Induction versus gas? Open shelving or a Narnia-like pantry? Chefs are fanatical about every detail when it comes to their kitchens - especially their ones at home.
But compact London living doesn’t afford masses of room to realise dreams of walk-in fridges or generous worktops, so most foodies’ kitchens are packed-out with secret draws and a liberal use of hooks in order to make the most of every inch.
Here, four industry insiders talk us through their home kitchens and how they’ve optimised them into hardworking spaces fit for a professional.
Rahel Stephanie
AKA @eatwithsp00ns, is a chef, writer and the founder of Spoons, an Indonesian supper club platform which celebrates Southeast Asian food and culture. She lives in southeast London by the Thames.
My kitchen space at the moment is really giving ‘Tell me she's a chef without telling me she’s a chef’! All my equipment is out on display. I had a friend come over and they recommended hanging a linen curtain around the freestanding shelf unit to reduce the clutter. I was like, ‘Shut up - that's my personality!’
I moved into this rental between Deptford and Surrey Quays from Camberwell a couple of months ago. I assumed I'd be the type to prioritise the kitchen above everything else, but when I saw the river view, it completely stole my heart.
Having a gas stove was a non-negotiable on paper but it all went out of the window. Maybe I’m in the honeymoon phase still but the quirks of this tiny kitchen are all part of its charm.
For work events I’ll usually hire a space that’s well-equipped for cooking en-masse, while home is where I entertain and recipe-test. I’ve maxed out the space by hanging pans using S-hooks from a ceiling rail and installing a magnetic knife rack.
I started off hosting supper clubs in late 2019 and I never planned for it to be a fully-fledged career. It’s grown into writing and presenting, all with the same intention of raising awareness about Indonesian cuisine and culture and making sure it reclaims the respect it deserves.
My rice cooker is my ride-or-die. It's not a glamorous one but it’s faithful - my friend Lois swapped it for me in return for a homemade pandan cake, so that’s cute.
I can't believe I actually spent my first few years in London without one - I genuinely think everyone should own a rice cooker because it’s life-changing.
I have a cool mold which I brought with me back from Indonesia for a traditional golden rice dish called tumpeng. It’s used for birthdays, weddings - it’s our version of a celebratory cake.
In my fridge there’s always a jar of sambal [a chilli-based paste], which is my go-to condiment. I make some up every week and have it with everything - rice and a fried egg, or on pan-fried fish. Spice is the soul of so much of Indonesian cuisine; I’ve been eating bird's eye chilies since I was three years old!
My dream kitchen would have a six-hob rangemaster (gas, of course) and walk-in everything: kitchen, pantry… but my comfort food would still be a pack of Indo Mie instant noodles.
Anna Barnett
Chef, food writer and podcaster and host of The Filling, a podcast where she interviews celebrity guests and food industry insiders in their kitchens. She lives in Bow, east London.
We’re about to move and renovate again (for a third time!) and it’s got me thinking about how I’d design my next kitchen.
Being a listed Georgian townhouse, we had to tell the council that we’d moved the kitchen from the basement to the upper ground floor because of the new drainage system.
The light is so lovely in this room, but as it’s topped and tailed by windows, it proved extremely limiting. We didn't achieve the ‘triangle scenario’ where you can pivot from oven to fridge to cupboard to washing your hands, so I’ve ended up doing a lot of laps around the kitchen.
In hindsight, I probably should have put a small sink in the island, but then that was more work. When you’re in the midst of a renovation the costs can quickly spiral - every day something comes up.
The units are from DeVol, painted in their ‘Mushroom’ colour, which is a soft taupe. When you're spending a lot of money on something, you want it to be timeless but also to evolve as your taste changes.
Open shelving is great to put a personal mark on a kitchen by displaying things, but then the dusting is a pain! I’ve learned that here’s a flip side to everything.
I’d be keen to have Miele appliances again; we have induction and a double gas hob which means that I can char things directly over the flames. I do that a lot with peppers, aubergines, flatbreads or tortillas - I love that kind of food. I also rate Miele’s steam ovens - you can do anything and everything in them.
I welcomed twins after we renovated this space and so I’ll think harder about the finishes next time. The marble worktop has proved pretty divisive: it’s a beautiful, dark stone called jaguar which is very pretty to look at but has been highly impractical. Plus, the boys keep banging their heads on the island overhang which is quite stressful!
I’ve been admiring some kitchens on our recent travels - I like the stainless look, maybe with a big wooden chopping block. My next kitchen certainly has to be more functional, and I feel that's very much on-trend at the moment.
Anna Tobias
A chef and the founder of Cafe Deco, a bar, restaurant and wine shop in Bloomsbury. She lives in Newington Green.
I’ve rented my flat for five years. The kitchen doesn’t have the most practical layout: on the far side is the hob with only a tiny bit of prep space.
I don’t get the weird British obsession with the window having to be above the sink; what I really love about Italian kitchens for example is that the sink is often behind a cupboard with a drying rack, which gives you more bench space because it's not taken up by a draining board.
To save space I’ve put a magnet rack and a metal saucepan lid holder on the wall because lids are just annoying. I also have pots hanging off a rail. But overall I haven’t done loads to it, as it’s not my flat.
I don’t spend too much time fantasising over what my dream kitchen would look like - but I know for certain what wouldn’t be in it. Islands, I think, are an inefficient use of space. I'm quite a cluttered person, so I imagine mine would end up just gathering stuff.
I’d also be delighted to never cook on gas again; we've got induction in the restaurant and it’s amazing - it's so easy to clean, you're not breathing in gas, and you never burn yourself.
I’d also go full-size with a dishwasher - here it’s a half-one. Aesthetically, I enjoy being able to hang things as then you grab them without having to stop what I’m doing.
I'm not a particularly gadgety chef and I don’t covet the big-name brands. In fact I'm pretty analogue when it comes to equipment - a pestle and mortar is key to my kitchen.
Otherwise I’ve got what I would consider to be pretty standard kit-wise: a food processor, a stick blender, and I did have a Kitchenaid, but that’s currently at the restaurant as the one there broke.
I enjoy hosting and have friends over usually once a month. My go-to is a roast chicken dinner - I can do it with my eyes closed at this point. And I’ll always make a pudding too, so there’ll be cake or a tart.
When I’m working the evening shift, my classic pre-work lunch will be rice, some sort of tinned fish - like sardines or mackerel, greens and a boiled egg. I cook that a lot because it's healthy and sustaining.
Johnnie Collins
A self-taught chef, grower and landscape designer who lives in Dalston with his partner, actor Bianca Bardoe.
We’ll occasionally grab pizzas while out but I enjoy cooking for myself and love having people over; I can’t remember the last time I Deliveroo’d anything. My kitchen’s not massive but it’s designed very well.
My two must-haves were a five-ring double oven by Smeg and a Fisher Paykel fridge. Bianca shopped around and got the fridge for cheaper as it was ex-display; we had to take the front bedroom window off to get it in, so it’s not going anywhere!
The oven was a discounted Costco find. I rate induction because it’s so easy to clean and I love the ability to cook really low and slow - like putting a stock on all night without having to worry.
The worktops caused a bit of debate: Bianca wanted marble so she got a slab and used what was leftover from the island and backsplash all around the rest of the flat for shelves and so on. I got my wish for stainless steel on the main worktop.
The units are from DIY Kitchens and a good compromise over spending a load of money on a handmade kitchen. We’ve customised them with vintage handles from eBay and a nice tap.
We’ve got a few cupboards including a tall thin one that acts as our drystore. But we opted mainly for drawers as they really maximise the space and house inner drawers for things like knives.
I’ve found that having stackable containers is also key for space-saving; stainless steel bowls used for a mise en place in a professional kitchen for sorting scrap from sauces are great.
And I’ve really edited my gadgets down to an ice-cream maker and a Nutribullet - the latter is very good for dressings and purees.
The garden is where I grow perennial herbs like chives and rosemary, and quick-growing greens such as rocket and kale amongst the roses and verbenas.
The flat is small but the garden is big, so we can comfortably have over 20 people over for a summer barbecue. My ultimate luxury would be having a big counter space.
