Big Ideas for Small Households

When the latest edition of “Joy of Cooking” hit stores in the fall, among the new features promoted was the book’s basic information about cooking and kitchen tools. Popular opinion maintained that it was needed, that today’s consumer generation knows more about working a computer than a crock pot.

Perhaps in the past decade people have dined out more frequently not for a lack of prowess in the kitchen but rather for other reasons:

* They don’t want to cook after spending hours commuting home in traffic.

* They could afford to eat out.

* No one really likes washing the dishes.

* Restaurant food options have become more diverse and more healthful.

* It’s something their parents rarely did.

Still, as with most things, the pendulum has returned, and the joys of dining in--and a home-cooked meal--have been rediscovered. Chief benefactor of this trend is a growing segment of childless, employed adults known by marketers and trend watchers as DINKS (double income, no kids) and OINKS (one income, no kids).

These consumer groups not only have more disposable income but also tend to share more of the household chores.

Cookbooks are being packaged with great visual flair and are filled with recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily.

The housewares industry has reacted with a barrage of products more compact, streamlined, easier to clean and with more functions than the family-sized appliances our mothers boasted.

Take the Speedy Pro from Krups (about $30), a powerful, compact mini-chopper that among its features has hidden cord storage. The Dining-In Countertop Convection Oven from Black & Decker (about $190, available in July) provides convection oven speed when baking, broiling or toasting with capacity for an extra-large meal. Another plus: Your carefully prepared dish won’t suffer from microwave taste and texture.

Black & Decker targets this consumer market with its Kitchentools collection of appliances. The line is set for the 21st century in its simple aesthetic and its functional design. Big and bulky these are not. Yet the essentials are all here. A blender is updated to make less mess thanks to its jar fashioned with a grip handle and wider base. The coffee machine with a stainless steel thermal carafe and environmentally friendly filter doesn’t need disposable liners.

For microwave-happy java junkies, B&D; also unveiled the Espresso Mio Beverage Kit ($30), which brews espresso-based drinks, such as cappuccino and latte, in under two minutes in a standard microwave. Enclosed is a pump to froth foamy cold or warm milk.

“These days, younger couples--double income, married or not--have gotten serious about cooking instead of eating out,” notes Jamee Ruth, a nationally known housewares expert based in Laguna Beach.

Ruth, who has cooked professionally for 18 years, reports to consumers and manufacturers on products she tests. She also works as a consultant for clients who want to build up their housewares arsenal.

Her clients always want to focus first on the kitchen, she says. “The kitchen’s always been the most important room in the house.”

After all, it’s the room everyone ends up in at parties.

Ruth confirms that today’s professionals want to outfit their homes with the best. “They’re making the time. They are competing for who can give the best dinner parties and who has the coolest kitchen. They just don’t have the space in their apartments or smaller homes for the old standbys.”

There are exceptions, such as the KitchenAid stand mixer (KSM90 Ultra-Power, about $330). Larger than some newer stand mixers, it justifies its size as a do-all device with more than 10 attachments (juicer, can opener, grinder and sausage stuffer, among others).

And it’s got status. The current model, introduced in the 1930s after the appliance debuted in 1919, was chosen last year as one of a dozen central icons based on design and popular usage by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Still, recognizing the trend in shrinking appliances, KitchenAid also offers the Little Classic, an easy-cleaning, five-cup food processor (about $110) that’s designed to be as durable and powerful as bigger models.

Tools you plug in aren’t all you’ll need in your millennium kitchen. Investing in a good, all-purpose, nonstick pan can make all the difference.

One of the hottest entries is the Grille by All-Clad Metalcrafters ($70). The ridged surface allows for indoor grilling; the nonstick coating means little or no oil is necessary.

For a wider range of cooking, All-Clad also recently introduced counterparts of its full-sized favorites, ideal for daily and small dinner party use.

The Petite Roti roasting pan ($160) is available in stainless steel or anodized aluminum with a nonstick surface. The Petite Braiser (about $135) with dome-shaped lid is perfect for slow-cooked meals or for searing or browning foods.