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Actually, my stick blender does have a detachable bottom part (Braun), and it's a really good thing.

However, my regular blender is a pain to clean, especially, if I use it to make mayo. I have to ask my husband to basically take it apart to be able to wash it properly, then I need to make sure I don't lose all these parts, then I need to ask him to put it back together. Argh!

My deep fryer - I'd appreciate it if there was a way to drain the used oil without having to use a ladle or turn the whole thing upside down (which, of course, means I spill the damn thing all over the counter). And while we're at it, some instructions as to how to dispose of the said oil would be lovely. Perhaps then, I would use it more often than once every two years.

The rest I can deal with, I guess. Although I would really love a self-cleaning grill. And while I'm at it, why not go for self-cleaning everything:-).

Another thing that has gotten better is the gas ranges which now have burner grids which meet and form a flat surface rather than presenting a mountain range on which to move pots around.

Hmmm..my stick blender does come apart, so that's not a prob. I'm on my second deep fryer. The first one had a plastic container that you set the unit on, and the oil would drain into it once it was cool enough. Then, most of the parts were dishwasher safe.

I got rid of that because it was just too small. The new one, the frying takes place in a container that's removable, so you don't have to wrangle the whole thing to pour out the oil.

I agree with the whole "nooks and crannies" thing. It was one thing I insisted on when I was buying new cabinets for our old house. I wanted flat surfaces that were easy to wipe down. Now, I'm back to old cabinets with mouldings that are oh-so-good at catching flour or whatever it is I happen to be flinging around.

Appliances with knobs that are hard to clean around are annoying. The newer touch-pad sorts of things are so much easier to deal with. You can just wipe the surface and its done. My blender has a bunch of tiny buttons with all these speeds, and they're close together. Something drips in there, and it's a pita to get something between the buttons to clean it. But I don't use it much and it works well, so I just deal with it for now. If/when I get a new one, I'll pay a lot of attention to buttons and knobs.

I'm still looking for the perfect spice grinder. I've been using a Krups (I think that's the brand) coffee grinder, and it works really well, but the ground spices can get down into the grinder itself and the cup doesn't come off, so it's just annoying to clean. For coffee, I guess it would be less of a big deal because it's close enough to the same flavor each time. But with spices, I might not want the old flavors to blend with the new. If it was the same mix every time, it might not be an issue.

I'm looking for the perfect grinder that will grind to a fine powder like the Krups, but with the removable cup that I can either put into the dishwasher, or at least wash by hand. Or AT LEAST that is sealed so I can carefully rinse it out.

I bought a Cuisinart grinder with the removable cup, and the first time I used it, the cup refused to come off. I called Cuisinart and they said it was a defect and they sent me a new one. Well, first the tech people told me to put oil on the stuck part (duh, it's underneath and I can't get there until I get the cup off) or to stick it in the freezer for a few hours. The freezer trick didn't work, so I emailed them, and they called back and were very nice. I haven't used the new one yet, so I don't know how well it grinds, but if the cup gets stuck again, it's not a winner. I tried some other brand where the cleaning was easy but the grinding wasn't so good.

I'm half-temped to get a couple more Krups models and label them for different spice needs -- one for hot-spicy, one for sweet flavors, and another for savory but not hot....hmmmm...I wonder if that would be enough?

@Wookie - To be honest, I never tried it on another type of pan because the LeCreuset pan bottoms are completely sealed. I think I'd worry about compromising sandwich construction on any good stainless steel pan but if a pan is so gunked up you're considering tossing it, you've got nothing to lose to try the method. :D

@dbcurrie... I hear you about the spice grinder. I do not own one, but once I heard somwhere (maybe martha stewart...) that if you stick a slice of bread in the grinder and run it, that should clean any residual spices left so your spice flavors do not mix.

Just like chiff's method, you have nothing to lose....

Funny, I was just thinking about asking for ideas on how to deal with the rust that happens on the Le Creuset lids where the screws holds the knob on. I do think a bit of oil might help keep it from returning but not sure how to get rid of it until then. I found that steel or copper scrubbers with a little soap get the bottoms and sides spiffy and quickly but I'm pretty A/R about my pans so I keep the bottoms sparkling.

@dbcurrie: For spice grinders I heard grinding some cheap rice in it would cleanse out the different spice flavors but bread might work too as MadelynR suggests.

I so love hanging pots and pans. It makes the shelves so much friendlier plus I can see what's missing at a glance. I hate trying to figure out where the daughter has put something as it seems a new and different place each time. Nesting annoys me as it means taking the whole stack out and disassembling to get the one I want. Cabinets just weren't made for them. To shallow, deep, high, low...

For lids, I only have a few which I do love as they go with my pots and pans that I love and the design is good so there's only a few. They are awkward though partly because they are so heavy (especially the le Creuset) so I often end up using a plate as a lid. For some reason my plates (both sizes) are perfect matches and easier to put the stirring spoon or spatula on top as well as clean. I'm annoyed with the cranny between the glass and steel rim on the lids. Do wish there was a way to hang those too. For plastic lids though I put them on their edge in a bigger container which, as labeled, contains them well and makes it easier to find what I want. Why it took me so long to figure that out I'll never know.

I put off getting a food processor simply because I don't want to deal with cleaning it and storing it. I'd use the blender more often if I didn't need to clean it and it's really not that bad as it comes apart easy but it's heavy glass and those blades scare me even away from the motor.

If it were up to me I'd design a refrigerator that was side by side but also on a pedestal (perhaps where I could store lids). I'd rather get up on a step stool to clean than on my hands and knees. And who hasn't knocked themselves silly by hitting the top of their head with the door of the freezer on top model?

So, I guess what I'd like most of all is self-cleaning and self-storing appliances. Be nice if they'd clean up around themselves as well. Kind of like Disney's Beauty and the Beast...

A castle would be nice too.

producestories, i have Calphalon, too and i just keep a toothbrush handy and that works. that and rinsing out the pot as soon as i'm done with it. i only have one all-clad and i just went to see how the handle screws are and they are really flat so it's never been an issue for me;it's a huge stockpot, tho so the screws don't get dirty much...
sieseye, i hang ALL my pots and love it. i just made a rule that absolutely nothing goes in the drawer beneath the oven but pot lids and maybe a flat cookie sheet and it works beautifully. everything is always right at our fingertips.

I think that the biggest problem with kitchen appliances is that they aren't designed by people who use them but by engineers who are trying to produce a product at a certain price point that is determined by marketing idiots who honestly feel that the more the device claims to do the easier it is to sell. Thus we have products that are designed to be made cheaply and try to do too much.

For instance: I love and use all the time my Kitchenaid stand mixer but there is no reason why it should be so loud. Some quality bearings and close tolerance gears could turn it into a quiet machine that appeals to the home cook because when you have it on you don't have to yell to your spouse "Hand me the CREAM!" That would maybe add $20 to the price of the machine but they don't do it because the marketing dudes have said that if it retails for over a certain price, they will never sell them. Well if they did, I'd scrap my perfectly good one for the new whisper quiet model.

Pans should have the lids from the other pans in the series fit them. For instance the lid on my 5qt Calphalon saute pan works nicely on my 12" Calphalon omelet pan but no other lids will fit nicely on my 10", 8" or 6" pans. When hanging them they nest fine but they won't if put flat. Ugh!

Spice grinder cups should have a simple "O ring" seal on the blade shaft so that the whole cup and blade as a single assembly comes out for cleaning.

Blenders should have water resistant motor bases so that you can hose them off without damaging the circuits. Oh and they only need an On/Off switch with a Pulse button. That's it. Simple.