To save money and of course the environment, buying used furniture as opposed to brand new is often the way to go. Look for good quality purchases that you know will stand the test of time.

When it comes to the best used furniture, here’s our advice for the top five kitchen gadgets you should look for used.

Coffee Maker or Coffee Press

Even if you are not a coffee drinker (call yourself Canadian?!) having a coffee maker or coffee press in the kitchen is always an excellent idea for offering guests a good cup of joe. First do your research. Do you want a bodum style maker, which is my personal favourite because I like a strong long coffee, or are looking for a fancy gadget that will whisk your milk, add cinnamon and give you a kiss in the morning? Shop around and when you know exactly what you want, hit up your local Used.ca site. Use the search bar within the relevant category to grab your find. It pays to search by brand if you want to be really specific and then try a few different descriptions to get the maker you are after.

Search word examples: espresso machine, coffee maker, breville, bodum, french press.

Coffee Grinder

A coffee grinder may seem unnecessary, but if you’re looking for a top-quality cup of the good stuff on a small budget, then purchasing a coffee grinder is the best thing you can do. With a good coffee grinder and a bag of beans, you will always have a great cup of coffee in your kitchen. And even if you don’t want a coffee, some of the coffee grinders I found are so beautiful, I want them as decor (see pic).

Search word examples: coffee grinder is the term that is going to get you what you are looking for.

Antique Coffee Grinders Found On UsedVictoria.com

Blender

Even if you are not committed to buying used furniture, a blender is something you can easily find used and will come in very handy in the kitchen. A blender can do a whole lot more for you than prepare smoothies; blenders help make tasty dips, salsas, whipped cream, all the good stuff. Good blenders can be expensive when they are purchased new, but they are also one of those gadgets that people will buy then upgrade or buy and not use, so a high-quality used blender is often a good alternative to a costly newer version.  Again, it’s good to do your research on this one and then search for specific brands and types.

Search word examples: blender, isablender, Hamilton Beach.

Microwave

As more and more people move away from cooking their full dinners in microwaves, and are using them only once or twice a week, it certainly pays to buy used. A word of warning when searching for microwaves, make sure you are searching within sub categories, specifically household appliances, as a search of the whole site will bring up house and apartment rentals that provide a microwave.

Search word examples: you’re good with just using the word microwave, unless you are searching for a specific brand.

Fridge

Many house and apartment rentals come with a fridge but you will be surprised how many of these are sourced from the Used.ca family of sites. Just a quick scan of UsedVictoria.com and UsedOttawa.com throws up some nearly new fridges at half the price. Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re only going to find gross beer stained units with handles falling off, there are top quality brand out there as well as cool mini fridges, such as this cool rare Sleeman’s fridge pictured below. Again, remember to search in appliances when looking on the sites. Fridges even have their own category.

Search word examples: fridge, mini fridge, bar fridge, refrigerator, stainless fridge.

Mini fridge found on UsedVictoria.com

So these are my top five gadgets to buy used but other tips include: waffle maker, bread maker, small table top grills, dishwashers and panini makers; all very easy to find and cheap to buy.

Need quick links to our appliances, here you go:

Used furniture Halifax

Used furniture Ottawa

Used furniture PEI

Used furniture Regina

Used furniture Victoria

Used furniture Vancouver