Daily Mail: Britons are getting high-tech in the kitchen spending more than ?1 billion on gadgets and equipment over the past year.

Inspired by television programmes like The Great British Bake Off and Master Chef, wannabe cooks have stocked up on 34 million culinary devices in just 12 months.

According to new research Kitchens are home to some 163 million mixers, juicers, blenders and grills.

The frenzy for gadgetry has been has been driven by the rise of the celebrity chef and soaring popularity of cookery shows. The research by shopping website bespoke offers part of Barclay card, found Britain is also a nation of health-conscious cooks with more than a quarter owning a steamer.

Around 23 per cent have a juicer while 16 per cent own a smoothie maker. However 1.6 million less healthy households have an ice cream maker, with 930,000 owning a popcorn machine and 70,000 a candy floss maker.

And the nation's love of tea and toast is still alive with more than 80 per cent of households owning a kettle and 77 per cent a toaster.

David Herrick, managing director of bespoke offers, said: 'As someone whose kitchen is the central room in the home, it's great to see that so many of us are cooking and baking up a storm.

The poll of 2,000 adults found nine million Britons have been inspired to cook by watching The Great British Bake Off which kicks off the fifth series on Wednesday, on BBC One.

THE TOP TEN MOST DESIRED KITCHEN GADGETS

1. Microwave - 31 per cent

2. Kettle - 24 per cent

3. Toaster - 16 per cent

4. Coffee machine - 13 per cent

5. Bread maker - 10 per cent

6. Slow cooker - 8 per cent

7. George Foreman Grill - 7 per cent

8. Juicer - 7 per cent

9. Smoothie maker - 6 per cent

10. Candy floss machine - 3 per cent