What Will You Be Cooking?

Obviously, certain types of cooking lend themselves particularly well to being family activities, so it’s a good idea to consider those early. You may have seen our recent blog about baking, which is a great example of what we’re talking about. Baking is an ideal family activity as it encourages creativity, and like pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the results are always sweet – making it a big children’s favourite! It’s worth remembering they’re usually foods for sharing, too – again, making them great for a family activity!

Make Your Life Easier With Your Kitchen’s Layout

When cooking with particularly young children, a kitchen island is always an excellent choice. From a practical perspective, it keeps the messier activities confined to a single place, which might well make it easier for you to clean up afterwards. It also makes things safer – you can keep the more adult tasks (like chopping and blending) on your kitchen worktops, and keep the fun, safe activities (like mixing and whisking) on the kitchen island.

If you’re instead focused on keeping the island as simply a dining space, you’re also very likely to notice the benefit when the meal is almost done, too. Children and teenagers are notoriously impatient, so when the meal is finished, being able to transition directly from cooking to serving (without having to ferry plates from room to room) means that you can all be sitting down and eating in next to no time at all. It also means you get to keep an eye on the table, and make sure no one grabs a sneaky bite before everyone else has started!

Think About Appliances And Cabinetry

When it comes to safety and convenience – two of the most vital considerations with family cooking – appliances like the induction hob are fantastic combinations of the two. It uses an electromagnetic circuit to heat pans, so it’s only on for as long as the pan itself is in contact. This makes it far harder for children to accidentally burn themselves, while having the neat bonus of being easier and more efficient to use for you, too.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking at cabinetry we’d always recommend gloss cabinets, which are easier to clean and wipe down if you’re anticipating a bit of mess when cooking with family. Handleless cabinetry is also ideal, as it can be quite effective in reducing the temptation for exceptionally young children to tug at them and pull them open – a common response when they see mysterious handles! It’s worth remembering that doesn’t mean they won’t be opened, though, so make sure you’re smart about where everything’s kept. (In short, nothing sharp in drawers close to the ground!)

Don’t forget, our talented kitchen designers here at Kitchen Design Centre are always here to help. If you’re a bit stuck for inspiration, pop into your nearest designer kitchen showroom in Blackburn, Manchester or our brand new location in Barrowford, and one of our team will be only too happy to help you realise your dream vision for your kitchen!

The post How To Design The Perfect Kitchen For Cooking With Family appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

1. Baking Encourages Creativity In The Kitchen

Baking is a skill that’s well known as being easy to pick up, but very hard to master. This makes it perfect for anyone, from the culinary expert to the aspiring hobbyist chef. If you’re a member of the first group, you can use your kitchen to its fullest potential, taking advantage of its layout, storage and appliances to whip up some mouth-watering baked goods. Meanwhile, if you’re just starting out, you can familiarise yourself with your kitchen as you go along, working your way up the recipe book to the most complex of cakes!

Baking is also a great outlet for creativity. Lots of our customers are creative people, as you can tell from a quick glance through our case studies. This recent ultra-modern design is the work of our own kitchen designer Maxine being guided by our customers’ creative input, resulting in a truly original design. With an open mind and confidence in the kitchen, there’s no end to what you might be able to create!

2. Baking Helps Bonding In The Kitchen

If you learned to cook from an early age, it’s likely that baking was your first foray into the kitchen. Children love baking with their parents because of the appeal in pretty colours in the icing, the safety of the methods, and the sweetness of the final results. Not to mention, of course, the cheeky taste of chocolate here and there when baking! Activities like baking give parents peace of mind in terms of safety, and children plenty of opportunity to explore the world of cooking, turning the kitchen into a marvellous place for family bonding.

3. Baking Brings Us Together!

All mealtimes are social occasions, but baking is especially so. We’ve just mentioned above how the act of baking itself is a valuable chance for some bonding, and that applies to enjoying the final results, too! There’s a reason that cakes and pastries are so often used for bake sales and community events – they’re fantastic sharing foods, which makes them amazing for family mealtimes at home. After all, mealtimes at home are inherently social events, where family members congregate in the kitchen to bond, enjoy shared family values and tell stories of their day. And with some beautiful baking, you can squeeze one or two more of those get-together events every once in a while – and with some wonderful cake and biscuits, too! It’s just one more reason why baking is perfect to help you make the most of your kitchen; the very heart of your home.

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, lots of our talented designers are keen cooks too, which means we understand your passion for wonderful food! We firmly believe that your dream kitchen should reflect your personality, moulding itself to your favourite ways of cooking and living. Pop into any one of our designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn or Colne, where any one of our designers will be only too happy to sit down with you and discuss your plans!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @modernkitchens

The post 3 Great Reasons To Love Baking in Your Dream Kitchen appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

September saw Neff’s Mobile Training Academy come to our Manchester showroom at Housing Units. Offering product viewing, cooking demonstrations and chance to chat to the Neff experts, it was one of the biggest and best Neff events we’ve had at Kitchen Design Centre.

Customers from all over the region travelled to our Manchester kitchen showroom to learn about what was new from Neff and how to make the most of their stylish, high-tech appliances. They also got to take a look at the newest Neff range, featuring built-in ovens, dishwashers, hoods and hobs. We’ve got to say the new product line knocked the socks off us too – and we can’t wait to feature the latest appliances in our 2016 customer kitchens.

The highlights

Some of the highlights included the homemade bread session, where Neff’s home economist baked up perfection, and the demo of the new Neff Slide n Hide & Circo Therm – one of our favourite products in the range.

We certainly left the weekend feeling inspired – and it looks like our customers did too!

Since the event, which took place on the 26th and 27th September, we’ve had feedback from customers including:

“I’ve learnt so much more about my Neff appliances – it’s given me a new enthusiasm to go and get creative in my kitchen when I get home.”

 Sally, Manchester

“Today confirmed exactly why we choose Kitchen Design Centre and Neff. We feel privileged to have been invited to events like this and appreciate the ongoing customer care. As always, the Neff range impressed – just as it does everyday in our own kitchen.”

Robert, Salford

“I’ve already fallen in love with the new range. Despite having had a new kitchen fitted three years ago, I may have to invest in some of these new Neff products. They’re absolutely fantastic!”

Vicky, Prestwich

To find out more about the Neff product range, visit us at one of our designer kitchen showrooms where you can view a variety of fantastic Neff products. Our team will also be able to talk you through the range and discuss functionality – helping you decide which appliances you need in your new designer kitchen.

The post High-tech gadgetry at Neff’s Mobile Training Academy appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Spring is one of the most wonderful seasons in the culinary calendar, making the long Easter weekend a great time to have family and friends around for lunch or dinner.

With foodie delights like fresh herbs, asparagus and purple sprouting broccoli in abundance, it’s time to make the most of the seasonal produce and cook up a springtime feast.

Neff’s high-tech appliances can help you to get the best out of your fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, making Easter 2015 that little bit easier. In no time you’ll be able to create a divine three-course meal to satisfy every one of your guests.

If you don’t have any NEFF appliances in your kitchen, you can still give these sensational spring recipes a go – from the talented master chefs at Neff.

Our favourite Easter recipes

Full recipes can be found on our Pinterest page. Why not add your own suggestions to our board?

Mains

Roast pork loin stuffed with apple

Leek, spinach and goats cheese tart

Sides

Sweet potato mash

Spiced roast cauliflower

Desserts

Clementine and almond cake

Lime and coconut meringue pie

If these dishes get your mouth watering you may want to consider Neff’s cookbook The Recipe Collection. Full of fabulous recipes, the cookbook shows you how you can use your Neff oven to make fantastic food more easily.

The finishing touches

Serve up a tantalising tipple with your main, opting for one that best compliments your choice of meat.

For a ham main opt for something fresh and flavourful with enough sweet fruit to balance the salt in the ham and enough acidity to support the combination.

If you’re eating the springtime favourite of lamb, your best bet is to stick to red wines, for example, a red Burgundy, northern Rhone red, Merlot, Shiraz or a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The goal is to have a wine with enough fruit and acidity to handle the flavours of the lamb but not to overpower it.

Lastly, a pork main is best suited to a ripe, fruity red wine, but white wine can also work well.

Pork with apple sauce is complemented particularly well with a peary Pinot Gris, toasty Chardonnay or light Pinot Noir.

Something for the kids

We all know that keeping kids occupied during the Easter holidays can be difficult, so why not get them involved in some culinary activities too?

Shredded wheat nests, hot cross cookies and spiced French toast are all fabulously fun and easy bakes to make – plus they’ll go down well with the little ones too!

Discover Neff

If you’d like to find out more about Neff appliances and how they can enhance your kitchen, why not visit us at one of our showrooms?

We’ll be able to talk you through the variety of appliances available and discuss how we can implement them into a brand new kitchen design.

You’ll also be able to find out when the next Neff demo sessions are, where you’ll be able to get your hands on tasty goodies cooked to perfection with Neff.

What are you cooking up this Easter? Share you menu ideas with us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens

The post Perfect recipes for an Easter feast with Neff appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Today is arguably the best day of the British calendar today: Shrove Tuesday, better known to many (at least those of us who think with our stomachs!) as Pancake Day. And what better way to celebrate than by whipping up a batch of perfect pancakes in a gorgeous modern kitchen?

We’ve pulled together some of our favourite pancake fillings so you can have a flipping marvellous pancake day!

Fabulous Fillings for your Pancakes

The question of whether to opt for sweet and savoury fillings in your pancakes is one that continues to divide the Great British public. Traditionalists opt for classics like lemon and sugar, while the more adventurous gastronomes plump for more exotic choices like pancetta and porcini mushrooms.

So, without choosing a side, here are a few of Kitchen Design Centre’s favourites:

Baked Somerset Brie with Roasted vegetables

This gorgeous savoury pancake filling can be left to cook in the oven while you get on with the important job of flipping.

While the recipe suggests serving up with focaccia or baguette, we love the idea of adding a few fresh herbs to your pancake batter then folding the hot pancakes over this gooey, melty mixture.

Banana and Nutella Crèpes

Tuck into a European favourite and trick the kids into having some fruit with these Banana and Nutella crèpes!

Using a quick heating induction hob and non-stick pan, make some extra thin pancakes that you can top with a generous smear of Nutella and row upon row of fresh chopped banana. Finish off with a dust of icing sugar, and you’re in for a treat.

German oven pancakes with apples

This recipe for traditional German oven pancakes is fabulous, fruity and wholesome. Started off in a skillet (a frying pan will do nicely!) and finished up in the oven, this succulent recipe is a real family-pleaser.

Top quality kitchen appliances will always help in events like these. Our quick-heating induction hobs and Neff ovens are perfect for a recipe like this, which requires a couple of hobs and a pre-heated oven.

More flipping marvelous favourites? Try pancetta and porcini mushrooms in a creamy sauce, roasted leeks and cheddar, or a quick summer berry coulis – easy to make on the hob with frozen berries and some honey.

Get Effortless Enjoyment

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we don’t just love German pancakes. We think our stunning range of German kitchens are the perfect setting for a batch of freshly made pancakes (or Pfannkuchen, if you want to be authentic!).

Fitted with all the latest appliances from Neff, Quooker and other industry leaders, our German kitchens combine subtle styling, intuitive design and sleek engineering to make your kitchen experience an effortless one. If you’d like to be making pancakes in a brand new kitchen next year, talk to one of our team today!

Tell us about your perfect pancakes in the comments below, or tweet us @ModernKitchens. Is it all about the filling, or is technique the be-all and end-all? We want to know!

The post Have a flipping marvellous pancake day appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Mothers Day is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect opportunity to show your mum – or the mother of your children – how much she means to you.

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we’ve put together some wonderful Mothers Day breakfast ideas that should warm your lovely lady’s heart on March 30th and show her how much you care.

Un Café, S’il Vous Plaît!

For many people (especially tired and busy mums), the most important part of any breakfast is a hot, soothing cup of something caffeinated!

So why not treat the woman in your life to some wonderful gourmet coffee? Get yourself down to a local café and ask them for some fresh coffee beans that will suit the mum in your life down to a tee!

Not sure which coffee to go for? Use our handy guide to pick your perfect bean!  

Colombian: lovely, rounded coffee; moderate in acidity and sweetness

Costa Rican: rich and full-bodied with a touch of smoke and a pleasing acidity

Ethiopian: sumptuous and spicy, full of character and life

Guatemalan: flavourful and rich; smoky like smooth dark chocolate

Indian: mild, low in acidity and subtly spiced with a full body

Jamaican Blue Mountain: perfectly balanced, smooth and lush

Kenyan: very mellow coffee with a hint of citrus. Light and refreshing

Java: light in body but full of rich, subtle tones. High in acidity

Sumatran: dark, earthy, full-bodied; coffee at its most natural.

One Mothers Day gift that would never be forgotten is Neff’s innovative compact coffee maker – perfect for the coffee-loving mum! She’ll never be tempted to pop into Costa again, as this wonderful coffee machine – one of our most popular kitchen appliances – can memorise just how she likes her drink.

With 2.5 litre capacity, the Neff compact coffee maker is the perfect kitchen appliance for a busy family breakfast, a lively dinner party or just a moment on the hop. It comes with an integrated bean grinder, milk frother and My Coffee function, which means that your favourite drinks are just a button-push away.

The Big Breakfast!

A big breakfast is a great way of getting young children involved in Mothers’ Day – as long as you keep their more ‘creative’ recipe ideas in check!

Why not cook up a full English breakfast (like this stress-free recipe from BBC Good Food!) or a continental brunch with pastries, fruit juice, scrambled eggs and more? Young children can whisk eggs, pop toast in the toaster and make a special card to go on the breakfast tray.

Kitchen Appliances To Make Life Easier

At Kitchen Design Centre, we’re all about making life that little bit easier – and our range of state-of-the-art kitchen appliances is no different.

Our Neff induction hobs heat up quickly to one of 17 different power levels, but keep little fingers safe as they’re only hot when in contact with a pan. We’ve got warming drawers that are perfect for gently heating items like croissants and buns (although they’ll hold up to 12 plates). And dare we say it, they’re brilliant for keeping your food ready to serve if your culinary timing’s not quite spot on!

Meanwhile, our Quooker boiling water taps make quick work of brewing up, boiling or poaching eggs and blanching spinach – perfect for Eggs Florentine.

Plan the perfect Mothers Day with Kitchen Design Centre!

Why not tell us what you’ll be doing for Mothers Day in the comments below? Alternatively, tweet us @ModernKitchens to find out more about our beautiful kitchens, very handy kitchen appliances and fabulous Mothers Day ideas!

The post Make it a Mothers Day to Remember appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Cooking a romantic meal for your other half can seem like a brilliant Valentine’s Day plan. It’s personal, it takes effort and you get to spend quality time together.

The only problem is that, for those of us who aren’t potential MasterChef contestants, things can get a little chaotic in the kitchen. For whatever reason, Valentine’s Day seems to be a time when the tried and tested recipes just won’t do. All over Britain, desperate husbands, wives and partners will be clutching their chests as soufflés sink, brioche burns and duck à l’orange  goes horribly duck à la wrong!

Well, luckily for you, Kitchen Design Centre is here to save the day. Let this Valentine’s Day be the last special occasion in your home to be marked by a kitchen catastrophe. Our stunning contemporary kitchens come with a range of state-of-the-art kitchen appliances that will make quick work of your cuisine…

Quick Smart with the Quooker Boiling Water Tap

A key part of cooking a delicious Valentine’s Day meal is getting the timing right. Just a few minutes either way, and your previously perfect food can be burnt, dried out, soggy or cold – not ideal when you’re trying to impress that special someone!

Many of the customers who opt for one of our contemporary kitchens also choose to have a Quooker Boiling Water Tap installed. Designed to be energy and cost-effective, as well as safe, the Quooker Boiling Water tap can save you precious minutes every day.

Dash through the dishes with our Spring Neck Spray Taps

When you’ve finally sat down to enjoy your romantic meal, the last thing you want is for the pile of washing up to be looming over you. Do you break off the mood to get up to your elbows in dishes? Or do you wait until morning and deal with the crockery chaos then?

Well, there’s an easier way. A popular choice with our contemporary kitchens is the Blanco Master S Baby Tap, with its stretchy spring neck and powerful spray rinse head. The Blanco Master S Baby Tap will help you cut through the hard work of washing up, blasting away leftover food and grease in just a fraction of the time it would normally take you.

Feed the whole family with safe and sizeable Neff appliances

When it comes to appliances for contemporary kitchens in family homes, nobody does it better than Neff.

We love the spacious Neff double ovens, which give you plenty of room for every part of that ambitious roast dinner – let’s face it, who wouldn’t want extra roast potatoes if they had room for them?

With plenty of space for grilling and roasting, you can simply pop everything in a double oven and get on with the rest of your jobs – no need to worry about swapping and changing things around, and hefting heavy dishes around, not to mention getting all your timings right!

Add to that the safe and economical Neff induction hobs, which feature automatic pan recognition, a staggering 17 power levels for precision cooking and an intuitive child lock to keep little fingers safe from burns.

A beautifully fitted contemporary kitchen could be the difference between a Valentine’s delight and a Valentine’s Disaster, so why not take a look at our range of beautiful modern kitchens and see if there’s anything that tickles your fancy?

Are you planning something impressive for Valentine’s Day? Tell us in the comments below, or come and have a chat with us on Twitter!

The post Conjure up an ultimate Valentine’s Day meal with these gadgets appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

With another Valentine’s Day on the horizon, couples all over the country will be looking for new ways to show each other they care.

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we know there’s nothing like a bit of home comfort to make sure your significant other has a special day. Breakfast in bed or a romantic dinner will never lose their appeal, so we’ve come up with some ideas to put your kitchen at the heart of Valentine’s Day!

Crafty Breakfast In A Classic Kitchen

Head downstairs early (we’re sure your partner will appreciate it!) and prepare a sumptuous cooked breakfast.

A hearty plate of Eggs Benedict can be given a romantic twist by using sweet heart-shaped muffins. Getting crafty with a heart-shaped cookie cutter can achieve the desired effect and, if you’re feeling daring, you can fry your eggs in it, too!

For the more health-conscious romantics out there, our Quooker boiling water taps can make quick work of poached or boiled eggs, not to mention the all-important cup of tea or coffee.

If this sounds like the perfect way to spend your Valentine’s Day, one of our traditional kitchens could be just the thing for you.

Continental Brunch And Contemporary Kitchens

Our contemporary kitchens bring together the best of chic European design, which got us thinking about a continental kind of Valentine’s Day surprise you could spring on that special someone.

Creamy eggs en cocotte will give your meal a certain “oh là là!” while a freshly brewed French café au lait will have your partner bright-eyed in no time.

And if you’re looking to splash out, our fabulous Neff fitted coffee machine will take you from bean to brew in the touch of a button – perfect for conjuring up a smile on any day of the year.

Partner On The Hop?

Our modern kitchens are a popular choice with couples who are always on the go. Packed with all the latest Neff appliances, they take the hassle out of cooking up something special.

If you and your partner are on the hop this Valentine’s Day, why not surprise them with a packed lunch of heart-shaped sandwiches to keep them smiling all day?

Or, if you’re a busy couple with young children, why not get the whole family in on the act with an extra sweet treat? Heart-shaped waffles or pancakes topped with fruit coulis are a tasty choice, while ice cream and chocolate shavings remain a firm favourite.

Our Neff induction hobs are the perfect addition to a busy family kitchen. And, because they’re only hot when in contact with a pan, they’re brilliant for keeping little people safer – especially when Dad’s busy trying to flip pancakes!

Make Your Kitchen The Heart Of Your Home

Our beautiful designer kitchens become the heart of our customers’ homes. We’ve got warm and welcoming traditional kitchens, sleek and chic contemporary kitchens and modern kitchens that can be adapted to suit every style of home.

Talk to a member of our team today about getting your very own designer kitchen. Simply fill in our contact form and we’ll get back to you for a free, no obligation chat.

If you’d like to share your Valentine’s day breakfast recipes, why not leave a comment below or tweet us @modernkitchens.

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