After spending 20 minutes chopping onions—with tears in your eyes and your manicure a mess—you realize there’s got to be a better way. And there is, with a huge selection of electrics at Cooks. From coffee makers to food processors, mixers of every size, shape and color to blenders, toasters, roasters and fancy sandwich makers, we look for vendors who offer durable, functional products, and are always willing to stand behind them.
Cuisinart / Waring
Carl Sontheimer, founder of Cuisinart, found himself in good company when Julia Child and James Beard hailed the food processor as a revolutionary kitchen appliance upon its introduction in 1973. To this day, Cuisinart remains a universally recognized brand, synonymous with excellence and endorsed by culinary professionals such as Jacques Pepin and Lidia Bastianich.
Features and Benefits:
- Solid construction
- Generous warranties
- Local rep for training and support
- Easy to use and clean
- Liberal return policy — Cuisinart stands behind its products
Vitamix
For more than 85 years, Vita-Mix blenders have wowed the culinary experts. Famous for its durability, dependability and warranty, the Vita-Mix is built to last a lifetime. And with a blade tip speed ranging from 11 mph to a mind-boggling 240 mph, you can only imagine how fast soups are pureed and ice is crushed. Once you see the Vita-Mix in action, you will want to throw out your ordinary blender!
Features and Benefits:
- 2+ peak horsepower
- Metal to metal container to base construction
- 64-ounce polycarbonate jar with spill-proof lid
- Free recipe book
- 7-year warranty
Aerogrow
Does the thought of fresh herbs and vegetables in January excite your inner gardener? The scientists at Aerogrow believe that aeroponic and hydroponic growing methods are the cleanest, most efficient, highest producing and most environmentally friendly methods of crop production in the world. With just water, nutrients and air, Aerogrow offers cooks (and cabin fever sufferers) the opportunity to harvest year round.
Features and Benefits:
- Grows herbs and flowers indoors regardless of weather conditions
- No need for soil
- Economic way to have fresh herbs for cooking without waste
- Guaranteed harvest in 28 days
Zojirushi
In 1918, the Ichikawa brothers launched their first product, the glass-lined insulated vacuum bottle, in Osaka, Japan. Since then they have continued to produce a constant stream of kitchen products like the airpot, rice cooker, water dispenser and bread machine. The heart Zojirushi’s corporate philosophy is to improve the quality of life through innovation.
Features and Benefits:
- Advanced technology
- Computerized control systems
- Keep-warm feature
- Easy to clean interiors
- Automatic shut-off feature
Bamix
In the 1950s in Mettlen, Switzerland, a white-haired, bespectacled inventor created the first magic wand mixer and called it “der Zauberstraub.” Translated to Bamix for the English-speaking public, more than 7 million units have sold in five continents. True to the company motto of “versatility, simplicity, quality,” each mixer is hand-tested before it leaves the factory.
Features and Benefits:
- Heavy-duty construction
- Lightweight
- Powerful, yet quiet
- Stirs, mixes, whisks, grinds and crushes
- Comes with -beater, mixer and whisk attachments
Breville
More than 70 years ago in Melbourne, Australia, two friends bet big on a long-shot pony—and won! Bill O’Brien and Harry Norville invested their winnings in a new radio company they called Breville. When television overtook radio in the 1950s, they shifted their focus to small kitchen appliances. Their signature scissor-action sandwich maker became a huge hit from New Zealand to the UK and beyond. Lucky for you, Breville still produces a long line of similarly innovative, well-designed appliances.
Features and Benefits:
- Professional grade electrics
- Brushed die-cast metal
- LED illuminated panels
- Internal smart chips in toasters
- Automatic shut off in water kettle
