Very launches autumn kitchen sale: 5 essential countertop appliances to cut cooking costs (aff)
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
As autumn brings cooler days and higher energy bills, upgrading to fast, energy-efficient countertop appliances can help slash kitchen running costs and simplify batch cooking
As cooler autumn days set in, fast-cooking countertop appliances remain the best way to keep energy bills down while making hearty, seasonal meals.
Choosing a specialised countertop kit, rather than running a full-sized electric oven for every meal, dramatically cuts cooking times and energy use for everything from weekday breakfasts to Sunday dinners.
Online retailer Very has discounted top-rated kitchen appliances from household names like Ninja, Morphy Richards, Russell Hobbs, and Breville.
Leaving microwaves aside, here are five versatile autumn kitchen essentials to help you batch-cook, bake, and crisp your way through the season on a budget.
Five autumn kitchen essentials courtesy of Very
Air Fryer: Ninja Double Stack 7.6L
- Current Very Price: £199.00 (Was £229.00)
- Best for: Dual-zone cooking in compact kitchens
- Key Specs: 7.6-litre stacked capacity, 2 independent drawers, 6 cooking functions.
Standard double-drawer air fryers take up considerable counter width. Ninja’s Double Stack solves this by stacking its two 3.8-litre drawers vertically, freeing up 30% more prep space while still cooking a main and a side simultaneously.
It uses up to 75% less energy than a traditional oven, making it a fast, cost-effective workhorse for autumn dinners.
Soup Maker: Morphy Richards Compact 1.6L Soup Maker
- Current Very Price: £68.00 (Was £82.00)
- Best for: Quick weekday lunches and healthy meal prep
- Key Specs: 1-litre capacity (serves 3-4 portions), smooth and chunky settings, motorised blending blade.
Nothing beats hot, homemade soup on a chilly afternoon. This jug-style soup maker sautés, cooks, and blends raw vegetables into fresh soup in as little as 21 minutes.
It eliminates extra pots and pans, counting down on a digital LED panel until your lunch is ready to serve.
Rice Cooker: Russell Hobbs Medium 1.8L Rice Cooker
- Current Very Price: £25.00 (Was £34.00)
- Best for: Perfect fluffy grains, curries, and steamed sides
- Key Specs: Cooks up to 6 servings, includes steamer basket, auto keep-warm function.
Boiling rice on a stovetop frequently leads to boil-overs or unevenly cooked grains.
A dedicated rice cooker handles the timing automatically, switching to a 'Keep Warm' mode once the water is absorbed. The included steamer basket lets you steam autumn vegetables or fish over the rice while it cooks, saving time and dishwashing.
Bread Maker: Morphy Richards Fastbake Breadmaker
- Current Very Price: £69.00 (Was £99.00)
- Best for: Fresh, warm homemade loaves and artisan doughs
- Key Specs: 12 program settings, 3 loaf size settings (up to 2lb), 13-hour delay timer.
The smell of freshly baked bread is an autumn comfort, and baking at home avoids supermarket preservatives.
The Fastbake setting turns out a warm, fresh 1.5lb loaf in just 50 minutes.
You can also use the dough setting to knead pizza bases, cinnamon rolls, or artisan sourdoughs for weekend baking.
Slow Cooker: Crock-Pot Introductory Range 3.7L Slow Cooker
- Current Very Price: £22.00 (Was £24.00)
- Best for: Budget-friendly batch cooking, stews, and pot roasts
- Key Specs: 3.7-litre capacity (serves 3–4 people), 3 heat settings (Low, High, Keep-Warm), oven-safe removable stoneware pot.
Slow cookers run on a fraction of the electricity used by a conventional oven, making them the ultimate budget appliance for autumn stews, curries, and casseroles.
The 3.7-litre capacity comfortably feeds a family of four, while the oven-safe stoneware bowl allows you to pop the inner pot under a grill or in the oven to crisp up cheese toppings or brown pot roasts before serving.
Both the bowl and lid are dishwasher-safe for quick clean-up.