Many kitchens are equipped with a variety of small cooking appliances including grills, sandwich makers, waffle irons, frying pans, skillets, and electric woks that may need fixing.

Some have controls built into the appliance while others have them built into the detachable cord. Let's take a look at how to fix both types here because they all work similarly.

Cooking appliances are designed to cook food at changeable temperatures. In some units, the temperature control is permanently attached to the appliance; the unit cannot be immersed in water for cleaning. Those with removable controls often can be immersed with the controls detached. Some units with built-in controls have removable electric cords and some have built-in non-removable cords.

Small cooking grills have one element and no thermostat to regulate temperature. Sandwich makers and waffle irons have two cooking surfaces with internal heating elements; cooking temperature is regulated by a built-in thermostat. In some cases the elements are exposed (you can actually see them turn red hot) or covered (you can't see the element, but you can feel the heat).

What can go wrong?

Many things can go wrong with these cooking appliances. Fortunately, most of the units are relatively simple in design and simple to fix. For example, the electrical cord may malfunction. The heating element may be broken. The terminal pins on detachable cords may be faulty. The thermostat may malfunction. Internal wiring may have a short circuit. Other internal parts may be damaged or not working properly.

What to do?

Make sure you read the instruction manual (hopefully, filed away in a safe place) before trying to clean it. Some can be immersed in water (though typically not put in a dishwasher) while others have non-stick surfaces that only require wiping with a damp cloth. Don't immerse any part of the unit in water unless the manufacturer says it's okay.

If the appliance does not heat, make sure that power is on at the outlet and test the electrical cord; replace it if needed. If this doesn't work, disassemble the unit and test the heating element.

If the appliance heats on one side only, test each heating element and replace it if it is defective. While you have the unit open, check the internal wiring to see if you can identify any loose or broken wires that can be replaced.

With basic tools and a multimeter you can test and replace many components on cooking appliances. Replacement parts can be purchased from the appliance manufacturer or various aftermarket suppliers. – Janice Anderssen

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