Everything a kitchen goddess needs.

If you come to my house you will often find me resplendent in an apron as I love cooking.  I also love having people over to share a meal.  We are lucky that all our family gets along and we often get together for family meals.  When we have everyone over, there are now 15 of us with a new baby arriving in January (not mine.  Definitely not mine).

I have been flirting with the idea of having two ovens for quite some time.  Our current oven is awful.  We bought it only a few years ago when our old oven died.  We only had two choices because at that stage we were not ready to renovate.  I got it as it was supposed to give me two ovens.  Instead we have the main oven that cooks unevenly and the top oven which won’t stay alight if the bottom oven is on.  The fan only comes on once we have finished cooking and only two of the gas burners work. I don’t recommend the Belling. At all.  Their customer service is appalling and their knobs are cheap.

As we are working within our current walls, our kitchen won’t end up much bigger than it currently is, so we need to be smart about how we fit it out.  The large 90 cm ovens wouldn’t suit us, and, besides, I still only end up with one cooking space, and it would seem a waste to heat up all 90 cm for something like garlic bread.  I like the idea of being able to have a slow roast in one oven and a cake in another. Two temperatures.  Two ovens.

We have spent a bit of time at E&S Trading in Blackburn. I have been utterly and thoroughly seduced by Miele ovens.  After we both completed the cooking demonstration we decided to go with:

• one 60 cm Miele H2661BP pyrolytic oven
• one Miele DGC6805 XL C/S Combi Steam Oven
• one Miele ESW6214 C/S Warming Drawer

We weren’t initially sold on the combi steam oven until we saw all it could do.  Then I swooned.  In fact, we both did. The one we are getting will be plumbed in.  I found this great blog called Cookwise which gives lots of great information about a combi steam oven and some very scrumptious recipes too.

We weren’t as sold on the Miele cooktops or rangehoods.  We looked at the induction cooktops, and while I find the technology amazing and would definitely be interested if I had younger children who I wanted to protect from burns, I wasn’t convinced.  Again we were constrained by size.  We need a 60 cm top.  The 60 cm induction would give me less cooking space than I currently have because of the configuration and I would need to buy special pans to use with it.  Also, I am too hooked on gas.  If I can buy from an Australian company, and the product is good, I will support them.  Highland is an Australian company. Aaron was sold on the stainless steel knobs alone!  This is the one we chose:

• Highland HP42CN 66cm 4 burner gas cook top.

If you have ever been to my house after I have cooked fish, you will know that my current exhaust fan does nothing other than make a lot of noise.  It does not remove the smell of fish which seems to permeate throughout the whole house and means that my father complains loudly at the stench.  We wanted something with a bit of power.The rangehood we chose is:

• Sirius SL906L520

It is an Italian brand but designed for Australia.  It has stainless steel baffles instead of mesh which means it will be easier to clean and I can actually throw them in the dishwasher. It is very quiet and powerful.  It will need to be vented outside, but given the new kitchen will back onto the garage, it can be vented straight out there.

Cooking appliances are sorted! I have images of myself cooking up gourmet meals Nigella style. I will frolic in my new kitchen whipping up decadent desserts as I sensuously and sexily stir the mix and lick the spoon.  All in my apron of course.