The Ultimate Guide to Shopping for Home Appliances to Save Time

Time is the most precious thing. With work, family and time to yourself, there never seems to be enough hours in the day. The good news? The perfect home appliances can make your life a little easier by performing simple tasks and chores that would otherwise take up much of your day.

Today's appliances are made to be faster, more efficient and require less of a hands-on approach than ever before. From dishwashers that run while you're asleep to robot vacuums that get to work even as you lounge on the couch, technology can make your home life more enjoyable and convenient than ever.

This guide will demonstrate exactly when and how to choose appliances that actually save time, not just claim to. You'll discover what features really matter, which brands actually keep their promises and how to avoid the pitfalls that leave you wasting time and money.

The Appliances That Make Our Lives More Efficient Than Ever

Life keeps getting busier. The average person devotes two hours a day to household chores. That's 14 hours a week — nearly a full day of time that could be spent with loved ones, with hobbies, or just, you know, resting.

And smart appliances can shorten this time by half or even more. A proper dishwasher saves 30 minutes a day versus washing by hand. A high efficiency washer and dryer can save two hours a week with your laundry. Robot vacuums take out the daily sweeping and weekly deep cleaning.

The trick is figuring out which features and capabilities are right for you. Not all time-saving features actually save time, and some can even add work when they're not well-designed.

Kitchen Appliances That Really Save Time

Dishwashers: The Front Line of Defense

The first time-saving investment anyone should make in their home is a good quality dishwasher. Look for these features:

Quick Wash Cycles: The most superior models have cycles that wash lightly soiled dishes in 30 minutes. This is 20 minutes faster than washing by hand.

Third Rack Design: More space so you can fit other things besides dishes, like kids' plates, bowls, pots and pans or lids — no extra loads or a mess. You can get 20-30% more items per cycle.

Soil Sensors: Sensors automatically adjust water temperature and cycle length according to how dirty your dishes are. No guessing and no rewashing needed.

Silent Performance: Noise levels in the 44-47 decibel range enable your dishwasher to clean your dishes while you enjoy life in your home.

Recommended top performers are the Bosch 800 Series, KitchenAid KDTM404 and certain Samsung StormWash models. For units that include all the time-saving features, from $800-$1,200 is more like it.

Multi-Function Cooking Appliances

Instant Pots/Pressure Cookers: Stews, roasts and dried beans are done in 50-70% less time. A pot roast that usually requires 4 hours is done in 90 minutes.

Air Fryers: Preheat oven to 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then place in oven and cook 25% faster than conventional ovens, while saving energy. Great for warming up leftovers in 3-5 minutes rather than 15-20.

Convection Ovens: Reduce cooking time by up to 25-30%, with an oven that heats food more evenly. Great for meal prepping on the weekends.

Microwave Convection Combinations: Enjoy oven-quality results two- to four-times faster without sacrificing quality with a Microwave Convection Oven combination. And cook a whole chicken in 20 minutes rather than an hour!

Smart Refrigerators and Food Storage

Today's refrigerator saves on lost time, thanks to better storage and preservation of food:

Door-in-Door Design: Door-in-Door design offers quick and easy access to favorite foods. Saves 5-10 seconds each trip, 30 minutes per month.

Internal Ice/Water Dispensers: No more reaching into the door. Keep the temperature and saves your energy.

Smart Connectivity: WiFi connected so you can receive updates to your smartphone when the contents of your pantry are running low, create shopping lists, and set expiration date reminders.

Flexible Storage: Glass shelves and a full width drawer in the freezer make for a flexible interior, so it's easier to fit in food, even ultra-economy packs.

Laundry Solutions That Do the Work While You Sleep

High-Efficiency Washers

Modern washers don't take any more time (and probably much less, considering their capacities and cycle times):

Size Matters: Front-load washers have capacities of 4.5 cubic feet or greater so you can do twice the number of loads you do now, saving time and water.

Fast Wash Options: Lightly soiled items in 15 to 30 minutes. Great for things like gym clothes or clothing worn for a few hours.

Steam Function: It improves the wrinkling during your clothes drying cycle. Steam cycles can freshen clothes without a complete wash.

Smart Controls: Go for a run or take the dog for a walk. Start, pause, and stop the cycle from anywhere with the SmartThings App. Receive alerts when cycles finish.

Among our favorites are LG WM4000HWA, Samsung WF45R6100 and Whirlpool WFW5620HW. Seek ENERGY STAR certification to also lessen utility costs.

Dryers That Deliver

Moisture Sensors: Automatically pause when clothes are dry to prevent over drying and minimize wrinkles. Saves 15-30 minutes per load.

Steam Refresh: Revive wrinkled clothes that have been sitting in the dryer. No need to rewash or iron.

Big Enough: To fit whatever you load into your washer, you can load it into the dryer.

Heat Pump Technology: Enjoy 50% less energy use and the gentle care offered by this machine. It takes a little longer but saves you some money and a little wear and tear on clothing.

Cleaning Appliances That Work Independently

Robot Vacuums: Set and Forget

Robot vacuum cleaners went from being a novelty to an essential. The features for saving the most time are:

Mapping Technology: Machines working with LiDAR or camera mapping clean more effectively and don't slow down. Choose from brands such as Roomba i7+, Roborock S7 or Shark IQ.

Automated Emptying: Self-emptying base stations that automatically dispose of collected debris. Worth the $200-300 upcharge for busy households.

Multi-Floor Memory: Remembers multiple floor plans and can direct the robot to specific rooms through voice control using Alexa enabled devices or Google Assistant. Perfect for cleaning multi-floor homes.

Scheduling: Choose daily or weekly operation and even opt to run it whenever you're out of the house. The majority of people prefer the proverbial ounce of prevention over a pound of cure.

Battery Life: Aim for a runtime of 90+ minutes to clean larger homes in a single go.

Smart Mops and Floor Care

Robot Mops: Braava Jet M6 is one of the models that can automatically mop your floors each day. Best for hard floors in kitchens and bathrooms.

Steam Mops: Clean and disinfect all at once — without the use of chemicals. Bissell PowerFresh and Shark Steam Pocket are both quality options for under $100.

Cordless Stick Vacs: Opt for powerful cordless cleaning with Dyson V15, Tineco A11 and Shark Navigator models.

Smart Homes — Everything Talks to Each Other

Connected Appliances Save More Time

There are also efficiency gains when appliances talk to each other:

Smart Plugs: Convert any appliance into a smart device for $10-20 a pop. Remotely control coffee makers, Crock-Pots and small appliances.

Voice Control: Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free control on your appliances while you are cooking or cleaning.

Energy Management: Intelligent systems automatically turn on the appliances during off-peak hours, which saves the cost when you are sleeping.

Maintenance Alerts: Receive reminders for filter replacements, cleaning cycles and overall performance issues before it shuts down, thanks to the app connectivity.

Creating Automated Routines

The time savings at large come from the automation:

Start Your Day Right: The coffee maker begins at 6 AM, the dishwasher runs while you sleep, and the robot vacuum will clean while you are at work.

Morning Schedule: Cup of coffee brews as soon as you wake up. Evening Schedule: Slow cooker turns on 2 hours prior to getting home, laundry moves to dryer.

Weekend Routine: Deep clean appliances over chunk of Saturday morning while you run errands.

Budgeting for Time-Saving Appliances

Financing and Shopping Strategies

Meanwhile, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Black Friday see up to 20-40% off large appliances.

Bundle Deals: Getting appliances by the same maker in a package deal may involve rebates and extended warranties.

Energy Rebates: $50-200 rebates are often available from your utility for ENERGY STAR appliances. Check your local utility website.

0% Interest: You can spread out your payments interest-free from anywhere between 12-24 months. Most major retailers offer 0% interest for qualified buyers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't Fall for Marketing Hype

Avoid Unnecessary Features: Touchscreen displays and superfluous smart features are usually the first things that break and rarely save time.

Shop Right-Sized: Big appliances suck energy — and room. Undersized ones require multiple cycles.

Read Real Reviews: Look for reviews from anyone who has had the appliance for over 6 months. Early reviews miss reliability issues.

Installation and Maintenance Planning

Professional Installation: Appliances with a complex construction such as washer and dishwasher require professional installation to reduce any problems.

Maintenance Schedules: The best time-saving machines need to be serviced at regular intervals. Factor this into your decision.

Warranty Protection: You're more likely to need an extended warranty for an appliance with advanced electronics.

Measuring Your Time Savings

Track Before and After

Keep a record for a week or so before purchasing new home appliances:

• Time spent doing dishes by hand

• Time spent on laundry (folding and putting away included)

• Time spent vacuuming and mopping

• Cooking and food prep time

After installing new devices, monitor these activities for a second week. The real time savings this brings is the most unexpected factor for most people.

Calculate Your Hourly Value

If you make $25 an hour and save 10 hours a week with new appliances, that's $250 in time a week, or as much as $13,000 a year. If you price your time properly when you account for even expensive appliances, they pay for themselves quickly.

Future-Proofing Your Appliance Choices

Technologies to Watch

AI Learning: Learning appliances that learn and pattern your preferences will be standard in the next five years.

Voice Integration: By 2030, most of your devices will be able to be controlled by voice activation.

Energy Storage: Devices equipped with onboard batteries will function during blackouts and maximize energy consumption, ensuring the most efficient storage.

Health Monitoring: There will be health monitors for air, water, and food on all appliances to ensure a healthier lifestyle.

Buying for Longevity

Select appliances of reputable brands which are supported by good service and warranty. Brands like Whirlpool, GE and Bosch have been in business for decades and should be around to honor warranties well into the future.

Seek out standard connections and avoid proprietary systems that might become outdated. WiFi, Bluetooth, and regular old electrical can be lower-risk than proprietary protocols.

How to Make The Decision: Action Plan

1. Audit Your Current Routine: Keep a record of the amount of time you spend on housework for one week.
   
   

2. Rank by Value: Lean on the appliances offering the greatest time saving for your personal scenario.
   
   

3. Choose A Budget That Works: Keep in mind the installation expense, extended warranties and energy costs.
   
   

4. Do Your Homework: Read reviews professionally and from consumers who have been using the product for a long time.
   
   

5. Plan for Integration: Think about how new appliances will interface with your existing configuration.
   
   

6. Buy At The Right Time: Look through sales for your best deal.
   
   

The right tools can free up 10-20 hours a week – time you can use to do what you love. If you concentrate on proven time-savers and steer clear of marketing hype, you will be able to build a home that will work for you, rather than against you.

Keep in mind: The idea isn't to purchase the priciest or even most up-to-date appliances. It's to pick ones that truly cut down on the time and effort needed to have a clean home and do so in a way that fits your budget and lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the kitchen appliance that saves most of the time?

For the fastest wash, the quicker cycles on a reliable machine are the biggest time saver — around up to 30-45 minutes every day when you compare it to hand washing. An Instant Pot, or any multi-cooker, will cut cooking time on many traditional dishes by 50-70%.

Is it worth spending more on smart appliances?

Smart features are only worth it if you'll really use them. Remote-start capability, with the ability to monitor maintenance needs, offers real convenience, but touch-screen displays or extensive connectivity often aren't worth the added cost.

What is the lifespan of time-saving appliances?

With regular upkeep, most good appliances have a 10 to 15 year life span. Dishwashers last 10-12 years, washers and dryers 10-15 years and robot vacuums 3-5 years before needing to be replaced.

When purchasing appliances, should I buy them in sets or one by one?

There are discounts to be had from buying sets from a single manufacturer and a guarantee of matching styling, though not at the expense of good quality. Combine brands if the trade-off gets you better performance or features.

So what's the lower limit, because at some price point do you become unable to buy back meaningful time?

You can begin shaving off huge chunks of time with a $1,500-2,000 budget that includes a basic dishwasher ($600), robot vacuum ($400), and multi-cooker ($150). This combo can reclaim 5-8 hours a week.

Do energy-efficient appliances really save time?

Energy-saving appliances may have time-saving options such as moisture sensors and quick dry cycles. They also require reduced maintenance and last longer, which saves time on repairs and replacements.

How can I tell if an appliance will really fit in my space?

Measure twice and test for door, vent and electrical clearance. Many retailers will provide free design consultations to ensure fit and function.

To what degree do time-saving devices involve maintenance?

The majority of them need to be cleaned monthly (dishwasher filters, robot vacuum bins) and serviced (washer drums, dryer vents) every so often. Smart devices like appliances can sometimes give you a notification that maintenance needs to happen.