat to drain into a drip tray and cooks both sides of meat or fish simultaneously. It costs pounds 50 from Marks & Spencer
SCALING DOWN
There's no need to miss out on gadgets even if you're not blessed with acres of work top - instead opt for smaller appliancesHouse of Fraser's collection of neat little numbers is fashionably col ourful and retro. Magimix mini food processor in lime, pink or orange, pounds 99.99. Add some Typhoon gadgets such as orange kitchen scales, pounds 25; orange cookbook stand, pounds 12; and a juicer in pink, blue or cream, pounds 20A Dualit hand mixer, shiny
chrome steel body and ergonomically designed handle, has two beaters, dough hooks and a whisk. It costs pounds 44.95 from Cucina Direct
CHEAP & CHEERFUL
Put the squeeze on fruit with vibrant plastic squeezers from Heal's. Orange squeezer, pounds 14; lemon squeezer, pounds 11.50; and lime squeezer, pounds 9.50Pastel enamelware from Austria, including pans, jugs and milk pots and colanders, will cheer up the dullest day. Pans in blue, mint or pink start at pounds 9.95, colander, pounds 19.95. From Cucina DirectGet the seductive coffee aroma with a Russell Hobbs coffee bean grinder, pounds 25 from Debenhams
CAPTION(S):
Bring sunshine into your life with vibrant plastic squeezers from Heal's. Orange squeezer, pounds 14; lemon squeezer, pounds 11.50; and lime squeezer, pounds 9.50; From left, Lavender kitchenAid mixer, pounds 350; Dualit toaster, pounds 109 and KitchenAid blender, pounds 100; enamelware from Cucina Direct; Rosemary Conley juicer/blender, pounds 39.50; Gaggia Classic coffee maker, pounds 299; Morphy Richards beech handle kettle, pounds 70"
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