A couple of months ago, Michelle and I dropped in on our friend Amy Lindburg to scope out her recently renovated flat in the Panhandle neighborhood of SF (see Kitchen of the Week: A Glamorous Remodel in San Francisco, Ikea Hacks Included).
Both Michelle and I were immediately intrigued by her Kenwood Cooking Chef, a countertop appliance that can seemingly do anything (the company describes it as “a four-in-one kitchen appliance that combines a blender, mixer, food processor and induction burner”). First developed in the 1950s in the UK, it’s only been available in the US for a couple of years (and it’s not cheap). I asked Amy to tell us about the Kenwood, and here’s what she has to say:
“I purchased the Kenwood when I moved to WWII-era officer’s quarters in the Presidio: the galley kitchen had hardly any counter space. Also, I was tired of hauling out a clunky specialty appliance every time I needed to do something in the kitchen. Having an all-in-one base where I could simply attach the appliances seemed like a good idea. The Kenwood also has an induction heating element (along with automated stirring), so you can make a perfect risotto and perform all manner of cooking witchery.
“The first level of joy: it was so much less of a hassle to cook. I simply attached lightweight appliances to the base (when I’m done, I just throw the components into the dishwasher). Plus, all the attachments and appliances fit into a single drawer.
“The second level of joy was the quality: each appliance works perfectly with no compromise vs. the standalone version.
“The third level of joy was the user experience: a common programmable dashboard on the base means that each appliance works the same way (modes, timers, etc). This is a real blessing: you don’t have to straddle five different user interfaces. When you’ve mastered one appliance, you’ve mastered them all.
“The fourth level of joy is that I have barely scratched the surface of what the Kenwood is capable of. It’s like that fancy camera where you’re taking amazing pictures while using only a fraction of the features. When I get some time, I’m going to plow through the manuals and master the Kenwood. It’s on my bucket list.”
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