4 appliances every parent needs for easy school night dinners – trusty tools to make life easier

The chaos of school nights can often mean that the quality of our cooking suffers; with fussy mouths to feed and limited time to get everything done, we aren't always able to cook how we'd like to. But, there are 4 appliances for busy parents that guarantee easy school night dinners, and they will completely transform midweek cooking.

The best appliances, such as the best air fryers, are designed to make our lives easier, by simplifying cooking and expanding the possibilities of what we can make. Investing in reliable tools will make the world of difference to school night dinners, allowing you to create meals that will keep the whole family happy.

'School nights can be hectic, and finding time to prepare a wholesome dinner for the family can be a challenge,' says Nathan Paul, product expert and e-commerce director, Appliances Direct. 'But there are kitchen appliances that not only save time but also make cooking more enjoyable and stress-free, giving parents more time to enjoy their evenings.'

We've spoken to the experts and asked them to share the top appliances for busy parents to ensure easy school night dinners. Adding just one of these devices to your kitchen is guaranteed to make weeknights run more smoothly, and we've shared some of our tried and tested favourites to make things even easier.

1. Air fryer

Air fryers and dual-zone air fryers are a gamechanger for weeknight dinners. Renown for their ease of use and quick cooking times, they are one of the best appliances for busy parents as they allow you to cook a variety of foods to a delicious standard, without the added wait of preheating.

'With preset programmes and minimal preheating, air fryers allow you to have a healthy dinner on the table in minutes, making it ideal for those nights when time is of the essence,' says Nathan from Appliances Direct. 'Plus, the air fryer’s ability to cook a variety of foods means you can easily cater to different tastes without a lot of extra effort.'

Whether it's meat, fish or vegetables, an air fryer will cook it evenly in a fraction of the time of a traditional oven. They also require less oil to get a delicious crispy finish, so your weeknight meals will be slightly healthier too. Investing in one of the best air fryers for chips will definitely keep any fussy eaters happy, and save you heaps of time on busy school nights.

2. Multi-cooker

The best multi-cookers do exactly what they say on the tin, arming you with multiple cooking options in one handy device. Aside from being ideal for small kitchen storage ideas, they'll also make busy school nights run a lot more smoothly, as you won't need to faff around with multiple appliances for busy parents, and instead just use the one.

Multi-cookers vary in their capabilities, but they usually combine pressure cooking with modes for baking, grilling, steaming, slow cooking and even air frying - meaning you could be getting a few of the top 4 appliances every parent needs for easy school dinners in one.

'A multi-cooker is ideal for parents who need to prepare meals quickly without sacrificing flavour or nutrition,' explains Nathan. 'With its ability to cook beans, grains, and tough cuts of meat in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods, it’s perfect for whipping up everything from a pot of chilli to a batch of steamed vegetables.'

Opt for a multi-cooker if you want to streamline your kitchen appliance collection and use one device for multiple uses. There's plenty on the market with a variety of functions, so make sure you shop around to find the best one for your family.

3. Slow cooker

If your kitchen isn't yet equipped with one of the best slow cookers, you're seriously missing out. The feeling of dinner being ready to eat in the evening - having prepared it in earlier in the day when things were a little more calm - is a lifesaver.

Time is limited on weeknights, so being able to serve a freshly cooked meal from the slow cooker will help things run more smoothly. You can do all the cooking prep during the day when the children are at school, toss everything into the slow cooker and set it to cook for however long the recipe recommends. Most slow cookers come with a high and low setting, so you can leave it on for anywhere between three and eight hours. They're also ideal for batch cooking, thanks to their large capacity.

'If you’re able to plan further ahead, then a slow cooker would be an invaluable option for your meals,' says Joshua Warren, small appliances expert, AO.com. 'Batch cooking can work wonders for easy, quick dinners that you could prepare while you’re at work or on the Sunday before the working week begins. Simply prep your food in the morning, leave to cook for 6-8 hours and when you’ve returned, you’ll have a tea you can rely on all week.'

If the adults and children tend to eat separate meals, this choice of appliances for busy parents could save you from having to cook two meals on weeknights. And if you were wondering how much does electricity does a slow cooker use, they tend to be quite energy efficient, which is another plus.

4. Mini chopper

The key to a smooth weeknight dinner is in the prep, which is why a mini chopper is in our list of the 4 appliances every parent needs for easy school night dinners. These handy little devices will chop and prepare vegetables in a fraction of the time it would take to do it manually, saving you precious minutes and making midweek meals feel a lot easier.

It can be tempting to skip over meals that require any prep at all during the week, just because time feels so limited, but with a mini chopper to hand, you'd be much less likely to do this. The reason we're suggesting a mini chopper for school night dinners over one of the best food processors - though these are still a fabulous addition to the kitchen - is because they are simple, easy to use devices, perfect to grab when things feel a bit rushed.

'Whether you’re chopping onions, dicing tomatoes, or mincing garlic, a food chopper can handle it all in seconds,' Nathan from Appliances Direct says. 'They're especially useful for making salads, salsas, or any dish that requires a lot of finely chopped ingredients, making weeknight cooking quicker and more efficient.'

FAQs

How to cook for a busy family?

Cooking for a busy family can sometimes feel impossible, and the quality of the meals we make is usually the first thing that gets compromised. But the right kitchen appliances will make the world of difference, enabling you to prepare and cook food quicker, saving time on chaotic school nights.

'One of the key things to do if you have a particularly busy family is plan ahead,' says Steve Horner, kitchen expert, Cladding Centre. 'Try and create a weekly meal plan, as this will eliminate any last minute stress. Even if one of your planned meals is quick freezer food, having it planned in advance can help. You could also try and batch cook meals on weekends/when you have spare time.'

If you can, taking the time to batch cook meals over the weekend will make weeknights feel a lot easier. Slow cookers are great for this, because of their large capacity, and you can leave them to do the work while you go about your day as normal.

If you prefer not to cook ahead of time, try and prepare your food so that it's ready to start cooking when you need it. Chopping vegetables in bulk will save a lot of time compared to doing it every night before cooking. Try and do this after you've unpacked your groceries, where you can see all the food you'll be using in the week ahead.

What can I eat with no cooker?

There are now a range of kitchen appliances available which mean you don't have to rely on a traditional oven to enjoy hearty, home-cooked meals. 'Multicookers and air fryers collectively can cook the majority of oven-cooked food, from whole chickens to roast potatoes and frozen chips,' Steve says. 'Many people are making a switch from using their cooker to using an air fryer, in order to attempt to save money on energy bills.'

Air fryers are particularly useful for quick and easy dinners that are still healthy. You can use them to cook vegetables, proteins and fish to a delicious standard, and in a fraction of the time compared to a regular cooker. Save even more time with a food processor or mini chopper, which allow you to fly through any food prep.

'Use the air fryer to quickly roast veg or cook proteins, then a slow cooker for soups and stews that are served best when simmering,' Paul from Appliances Direct says. 'And an electric pressure cooker will ensure your signature Bolognese or curry dish is on the table in 30 minutes or less.'

There are so many options now that enable you to eat healthy meals without a traditional cooker - it's just about finding which appliance you'd get the most use out of.

So those are the top 4 appliances every parent needs for easy school night dinners, as confirmed by the experts - will you be investing in a new device to help weeknights run more smoothly?