1.    Blender
A good blender is a game-changer. Look out for one with a strong motor and steel blades and do your research on good brands. The right blender can crush ice, make smoothies, chop veggies, puree soup, and make baby food. It just about doubles the number of things you can do!

3. Multi-cooker
A multi-cooker goes by many names: an instant pot, an all-in-one cooker, a superpot. Whatever you or your preferred brand likes to call it, it does everything by combining a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, and more into one appliance. Its versatility means you can whip up everything from yoghurt to chilli – and in some households, it makes sense to let go of other, conventional but larger appliances like an oven altogether.  

5. Air-fryer
If you haven’t given in to the air-fryer craze yet, you’ve either been actively avoiding it or living under a rock! You probably know this, but this handy appliance replaces deep-frying by using air to crisp up vegetables, chips and meat without all the fat. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to bake in your air-fryer, and many have said they hardly ever use their oven anymore since air-fryers save time and electricity. At Cash Converters, you’ll find a multitude of options in various sizes and brands – all you have to do is visit a store to see which one you prefer!

4. Spiralizer, chopper or mandolin
Transform vegetables into fun shapes with a variety of vegetable choppers, spiralizers and slicers or mandolins. Perfect for creating zucchini noodles, it adds a new twist to traditional dishes and encourages kids to try old vegetables in new shapes. At Cash Converters, you’ll find a variety of options that are motorised or manual.  

2. Sous vide
Achieving restaurant-quality dishes at home is easy with a sous vide cooker. Cooking in a water bath ensures perfect doneness every time. It uses the old but almost counterintuitive science of cooking food at a very low temperature for a long time, using water to stabilise the temperature. From steak to pudding, this is for the precision chef who likes to take a very precise approach to food. It makes for a great gift and a conversation starter at parties!

4. Stick blender
A stick blender allows you to blend soups directly in the pot, eliminating extra cleanup and allowing you to cook and serve in one pot. If you don’t have a jug blender, then this is the more affordable, but highly effective cousin. You can puree baby food, and make dips as well as smoothies this way. Look for quality blades and a strong motor.

6. Food dehydrator
Love dried fruit but hate the price? Love biltong but can’t afford good quality? Make your own! A food dehydrator opens the door to preserving fruits, vegetables, and even various kinds of meat – including fish! It’s a great gift for those who love camping too, as you can make all your own long-lasting travel food this way. It’s also an ideal tool for making healthy snacks for lunchboxes at home.