5 Mini Appliances That Turn Weeknight Cooking Into A Luxury Event

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"Luxury" isn't typically the first word we think of when faced with the preparation of a weeknight meal. Ease and speed are more likely on our minds than images of a fancy repast: breakfast-for-dinner, a slow cooker pulled pork you (proudly) set up before leaving for work, or Ina Garten's favorite weeknight meal (a 30-minute Parmesan chicken). But don't write off dinnertime luxury just yet. With one or more of these five mini appliances, weeknight cooking doesn't have to be a pleasureless job done in exhausted haste and yielding spartan results. Your dinner can be a joy to both prepare and consume — luxury on a day of the week not starting with "S."

If it's speed you're looking for, you may not be up to much knife work; we've found a small Ninja appliance to handle the chopping and slicing for you. Perhaps you've whipped up that aforementioned Ina Garten Parm and are facing a saute pan of cooked-on crud. Your inner diva will delight at a simple tool by Williams Sonoma that saves you from the drudgery of strenuous scrubbing. Or maybe you don't mind sandwiches for dinner at all but would love a more elevated take — a particular toaster by Revolution is just waiting to jazz things up.

Cuisinart supports your need for weeknight luxury, too, with a classic appliance that serves up an equally classic "fancy" meal. And there's even one tool that brings the freshest herbs and veggies possible into your dinner. Prepare yourself: things are about to get posh.

Self-sustainability is its own form of luxury. The LetPot 10-Pod Hydroponics Growing System is a smart, pint-sized herb and/or veggie garden that allows you to pluck your very own basil, lettuce, or plants of choice at any time of year, right in your own kitchen. The unit features 24-watt full spectrum LED lighting that grows 10 plants at breakneck speed (and looks pretty, to boot). The water tank doesn't need to be refilled for 14 to 21 days, and a built-in pump circulates it as needed among your plants — so even if you have a black thumb, there's no need to worry.

Adding to the luxe effect is the LetPot app, where you can adjust your lighting, check water and nutrient levels, set timers, and other features. This appliance's tech-plus-nature approach adds elegance to any humdrum weeknight meal — because even a simple grilled cheese soars into gourmet territory with fresh thyme and rosemary.

Even if you did whip up a sumptuous dinner in the middle of the week, nothing kills opulent vibes more than having to apply a ton of elbow grease scrubbing baked-on residue from your pans afterward (that, or leaving your dirty dishes in the sink, which is a sanitary no-no anyway). This sleek, nylon Williams Sonoma pan scraper ensures you still bask in the glow of luxury during cleanup time.

The scraper handle is made of silicone, that nice, velvety appliance material that feels like a dream to hold, and the nylon scraper is gentle enough for nonstick surfaces and heat resistant up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. That means you can tackle the caked-on gunk when the pan is still hot and you're still in "work" mode. When you're done, toss it in the dishwasher — it's not plastic, so it won't melt.

For bread-centric weeknight meals, it doesn't get more luxurious than the Revolution R180 Connect Touchscreen Smart Toaster. At nearly $350, it's an investment up front (especially if you add on the $80 Toastie Press sold separately). However, reviewers attest that this appliance elevates the humble slice of bread to such a degree that it's worth every Benjamin (again, especially if you add on the Toastie Press).

The Revolution smart toaster heats up faster than its standard counterparts, sears the bread perfectly without drying it out, and has a simple, intuitive touchscreen that functions as a clock and outdoor weather display when not in use. The ability to fine-tune your toast (and get even, consistent results) is a major perk, with multiple levels of brownness available. With the Toastie Press, the appliance's repertoire expands to include paninis, quesadillas, and other sandwich-like foods. The Press alone actually fits in most standard toasters, making it a worthwhile mini appliance purchase in itself.

Just because it's a low-energy weeknight doesn't mean you shouldn't have nice things for dinner — as in, meals that require shredding, slicing, and chopping. With its 16-ounce bowl, the Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop is smaller than a standard food processor, so it makes easy work of chopping small quantities. Speaking of "small," reviewers love that this unit takes up less counter space than other choppers, so you aren't stuck having to relocate it right away once finished just to make room for your next meal prep step.

The Ninja Food Chopper's time-saving speed is another of its most luxurious traits. Even if you're a whiz with the knives, nothing beats near-immediacy. And although other food choppers exist on the market, reviewers affirm that the Ninja is singularly powerful and durable, effortlessly handling tough ingredients like carrots and nuts, without blasting softer items like onions into mush. On a final note, not having to cry onion tears on a weeknight is, arguably, already luxury enough.

Certain dishes just say "luxury" — beef Wellington, lobster thermidor, and the like — and you won't often find these on a random weeknight dinner table. But decadent fondue, be it cheese, broth, oil, or chocolate, is another such bougie dish (granted, a bit of a simpler one) that can elevate the feel of one's dinner. The Cuisinart Fondue Pot is easy to set up and use — no need to figure out a fire-based version — and changing the temperature is as simple as turning a dial.

If you're worried about the cleanup on a mini appliance that melts rich ingredients, most reviewers find it a cinch to clean this Cuisinart unit. The pot doesn't stick, for one thing, and it's dishwasher safe. Aside from plates or bowls, you won't have to raid your cabinets for fondue accouterments: the set comes with everything you need, from eight extra-long forks to the temperature probe to an in-depth user manual and recipe booklet.