Whether you have a smaller home with little space for multiple appliances or an off-grid home that allows you to be autonomous, a minimalist style can provide a modern aesthetic to your home while helping to make your room feel spacious and inviting. If you are attempting to live off-grid, you will need to choose appliances according to their energy consumption or their ability to provide energy.
In order to achieve a minimalist style, you will also need to consider what type of function an appliance serves. For instance, some appliances are essential to your successful survival. Other appliances, however, serve as more of a luxury. In the case of luxuries, you should consider how to consolidate for maximum impact.
1. Compact refrigerator-freezer-combo
Any time you can get two appliances for the price of one, you should do so. Regardless of your particular situation, you will need some sort of refrigerator or freezer. For best results, a 48-inch refrigerator that comes with a freezer will allow you to save energy and space while still being able to store 80 to 90 cubic feet of groceries. The important thing to consider is shelf space. You will want a combo that offers lots of adjustable shelving in both the freezer section as well as in the refrigerated section.
2. Compact stove
Depending on your space requirements, you should consider a miniature stove. These stoves offer you all the convenience of modern cooking, but they come in sizes that will accommodate any small home. For instance, these types of stoves rarely exceed 16 inches to 20 inches in width. In terms of cooking space, a propane stove can offer up to 2.3 cubic feet of space while an electric stove might measure just 20 inches wide with two to four burners.
The best thing about these smaller electrical units is that they can run on 110 volts, which makes them work with any electric socket. Moreover, they work readily with any solar setup you might have without draining all your electricity.
3. Generator
Sometimes, clouds will set in, and your solar array might not produce all the electricity you need. In this case, you will need a generator. A generator will help run larger appliances, and it will be available in the night or following storms. When selecting a generator, you will need to select one that is able to provide you all the amps or total watts required to run your home’s appliances.
Additionally, if you wire it into your grid, an external shed will help protect it. That said, portable ones like the Generac gp8000e are powerful and versatile, allowing you to maintain power to your home or re-locate it to a camp. In all situations, you want to ensure you have proper ventilation.
Finally, you will want to choose a generator equipped with an inverter. An inverter will help ensure that sensitive electronics like laptops, televisions, and medical equipment are not damaged.
4. Cooking wood stove
A wood stove that comes equipped with a cooktop will allow you to heat your home and cook your breakfasts and dinners. Additionally, it can keep your coffee warm without having to use any additional power.
Cooking wood stoves are often compact, allowing only enough room for a skillet and a coffee pot. However, larger ones are available that offer enough room for two skillets and a pot. Some even have metal shelves that will allow heated items to remain warm while larger units will have a side-by-side design. Side-by-side designs incorporate a wood-stove beside an oven. The heat from the stove will bake or roast small to medium dishes in the oven while also heating the range.
5. Candle oven
For the barest of kitchen, an oven that runs on candles is known as a HERC oven, and these types of ovens can bake or cook small dishes while utilizing nothing more than tea lights. Additionally, they also come with stones, which retain heat for baking or simmering. For the outdoor adventurer intent on keeping energy use to a minimum, a HERC oven will always help you enjoy a hot meal.
