For starters
Small gadgets are the perfect cheap addition for any kitchen, making cooking more exciting and sprinkling a bit of originality to an otherwise routine meal. There is a vast selection of websites offering products from just a few pounds. These handy knickknacks perk up your dinner time preparations and can make you feel more like one of your favourite TV chefs – excessive swearing optional.
One of these sites is the Kitchen Shop (www.just-cooking.co.uk). As well as offering you the usual cookery utensils, pots and pans, there is a variety of cool gadgets and a section of useful items for under GBP10.
Uutensil Stir (available through The Kitchen Shop or direct from www.uutensil.com) is an automatic whisk that fits directly onto the pan. Nigel Summers, owner of the website, said, “when we first saw this (automatic whisk) we couldn’t believe that it could possibly work. For sauces that need constant stirring you just pop it in the pan, switch it on and walk away! We’ve only just taken this on so I can’t report sales volumes yet but ingenious it definitely is.”
Another value-for-your-money culinary adventure website is www.lazyboneuk.com, which plays host to a number of clever ideas to brighten up both your kitchen and your cooking experience.
The digital spoon scale is a useful, nifty device that you can use in any meal. LazyboneUK said, “we all tend to guess the smaller amounts instead of weighing when cooking, but now you can have the peace of mind that all is correct. Your scones should be perfect every time”
Available for GBP20.99, the scales weigh up to 300 grams in 0.1 gram increments, and 10.5 ounces in 1/200 ounce increments. They have interchangeable spoons, so you have two different sizes and can swap them over for easy washing or measuring different ingredients.
And for the main
Large firms have been picking up on how much more time people are spending on home preparation, rather than going out for their tasty treats. Although not as unique as some of the designer kitchenware brands on offer, companies like Moben, Magnet and B&Q are offering tasteful, innovative designs at an accessible cost.
“I’m still getting my head around the innovative products that can be installed. B&Q do a nice range of items, one which took my fancy (so much that I bought them) were some under cabinet lights which really add class to a kitchen,” Andrew Pearson from B&Q said.
The most unique item though proves the company’s realisation to the increase of time spent at home and especially in the kitchen. B&Q are currently in talks with buyers about bringing in a ‘TV door’ that will fit into any 500 millimeter cabinet. While concealed pull-down TVs are quite regular occurrences, costing around GBP150, in homes across the world, this new item is a cabinet door TV, not hidden or retractable but the door itself.
For something to change the entire look of a kitchen in a matter of moments however, look no further than granite transformations (www.granitetransformations.co.uk).
We are all aware of the fashion to have granite worktops in the home. Both functional and attractive, they are a must in most new kitchens, but can be pricey and not many people are in the market for a new kitchen right now.
The idea behind granite transformations, however, is just to measure up your existing work tops and, after picking one of 55 colours, placing and gluing the new granite worktop over the old. It removes the mess and hassle of installing new units and tops, takes a lot less time to install and most of all saves you a bundle.
Now the dessert trolley
There are some, perhaps those bankers and their bonuses, who can afford to go the extra mile in their kitchen at home. There is a plethora of unique and fantastic designers waiting to add little touches and flourishes to your kitchen, or rip it out entirely and design a new one. These touches may cost a little more, but for the central hub of a house, it can be worth splashing out on your splash backs.
For the green among us, the ideal is Californian designers Vetrazzo (www.vetrazzo.com). Back in 1996 the company worked with a PhD glass scientist to create beautiful worktop made entirely from recycled glass.
“Approximately 70% of the glass used is from last night’s Chardonnay, beer and mineral water bottles recycled in California. Other sources include traffic light lenses, safety glass from windshields and shower doors, architectural window glass, stemware and art glass,” a spokesperson said.
The result is uniquely attractive pieces that not only improve your home environment for those nights in but improve the environment all around you. Remember, the energy saved recycling a single glass bottle is enough to power a 60-watt light bulb for four hours.
The final choice I have discovered to really push the gravy boat out on your kitchen’s décor is the kitchen robot…
More suited to The Jetsons than St John’s Wood, this invention developed by Panasonic and Tokyo University has 18 different sensors in its hand and, with its one-arm, can pick up dishes and glasses, wash them, and put them in a rack. This is just the latest in a line of Japanese kitchen robots that will make our automatic whisks look like an 18th century playthings Videos are available of the Kitchen Assistant Robot on youtube for you to check out.
I don’t think I am ready for the robots yet but a little can go a long way when making your kitchen an inviting, exciting and fun place in this time of credit crunch Cordon Bleu.
TOP TIP: Gordon Ramsey has told us the one item he could not live without in his kitchen. “The Magimix 5200 blender” he said. “It’s an amazing machine that is very versatile in the kitchen. It’s fantastic for making sauces”.
