10 Appliances You Need for Holiday Parties

There’s no better way to get into the festive spirit than to plan a lovely holiday party. With the right selection of small appliances, you can create a delicious holiday-themed menu to serve guests. There are so many to choose from, but these 10 small appliances are among my favourites. I love them for my own kitchen, but they’re great for gifting as well.

1. Set up a holiday espresso bar 

Whip up a gingerbread latte, add eggnog to a cappuccino, or serve festive espressos with unique garnishes for everyone at the party with an espresso machine. There are different types, from super-automatic to manual, all highlighted in our espresso machine buying guide. Set everything up and your guests can make their favourite hot (or cold!) coffee-based drink on demand. Or play barista, take orders for dessert, and blow them away with your skills. (They don’t need to know the machine is doing all the heavy lifting!)

2. Whip up everything from cookies to bread with a stand mixer

When I’m baking up huge batches of gingerbread, shortbread, sugar, and other cookies for the holiday season, I rely heavily on my stand mixer. The best ones come with all the tools you’ll need to vigorously mix shortbread dough or whip cream for a pie, mix cake and cookie batter, and even knead bread dough for a holiday loaf. Some of the most exciting stand mixer attachments are worth getting to enhance the experience further. Make homemade ice cream to go with pumpkin pie or julienne peppers and cucumbers for a red and green salad or garnish. Learn about everything a stand mixer can do in our stand mixer buying guide.

3. Make mixed drinks for everyone with a frozen drink machine

The espresso bar is great for coffee lovers and drinks to go with dessert. But what about other cocktails, as well as drinks for the kids? With a frozen drink machine, you can make everything from margaritas with your favourite spirits to flavoured slushies for little ones with just juice, soda, even chocolate milk. Go the extra mile with a machine like the Ninja CREAMi that can make ice cream, sorbet, and milkshakes for an indulgent holiday surprise.

4. Make dinner for a crowd with a specialty appliance

A specialty appliance can make cooking a lot less daunting, especially when you have multiple appliances going at once. Small appliances that combine an air fryer with an oven are versatile since they can be used for more than one style of cooking. These multifunction small appliances can go from air frying hors d’oeuvres to cooking a rack of lamb then reheating a pie. Some of the latest ones have sensors to intelligently adjust the setting or cook time according to what’s inside. That’s especially helpful for holiday parties when you’re busy running around. Along with these multifunction countertop appliances, you’ll also find things like pizza ovens, retro popcorn makers, even cotton candy makers to impress the kids.

5. A blender is perfect for pre-event prep

Whether you’re blending mix for an appetizer soup, homemade dip to serve upon arrival, or frozen drinks, a blender will come in handy. A powerful blender can crush ice for the perfect cocktail or even nuts for homemade ice cream toppings. With individual storage containers that come with some sets, you can pre-make things like dip and store it in the fridge to replenish the serving dish as needed. Find the right blender for you in our blenders buying guide.

6. Never run out of ice with an ice maker

Instead of hauling in bags of ice for your holiday party, and incurring the expense that comes with them, invest in a freestanding ice maker. Ice makers sit on the kitchen countertop or in a home bar. They can make and store cubed ice, crushed ice, or craft ice, usually in under 24 hours. Keep them running and add water as needed through the duration of the party so you never run low. An ice maker is great to have especially if you have a home bar. For summer barbecues as well, you can use it to make enough ice to fill a cooker. It’s great for homemade pasta sauce or other vegetable dishes where you need ice to shock the vegetables and rapidly stop the cooking process.

7. Get a simple one-button side dish with a rice cooker

Some people swear by a pot with a cover on the stovetop for making rice. But once you try a rice cooker, you’ll never go back. These handy small kitchen appliances take all the guesswork and monitoring out of the equation. That’s perfect for a holiday party when you’re trying to keep track of timers for multiple dishes. Add water, rice, salt, and other seasoning if desired, press a button, and you’re done. The machine will even keep the rice warm so late-comers get a hot side dish without reheating.

8. Indoor grills keep the cooking out of the cold

When it comes to the holiday season in Canada, the last thing you want to do is head outside in a parka, hat, and boots to barbecue. (Admittedly, some brave cooks live for this.) If you’d rather keep the cooking to the warmth of your kitchen but still want to be able to grill, you can with an indoor grill. Use the right indoor grill for a vegetable side dish, hot dogs and hamburgers for picky kids, or grill shrimp skewers for your seafood meal.

9. Air fryers handle the hors d’oeuvres in a flash

Air fryers are the ultimate small appliance for cooking up smaller meals for fewer people or for appetizers and side dishes. Fry everything from French fries to potatoes, chicken wings to pigs in a blanket. The best part? You don’t have to occupy your oven, using it simultaneously to cook the turkey or baked goods. Since you’re using little to no oil, the items are healthier. Plus, it’s quicker than waiting for a larger oven to preheat.

10. Make hot, fresh, even gluten-free bread in a bread maker

Experiment with your own homemade bread and try different types in a bread maker. Make a batch ahead and use the stale bread for homemade bread pudding or turkey stuffing. Fill the home with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and make a batch that morning to slice and add to your charcuterie board. Do you have friends or family members who are allergic to gluten? Grab a bag of gluten-free flour and make your own gluten-free bread instead of spending a fortune on a loaf at the grocery store. They’ll be impressed that you kept them in consideration with your plans.

Get set up for your holiday parties

The great thing about these 10 small appliances for holiday parties is that they aren’t just for holiday parties. Even if you store a few of them away in a cupboard to pull out only when you need them, you’ll find that you use most of them at least weekly. My air fryer is running at least once a day. I don’t use my stand mixer daily, but when I need it, it’s a Godsend. And I don’t know if I could live without my morning coffee and afternoon cappuccino from my espresso machine.

Check out small appliances that will make your holiday menu great and the party memorable at Best Buy.