A great listing has furniture, decorations, and little touches about it that make it clear you’re not just staying at a hotel replacement, but rather a comfy home away from home. One of the touches that can really set you apart from the competition are some fun kitchen appliances. These aren’t extravagant chef-only types of appliances, but the type that people may have “wanted to try” but haven’t yet at home. A stay with you can give them that chance. Here are five that we picked for you to consider.
Waffle Maker
Who talks about how amazing frozen waffles are? Nobody. Fresh waffles? Everybody. Let your guests make their own fresh waffles with a waffle maker.
Now, most guests won’t necessarily know how to use one, so make sure to leave a guide (preferably laminated) with at least these steps:
- As the waffle iron is warming up, make sure to coat with a nonstick cooking spray or coat lightly with oil using some paper towels
- When using the waffle iron, don’t fill up the entire grid, as the batter will expand as it cooks
- When you’re done for the day, unplug the waffle iron, and while it’s still warm, put some damp paper towels on it and close the lid. When the steam stops, remove the paper towels and you’re done!
Wine Fridge
Wine fridges feel special, but the truth is that they are way less expensive than your own private wine cellar! But in all seriousness, a wine fridge helps keep your wine at a perfect serving temperature, while keeping the humidity below 50%.
Unlike a standard fridge, which is opened regularly, causing temperature fluctuations, a wine fridge is generally only opened when you need a bottle, and this stability is great for wines.
Pizza Stone
Stability is also the name of the game when it comes to pizza stones. Made out of ceramic or stone, these bad boys allow for an even cook and, when used for pizza, a crispy bottom as well.
While ordering pizza in is always fun, so is making your own and cooking it on a pizza stone! Pizza stones are also great for cooking a whole chicken or baked goods, like cookies.
Wine Decanter
Wine decanters are beautiful and allow you to get a better look at your wine than you can in a dark labeled bottle. On a practical level, you’re also enhancing the flavor by aerating the wine across a large surface area.
Decanters are not just a beautiful way to serve wine (and to add to the “vacation feels” for your guests) but actually improve the tastes of the wines they aerate.
Instant Pot
Of everything we’ve listed, an Instant Pot is the appliance that most guests are likely to already have in their homes, but you’ll surprise them by making one available to them while they are on vacation.
If you don’t already know about this appliance, it’s a Swiss Army knife: pressure cooking, rice cooking, slow cooking…the list goes one. You’re simply giving one more tool to guests to plan their meals and their days while they are with you.
Remember that a guest may like many aspects of a stay with you, but what he/she writes about may sometimes come down to one specific thing. It might be “I got to make my own waffles!” or “I used a wine fridge for our dinner and felt so fancy!” By offering one (or more) of these fun appliances, you are giving guests a chance to make some wonderful memories.
This content originally appeared in our twice-monthly Guest Book Newsletter.
