Benchtop cooking refers to using countertop appliances to prepare meals without relying on a full-size oven or stovetop. These appliances are designed to sit neatly on your kitchen bench, offering specialised cooking methods like air frying, slow cooking, pressure cooking, steaming and grilling. They're popular with home cooks who want faster meals, lower energy use, and the freedom to cook multiple dishes at once. Explore our full range of
kitchen appliances for more inspiration.
A benchtop oven is a smaller, freestanding unit that sits on your kitchen counter, while a regular oven is built into your kitchen and powered by your home's main electrical or gas supply. Benchtop ovens heat up faster, use less energy, and are ideal for smaller meals, reheating, baking, and roasting, They're a great second oven for entertaining or for households where a full-size oven would be overkill. Browse our selection of
portable ovens & benchtop ovens to find the right size and features for your needs.
Generally, yes.
Air fryers cook food using rapid circulated hot air and require only a small amount of oil (often just a light spray), making them much lower-fat alternative to traditional frying.
Deep fryers, on the other hand, fully submerge food in hot oil, which produces a distinctive crispy texture buts adds significantly more fats and calories. If you're after that classic crunch with less oil, an air fryer is a smart pick. If you love restaurant-style for special occasions, a dedicated deep fryer is hard to beat.
Slow cookers cook food gently at low temperatures over several hours, perfect for tender stews, curries, and pulled meats. Pressure cookers use sealed, high-pressure steam to cook the same kinds of meals in a fraction of the time. Many multi cookers combine both function is a single appliance, giving you the flexibility to slow-cook or fast track dinner depending on your day.
Modern
rice cookers are surprisingly versatile. As well as cooking white, brown, jasmine, and basmati rice, many models can steam vegetables, prepare quinoa and other grains, cook porridge, and even handle simple one-pot meals like risotto or congee. Some advanced cookers include preset functions for cakes, soups, and slow cooked dishes too.
Start by thinking about how you cook most often. If you bake or roast regularly, a benchtop oven or air fryer is a great place to start. If you love set-and-forget meals, a slow cooker or multi cooker is a smart choice. For fast, healthy meals, and electric frying pan, food steamer, or pressure cooker will earn its place on the bench. Consider how much space you have, how many people you cook for, and which cooking styles you use the most. Browse our full benchtop cooking range to compare features, capacities, and brands side by side.
