Must Haves For Master Chefs Ever fancied yourself a dab hand in the kitchen? Think you could create a far better blancmange than that chap on MasterChef?  Well now you can ensure you have the kitchen on your side for your next culinary adventure. BBC’s MasterChef has been whetting our appetites for far more than the latest take on a Sunday roast. Audiences have become used to seeing gleaming, stainless steel kitchens with powerful ovens, stocked full of all the latest gismos and gadgets for the fancy chef. Brand new features, formerly only used in commercial restaurants, now make their way into the everyday kitchen. Telescopic oven shelves, like those in the picture, may sound like something aboard the space shuttle, but their presence on our television screens have made them something of a must-have for the aspiring master chef. These shelves allow you to pull them out at

The Retro Kitchen Every so often, we love a walk down memory lane here at My Beautiful Kitchen. Sometimes it’s nice to reminisce about the kitchen designs we’ve seen come and go down the many years we’ve been in the business. But it’s good news for those who like to go back in time…because retro fashions are great to use in your kitchen and can provide your home with a truly striking room. So, to turn your kitchen into a real conversation piece, you can get ahead in the style stakes by injecting your kitchen with retro goodies. Remember, if you’re looking to take your old kitchen out and replace with a retro style, we’re bound to have something you will like. In fact, if you give us a call, we can always help you while you’re in front of your laptop to suggest styles which may suit. But there are

Farmhouse And Country Style Kitchens If you are looking at creating a farmhouse style kitchen in your home, then you’ll need to pay special attention to the materials used to give it that rustic charm. You might think a farmhouse-style kitchens can only be fitted in a larger property. Think again. There are plenty of features from a larger kitchen that can be recreated in a smaller room, and a quaint yet functional farmhouse kitchen gives the home a wonderfully cosy feel whilst being functional enough to cook, entertain and show off. My Beautiful Kitchen will cover the best appliances, decorations and accessories for your farmhouse kitchen next week, including Aga cookers (as well as some smaller options), Le Crueset cookware and more. But here we just wanted to tell you about the style. Hardwood units tend to work very well and usually a farmhouse or country kitchen is

Tips For A Smaller Kitchen A small or awkwardly shaped kitchen takes plenty of thought. Using good planning, design and preparation is key especially when considering how you use your kitchen on a daily basis. When you are embarking on revamping your kitchen or completely installing a new one, blogs like ours can prove priceless. By taking into account how you currently use your kitchen, you may have already found that it doesn’t work for you. Awkward spaces often mean strangely located cupboards and appliances, and little or no storage space for all those gadgets and appliances. Quite often, you might find a sloping ceiling in your kitchen where your stairs eat into some of your room. Small spaces can make working in your kitchen quite frustrating. But don’t worry, help is at hand thanks to My Beautiful Kitchen. We’re really nice, you see, so we’ve come up with some

Tables And Chairs  Once all the big things in your new kitchen have been decided on, you may just being able to picture yourself sat with a cup of tea, admiring your brand-spanking new space. But what are you sitting on? And what kind of table is your crockery being displayed on? Picking the right furniture for your space will undoubtedly have a big effect on the overall personality of your kitchen, plus you’re going to be sat at it almost every day, so it’s important you get it right. Easy option – For those who’d prefer to keep things simple, stick with the same finish as your kitchen units. Whether that’s white gloss, natural wood tones or something painted, if you match them perfectly you can’t go wrong. It’ll look right at home and you won’t need to spend hours agonising over the whole thing. Something unique – Instead of

Turn Your Kitchen Into An Island Paradise

Just as holiday-goers dream of the perfect tropical island in the sun, those of us who are obsessed with kitchens dream about the perfect kitchen island in a stylish and well designed kitchen.

An island is essentially a cabinet with a worktop surface on it which is located in the centre of your kitchen. If you have enough floor space to add one, they can increase your counter and cabinet space by more than 25% as well as giving you more electrical outlets and more sink options. You can design a kitchen with an island or it can be added later after the fact.

If you feel like your kitchen could benefit from a well-placed island, here are some tips from My Beautiful Kitchen to keep in mind:

Creating An Energy Efficient Kitchen

At a time when energy prices seem to rise monthly, it’s more important that ever to make sure your kitchen is energy-efficient. After all, it’s in your kitchen where you consume most power. In fact, the two most power-hungry appliances in your home are probably your oven and your kettle. Here are some tips on how you can save energy and money in the kitchen.

Going Green In The Kitchen

Becoming environmentally friendly in the kitchen is about more than simply cutting your energy costs. There are plenty of things you can do to help look after the planet’s resources, reduce your carbon footprint and save a few quid while you’re at. Here are Tommy Welsh’s top tips for going green in the kitchen:

Do You Play The Triangle In Your Kitchen?

In every efficient kitchen, there is a work ‘triangle’. This ‘triangle’ is made up of three components: the fridge, where you keep your food, the oven or hob, where you cook it, and the sink where you do the dishes. If there are any obstacles between any of these three, then your kitchen becomes less efficient. This principle operates in any kitchen, regardless of size. So if you’re planning a new kitchen, or redesigning an old one, you should incorporate this idea into the fundamentals of your layout.

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Be ‘Appy In Your Kitchen

In previous blogs, we talked about integrating technology into the kitchen.  This week we are looking at the best apps for your Smartphone or tablet to make life easier in the kitchen.

Cooking up a storm

As you might expect, the most common apps you’ll come across for the kitchen are cooking and recipe apps and there are literally thousands out there. Which one suit you best will depend on your level of skill and the type of food you like.