It’s only natural to add a few touches of luxury to your kitchen’s design; when designing a new kitchen, this will depend on the type of design you’re looking to implement.
For some people, the kitchen is the heart of the home, a family zone, but for others it’s a space to experiment with new culinary delights or even a space to entertain guests – as the saying goes, ‘you will always find me in the kitchen at parties’. With that in mind, luxury essentials will differ. Together with Harvey Jones, bespoke kitchens specialists, we advise you on how to incorporate luxury into your kitchen’s design, no matter what look you’re going for.
Nothing says luxury like a wine cooler
It’s important to get your wine to the perfect temperature for your guests when hosting dinner parties; after all, there’s nothing worse than having a warm glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Kitchens with zones for cooking, eating and entertaining are the perfect place for the wine cooler, especially if you are also quite the master chef so your fridge is full of culinary delights and fresh ingredients. While there might not be space for a wine cellar, the latest wine coolers are very sophisticated machines that will ensure all wines – both red and white — are kept in the optimum conditions.
Companies such as Liebherr, Caple and CDA offer undercounter models, which include room for up to 48 bottles featuring several temperature zones – helping to keep reds and whites at the right temperature whatever the occasion. Perfect placed on the dining side of an island so that guests can help themselves while you cook, look for coolers that also include UV protection and anti-vibration – to keep harmful light at bay and stop the disturbance of sediments – as they’re important features to keep your wine at its best for longer. Larger models look great in a bank of appliances and many, such as those from Miele, have elegant wooden shelving, three temperature zones and even a sommelier unit for sampling your best vintages.
Steam ovens preserving goodness
When you cook, it’s important to retain the nutrients and goodness in the food you eat, especially when you’re on a health-kick! Steam ovens have long been a favourite with those that understand the benefits of a cooking process that preserves the goodness and nutrients of foods such as fish and vegetables.
Steam ovens aren’t just great for cooking veg – think pasta, pulses slow-cooked foods and proving bread – combination steam ovens are fast becoming the appliance on the top of our wish-lists. Combining a steam function with a microwave and also fan oven, if you’re short of space or your budget is limited, they provide most of the cooking functions you could ever need all in one convenient unit. Steam is delivered into the cavity via a removable water tank, meaning there’s no tricky plumbing into a water source either. Most appliance manufacturers include a steam or combination steam oven in their offering, but be aware that most steam-only models are compact so it’s wise to combine them with another one or two combination single ovens.
Coffee machines that remove the fuss
Coffee lovers can’t start the day without the perfect Americano or Cappuccino; that’s why you need a coffee machine to match. It will also save you time on cleaning up your work surfaces. Although they might seem pricey at first, many aren’t much more expensive than top-of-the range countertop models and think of all that money you’ll save not buying a coffee on your way to work every day.
Most manufacturers of coffee machines are beginning to keep in mind the rest of the kitchen during the design stage, and you can now buy a machine to match any style. Price points vary, from the very affordable semi-automatic models from Hotpoint to the pricier all-singing, all-dancing bean-to-cup coffee machine from AEG. If you can’t bear the thought of messy beans or grinds, then a Nespresso pod machine by Miele is a good option.
Hot water taps can save time
The benefits of having a hot water tap have only become apparent in recent years, nonetheless, every kitchen should have one. As a result, tap manufacturers began to develop their ranges, first with standalone taps and now the easier to include tri-flow monobloc with hot, cold and boiling water all in one, neat unit.
Don’t just use your boiling water tap for making tea and coffee; alongside a super-fast induction hob, boiling water taps can help you prepare rice and pasta dishes in no time at all. Most models heat the water to 98° but some, like those from Quooker, reach 100°. Try also Grohe, InSinkErator, Franke and Zip for three-in-one monobloc models and Insinkerator and Blanco for standalone taps that are useful for prep sinks. Tanks vary in size but some are compact enough to incorporate into a small kitchen design and all designs feature child-locks to prevent accidental scalding.