Mixers that can cook, boiling-water taps, teppanyaki hot plates… there’s a befuddling array of gadgets to seduce the keen cook, but what’s actually worth buying? Hayley Gilbert rounds up seven classics, along with new-fangled bits of hi-tech kit.
1. Mix it up KitchenAid’s Artisan stand mixer is retro in style and super-efficient in action. It also comes in a funky range of colours. From around £389.
2. Smooth operator This hand-operated stainless-steel mouli is the traditional choice for creating perfect-textured purées. £27.50 from Divertimenti.
3. Power of one The Magimix 3200 BlenderMix food processor can mix, grate, slice, chop, whisk, knead and liquidise. It also has an integrated mini processor for smaller jobs. £199 at John Lewis.
4. Soft touch Silicone spatulas from Cuisipro make mixing and folding easier, thanks to their flexible heads, which are heat- resistant to 300°C. In red, orange, blue or frosted, they cost £9.99 each.
5. Easy does it OXO’s Good Grips Y peeler is perfect for preparing spuds and root veg. It has a soft, comfily contoured handle, and the ‘Y’ design means you can peel at speed. It costs £5.50. Call 0114 290 1455 for stockist details.
6. The professional choice The Thermomix TM31 is a hi-tech food processor that cooks, too. It can handle anything from making jam to steaming rice, with one bowl, blade and whisk. The hefty £857 price tag includes a thick recipe book and a cooking DVD.
7. The perfect blend Cuisinart’s Professional Hand Blender has a powerful 800W two-speed motor and a range of attachments. It costs £65.
..and six hi-tech innovations
1. An oven and a half Gaggenau’s extra-wide 90cm built-in single oven is great for entertaining and cooking in bulk. The EB388 has a generous 78-litre capacity and a Pyrolytic self-cleaning programme. Priced around £4,590.
2. Hot water on tap The latest must-have is the Quooker boiling-water tap. Saving time, energy and water, it delivers 100°C water without waiting for the kettle to boil. The tap is designed to be child-proof. But, at £790, it ain’t exactly cheap.
3. Top of the hobs Professional chefs love the robust, industrial feel of Wolf’s Gas Cooktop. It has porcelain-coated cast-iron grates and is easy to clean. Fans include Galton Blackiston, Thomasina Miers, Michel Roux Junior and John Torode. The ICBCT36G is priced from £1,845.
4. The griddler If you enjoy Japanese cuisine, have a go yourself with Siemens’ Teppan Yaki cooktop griddle. The 40cm wide steel hotplate has touchpad controls and can reach temperatures of 240°C. It’s priced around £1,500.
5. Steam team The Bosch Logixx HBC36D753B is a steam combination oven with 70 automatic programmes, a memory function and the option of steam or hot-air cooking, dough proving, low temperature cooking and reheating. It’s priced around £987.
6. Super cool Keep your ingredients fresh with Neff’s K8345 fridge-freezer. Priced around £2,050, it features VitaFresh technology in special compartments, which reduces the temperature to near freezing. These drawers have up to 95% humidity to help vegetables and fruit stay crisp and fresh for up to three times longer than a conventional refrigerator.