ARTICLE
Trade Secrets: “The Oven And Cooktop I Can’t Live Without”
February 16, 2023-4 min read
So … you’re renovating your kitchen? Or creating an entirely new one from the terrazzo tiles up? Lucky you! Not only can you bag that slinky glass splashback or fancy fridge from your hit list, but upgrading your oven or cooktop is also your BIG chance to completely reboot your cooking!
“Most of us are guilty of getting stuck in a recipe rut, wheeling out the same old family staples week in and week out,” says Tania Grillinzoni, The Good Guys Buyer – Cooking Appliances. “But a shiny new oven or cooktop, especially one packed with the latest cooking technology and features, is one of the best motivators there is to shake up mealtimes!”
Here, Tania shares her second-to-none wisdom of cooking appliances to help you kit out that new dream kitchen with your perfect-fit oven and cooktop – and grow your home-chef cred for many delicious years to come!
The Game-Changing Power Of Steam
“In this job, I often get asked what cooking appliances or features I swear by when it comes to my own kitchen,” says Tania Grillinzoni, “and I’m forever telling people how much steam ovens and steam cooking have completely transformed my approach to mealtimes.
“Steaming is one of the gentlest, speediest and healthiest ways to heat food, which means your recipes will retain more nutrients and flavours and all those classics, like roasts and bakes, will require far less oil. And because there’s much more humidity inside a steam oven, grease and grime can’t bake on, so they’re supereasy to wipe clean. Especially if you snap up a model with self-cleaning, pyrolytic technology!”
“I often get asked what cooking appliances or features I swear by when it comes to my own kitchen, and I’m forever telling people how much steam ovens have completely transformed my approach to mealtimes.”
What To Cook In A Steam Oven
“Believe me, once you’ve had a succulent roast chicken from a steam oven, you’ll never look back! A steam oven really comes into its own with anything that benefits from retaining moisture – these ovens are great for turning out soft and fluffy bread rolls, and unbelievable chocolate brownies,” says Tania Grillinzoni.
“You can even boil eggs still in their shells directly on the rack; and when I’m not in the mood for cooking at all, I can rely on my steam oven to beautifully revive leftovers without drying them out.”
Shop Best-Buy Steam Ovens
Electrolux 60cm Pyrolytic Steam Oven Dark Stainless
Miele 60cm Steam Oven – Brilliant White
Teka 60cm Compact Steam Oven >
Combination Ovens: The Best Of Both Worlds
Not quite ready to part ways with conventional cooking? Not a problem! “If you’re upgrading your kitchen or designing a new one, seriously consider a combination oven that offers traditional baking and grilling, on top of steam functionality, for complete culinary versatility,” advises Tania Grillinzoni.
“Some combination ovens now even come with a built-in air fryer so you can enjoy golden, crispy fries one day, and incredibly moist cakes with great rise the next by adding a blast of steam to your baking cycle.”
Shop Best-Buy Combination Ovens
Asko 60cm Combination Steam Oven – Stainless Steel
Miele 60cm XL Steam Combi Oven Obsidian Black
Westinghouse 60cm Electric Oven – Dark Stainless
Choosing Your New Star Cooktop
So you’ve got your standing-ovation oven sorted. That’s only half the home-chef equation! “Naturally, you’ll want a cooktop that will look fantastic in your new layout and set you up for the future,” says Tania Grillnzoni. “But if saving time and energy in the kitchen is also a goal, for my money, induction cooktops are the way to go.”
“Induction cooktops use an electromagnetic field to heat up only the area under your pan, leaving the rest of your cooking surface cool to touch, so they deliver impressive heat precision for speedier results, and better energy efficiency for lower power bills!”
Sounds like a win-win to us!
Induction Cooktops With Added Benefits
“Pro chefs have been wise to induction cooktops for years and now all the top dogs like Miele, Asko, Smeg and Bosch are coming up with ever more clever models for domestic kitchens,” says Tania Grillinzoni.
To max out on your kitchen privileges, look for an induction cooktop with best-in-class features such as boost mode for that perfect sear; bridge zone to merge two separate cooking zones into one larger one for big-batch dishes; models that include a handy gas burner; and integrated smart rangehoods that can automatically connect to your induction appliance for optimum extraction.
Shop Best-Buy Induction Cooktops With Added Benefits
Bosch 60cm Induction Cooktop >
Now you’ve got the inside track on the top-rating cooking appliances, head to The Good Guys in-store or online to browse our huge range of ovens and cooktops and pick out your own dream kitchen mates!
