Yes, chef! AEG kitchen appliances blend smart functionality with seamless design

Yes, chef!

For author and chef Douglas McMaster, a sustainable kitchen renovation using AEG appliances has blended smart functionality with seamless design

By Hayley Gilbert Photography Studio Birthplace

As founder of the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, Silo in London, Douglas McMaster (@mcmasterchef) knows all too well how sustainability and cooking go hand in hand. ‘The kitchen has always been my thinking space,’ he says. ‘It’s where ideas become physical. Where systems are tested. Where values either survive in contact with reality or they don’t.’

When it came to renovating his own East London kitchen, his vision for eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient appliances could only mean one thing – the thoughtful design, smart functionality and sustainable credentials of AEG. ‘When I design a kitchen, I’m not just thinking about how it looks,’ adds Douglas, ‘but about what kind of behaviour it invites. Materials have been selected for durability, repairability and long life. We’ve prioritised reused elements where possible, natural and mineral-based surfaces and components that can be disassembled rather than thrown away.’

For the all-important appliances, Douglas selected AEG’s latest range of matt-finish built-in models. Designed and manufactured in Europe, the collection sets a new benchmark in innovation and design, combining advanced technology with modern finishes. Available in both matt and gloss, the range promotes efficient and responsible cooking, with several appliances achieving an impressive A energy rating and above.

‘The AEG matt black finish has a quietness to it,’ reveals Douglas. ‘It absorbs light rather than reflecting it, which immediately softens the space. It doesn’t dominate or shout, it grounds. The appliances feel architectural, almost like negative space. They let the room breathe and they allow the ingredients, the materials and the human activity to remain the focus.’

Combining smarts with style and sustainability, Douglas’s kitchen renovation includes the AEG 8000 Series oven, a Red Dot winner* for its exceptional aesthetic and functional design, and the SaphirMatt® extractor induction hob, which sits seamlessly on the beautifully crafted island and features superior scratch resistance.

As the defining design feature and functional heart of the kitchen, the SaphirMatt® hob boasts built-in extractor technology for total cooking freedom. Complementing the minimal design approach that Douglas desired, it removes the need for a traditional overhead hood. Durability is also a key component and one of the core technologies of the new hob. ‘What has genuinely stood out to me with AEG is the way the technology supports precision without creating friction,’ adds Douglas.

The SaphirMatt® induction hob surface is up to 10x more scratch resistant than AEG’s standard hob surface**, providing freedom to experiment in the kitchen while maintaining exceptional beauty year after year.

With an A++ energy rating, AEG’s 8000 SteamPro oven, also in a matt finish, was the perfect choice for chef and author Douglas. Delivering restaurant-quality results at home by locking in flavour and moisture with steam, its choice of cooking programmes enables Douglas to bake, roast, stew, reheat and steam a variety of ingredients with precise temperature control.  ‘When you’re working with ferments, low-energy cooking or whole-ingredient systems, temperature, moisture and consistency are everything,’ he explains.

AEG’s 8000 SteamPro oven also offers a built-in food probe, which can detect when a selected temperature is reached, automatically switching off the oven to achieve perfect cooking results. Combined with residual heat, the oven helps reduce energy consumption within the kitchen.

In keeping with the innovative design is the CookSmart Touch 4inch display screen, which offers access to a range of cooking features and smart functionality alongside suggestions to improve efficient and sustainable habits.

To deal with the washing-up in the most sustainable and efficient way, kitchen cabinetry conceals the AEG 9000 ComfortLift® dishwasher, a smarter, more responsible way to wash even the most delicate dishes. With a QuickSelect touchscreen slider and Ecometer, it’s never been simpler to balance time, cleaning power and efficiency. The ComfortLift® basket is also a timesaver, rising smoothly for easy loading and unloading of dishes.

Douglas’s commitment to a low-impact kitchen continues with his choice of AEG laundry appliances. Nestled within his newly renovated space is the 9000 AbsoluteCare® washing machine and 9000 AbsoluteCare® Plus tumble dryer.

Steam Refresh is one of the many ways that AEG is empowering users to make more responsible choices while also caring for fabrics and colours during every wash. When clothes don’t need a full wash, the Steam Refresh option neutralises odours using steam in just 25 minutes***, the perfect programme for a busy chef and family.

‘Ultimately, the kitchen is where sustainability becomes tangible,’ says Douglas. ‘You can talk about it endlessly, but it’s only when it’s built into the room, the tools and the daily rituals that it becomes real. That’s the space I’m interested in shaping, how kitchens can operate more like ecosystems, where outputs become inputs and waste becomes a design flaw rather than an inevitability.’

For further information on these AEG appliances, visit aeg.co.uk

*https://www.red-dot.org/project/aeg-new-kitchen-range-79027

** Abrasion test conducted externally per IEC 60068-2-70. Scratch visibility assessed internally comparing against our standard ceramic glass hobs without special treatment

*** External test show neutralisation of cigarette smoke odour in a Steam Refresh cycle