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Dash is the mini-me of the kitchen world, best known for its impossibly low-cost Mini Waffle Maker ($13) and wee egg cookers. The best Dash kitchen appliances are ingenious about packing surprising functionality into a tiny package—saving both counter space and cash in your bank account. This has, of course, made Dash a viral fixture on TikTok, with scads of recipes for mini-waffles and keto-friendly chaffles.
Former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar found Dash to be a godsend for tiny New York apartments over most of a decade in the city: easy to use, versatile, and budget-friendly. But in my experience, you also have to sift the Dash chaff from the Dash wheat. WIRED has tested tens of Dash appliances, from the wonderfully low-cost to the merely cheap. Many have lived on our counters or in our cabinets for years. So, which are worth the precious space on your countertop? These are the best Dash kitchen appliances out there, each one tested by a WIRED reviewer.
Updated June 2025: We’ve added the Dash Multimaker Max and Brew2Go Rapid Cold Brew Maker, and adjusted prices, product descriptions, and retailers throughout.
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The Viral Dash Mini Waffle Maker
Photograph: Dash
The Dash Mini Waffle Maker is the budget-kitchen equivalent of a sensation. It was among the most viral TikTok devices of the early pandemic, the cooker that made every bored housebound human desperate to prove that literally everything can be a waffle. Sure, it makes regular waffles. But it also makes cinnamon roll waffles, keto-friendly “chaffles” made with cheese and eggs, protein waffles, chocolate waffles, hashbrown waffles, almond-flour waffles. Name a thing! It’s a waffle.
All you have to do is mix your ingredients, pour them onto the griddle, shut the lid, and wait a few minutes as it cooks. It’s so tiny it can hang happily in any cabinet, and is easy to clean and light to lift. I bought one of these a couple years ago when my partner became suspicious of carbs and wanted to try her hand at chaffles. Former WIRED Reviewer Brenda Stolyar has kept hers in heavy use for three years, and bought an extra for her parents. If you use a non-aerosol oil sprayer to grease it, it’ll last even longer. Aerosol will make things sticky over time.
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The Dash Rapid Egg Cooker
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu says his wife has been using this mini rapid egg cooker for five years. As someone who loves eggs, she uses it to make soft-boiled eggs often. But you can also use it for hard-boiled eggs, poached eggs, or scrambled eggs. Rather than futzing around with a pot of boiling water, all you have to do is set it and forget it. When it’s ready, you’ll hear a chime play. It is plasticky (a common theme with Dash products), but it’s still in decent condition after all these years.
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The Dash Multimaker Max Cooking System
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
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Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Dash
MultiMaker Max Waffle Cooker
“Max” is not a word often applied to Dash products. But in its way, this Multimaker Max is still remarkably compact, a full-sized hinged waffle maker with options to swap in nonstick griddle and deep-dish plates. The result is a sort of amazingly versatile bachelor or dorm-room cooker for waffles, pancakes, meat, veggies, and kinda whatever. It is a ticket to a mostly pan-free life—and a hell of a multicooker for dorm-dwellers and others who don’t have a stove or range easily accessible.
There are five cooking plates: Two waffle plates, two shallow griddle plates with about an inch of space between them, and a “deep dish” bottom plate with two-inch sides. There’s no on-switch. Just plug it in and the device will heat its griddle surfaces to around 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cleaning is easy. Cooking is easy. The temp is a terrific temp for most veggies—and also for pancakes, waffles, and quesadillas. But don’t expect a hard sear on meat. You won’t get it. That said, the limited temperature will keep you from screwing up the nonstick coating by overheating it, so the device is kinda foolproof. It’s a lazy or beginner cook’s dream device. Just … remember to unplug it when you’re done.
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A Dash Rapid Cold Brew Device
Dash
Brew2Go Portable Cold Brew System
This little puppy was a big surprise. Dash’s portable rapid cold brew device is among the many contenders that use pressure or agitation to speed up the classic, slow, many-hour process of making smooth, refreshing cold brew coffee. I had little confidence Dash would succeed where others failed.
And yet, here we are: This truly weird little device makes shockingly good 15-minute cold brew. There are a lot of parts, and it makes just one drinking-strength cup. But the results are admirably smooth, low in acidity, and free of the tannic bitterness that afflicts most quick cold brews. Basically, you put 8 to 12 ounces of water in the reservoir, fill up the little filter basket that drops into the device, then attach an additional tube and rechargeable vacuum device that buzzes like a vibrator. The Brew2Go will then create a vacuum to siphon coffee and release it, over and over, in a principle similar to the VacOne air brewer WIRED received positively a few years ago. You’ll see this visually as liquid is sucked up the vacuum tube then released back to the carafe. It’s wild to watch.
If you stick to 8 ounces of water, you can then rapidly cool the water with ice from room temp to chill and still have about 10 ounces of drinking-strength cold brew. The results are a little turbid: Some coffee fines get through the filter. But if you’re drinking immediately, this isn’t a problem. It’s mild, and quite pleasant—not as subtle or aromatic as the kind that takes 12 hours, but as good as most packaged cold brew.
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The Dash Popcorn Maker
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The Dash Fresh Pop popcorn maker is the same old-fashioned air popper that raised a generation of children in the ’70s and ’80s. But it’s small. And sorta cute. It doesn’t require any oil—unlike a pot, bag popcorn, or whirligig oil poppers that heat via direct heat on the cooking surface. (Dash makes one of these, too.)
What this means is that popcorn is not a junk food unless you want it to be a junk food. You can indeed melt butter in the measuring cup, which doubles as the butter melting tray, and then drizzle butter all over your popcorn. But you can also just have air-popped corn with some seasoning. And so every night can be movie night, without calling your cardiologist or your dietician. Huzzah. Former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar liked to use her Dash popper with these reusable popcorn containers to double down on retro vibes.
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The Dash Electric Kettle
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Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
I love a precision electric kettle like the Fellow Stagg EKG ($195), the kind that heats to a precise temp and pours with the accuracy of a trick bartender. This isn’t that. This Dash is a no-fuss, no worry, easy-pour, lightweight boiler. It is for dorms, for break rooms, and for fast splashes into a French press.
The window lets you see how much water is in the kettle, and the handle is cool. Those are the special features. It takes about 10 minutes to boil 1.7 liters, which doesn’t exactly make it a race-winner either. But it’s pleasant-looking and doesn’t cost a lot. Which is to say, it is a Dash appliance.
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A Dash Egg Bite Maker
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
I’m obsessed with egg bites from Starbucks, but not enough to go out and buy them every day. Thanks to this handy-dandy gadget, I’ve now got egg bites at home! I use it when I’m in a pinch and don’t have time to cook a proper breakfast but want to ensure I’m keeping up with my protein intake.
I’ve made egg bites with veggies, turkey bacon, and cheese. They cook sous vide-style too, which keeps the egg bites from getting too dry. All you have to do is pour water onto the griddle and then place the four silicone molds on top. The egg bites will be ready within a few minutes. Clean-up is easy too—I pop the silicone molds into the dishwasher and wipe the machine down with a paper towel. —Brenda Stolyar
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A Dash Mini-Rice Cooker
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Every night, my dinners almost always consist of a protein with a side of rice. Rice pairs well with nearly everything—chicken, salmon, shrimp, you name it. But I’ll usually reach for a microwavable packet because it’s quicker (I know, sorry). I dread cooking rice on my stovetop because I feel like I have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. Yes, rice cookers have existed for an eternity, but Dash’s Mini Rice Cooker has now become a staple in my kitchen (it’s earned a permanent spot on my countertop).
The tiny appliance can cook up to two cups of rice. It comes with a measuring cup and a rice paddle so you don’t scratch the surface. Add in the rice and water, and push the button. Once the rice is done, it will automatically switch to the keep-warm function to stop it from overcooking. I never have an issue with brown rice (it always comes out nice and fluffy), but I find that it tends to slightly overcook the bottom layer of Jasmine rice. Not a dealbreaker for an appliance under $20. I haven’t used it for anything else, but Dash says it can make quinoa, pasta, stews, oatmeal, and soups. It comes with a recipe book for inspiration. —Brenda Stolyar
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The Dash Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Dash
Tilt Head 3.5 Quart Stand Mixer
The Dash tilt-head stand mixer is a wee but serviceable 3.5-quart stand mixer at a startlingly low price, less than $100 and often on sale. Anyone who wants to make dense, high-hydration pizza dough or a perfect meringue should keep walking, and instead check out WIRED’s guide to the Best Stand Mixers. But dips and cookies and fresh whipped cream are all human rights, and this Dash is a quite accessible starter mixer.
The dial on this tilt-head mixer has 12 speeds to choose from, comes with the basic three attachments (paddle, dough hook, and whisk), and has a splash guard to save on flour spray. Former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar had good luck with this Dash mixer making cake batter, chocolate chip cookies, and onion dip courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Just don’t get overconfident and overtax the motor on thick, glutenous batter—or keep this running for long mixing times above 10 minutes. This isn’t for that.
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The Dash Air Fryer
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Dash
Express Digital Tasti-Crisp Air Fryer
The Dash Tasti-Crisp air fryer is one of the smaller models on the market, just 2.6 quarts, and also remarkably low cost. It’s an air fryer best for singletons and single-use cooks, great for snacky french fry batches and handfuls of wings and side vegetables. But it’s compact, easy to store, and lightweight. Former WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar bought it at first to cook up fish for her dog, but ended up a convert for herself—a good little cooker for chicken, fish, bacon, and veggies. The basket and removable nonstick base are dishwasher safe, and the presets include a custom setting just for you.
What Are Dash Appliances?
Dash makes compact kitchen appliances that are easy to use, clean, and store. These span various categories, including waffle makers, toasters, ovens, blenders, air fryers, cookware, and mixers. What’s the big deal? They’re often fun, single-use devices that fill a funny niche—but they don’t take up a lot of space, and they don’t cost a lot of money. They’re like the fast faxhion of the kitchen. But for those with small apartments or small budgets—from college students, to those just starting out—the best Dash kitchen appliances can also be daily drivers that make cooking more fun. These gadgets are essentially foolproof and come with recipe books if you’re really stuck.
Are Dash Appliances Durable?
In our testing so far, most hold up pretty well. They’re plastic appliances and may not feel like they’ll last a long time, but former WIRED eviewer Brenda Stolyar has had her $13 Dash Mini Waffle Maker for more than three years with no sign of it slowing down. I’ve also waffled the heck out of a Mini Waffle for two years. WIRED reviewer Jullian Chokkattu has been using the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker for more than five years, and that’s also still going. Which is to say that though they’re often lightweight and a bit plasticky, Dash keeps on ticking.
Each appliance comes with a one-year warranty. Under the warranty, you’ll be able to exchange it for the same item if there’s a defect. You’ll need to provide proof of purchase, so hold on to that receipt (or a digital image thereof). If you register your Dash appliance, this will automatically extend it to a two-year warranty—a rare quality among appliances that often cost less than $30!
How Do I Clean a Dash Appliance?
It depends on the appliance. Many appliances in this buying guide come with parts that are dishwasher safe. But or nonremovable parts, just use a wet paper towel or sponge on the exterior. Dash has a predilection for plastic and (non-PFOA) nonstick, so a quick once-over and rinse with a soapy sponge is usually enough. Honestly, cleaning a Dash appliance should be the least of any problems you have in a kitchen.
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