Canadian Kitchen Appliances Worth a Closer Look
Something has changed in Canada. More Canadians are looking at the things they buy every day and asking a question that probably didn’t cross their minds nearly as often a few years ago: Is there a Canadian option?
We’ve seen it in the grocery aisle, where people who once grabbed the same familiar products without thinking are now turning packages around to read labels. We’ve seen it with clothing, cosmetics, cleaning products and household goods. Canadian brands that may have been sitting quietly on store shelves for years are suddenly getting a second look.
And that got me wondering about another part of the store.
What about the kettle on your counter? The coffee maker you use every morning? The toaster, blender, air fryer, rice cooker or slow cooker you’ll eventually have to replace?
Most of us have probably never given much thought to where those brands come from. We recognise a familiar name, compare a couple of prices, perhaps check the reviews, and take the box home. We’ve been buying some of these brands for decades, so reaching for them feels almost automatic.
But what happens if, before reaching for the familiar box, we look one box over?
That’s really how this guide began. I wanted to know how many legitimate Canadian kitchen appliance alternatives were already on the shelves of stores Canadians shop at every day. Not obscure products that require ordering from some website nobody has heard of, but practical alternatives you could actually walk into a store and buy.
The answer surprised me.
There are Canadian-owned and Canadian-controlled brands scattered throughout the small-appliance aisle. Some have been around for decades. In many cases, we’ve probably walked past them dozens of times without realising there was a Canadian connection at all.
Buying Canadian Doesn’t Have to Mean Sacrifice
There’s also an assumption worth challenging: buying Canadian must mean paying considerably more, accepting fewer choices or settling for an inferior product simply because there’s a maple leaf somewhere in the corporate paperwork.
That’s not the kind of patriotism I’m interested in, and it isn’t how we approached this guide. Supporting Canadian businesses shouldn’t require abandoning common sense.
Sometimes the Canadian product costs more. Sometimes the difference is negligible. And one of the more pleasant surprises from our research was discovering several categories where the Canadian option actually cost less than the familiar alternative.
Quality matters just as much. If a Canadian product has mediocre customer reviews, we’ll tell you. If the price premium is substantial, you’ll see it. And if we couldn’t find a Canadian product we were comfortable recommending, we looked for a strong alternative from elsewhere, whether that meant Italy, Australia, France, Germany, or Scotland.
Our philosophy became pretty simple: Canadian first. Non-U.S. second. Quality always matters.
Perhaps an even better way of putting it is this: Give Canada the first look, not an automatic win.
What Does “Canadian” Actually Mean?
There’s an important distinction we need to make before we start shopping. Very few small kitchen appliances are actually manufactured in Canada anymore. Like most consumer electronics and appliances, much of the physical manufacturing takes place within global supply chains.
So when we describe a company as Canadian-owned or a brand as Canadian-controlled, we are not claiming the appliance itself was “Made in Canada”. Those are two very different things, and throughout this article we’ll try to make that distinction clear.
What we’re interested in is whether Canadians have another reasonable choice. Who owns or controls the brand? Is there a genuine Canadian business connection? Is the product competitive? Is it well reviewed? Is the price reasonable? And, importantly, can you actually find it in Canadian stores?
Because this isn’t supposed to become homework.
Nobody needs to conduct a corporate genealogy investigation before they’re allowed to buy a toaster. Nobody needs to throw out a perfectly good American coffee maker because they suddenly discovered where its parent company is headquartered.
The idea is much simpler than that. Appliances wear out. Kettles stop boiling, toasters stop toasting, and coffee makers eventually decide that 6:30 on a Monday morning would be an excellent time to retire.
When that happens, we’re going shopping anyway.
And if millions of Canadian households begin giving Canadian companies the first opportunity to earn some of that spending, all those seemingly insignificant purchasing decisions start looking a little less insignificant.
No grand gesture is required.
Sometimes it’s simply a matter of looking at the other box on the shelf.
And that’s where we’ll begin.
🇨🇦 Electric Kettles: Salton
If you’re looking for an easy place to start buying Canadian, the humble kettle is a great place to start. Salton is 100% Canadian-owned and operated, although its appliances are manufactured abroad.
OUR PICK: Salton 1.7L Cordless Electric Glass Kettle
REGULAR PRICE: $39.99
RATING: 3.3/5 from 182 reviews
WHERE TO BUY: Canadian Tire
Its 1,500-watt element, automatic shutoff, boil-dry protection and removable filter cover the essentials.
The Price Check
The comparable Hamilton Beach glass kettle was $59.99 when we researched the guide.
YOU SAVE: $20
WHY WE LIKE IT: The rating isn’t spectacular, and we’re not hiding that. But it’s Canadian-owned, practical and $20 less than the familiar U.S. alternative.
Same store. Different box. 🇨🇦
🇨🇦 Toasters: Salton
A toaster may not seem like much of a patriotic purchase, but this is where small choices become interesting. Salton is 100% Canadian-owned and operated, and its straightforward 2-slice toaster proves that looking Canadian first doesn’t necessarily mean spending more.
OUR PICK: Salton 2-Slice Toaster, Stainless Steel
REGULAR PRICE: $39.99
WHERE TO BUY: Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Giant Tiger and London Drugs
It features two extra-wide slots, six browning settings, defrost, reheat and cancel functions, plus a removable crumb tray.
The Price Check
The comparable U.S. brand was $54.99.
YOU SAVE: $15
WHY WE LIKE IT: Reliable, practical and Canadian-owned. No patriotic premium required. In fact, keeping Canada first leaves an extra $15 in your pocket.
🇨🇦 Drip Coffee Makers: Salton
For something many of us use every morning, the coffee maker is a pretty good place to put Canadian ownership into the conversation. Salton’s 14-Cup Stainless Steel Digital Coffee Maker is built for households where one small pot simply won’t cut it.
OUR PICK: Salton 14-Cup Stainless Steel Digital Coffee Maker, Model FC2149
REGULAR PRICE: $119.99
WHERE TO BUY: Staples Canada
You get a 24-hour programmable timer, brew-strength control, iced-coffee mode, an adjustable keep-warm function, and a reusable filter.
The Price Check
The comparable U.S. 12-cup model was $79.99.
CANADIAN PREMIUM: $40
WHY WE LIKE IT: Salton costs more, but it’s also a larger, more feature-rich machine. Canadian first doesn’t mean pretending the price difference isn’t there.
🔒 Some of the Best Finds Are Still Ahead
Below this line are more Canadian alternatives, including grills, pizza ovens, induction cooktops and more, with one choice that could save you $170.
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Great Work Bo! Another Excellent Resource Guide. Just posted the link on GANDER SOCIAL
Thanks. Even though they aren’t made in Canada profits stay here and Canadians work in better paying head office jobs, not just warehouse work.