Countertop cooking appliances are a growing category in the kitchen appliance space. They enable both ease of use and creativity when customers plan their kitchens. The overall category includes many things: Blenders, air fryers, mixers, kettles, food processors, soda machines, and the many different varieties of coffee machines (for regular coffee, espresso, and much else.)
Here are three appliances that could make a big impact for retailers heading into the holiday season:
Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill & Air Fryer with built-in Thermometer
Lately, there’s been a trend to find appliances that don’t just do one thing but several different things at once. And that’s certainly the case with this product from Ninja.
Now available in its second generation with a new design, the product has six functions: “Grill, Air Crisp, Roast, Bake, Broil, and Dehydrate.” It is also plenty big, with room for as many as six steaks and 24 hot dogs. It retails for $279.99 and is available in Dark Grey and Stainless. It comes with a one-year warranty.
grillseeker.com was impressed, with its reviewer stating that while it’s not meant to replace your outdoor barbeque grill, “it heats up faster than my outdoor grills, cleans up easier, controls smoke very well, and I’m not dependent on good weather to cook a perfect steak.”
Ooni Volt 12 Pizza Oven
On the other hand, there’s an appliance that does exactly one thing. Ooni Pizza Ovens comes from Scotland, which might not have as great a pizza tradition as some other countries, but it’s been making unique portable pizza ovens since 2012.
The company proclaimed, “The Future of Pizza is Here,” when it debuted the Ooni Volt 12, its first electric oven, in 2023. The product can reach a temperature of 850 °F in 20 minutes and is capable of cooking all different styles of pizza, from Neopolitan to deep dish. It also can bake a pizza uncommonly quickly, claiming the ability to heat a Neopolitan pizza in just 90 seconds- bringing to mind the futuristic Pizza Hydrator from Back to The Future: Part II.
The Ooni Volt 12 Pizza Oven, retailing for $899, was declared one of Oprah’s Favorite Things last holiday season. And EveryPizzaRecipe.com praised it as a “single purpose standout,” adding that “the ease and versatility can’t be beat.”
Miele- CM 5300 Countertop coffee machine
There are probably more coffee machine choices than anything else in the countertop appliance category. But this one, from Miele, can do more than most.
The CM 5300 can make two coffees at once, cappuccinos, latte macchiatos, and a nearly endless number of other coffee drink combinations. Retailing for $1,399.00, the machine is available in such colors as Tayberry Red, Obsidian Black, AluSilver Metallic Finish and Rose Gold Pearl Finish.
While it acknowledged in its review of the CM 5300 that “Pulling this machine out of the box for the first time was quite intimidating,” The Spruce Eats called it “an excellent option for anyone who wants to enjoy espresso drinks and regular coffee at home without doing much work. This espresso and coffee machine combo grinds, tamps, brews, and froths milk to create café-style drinks at the touch of a button—no humans required.”
See also: Strategies And Innovations In The Appliance Industry
