Very hot (or very cold): solutions for weekly menu planning

Increasingly advanced, ovens can also be managed remotely via apps specially designed for smartphones. This is the case, for example, with the Miele@home technology of the DGC 7860 HCX by Miele, which has just become available in a pearl beige version. In addition to the steam combination and three automatic programmes for different dishes, the product's plus point is also the HydroClean function, which allows the cooking compartment to be automatically washed with a special foam mixture.

The collapse of temperatures

In the most evolved kitchens, the blast chiller now accompanies the classic oven. If until yesterday it was thought to be useful, indeed indispensable, in professional kitchens for preserving fish to be eaten raw, today it has entered the home in its own right. The one by Irinox, for example, is amicably called Freddy and has just received an Honourable Mention at the Compasso d'Oro International Award 2025: in 15 minutes it brings to temperature the wine that a guest brings as a gift. One of the most interesting is Piatto Pronto, which allows food - a creamy vegetable soup, a meat dish combined with a side dish or any other dish - to be stored at the ideal temperature, as if it were in the refrigerator, and then brought to the consumption temperature at the programmed time, without compromising consistency or flavour. Because modern blast chillers no longer only have the role of generating cold, they can also reheat. In fact, they allow, for example, low-temperature cooking, considered by nutritionists to be healthier because they maintain the properties of the food: at a moderate temperature, vitamins, minerals and all nutrients are best preserved, while other cooking methods partially destroy them.

Abbattitore Freddy, che ha appena ricevuto la Menzione d’Onore al Compasso d’Oro Internazionale, IRINOX (da 4.800 €).

But it is for prolonged storage, and therefore for planning a weekly menu, that a blast chiller can do the most good: when any dish is cooked, before putting it in the freezer or even just in the fridge, it has to be left to cool and, in that time, contact with the air oxidises it, changes its colour - just think of guacamole - and exposes it to microbes. Passing it through this appliance, on the other hand, lowers the temperature in a few moments, stops the proliferation of bacteria and triples the shelf life of raw or cooked food. It is therefore also perfect for storing baby food and breast milk. Also in terms of storage, the ability to cool food to the desired temperature is ideal. Let's take the example of homemade ice cream: in the freezer it hardens and in the fridge it melts. With Freddy it is possible to keep it at -12 degrees until consumption, thus preserving its creaminess intact.

If that were not enough, among the features are some that look to the beauty sector. In a quarter of an hour, an eye patch, a soothing cream after insect bites, or any anti-ageing active can be prepared at the ideal temperature.

Of BAUHAUS INSPIRATION

If the objective is the optimal preservation of food, but also its preparation for sous vide cooking, the possibility of adding a vacuum drawer to the oven is possible in many advanced models on the market today. Certainly in the V6000 from V-Zug as well as in the Expressive series from Gaggenau, which, with its combination of convection, humidity and grill, from a design point of view is inspired by Bauhaus principles and minimalist modern architecture. Two simple rectangular frames and a floating stainless steel ring combined with an interface that lights up as soon as you approach it make the user experience simple and straightforward.

Forno serie Expressive 04 che in termini di design prende ispirazione dal Bauhaus, GAGGENAU(da 5.700 €);