Top 5 small appliance trends

Last week, I wrote about pulling out my blender again (now that I know cleaning it won't be a hassle!), and this week I'm thinking about the other handy appliances that help me out in the kitchen. After all, how would I make salsa without my food processor? And, of course, my day wouldn't even be able to start without my kettle!

As for what I should be adding to my counter's roster, Hamilton Beach has released their top five small appliance trends for 2010:

1. Individual portion sizes - meaning you can tailor the ingredients and flavour for each guest.Their example is a single-serve ice cream maker - how yummy would it be to finish off your picnic with custom cones?

2. Dual purpose appliances - think of all the counter space you could save if your blender also doubled as a food chopper, like Hamilton Beach's Smooth Wave Blender with Food Chopper (shown)?

3. On-the-go convenience - coffee makers that can brew two flavours at once, straight into your travel mug? Sounds like a few minutes shaved off your morning routine!

4. Pro looks - home cooks are becoming increasingly keen on tools that look like they belong to our favourite celebrity chefs - and have the power to whip up their recipes (read the full story).

5. Homemade and healthy meals - appliances that allow the health-conscious among us to control the portions and ingredients that go into our food.