Luxury Kitchen Essentials

Bugatti Coffee Machine

Stocking up on high quality kitchen essentials is not as easy as it should be with all the options out there but we will look at the basics to get you started. Quality materials as well as functionality are key criteria in choosing kitchen items not price.

Cookware

Pots, pans, skillets are very important and choosing the right material will ensure a pleasurable cooking experience. If you missed the post about choosing the right cookware material, read it here and make educated purchasing decisions.

Mauviel  M'150c Copper 6 Piece Cookware Set

Le Creuset Shallow Casserole Dish

Prepware

Here, we have knives, chopping boards, peelers, mixing bowls, colanders, measuring cups and spoons in this group.

Wüsthof  9 Piece Knife Block Set

Alessi Max Le Chinois Colander

Mauviel  Copper Mixing Bowl

Scanpan Spectrum Bread Knife

Utensils

Tongs, wooden spoons, whisks, spatulas, meat thermometers, can openers belong in this group.

Mauviel 6 Piece Utensil Set

Joseph Joseph Elevate Wood Carousel utensil set

Casa Bugatti salad tongs

Rosle pineapple cutter

Small appliances

Blenders, food processors, toasters, mixers, kettles and juicers are some appliances needed in the kitchen.

KitchenAid artisan Stand Mixer

Bugatti Volo Toaster

Kuvings Silent Juicer

Photo credit: Harrods

Where to buy: Harrods

Coveted Cookware

Buying cookware can be difficult and confusing. The price and brand of the cookware shouldn’t be the most important criteria to consider when choosing your cookware. The material the cookware is made of is the most important to consider. Some cookware materials conduct heat excellently, others react with acidic food. Some pots and pans are durable and easy to care for while others are difficult to care for. We are going to look at the characteristics of some cookware materials. First on the list is:

Ruffoni Historia Copper Stockpot £345/ ₦ 96,363.20

copper

Copper has excellent thermal conductivity and cooks food evenly though it does not react well to high heat. Copper heats and reacts to temperature changes quickly, giving the cook more control and making it easy to cook food evenly. Copper is a reactive metal therefore it must be lined with another material, such as stainless steel or tin otherwise it will react with alkaline or acidic foods, which then take on a metallic taste after being cooked in a copper pot.

Mauviel Cuprinox Fish Kettle £499/₦139,377

Light colored foods, like eggs, can also develop grey streaks when they pick up the copper compounds, which also means you'll ingest small amounts of copper. Copper also requires regular polishing and maintenance and is expensive. Copper does not work on induction cooktops. Ruffoni and Mauviel are popular copper cookware brands.

Mauviel oval cocotte £259/₦72,342

Cast Iron

Cast iron is one of the most versatile cooking materials. It’s durable and can cook almost anywhere – from stove to oven and grill though it does not heat evenly.

Staub cast iron Red Square Grill £98.95/ ₦ 27,638

Cast iron is notoriously hard to take care of. It needs to be seasoned by adding a layer of polymerized oil to protect the surface. The process consists of repeatedly rubbing the cast iron with oil, heating it up, and cooling it down. A well-seasoned cast iron pan will be nearly non-stick.

After each use, it needs to be re-seasoned. Cast iron is a reactive metal but if the pan is seasoned properly, acidic or alkaline food can be cooked in it for a short time.

Cast iron is very heavy and can easily rust, chip and crack if not properly cared for.

Enameled cast iron

Enameled cast iron offers many of the same benefits of classic cast iron, but without the hassle of seasoning. Plus, it’s much more attractive, and most models come in a wide array of colors. This cookware is lined with ceramic enamel making it non-reactive, meaning that home cooks can simmer tomato sauce without worry.

Le Creuset Round Casserole Dish £200/ ₦ 55,862.70

Enameled cast iron pots are heavy and take a while to heat through, but they do retain heat extremely well. These characteristics make enameled cast iron great for browning and transferring from the stovetop to the oven. This is a perfect material for dutch ovens used for baking bread. Cleaning enamelled cast iron is easy: soap and water should do the trick. Staub and Le Creuset are popular enamelled cast iron brands.

Staub Gratin Dish £31.95/ ₦ 8,924.07

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is non-reactive, durable, dishwasher-safe, and resistant to rust, corrosion, scratching, and denting. It’s also pretty easy on the eyes. However, on its own, stainless steel is a terrible heat conductor. The key to finding good stainless-steel cookware is to pick a model that has a core of another type of metal that conducts heat more effectively – most often aluminum or copper.

Mauviel Stainless Steel Casserole £339/ ₦ 94,687.30

Aluminum-core pots and pans are more affordable than copper-core. However, copper is a slightly better conductor of heat compared to aluminum, giving the cook more control over the cooking process. Fissler and Mauviel are popular stainless steel cookware brands.

Fissler stainless steel 5-piece intensa set

Fissler Vitavit pressure cooker

Aluminum

Aluminium has excellent thermal conductivity, is lightweight, affordable and highly reactive to alkaline or acidic foods. It's also very soft and tends to warp in high heat and scratch easily, which leads to health concerns with long term use.

Swiss diamond cast aluminium crepe pan £115/ ₦ 32,121.10

Aluminum must be processed in certain ways before it’s used as cookware. Anodized aluminum – which makes up the majority of the aluminum cookware out there – has been treated by an electrochemical process to harden it and make it non-reactive. While anodized aluminum does take longer to heat up than other materials, it's an excellent heat conductor.

Aluminum is also a popular material for bakeware, but it is almost always paired with another type of metal to increase durability.

Scan pan aluminium IQ Grill Pan with ceramic titanium non-stick coating £129/ ₦36,031.40

Photo credit: Harrods website, Fissler website.

Prices are correct at the time of publishing.

Musha Cay: Private Island Vacation

Musha Cay is a 700 acre private Island in the out-islands of the Exumas in the southern Bahamas owned by world-famous illusionist David Copperfield. It offers one of the most magical vacation destinations in the world. Musha Cay accommodates those seeking both relaxation and adventure. With more than 150 acres of tropical environment, 7 beaches, very nice accommodations, and a staff of 30+ to attend to your every need, Musha Cay is available for exclusive and private use by a guest and 23 personal friends or family for a total of 24, double occupancy. Google co-founder Sergey Brin was married on Musha Cay in May 2007, and Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Johnny Depp have all vacationed there.

Guests may choose to stay in their own private 10,000-square-foot villa on the crest of a hill, or a thatched-roof beach house. Or they may select one of two guest villas with two bedrooms, private outdoor Jacuzzis, and beaches or a five-bedroom beachside villa. All of this is supported by a host of amenities, air-conditioned throughout, satellite television, international phone service and a professional, courteous, and discreet staff to accommodate your every need.

Musha Cay staff serve guests fine sumptuous cuisine prepared by a world-class chef which may include seafood caught within hours of your meal. The chef will work with you in creating menus for your personal tastes.

While you enjoy your private island stay, you will experience sunsets in the waterfront dining room at The Landings and the more casual indoor, outdoor, and beachfront bars. The Landings is perfect for high-level business conferences or Board of Directors meetings with a full service guest office including telephone, telefax, and e-mail access. The main dining room sets up perfectly for board meetings. You may choose either inside dining or the option to adjourn to Coconut Beach for casual poolside dining under a thatched-roof lounge area.

There is a slew of amenities, including an outdoor theatre, a private speedboat, snorkelling equipment, fishing boats and tackle and beach-side daybeds. The best in boats and equipment allow every sort of beach and water sport, including: touring on one of five Water ski boats and touring boats, deep-sea fishing on a 35-foot Cabo fishing boat, sailing on a Hobie Cat catamaran or Sunfish sailboats, wind surfers, top-of-the-line (three person) Bombardier Sea Doos personal watercraft, water skiing behind one of four speedboats or a Sea Doo, snorkelling, scuba diving, bone fishing, and shelling.

In addition, there are many land activities that you will want to indulge in, including: a walk on one of seven private beaches, a swim in a free-form freshwater pool on Coconut Beach with the ocean steps away, tennis on a lighted court with thatched-roof gazebo for shaded relaxation between sets, jogging on endless jogging and walking paths, working out in the air-conditioned beachfront gym with state-of-the-art equipment on Coconut Beach, hiking, exploring neighbouring islands, a game of pool in the billiard room, and karaoke.

Other activities to partake in include, a refreshing, cleansing steam in the steam room at Highview, a great movie on video or satellite T.V., a tropical drink and a sunset, an afternoon nap, massage, sunbathing, great meals, roasting marshmallows over a beach bonfire, special entertainment such as fireworks, musical groups, a custom-designed Treasure Hunt and stargazing.

Guests may be transferred by a Musha cay staff member from Georgetown, Great Exuma (GGT) to a boat dock for a 45 minute boat ride to Musha Cay's dock. Alternatively, guests may also choose to take a 15-minute charter flight or helicopter flight to Musha's 2,200-foot private runway. There can only be one group of guests, numbering up to twenty-four, at any one time to ensure a totally private island experience.

Rates differ during the holidays, are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.

Daily Rate: 24 person group:        $57,000/₦11,164,000

Weekly Rate: 24 person group:     $399,000/₦78,148,100

A 12% tax also applies.

1-12 person Daily Rate:                    $39,000/₦7,638,540

1-12 person Weekly Rate:                $273,000/₦53,469,800

A 12% tax also applies.

Photo credit: http://www.mushacay.com/

Luxury Bed Linen

Your bedroom should be a place of retreat, rest, refuge, love and relaxation, and the starting point to a beautiful bedroom is reputable quality bed linen. You should go for exceptional quality bed linens made from the highest-quality yarn: yarns that look, launder and wear exceptionally well.

Pratesi Marrakesh applique

Craftsmanship and specialist finishing of this high-quality yarn is very important to how a bed linen looks and feels. Thread count is the number of threads per square inch of fabric - it tells you how closely woven the fabric is. A high thread count of premium quality yarn finished expertly will produce superb quality luxury bed linen. Although it would be worth taking note that high thread count with low quality yarn will produce low-quality bed linen. Thread count isn't an indication of quality anymore. Unless it's an amazing and very expensive fabric, a high thread count is just a numbers game: many companies cheat the numbers with double twist yarns in a cheaper fabric.

Gingerlily Bedding

The material used is also important. Cotton both traps heat and lets cool air pass through in summer, so it’s a great choice for almost any climate. Egyptian and Pima are the gold standard. 100% Egyptian is the most expensive and has extra-long staple fibres that produce sumptuous, yet extremely durable sheets. Pima or Supima cotton is a medium-to-extra-long staple fibres material, known for its softness and sheen and is a little more affordable than Egyptian cotton. Some growers use the term “Egyptian cotton” loosely, however — true Egyptian cotton is grown and processed according to specific stipulations. Be sure you’re purchasing from a reputable manufacturer. Cotton is still the most popular sheeting fabric, due to its durability, comfort and breathability.

Frette Bedding

Silk is famously the most luxurious and expensive material in the world and lasts for decades if properly cared for. Silk bedlinen is real indulgence and a romantic touch for any bedroom. Silk is naturally breathable and wicks moisture away from your body at night, leaving you cool and fresh. It feels wonderful against your skin, and it looks luxurious on the bed. For those suffering from Eczema and dry skin, silk bedlinen is the answer. Silk helps the skin reabsorb moisture through the natural occurring amino acids within it.

Silk also regulates the body temperature which results in a more pleasant sleep because our body temperature is kept at a more constant temperature throughout the night. Silk is a natural protein and therefore repels mold, dust mites and fungi which can trigger allergic reactions such as asthma, eczema and rhinitis. It makes it a perfect choice for people suffering from allergies.

Gingerlily Bedding

Silk pillows increase longevity of hairstyles and prevent hair breakage and aid in keeping facial skin healthy and youthful. Silk bedding is extremely durable and can last up to 15 to 20 years. Silk bedding help osteoarthritis because they drape and mould around the body eliminating single points of pressure.

There are a number of luxury bedding manufacturers and we will look at three of these companies: Frette, Pratessi and Gingerlily.

FRETTE

Frette has, since its beginnings in the 1860s, supplied linens to luxury hotels around the world, like the Danieli in Venice, Ritz in Paris and Claridge's in London and were the official linen of choice to the Italian royal family too. Due to customer demand, the company eventually began opening its own retail boutiques, and now offers both off-the-shelf ranges and tailor-made linens to clients worldwide. Theirs is a couture level of bedding.

Frette’s Italian-made bedlinens are renowned for their elegant designs and premium craftsmanship. Using selected cotton staples to weave a smooth, durable yarn, Frette’s traditional process results in a silky appearance and decidedly luxurious feel.

Frette Bedding

PRATESI

The Pratesi family opened their first Pratesi store in 1946 in Italy. Pratesi is what dreams are made of...cotton, linen, cashmere and silk into which one sinks luxuriously. Pratesi has dressed the homes of the world's elite-from kings and queens to legendary authors, poets, painters, composers, heads of state, the rich & famous, screen stars and international celebrities. Pratesi is known for its distinctive chain embroidery.  

The pratesi collection includes the Paradise line, Baby Pratesi line, Resort line, Classic line, Seasonal line and Wool and Cashmere line.

Pratesi cashmere blanket

GINGERLILY

Gingerlily was established in 2004 with their first product being silk filled duvets which were so successful that more products quickly followed. The company rapidly expanded and Gingerlily products are now stocked throughout the world in leading department stores and independent retailers.

Gingerlily offer a complete bedding & bed linen range including silk filled duvets, pillows and mattress toppers and a range of silk bed linen, silk bed-spreads, 100% silk blankets and throws, cushions and a range of silk nightwear.

Gingerlily products are made using only the finest A grade long fibre mulberry silk. Mulberry silk is the highest quality silk you can purchase. It is made from silkworms that are raised in captivity under exacting conditions. It is also the most expensive type of silk.

Gingerlily’s luxury bed linen is wonderfully soft and seamless and ranges from delicate pastel hues and classic neutral tones to striking statement prints, all with a subtle sheen. Gingerlily offers beautiful bed linen for every bedroom.

Gingerlily Bedding

Photo credits: Harrods
Pratesi website
Frette website
Gingerlily website


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Tea Lovers

Mariage Frères is a French gourmet tea company, based in Paris. It was founded on 1 June 1854 by brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage. For over 130 years, the company maintained a wholesale-only business from their Parisian warehouse until 1903 when the company transformed itself from a wholesale import firm into a retail company.

Today, the company operates over 30 Mariage Frères points-of-sale within France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan with four Mariage Frères tearooms in Paris. The brand is also distributed through a network of resellers in over 60 countries. In the early 2000s, an online shop (available in French, English, and Japanese) with worldwide distribution was launched.

Mariage Frères tea is considered by many to be the best tea in the world. It is served in grand hotels such as the Meurice in Paris, Claridge's in London, Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok and Singapore.

Mariage Frères has a vast range of flavours in their tea collection consisting of scented tea, green tea, yellow tea, black tea, blue tea, Jasmine tea, white tea, smoked tea and a host of other flavours. The company also sells tea paraphernalia, tea pots, tea perfumes, tea gift sets, tea delights as well as books dedicated to tea.

Photo credit: Mariage Frères online shop website: http://www.mariagefreres.com/UK/welcome.html

Where to Buy:

PARIS - Rive Gauche

13 rue des grands Augustins
Paris 6e
Phone : +33 (0) 1 40 51 82 50

LONDON
Selfridges
400 Oxford Street,
W1A 1AB
London.
Phone: +44 113 369 8040

SHIBUYA - HIKARIE ShinQs, B2

2-21-1 Shibuya
Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo
Phone : 03 3797 1854