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Clever Space-Savvy Kitchen Tips From a Renowned Chef
Anna Hansen MBE, chef and owner of The Modern Pantry, gives us a tour of her highly-efficient kitchen
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When you’re managing a busy working and family life, it’s important to boost efficiency where possible. For chef and owner of acclaimed restaurant The Modern Pantry, Anna Hansen MBE, the natural place to start was the kitchen. Hansen was looking for a kitchen redesign that matched the versatility of her fusion-style cooking, while using space to her advantage: “For me it was about creating a sense of space and flow whilst having everything I needed close to hand. Practicality combined with light, open-plan, family living,” she says.
We’ve teamed up with Miele to share what Hansen considers to be the perfect ingredients…
We’ve teamed up with Miele to share what Hansen considers to be the perfect ingredients…
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Anna Hansen, her husband and two daughters
Location: Streatham, London
Architect: Kimmi Dejgaard
A Super-Efficient Layout
For a busy cook’s kitchen, a smart layout is essential. Hansen spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the scheme work for her: “I was starting from scratch, as we demolished the back end of the house where the kitchen once was, dug down and added a 6m extension,” she says. Luckily, help was at hand from her aunt, architect Kimmi Dejgaard, who had previously worked on redesigning ferries and was used to working in cramped spaces. Dejgaard helped advise on how to make every inch count and maximise the kitchen’s potential.
As a professional chef, the key to this success was grouping cooking elements together to create ease of movement – for example, from the hob to the oven. It was also important to open up space where necessary – for example, being able to bring food out of the oven easily and set it down somewhere accessible without knocking into people.
Spending a lot of the time at the restaurant, Hansen choose a relaxed aesthetic of pale green sprayed MDF and warm birch ply for her at-home cook space: “I want to be surrounded by calm soothing colours when I am at home,” she says, and given the time she spends in the kitchen, it applies here, too.
Kitchen cabinetry painted in ‘Green Smoke’: Farrow & Ball
Who lives here: Anna Hansen, her husband and two daughters
Location: Streatham, London
Architect: Kimmi Dejgaard
A Super-Efficient Layout
For a busy cook’s kitchen, a smart layout is essential. Hansen spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the scheme work for her: “I was starting from scratch, as we demolished the back end of the house where the kitchen once was, dug down and added a 6m extension,” she says. Luckily, help was at hand from her aunt, architect Kimmi Dejgaard, who had previously worked on redesigning ferries and was used to working in cramped spaces. Dejgaard helped advise on how to make every inch count and maximise the kitchen’s potential.
As a professional chef, the key to this success was grouping cooking elements together to create ease of movement – for example, from the hob to the oven. It was also important to open up space where necessary – for example, being able to bring food out of the oven easily and set it down somewhere accessible without knocking into people.
Spending a lot of the time at the restaurant, Hansen choose a relaxed aesthetic of pale green sprayed MDF and warm birch ply for her at-home cook space: “I want to be surrounded by calm soothing colours when I am at home,” she says, and given the time she spends in the kitchen, it applies here, too.
Kitchen cabinetry painted in ‘Green Smoke’: Farrow & Ball
Family Friendly Vibe
Hansen isn’t the only one who cooks at home, the kids get involved, too. “They love baking, making scrambled eggs, peeling vegetables, and making smoothies and juices,” she says. It’s therefore important to ensure that the space is safe for them. Hansen chose an induction hob as it is the safest option on the market: “It cools down fast and only heats the area in contact with the pan,” she says.
Any other essentials for a busy family kitchen? “A Miele dishwasher without a shadow of a doubt!,” she says. “It is the most used item in our household and the most indispensable.”
Hansen isn’t the only one who cooks at home, the kids get involved, too. “They love baking, making scrambled eggs, peeling vegetables, and making smoothies and juices,” she says. It’s therefore important to ensure that the space is safe for them. Hansen chose an induction hob as it is the safest option on the market: “It cools down fast and only heats the area in contact with the pan,” she says.
Any other essentials for a busy family kitchen? “A Miele dishwasher without a shadow of a doubt!,” she says. “It is the most used item in our household and the most indispensable.”
Clever Appliances
It’s clear that Hansen’s biggest need was a kitchen in which she could embrace her love of cooking. Her style of fusion cooking allows her to “plunder the world’s larder,” blending fresh local and seasonal ingredients with unusual tastes and textures from around the globe. This versatile style of cooking requires accuracy, but also a wide range of tools and appliances to allow her to experiment with flavours and techniques.
Hansen had already specified that she wanted to use Miele appliances. In order to experience the appliances first hand and ensure she was investing in the right appliances for her style of cooking, her retailer recommended she visit their Experience Centre and attend a Taste for Design course.
Hansen chose appliances that enable her to cook with the same degree of precision at home as she achieves at her restaurant: “My Miele Steam Combination Oven, for example, heats to within one degree of accuracy, making it perfect for Sous Vide cooking, as well as steaming and roasting to perfection,” Hansen says. The Tepan Yaki is another favourite appliance, “[It’s] really handy with a family and when you are entertaining, as it allows you to cook in abundance at one time,” she says.
Any other secret tools? “A sharp knife and an open mind!” she says.
It’s clear that Hansen’s biggest need was a kitchen in which she could embrace her love of cooking. Her style of fusion cooking allows her to “plunder the world’s larder,” blending fresh local and seasonal ingredients with unusual tastes and textures from around the globe. This versatile style of cooking requires accuracy, but also a wide range of tools and appliances to allow her to experiment with flavours and techniques.
Hansen had already specified that she wanted to use Miele appliances. In order to experience the appliances first hand and ensure she was investing in the right appliances for her style of cooking, her retailer recommended she visit their Experience Centre and attend a Taste for Design course.
Hansen chose appliances that enable her to cook with the same degree of precision at home as she achieves at her restaurant: “My Miele Steam Combination Oven, for example, heats to within one degree of accuracy, making it perfect for Sous Vide cooking, as well as steaming and roasting to perfection,” Hansen says. The Tepan Yaki is another favourite appliance, “[It’s] really handy with a family and when you are entertaining, as it allows you to cook in abundance at one time,” she says.
Any other secret tools? “A sharp knife and an open mind!” she says.
A Practical Work Surface
The worktop is especially important to Hansen. “It needs to be easy to clean and maintain. I like white or plain colours, so it is easy to focus on my ingredients and what I’m doing, and it also makes it easy to see anything that needs wiping up,” she says. Another consideration for the work surface material was heat resistance. She therefore chose a durable, acrylic Hi-Macs worktop: “It means I’m not hunting for the trivet or another safe surface every time I want to put a hot pan down, or tray straight from the oven,” she says.
The worktop is especially important to Hansen. “It needs to be easy to clean and maintain. I like white or plain colours, so it is easy to focus on my ingredients and what I’m doing, and it also makes it easy to see anything that needs wiping up,” she says. Another consideration for the work surface material was heat resistance. She therefore chose a durable, acrylic Hi-Macs worktop: “It means I’m not hunting for the trivet or another safe surface every time I want to put a hot pan down, or tray straight from the oven,” she says.
Natural Light
Good lighting is essential in a professional cooking space. This kitchen, located at the back of the house and opening out on to the garden, benefits from plenty of natural light, including that from a skylight that hovers over the main island work surface, where the induction hob and Tepan sit side by side.
On the back wall, a large glass splashback forms a fun focal point: “We use it for writing messages, shopping lists, schedules etc., and our daughters love drawing on it – it is like an ever-evolving work of art,” Hansen says. “It also provides a little reflection, which adds to the overall sense of space.” Rather than going for a black shade, which was too heavy, she chose a dark green hue which gives a warmer overall look.
Find out more about Anna’s kitchen makeover here.
What happens when Miele partnered up with three of the country’s best chefs to design a kitchen? Find out here.
Tell us
What’s your favourite thing about Anna Hansen’s kitchen? Which of these pro tips will you be using in your own cook space?
This story was written by the Sponsored Content Team
Good lighting is essential in a professional cooking space. This kitchen, located at the back of the house and opening out on to the garden, benefits from plenty of natural light, including that from a skylight that hovers over the main island work surface, where the induction hob and Tepan sit side by side.
On the back wall, a large glass splashback forms a fun focal point: “We use it for writing messages, shopping lists, schedules etc., and our daughters love drawing on it – it is like an ever-evolving work of art,” Hansen says. “It also provides a little reflection, which adds to the overall sense of space.” Rather than going for a black shade, which was too heavy, she chose a dark green hue which gives a warmer overall look.
Find out more about Anna’s kitchen makeover here.
What happens when Miele partnered up with three of the country’s best chefs to design a kitchen? Find out here.
Tell us
What’s your favourite thing about Anna Hansen’s kitchen? Which of these pro tips will you be using in your own cook space?
This story was written by the Sponsored Content Team
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Review by Noblessa Cuisines & Agencement | Rixheim:
Fantastic brand, high end and premium. Reliable and a magnificent design. We highly recommend !More Stories from This Pro
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"As for heat resistance, Hi Macs countertops perform as well, if not better, than any other worktop on the market. In common with all worktops, it is not a great idea to put scalding hot pans straight from the cooker or oven down on the surface. You should always use a trivet with rubber feet."