@nottelling, I don’t own a toaster other than the toaster oven. My son eats toast every day, toasted in the toaster oven. Husband eats bagels on the weekends. I don’t know that I’ve owned a toaster in the last 30 years. I’ve thought of buying one, but it would be one more appliance to manage. Son has toaster oven for his apartment too. Maybe this year a roomate will bring a real toaster, and he will find out what he’s been missing all his life 
On the flip side, I’ve never had – or have even used – a toaster oven.
I’m not exactly sure why I find this stuff so fascinating. This thread is like some sort of anthropology study to me.
I use the toaster oven (instead of the microwave) for reheating foods that taste better if they stay crispy. I also use it for baking small amounts of food for which the full-size oven seems a waste. I never use it for toasting.
microwave (quaker old fashioned oats every morning)
coffee maker (a pot on until cocktail hour; ready for drop in company)
coffee grinder (house guests bring beans)
frother (for house guests/ kids when they visit)
toaster (for guests/ kids when they visit)
big stand mixer (mother’s & not used because I really no longer bake)
small hand held mixer (grandmother’s; I use it a lot, whipped cream for berries for example)
blender (kids make drinks when they visit)
waffle iron (brunch for visiting kids)
pop corn popper (kids)
small chopper (bought last month to make slaw because I was tired of hand chopping; my big food processor bit the dust a long while back)
iron (high school graduation present from an aunt; sister uses it when she visits)
blow dryer (my sister needs it when she visits)
electric razors (kids’ extras here for visits)
I have sentimental small appliances, and appliances used by visiting kids, in addition to those we use daily
Rice is so easy to cook in a bowl in the microwave, but we have pretty much cut out white rice, white bread, white potatoes, etc. so no need for a rice cooker. I totally understand that many of you eat a lot more rice and other grains.
In order of use:
Sonic care toothbrush
Hair dryer and curling iron
Beard trimmer (Dragondad, not me)
We have instant hot water appliance at the sink, or else a kettle would be on this list.
Not even daily but I would fight you for them:
Toaster
Coffee bean grinder and maker
Kitchen aid mixer
Iron
Vacuum
Seldom but worth it
Immersion blender
Cuisinart food processor
Regular blender
Crock pot
Wish we didn’t have :
Bread machine
@dragonmom, you bring up a new twist… What appliances would we fight over?
I told my H today that if I had to give up him or my espresso machine (I use it for 2 lattes every day) it would be a tough choice.
How did we survive without electric toothbrushes? A must have for me.
Hair dryer - with “curly/wavy” (and not always in a good way) hair, a good hair dryer is a must.
With all due respect to the op, I thought this thread would die. I mean, how many people can say they use a toaster, blender and microwave, with a waffle maker thrown in.
I guess there isn’t much new on the Parent Cafe.
H and I are going to NYC next Friday to babysit grandcat. Getting tickets to a show. I understand why Hamilton, besides being a great show with great music, is so big. The other"big" shows have been around for so long. It is the only new big show.
I fully expect you’ll will get mad at me for saying this.
Jealous!
If we are broadening to personal care appliances:
Blow dryer
Curling iron (rarely use)
Electric curlers (never use)
Clarisonic (use every day)
Iron (should use but don’t)
Hand-held steamer (never really learned how to use).
I suppose office electronic gadgets would be too far afield … Label maker, anyone? Bought after reading some organization book or another and used maybe five times before putting it in the drawer forever.
This thread makes me wonder why my kids don’t have electric toothbrushes here, because they have them at their homes.
We just brush our teeth the old fashioned way and I keep extra brushes in the guest bath.
Maybe if I were a better mother, I’d get some electric ones for them to have here on visits?
eta: in the guest space is a drawer with chargers and cords that belong to something the kids had here but either took home and left the cords, or don’t have that appliance/phone/etc any longer. I have no idea how to deal with this since I may toss something important. One holiday when they are all together we are going through that collection.
I am a toaster oven/no toaster person. I’d pick the toaster oven over a microwave, especially if it is only me at home.
I think the toaster oven works just fine for toast, and prefer it for bagels, and melting things.
I have all kinds of ‘plug in’ things around my house, but don’t consider them appliances - sewing machines (4), a steamer, waterpik, fans. I also have several of the appliances listed by others that I either forgot about (grinder, popcorn popper, Forman grill) or had and probably got rid of (sandwich press, bread maker).
Electric toothbrushes are another thing that drive me mad. They spray all over the mirrors. I just have a regular toothbrush - buy a 6 pack and change them every 6 weeks.
^it makes my head hurt just to think about them. I have never used one and don’t understand how they work.
I think they just vibrate rather than go back and forth. I think dentists push them on people for some reason. Makes no sense to me whatsoever. And they clutter up your vanity and look awful.
@alh – I’m sure your kids appreciate the old-fashioned charms of the manual toothbrushes when they come to visit, along with the smoky scent of the lapsang souchong tea served in porcelain tea pots … For some reason, that detail sticks out from your past posts and, when dreaming about a visit to your house (which I think all of us here do), my dreams never included an electric toothbrush (but certainly included the idea that you would thoughtfully tuck an extra manual toothbrush into the bathroom drawer for your guests)!
So, I vote no on the electric toothbrush! The electric popcorn maker is hard enough to take!
Eta: oops big error corrected! I vote no on electric toothbrush!
My kids are pretty relieved I built them a guest bath. They were worried I’d insist on chamber pots since the guest house is a very early structure. But I wanted my daughter-in-law to come visit me!
There was no plumbing or electricity in any buildings on this property. I am now an expert on septic systems, if anyone wants to start that thread.
I want to visit the beach house. In my mind I do.
Alas, the real beach house is no more; I’ve moved 50 yards inland (still call it the beach house since the sand is still visible.).
In lieu of electric toothbrushes, I think you should provide writing paper to your guests engraved with the name of your house!
I noticed vacuum mentioned by @dragonmom. Completely forgot that there is a lovely vacuum in its own closet in the kitchen. It really should be used more often than it is, but it is indispensable.
Another who does not understand electric toothbrushes. I think my boys may have had them while they wore braces but otherwise, manual all the way.
Truth be known I brush my teeth in the shower - so an electric toothbrush would never work for me anyway.