To begin with, what utensils and appliances do you see as essential to the everyday kitchen?
There are essential utensils and tools that are imperative in order to have a fully functional kitchen, especially if you are moving house for the first time and want to have the best tools at your disposal. These are a paring knife, chef’s knife and utility knife. Then a stirring spoon, a turner, tongs, a multi-sided grater, a can opener, a ladle and a peeler.
What makes a good quality pan set? Are there certain materials that are more favourable than others?
Ultimately, it is down to preference and the format of the cooker in which the consumers are working with, as they might have an induction or gas hob which can make a great deal of difference. Tri-Ply cookware is the most superior cookware. This is made of stainless steel, aluminium and another layer of stainless steel sandwiched together. Aluminium is important, as the material is softer and a faster conductor of heat. Then you have other types of pans that are made of lesser material that are more accessible. It’s a matter of affordability and personal preference.
What should I be doing to best look after my pots and pans so they last as long as possible?
Hand wash and dry your saucepans and frying pans straight away after use. Most people tend to place their pans into the dishwasher after use. Although using the dishwasher is convenient from a time perspective, this could cause the look—and subsequently, the performance—of the pans to deteriorate over time. Items that have ‘dishwasher safe’ or ‘dishwasher friendly’ tags attached to them will be of a higher cost as extra material would be needed to go into the products to make them this way. Another way to protect your saucepans is to not overheat them when they are on the hob and try to avoid a boil dry. Ideally, tip leftover food into a sealed container rather than leaving the food in the saucepan as an alternative storage container.
What is the best way to avoid food sticking to steel?
Slowly build heat up as placing the heater on the highest setting straight away could damage your saucepan over time. If you are a novice in the kitchen, add a bit of oil around the sides to protect your food from sticking to the bottom and burning. A good quality stainless steel pan won’t stick, so make sure that you buy a set with the right grade of steel.
I’m looking for quick cooking solutions—what products would you recommend?
Buy a universal all round set as there is nothing worse than wanting to cook a new recipe and then looking around your kitchen to see that you have utensils missing. It is important to be prepared for all eventualities which is why investing in a large set will have long-term benefits.
Are there any accessories that are particularly on trend at the moment?
Anything to do with healthy eating. Healthy eating has always been at the forefront of most consumers’ minds for decades but due to the increase in social media, more and more people are turning to the internet to share tips and tricks to maintain a healthier lifestyle without resorting to just eating a chopped up salad. Multi-function kitchen tools are becoming increasingly popular due to the demand of having easy to store, multi-purpose items in the kitchen.
What styles are popular at the moment?
Rose gold, metallic and gun-metal grey are popular colours not only for the latest phones, but also for cookware. Accents of the colour can help to create a timeless and luxurious feel to traditional kitchenware products.
What tips would you give to someone looking to accessorise their kitchen with consistent décor?
Follow palettes and tones rather than one colour as this will break up any solid colours that might be going through the home already. Having a palette of different colours, possibly, two to three (for example, a soft grey with lavender and finish off with deep purple accents) will leave your kitchen feeling more vibrant and fresh and gives you more freedom that you wouldn’t get if you went with one colour. Mix and match soft colours with strong accents.
The Tower Rose Gold collection is on-trend and very fashionable. The style of the range is unique with the prominent black and the subtle rose gold elements that don’t overpower the design. The collection received positive feedback from visitors when it made its debut at the Exclusively Exhibition show earlier on in June and received further praise at Autumn Fair this year.
Written by Steve Galbraith—Tower Housewares Buying Director
