Bandleader and inventor Fred Waring introduced the first blender in 1936; more than 60 years later the Waring blender remains the standard for the field. With this stainless-steel, black bar blender, the company has captured perfectly the sleek, modern look of its first models. The perfect cocktail party appliance, it doesn't just look good but has a strong, efficient (though slightly noisy) motor that zips through ice and frozen strawberries. The metal keeps drinks cold longer, too. The blade is nondetachable, so you never need to worry about the seal deteriorating. The stainless-steel container is also perfect for a classic diner-style milkshake. -- Amazon.com

Braun's Multiquick Professional improves on an appliance that's already highly convenient. With a 400-watt motor, this updated hand blender has increased power for faster and better results. A dial on the top of the handle allows you to select from five different blending speeds, giving you more control over the consistency of your purées. A turbo button on the front of the handle lets you immediately switch up to the highest blending speed. The hand-blender attachment has a unique blade that offers smoother and more even blending, making it ideal for puréeing fruit shakes, soups, or homemade baby food. In addition, the hand-blender shaft has an innovative antisplashing design that prevents food from splattering on your kitchen walls during blending. Other included attachments are a minifood processor with an antislip bottom for chopping foods such as herbs, onions, or meats and a whisk for whipping egg whites, cake batter, or cream. The set also comes with a tall lidded beaker that is a convenient shape for blending smoothies and for storing leftovers, and a wall holder for storage. The hand blender, chopper, whisk, and beaker are all dishwasher-safe, and the unit is covered by a one-year limited warranty. -- Amazon.com

What used to be a time-consuming, messy process is now a snap. Measure the ingredients into the Breadman Plus, push a few buttons, then go for a walk in the park. Return a few hours later--or after a good night's sleep--to the unforgettable aroma and taste of homemade bread. This machine will even make the jam to top it off.

The Breadman Ultimate makes and bakes most kinds of yeast bread--white, whole wheat, rye, honey banana, or crusty French--as well as quick or batter breads. Try the recipes in the booklet or your own favorites--just be sure the dry ingredients total less than about 5 cups so the dough doesn't overflow the 9-1/2-inch (nonstick) baking pan. If your recipe calls for adding ingredients late in the kneading cycle, there's a tray to hold and automatically dispense them. If you want to make bread that doesn't conform to the loaf shape, the machine can mix and raise the dough prior to shaping for baking in a conventional oven.

For the beginner the process couldn't be easier, and even if you're an old hand at making bread from scratch, you'll find yourself baking much more frequently. And this machine quickly pays for itself: think of how many $3 or $4 loaves you won't be buying over the bread maker's lifetime! One drawback is worth noting: If you're a fan of the Breadman Plus, you may be less satisfied with the mixing results of the Ultimate's single bread hook versus the Plus's dual dough hooks.-- Amazon.com

Both a regular coffeemaker and espresso machine, this 1,500-watt appliance has separate water tanks for simultaneously brewing drip coffee and espresso. The espresso machine side has a milk frother for creating cappuccinos and lattes. Separate knobs select the strength of both regular coffee and espresso. Making espresso follows tradition: tamp coffee into a filter basket inside a filter holder, twist the filter holder onto the machine, pour water into the machine's boiler, and press a button. Depending on the amount of water, up to four 2-ounce cups then flow into an 8-ounce glass carafe.

Making regular coffee also follows tradition: put a filter in the filter basket, spoon in coffee, add water to the coffeemaker's removable tank, and press a button. Up to ten 5-ounce cups of coffee then flow into a 50-ounce glass carafe on a warming plate. (For five and fewer cups, the brewing process can be sped up to provide full flavor.) The brewing process pauses if the carafe is removed from the warming plate for a mid-brew pour. Encased in both bright and matte-finish black plastic, the machine measures 16 inches wide, 13-1/2 inches high, and 9 inches deep and carries a one-year warranty against defects. -- Amazon.com

Bright and boldly colored, this espresso machine from FrancisFrancis! is for those who relish sleek, modern design in their kitchen and cheerful colors in their decor. Leave it out on the counter, as it's too heavy to move around much. Besides, part of the fun is looking at it. The machine is 10-by-12 inches in overall size and has an instrument panel look on the front: flip switches, pilot lights, and a temperature gauge to allow for more precise temperature control, which helps prevent overheating the espresso. There's also a pull-out drawer in the bottom section to house the drip grill, a removable plastic bin at the back for the water supply, a built-in cappuccino feature, and a circular wire holder on top for warming inverted coffee cups.

This machine is designed for use with prepackaged coffee "pods," specifically Easy Serving Espresso (ESE) pods, or with regular ground coffee--handles for both are included. -- Amazon.com

Coffee devotees know that an efficient grinder can be the secret to a great cup of joe. This model from KitchenAid delivers efficiency and more--from an oversized bowl to dishwasher-safe materials. Powered by a 200-watt motor, the grinder features a permanently attached stainless-steel blade that mills beans quickly and thoroughly. A generous four ounces, the brushed stainless-steel bowl is mounted to the motor housing with a clockwise turn and etched with handy reference markings. The machine turns on when you push down on the clear polycarbonate cover and off again when it's released. As a protective feature, the grinder only operates when the top is in place, so fingers are never exposed to moving blades. Solid and attractive, the grinder is also designed for frequent use and is easy to clean. Both its bowl and top cover go in the dishwasher, while the rest wipes clean with a damp cloth. -- Amazon.com

Great for a dorm room or office, this cordless kettle lets you enjoy tea, coffee, or even dried soups at any time and without a range. And it's detachable from its power base for convenient pouring. The unobtrusive power base shuts off when the kettle is removed from the platform, and the concealed heating element never comes into contact with the water, keeping it from tasting flat or scalded. Made from high-quality stainless steel, the mirror-finished kettle is attractive and rust-resistant, and its 36-inch cord can be hidden in the base, making for easy, cord-free storage. -- Amazon.com

Equipped with an extra-large feed tube, a small feed tube, a dough blade, and slicing and shredding discs, this 600-watt, 11-cup, full-size food processor provides all the power, versatility, and capacity needed by any household. The motor automatically adjusts the speed to ensure proper consistency when mixing doughs. Cooks experienced with Cuisinart food processors will welcome the new feed tube and pusher assembly, which is easy to use and conveniently located at the machine's front. At 4-1/4 inches by 2-3/4 inches, the large oval feed tube accommodates whole fruits and vegetables. The small, cylindrical tube is located inside the pusher assembly and has its own hollow pusher, which removes with a twist. On the bottom of the small pusher is a pinhole for dribbling oil into the bowl while making mayonnaise.

The Lexan work bowl is virtually shatterproof and impervious to heat or cold. There's the familiar stainless-steel chopping blade and a dough blade. Stainless-steel slicing (4 mm) and shredding discs, a plastic spatula shaped for the work bowl, a recipe booklet, and an instruction video showing basic use, tips, techniques, and preparation of some recipes from the booklet complete the package. (Existing Cuisinart blades and discs also fit this machine.) Cuisinart warranties the motor against defects for 10 years and the remaining parts for three years. -- Amazon.com

Creating up to 1-1/2 quarts of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, or frozen drinks at home takes only about 20 minutes with this electric appliance, and salt and ice are not needed. After the machine's chilling chamber has been in the freezer for about eight hours the liquid between its walls is thoroughly frozen. The chamber then goes atop the power base, the unit's paddle goes into the chamber, the transparent top is locked in place, and the machine is turned on. Ingredients go into the chamber through an opening in the top as the paddle turns. The chamber chills the ingredients to whatever consistency is desired--though dense treats are hard to make because the paddle churns in air.

Chocolate chips, chopped fruit, nuts, and other special ingredients can be added toward the end. The chamber is nonstick for easy cleanup. Storing it in the freezer ensures a frozen confection is only 20 to 40 minutes away when the mood strikes. The machine measures 10 inches in diameter and 15 inches high and weighs 9-1/2 pounds. It carries a three-year warranty against defects. A detailed instruction booklet including many recipes is included. -- Amazon.com

Start your morning off right with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. It's got more vitamin C than processed juice, and it just tastes better. The Mighty OJ citrus juicer in retro 1950s chrome puts 800 pounds of pressure to use making sweeter juice than electric juicers. Put your glass under the juicer, place half an orange on the raised cone, hold the juicer foot for leverage, and press the handle down. Just remember that it takes quite a few oranges to get a substantial amount of juice, so buy a bag. You can also use it to squeeze lemons, limes, and grapefruit. To clean the cone and funnel parts, lift them out of the juicer and rinse under the faucet. Lifetime warranty on moving parts. -- Amazon.com

KitchenAid's Artisan stand mixer is a substantial piece of equipment: 325 watts of mixing power make child's play of creaming butter, kneading dough, and whipping cream. The kid in you will appreciate how quick and easy it is to mix up a batch of cookie dough. This model comes with three attachments: a flat beater for making batter, meat loaf, and all textures in-between; a wire whip for egg whites, mayonnaise, and more air-infused creations; and a hook for mixing and kneading yeast doughs. All three are solidly constructed and easily secured to the beater shaft with a simple twist. This model also includes a pouring shield for guiding ingredients to their proper destination, and the bowl itself locks tight to the base. Standing about 15 inches high, jutting out a foot, and weighing more than a grown woman's bowling ball, this stand mixer isn't the sort of appliance you'll wipe down and put away. Better to find a square foot of free counter space for easy access; besides, this machine is as pretty as it is rugged--you'll want to show it off. -- Amazon.com