Whether it’s crispy samosas you want to serve at iftar, or a sparkling, clean living room ready for guests, you’ll first have to ensure your home is equipped with all the right appliances to help you achieve your goals rapidly and efficiently.
Which appliances do I need?
Must-have kitchen appliances for Ramadan include microwave ovens, multicookers, and air fryers. Small appliances like these come in a range of sizes and prices, says Sajeesh M. S., technical manager at the Dubai-based appliance service centre, Repair Care. He recommends opting for ones with smart functions, budget permitting, since these devices remove all guesswork and produce consistent results.
When you’re considering other home appliances, make sure you look at factors that suit your family’s preferences. For instance, any air purifier from a reputable brand will likely work well – but you might consider your living room’s square footage and purchase one that’s powerful enough to cover the entire room. Vacuum cleaners, too, come in various types, budgets and models. If you’re looking for versatility, you could pick a cordless vacuum cleaner that converts into a handheld device that can be used to clean not just the house, but the car, too.
Either way, ensure you’re purchasing an appliance with at least a year’s warranty, advises Sajeesh. He said: “The common problems we find with small appliances, have to do with control panels or minor connection issues. You usually won’t have to pay for these, if you’re covered by a warranty programme.”
No matter what kind of appliance you’re looking for, you’ll find it at Eros. We’ve curated some of the best options across all these categories for you, with the help of our expert’s recommendations and user reviews and ratings.
1. Best Microwave: Midea Convection Microwave Oven
Pros
- Large capacity
- Multifunctional appliance
- Choose from 10 auto menus
- Includes child safety lock
Cons
- LED display can be confusing initially, reviewers say
What if your microwave could not just reheat, but bake and grill, too? Midea’s Microwave Oven has a spacious 42-litre capacity that can accommodate an entire chicken, which you can grill or bake using convection heating, for crisp, evenly cooked food. Apart from the usual functions you’d find in a microwave, like defrosting by weight or time, and timer settings for reheating, this device has several extras you’d appreciate. There’s a child lock for added safety, and a maximum cooking timer of 120 minutes that shuts off automatically to prevent overheating. If you'd like to use the microwave oven for longer, though, you'll have to enter a new time manually. Reviewers say the LED display is easy to use, but does take time getting used to, since many of the buttons are just images that you’ll need to decipher with the help of the instruction manual. Once you get the hang of it, this microwave will likely be the most used appliance in your kitchen.
Bonus: You can opt for four interest-free payments of Dh183.75 with tabby.
Warranty: The manufacturer provides 1-year warranty.
2. Best Air Fryer: COSORI Air Fryer
Pros
- Choose from 11 built-in pre-sets
- Large, lightweight basket
- Includes several safety features
- Comes with a 100-recipe cookbook
Cons
- Steam may escape from basket, say reviewers
Enjoy all your favourite samosas, seafood, steak and vegetables, but with 85 per cent less oil, with this COSORI Air Fryer. Its square basket design offers 15 per cent more space than round ones, and its 5.5-litre XL capacity means the appliance is suitable for a family of four to six members. Take your pick from 11 pre-sets with a single tap of your finger. The air fryer is easy to use and has a number of time-saving options: its Pre-Heat function helps improves the texture of food, while its Keep Warm function ensures the food stays hot while you’re setting the table for iftar. Reviewers say they’ve noticed steam escaping the basket when the food is crisping up, but don’t find it to be a major issue. They like that they can press ‘pause’ to check on their food and shake it around, without having to reset the timer. Perfect for all kinds of snacks and with the ability to accommodate a whole 2kg chicken, this air fryer is a must-have kitchen appliance that you’ll enjoy long after Ramadan, too.
Bonus: You can opt for four interest-free payments of Dh94.75 with tabby.
Warranty: The manufacturer provides 1-year warranty.
3. Best Multicooker: Midea Multicooker
Pros
- Choose from 14 pre-sets
- Precise temperature and pressure adjustment
- Includes Keep Warm function
- Spacious six-litre capacity
Cons
- Pre-heating takes a long time, reviewers say
A one-pot solution for your cooking needs this Ramadan, Midea’s Multicooker is all you need to plate up dozens of delicious iftars. The multicooker is ideal for beginners in the kitchen – it features 14 pre-set menus, from fish to stew and bread, and a large LED display allows you to monitor both time and temperature precisely. The lid also has a fail-safe switch, so if it’s not properly secured, it will not begin pressure cooking. The appliance’s large, six-litre aluminium inner pot can comfortably serve a family of four to six people. Reviewers appreciate that they can cook a variety of dishes, from savoury meats and grains to yoghurt and desserts – all in one pot, since it translates to easy and quick meal preparation and clean-up.
Bonus: You can opt for four interest-free payments of Dh99.75 with tabby.
Warranty: The manufacturer provides 1-year warranty.
4. Best Air Purifier: Levoit Core 300S Smart Air Purifier
Pros
- True H13 Hepa filtration system
- Includes several smart features
- Quick response time
- Features Sleep mode
Cons
- Not ideal for large rooms
Freshen up your home with an air purifier that reduces airborne allergens and captures pollutants, bacteria and viruses. Levoit’s 300S Air Purifier uses True H13 high efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filtration, which means it can capture at least 99.97 per cent of airborne particles, as small as 0.3 microns. This air purifier is also packed with smart features. Reviewers love that they can use voice commands via Google Assistant or Alexa to switch the device on and off, or manage its controls. Do note, however, the air purifier works best in small or mid-sized rooms of up to 50 square metres – its powerful VortexAir Technology has the ability to completely refresh a space of this size twice per hour. And if you find it to be noisy, especially at night, switch on Sleep mode so that the device can run at a barely perceivable 22 decibels (a whisper sounds at 25 decibels according to US-based Yale University).
Bonus: You can opt for four interest-free payments of Dh124.75 with tabby.
Warranty: The manufacturer provides 1-year warranty.
5. Best Vacuum Cleaner: Dreame T30 Neo Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
Pros
- Lightweight
- Powerful suction
- Includes dust level indicator
- Good array of attachments
Cons
- Battery life could be better, reviewers say
A multipurpose appliance that spruces up your home, vehicle, and hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, Dreame’s T30 Neo converts from a stick vacuum cleaner into a portable, handheld one. It’s lightweight, at 1.76kg, so you can operate it using one hand, and plug in one of its many included attachments to reach tight spaces. The Dream T30 Neo features a large 600ml dustbin, so you don’t have to clean it out often. Reviewers say its unique, V-shaped roller brush helps prevent hairs from tangling around it. Many love the soft dusting brush attachment, which they’ve used to clean keyboards, and narrow edges in their home and car. The device is impressively quiet, despite its powerful suction, and its LCD display is intuitive and helpful, since it indicates the amount of battery remaining, allows you to lock or unlock the vacuum cleaner, and switch from auto to eco to turbo modes. Although the battery on this device will last about 90 minutes on eco mode, if depletes much faster if you switch to more powerful suction.
Bonus: You can opt for four interest-free payments of Dh424.75 with tabby.
Warranty: The manufacturer provides 2-year warranty.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission from Eros.
