What are the appliances that take foodies’ kitchens to the next level? We speak to head chefs, interior stylists, and food writers about how they play favourites. Here they open their kitchen cabinets to reveal the must-have appliances, kitchen tools, and utensils they can’t cook without. From big investments to benchtop companions, these are the items to add to your wish list.
“I use my stand mixer to make pasta dough, pizza dough, choux pastry, biscuits and cakes but also to whip cream, mince meat and cut pasta using the different attachments. It would be almost impossible to complete most of these tasks by hand, and you just wouldn’t get the same results so a stand mixer will always be an essential piece of equipment in any of my kitchens,” he adds.
“I tend to be an optimistic grocery shopper, which means I’m always adding more fresh fruit and leafy vegetables into my basket than I’ll ever eat. Which is why a premium refrigerator is my lust-have appliance,” says food writer Kayla Wratten.
“Not all chillers are created equal; the Liebherr integrated refrigerators have this amazing function called ‘HydroBreeze’ which covers produce in a fine mist every 90 minutes. I need all the help I can get when it comes to prolonging freshness and reducing my food waste. Plus, the durable, long-lasting materials – like elegant glass and stainless-steel liner – mean it’s worth the investment.”
“I have a very improvisational style of cooking, which mainly revolves around taking whatever ingredients are in the depths of my fridge and spooling them into something that’s – hopefully – semi-edible,” says Callum McDermott. “Which is why I use my miniature food processor on a daily basis. With a few oils and vinegars, you can turn sad herbs into a zingy salsa verde in seconds; make your own dips, purees and sauces on the fly; and even outsource some of your veggie prep. And its small size makes it a breeze to clean and store.”
