Small Home Appliances

Small home appliances (often referred to as 'brown goods') refers to a class of home appliances that are portable (or semi-portable), or which may be used on countertops, tabletops, or other platforms. Such items are contrasted with major appliances (also known as 'white goods'), which are generally fixtures that cannot be easily moved. All home appliances are designed to enable, perform, or assist in performing a job or changing a status (e.g. toasting bread). In this way, they can be differentiated from other portable electrical items that provide only entertainment, such as TV or DVD player. Items that perform the same function as small appliances but are hand powered are generally referred to as gadgets or tools; for example a hand-powered can opener.

Power

The majority of small appliances are powered by electricity. The appliance may use a permanently attached cord which is plugged into a wall outlet or a detachable cord. Because of the risk of fire, some appliances have a short detachable cord that is connected to the appliance magnetically. If the appliance is moved further than the cord length from the wall, the cord will detach from the appliance. Some hand-held appliances may be cordless and use batteries, which may be rechargeable or disposable.

A few gas-powered appliances exist for use in situations where electricity is not expected to be available, but these are typically larger and not as portable as most small appliances.

Function

Some small appliances perform the same or similar function as their larger counterparts. For example, a toaster oven is a small appliance that performs a similar function as an oven. Some appliances consist of an electrical motor upon which is mounted various attachments so as to constitute several individual appliances, such as a food processor, a blender, or a juicer. Many stand mixers, whilst functioning primarily as a mixer, have attachments that can perform additional functions.