Small House Sunday~ Instant Pots, Air Fryers & Ovens?

Designing your small or tiny house is most likely the hardest step you will encounter in the building process. Trying to figure out the exact layout of your home and which items will be included (or excluded) can often seem like a dance of one step forward/two steps back.

And the one area that you will probably feel this the most is in the kitchen! Making decisions on which appliances to include is harder than you would think!

My mission today is to help make that decision a little easier. So that you can get on with enjoying life in your new home!

5 Factors to Consider in Choosing Cooking Appliances

1. Cooking preferences (frying, baking, grilling, etc.)
2. Amount of Cooking
3. Space Limitations
4. Frequency of Use
5. Versatility of Appliance

Recently, I have been trying to decide which appliances to include in my own small home. I have it narrowed down to an air fryer, an Instant Pot and a good, old-fashioned oven.

So, using the factors above, let's go through the decision-making process. And, you can help me make the right choice for me and my hubby.

Cooking Preferences

The hubby and I like to cook a variety of foods that need to prepared in different ways, however we tend to do more stovetop-cooking (Ex., chili, mashed potatoes, etc.), slow-roasting and baking deserts. 

Amount of Cooking

On most occasions, it is just the two of us. Four days out of the week, we work different schedules and will normally be eating at separate times and places. So, the amount of food being fixed at one time is very minimal.

Space Limitations

We are in the process of converting a 14 x 40 Amish-built shed into a home. Our space limitations are not as narrow as if we were living in a tiny house, but we do still need to be careful in our decision.

Frequency of Use

As we started downsizing from a large 2,000 square foot home, we had several kitchen items that rarely were used. We got rid of may things as we moved. We only want what we will use!

Versatility of Appliance

With limited space in our small home, each item earns it spot with its versatility. 

Our Personal Comparisons of Instant Pots, Air Fryers, and Ovens

Image Source: Walmart.com

Versatility is where I will begin with my personal comparisons. Instant Pots generally have 7 to 10 functions which makes them a top choice for us. 

It also is much, much smaller than an oven would be. So, it takes less space, very versatile, and covers many of our cooking preferences. 

So far, it is looking like an Instant Pot would be used quite frequently at our house!

Image Source: Walmart.com

My son has an air fryer, and has been encouraging us to get one for some time now.  According to him (and several cookbooks I have found), they also rate quite high on the versatility scale, it looks like. 

I had assumed that they were mainly for a healthier way of fixing fried foods. I have understood from many air fryer users, that this is only a small portion of their usefulness. Other tasty treats from air fryers include cookies, cakes, homemade chips and hardboiled eggs.

Again, also much smaller than an oven. It does not heat up the whole kitchen, as an oven would do. Yet, it does many of the same things that an oven would do.

Image Source: Shutterstock.com

I have always gotten a lot of use out of my ovens in the past. They are still one of the most versatile items in the kitchen. They do still meet some of the factors to consider.

However, the more I have looked into this topic, the more I am leaning towards the air fryer and Instant Pot for our home.  If these two smaller appliances are versatile enough to cover almost every function of the oven, but take up less space ~ that is a wonderful start

The oven is a large item, takes up a large space, heats up the whole kitchen (only beneficial in winter! Lol), and uses a LOT of energy. 

And the Final Decision Is...

For us, personally, I think we will be having an oven for sale very soon! Christmas is right around the corner, and I will be adding an air fryer and Instant Pot to my list for Santa! 🎁🎁🎁

What Do You Think?

As I talked to many people, looked through some of the newer air fryers & Instant Pots cookbooks, and read many articles, it became clear that I could only decide what was right for me.

There is no clean-cut answer for everyone. It is a choice you have to make for yourself and your family's needs. However, I hope my appliance dilemma has helped you in making your tiny or small kitchen work best for you! 

Let me know what you think!