Essential Kitchen Appliances in the Philippines
January 2, 2019
What kitchen appliances should you have?
- Rice cooker
- Stoves
- Water dispenser
Every household in the Philippines needs kitchen appliances. Of course, there’s a wide variety of devices to choose from. But only a few of them are deemed necessary for the typical Filipino household. Keep in mind that the Filipino household can be quite simplistic at times. Some families try to buy only the bare minimum for their house to save money, and in one way or another, they’ll be able to carry on with just a few appliances!
For this list, large appliances such as refrigerators have been left out. Although they’re necessary for every kitchen (particularly for the storage of ingredients, and cooling of drinks) their primary function is still storage.
With that in mind take a look at a number of important kitchen appliances that you absolutely have to have in your home!
Rice Cooker
Rice is a staple in every Filipino household. No meal is complete without a serving of warm, fluffy rice. And even if there are people who cook rice in pots, using a rice cooker is the quickest, most convenient way to do it!
In the Philippines, there are a wide variety of rice cookers to choose from, but essentially, they function exactly the same. You put in uncooked rice grains and the right amount of water. You then turn the appliance on and wait as perfectly cooked rice is prepared!
Despite its name, however, the rice cooker isn’t exactly a one-trick wonder. In reality, it’s one of the few kitchen appliances in the Philippines that is perfect for cooking a wide variety of food!
The principles of how a rice cooker works are fairly similar to a slow cooker. It uses relatively low heat over a period to cook food. And with its sealed cover, all the flavor remains in your food. In most cases, rice cookers in the Philippines can even double as a slow cooker for your other dishes!
Contrary to popular belief, the rice cooker can be used for a lot of different dishes. It can cook simple snacks, hearty stews, flavorful soups, and even desserts! The options are limitless!
There are rice cookers that also have steaming trays included. This allows you to steam other food while your rice is cooking. It lets you cook dumplings or some vegetables while waiting for your rice to cook!
Other possible dishes that you can do in your rice cooker include variations of frittatas, mac and cheese, hummus, and so much more! There are even recipes available that details how you can make a giant pancake with the help of your rice cooker!
Even though it’s named so one-dimensionally, the rice cooker is truly one of the most versatile kitchen appliances in the Philippines!
Stoves
Of course, for the more traditional cooks, stoves are more important than rice cookers! This is because you can cook practically anything when you have a stove in your home. In traditional Filipino cooking, seldom will you use anything other than a stove and a frying pan or a pot. Most Filipino dishes are relatively simple to prepare compared to western dishes that need ovens and such!
Stoves, in general, are incredibly easy to use. Most versions only require you to turn a knob and it’ll have a fire ready for you! That being said, other stoves would still need a starter, but that’s not a problem for most people since matches and lighters are readily available!
Without stoves, you won’t have anywhere else to cook your food. So if you’re talking about kitchen appliances, they’re almost always at the top of the priority list! A kitchen is nothing without an apparatus for you to cook on.
Water Dispenser
This one is less of an essential appliance and more of a convenience in the kitchen. Water dispensers are dedicated machines that heats up or cools water without the need for a kettle or taking up space in the refrigerator. You only need to provide it with a steady stream of water, usually in the form of a water jug.
A water dispenser is the best way to always have a source of hot or cold water! In households where there’s no water dispenser, it can take some time before you heat up water, and even longer for you to cool it down.
Key Takeaway
A kitchen needs to be fully equipped with a number of appliances that makes it easier for you to cook! With that in mind, you have to choose the most essential — the ones that will make your life more convenient!
In the Philippines, rice cookers are one of the most popular kitchen appliances along with your stoves and water dispensers! Not only will they be great when it comes to cooking dishes, but they’re also all you need to have a relatively functional kitchen!
