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74 posts categorized "Cooking and entertaining outdoors"

February 15, 2011

Mikadofocus grill & outdoor fire by Focus Creation


Innovative design by www.focus-creation.com!

 

Contemporary-Outdoor-Appliances-BBQ-Grill-Cool-Mikadofocus-by-Focus[

 

 

September 11, 2010

Barbecook PUUUR for 2011

Healthier BBQ cooking: designers to the rescue!

photo: Barbecook PR

I am sure ( or at least hopeful !) this design will open up a new wave of product developments from other brands in the BB Q market. I love its simplicity but most of all, I love the fact designers are really looking at options to make grilling as healthy as possible! We probably agree that 'healthy & grilling' in the same sentence ... has been an unusual combination of words. No wonder lots of newer options such as outdoor induction cooking, teppan yakki, planchas...  now steer many away from good old grilling.



It seems however that the good old BB Q is starting to fight back!



At SPOGA+GAFA in Germany last week Barbecook were showcasing  Puuur, their newest design. It will be on sale in the US for next spring.
I picked up on the PUUUR  because it has three great things going for it. One could hope this will be a mini game changer... so it is worth closer examination.



1/ At last an affordable minimalist design


It will retail at an unusually reasonable price (not public yet). Minimalist designs are generally very very expensive so this is very welcome news for design lovers on a budget! Again let us hope others follow  Barbecook's lead here. Many small patio owners would love a cool, high performance BBQ but prices really prevent them from indulging in anything good looking. Oh... hmmm, yes, I am part of that group too!



2/ Looks & feel.


Puuur is probably in the vein of the old Evo Solo grills but it adopts that new, more fashionable, slightly less sleek and less cold design. If you follow design trends, you will have noticed that very strict sleek looks are out of fashion now. This design is rounder and softer to touch than usual minimalist stainless steel designs. And I am all for a softer touch.


The colors are also more new decade.


3/  Healthier grilling: designers to the rescue !


Last of all (and best of all) this new design aims to make grilling healthier.
The lid you see is called the 'deflector'. The 'lid' or reflector is designed to let smoke escape and provide a more healthy cooking experience as well as being a design feature.
Unlike most 'lids' it actually only covers part of the grill. The idea is that it works more to deflect the smoke and help it escape... versus classic lids that capture and almost seal the grill.


In the brand's words: 'It reflects the glow of the charcoals, so that dishes are cooked at the top and grilled at the bottom. "The reflector thus offers the advantages of a lid without any of the drawbacks. Instead of grilling in harmful smoke gases, you can enjoy super healthy dishes,".
 
It will be interesting to see more BB Qs designed to be a little healthier. This is a great start!
And yes, it still makes sense, mid-September, to discuss BB Q's.


Autumn and winter BB Qs are fabulous too!
 
Enjoy!

May 3, 2010

Brilliant wall mounted BBQ

SIgmafocus by Focus

This wall barbecue consists of a steel firebowl that folds up, so that when it is closed it takes up limited space.Attractive in both its open and closed positions, the barbecue is also practical, offering a range of cooking heights. It is easy to mount on any wall. The generous firebowl allows the barbecue to be used a number of times without having to empty out the ash.

Sigmafocus by Focus
Concealed

The wall plate protects the wall from the smoke.

April 5, 2010

DIY Outdoor party lights

Brilliant find and tip on how to make these at  http://www.casasugar.com/DIY-Wine-Glass-Candle-Lampshades-1551107:

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February 27, 2010

Modern garden design issues solved by Earth Designs, London, UK

This post offers a glimpse into how modern garden designs take form.

 I love this project by Katrina Kieffer-Wells  ( www.earthdesigns.co.uk design).

  DSC_0777.jpg

 It deals with real life issues of many urban garden owners:

> gardens & privacy

> garden lighting

> gardens &  storage

> urban dining and ENJOYING an outdoor space in a variety of way.

 
The client desired a stylish and sophisticated outdoor room, with enough space for entertaining, dining and relaxing and for playing. The long garden was south facing yet still heavily shaded by neighbouring buildings at its base and by mature trees.

Privacy was a major issue, not only from properties on either side, but also from the flats above.

SOLUTION:

The garden is on two levels with the main area adjoining the house containing two separate areas for dining and for entertaining and relaxation. Flooring throughout is large rectangular cream travertine paving.

The main focal point of the garden is a large timber structure with integrated shelving and cream travertine topped fixed bench seating around the base. This structure has two open doorways to allow entry from different points in the space, and is ornamented on all sides with a selection of decorative fillers placed within individual alcoves. A dining area to the right of the space features a raised bed rendered block bed on which a long railway sleeper bench seat has been fixed. Three tall tapering slate planters on the opposite side to the dining area give a sense of balance to the space.

The back section of the space is on a higher level and is accessed by wide steps to the right of the cube structure. The upper garden features an artificial lawn surrounded by a travertine tiled pathway. The focal point of the upper garden is a large garden office in the bottom right hand corner.

Planting in the space is simple, low maintenance and elegant, featuring box balls and box hedging in the lower garden and tall willowy bamboo in the upper garden.

The garden is elegantly lit throughout. A set of low voltage downlighters illuminate individual alcoves in the timber cube, while stainless steel spotlights on the side wall and on each of the four corners of the cube provide ample light to the seating and dining areas. In-ground uplighters serve to highlight the planters to the left hand side and a series of low voltage lights give a calming glow to the upper garden.

  Chris and Jessica ED123 Visualisation.jpg 

 

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February 24, 2010

Reaching further

As well as launching my firm with a marketing and communications consultancy, I also contribute to a number of international magazines such as such as GARDEN DESIGN USA.

You can see my Maison et Objet review for the US market at http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?o=int&pub=113272806&prev=sub&offer=114410433 pages 29 and 30.

 

 

Garden+Design+March+Cover.jpg

So, dear designer friends: keep me posted!

 

Anne

February 22, 2010

Plug and play outdoor cooking

The end of the bulky BBQ is close!

French brand, OUTCOOK, designs a great new set of modules so you can set up a true outdoor kitchen with a variety of cooking functions and storing options:

http://www.exterieur-meuble.fr/58/Les_caractéristiques.html

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September 22, 2009

EGO Paris changes outdoor cooking with design at Maison et Objet

I personnally am not a BBQ type but I love the idea of cooking outdoors as easily as I can indoors.
Ego Paris - the always amazing provider of stunning outdoor furniture- have made this amazing table: you can 'slot in ' an extra panel fitted with an induction cooking plate.

EGO 2009-024724.jpg
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September 10, 2009

Karna'k : Bruno Houssin's Red Dot award winning outdoor kitchen

This is really a great design that truly deserves the prestigious red dot award.

http://www.brunohoussin.com/newsletter/index.php/post/2009/07/07/BRUNO-HOUSSIN-AU-SALON-MAISON-OBJET-2009

'The summer kitchen of my childhood has came down to a table, a stove and a basin.
On this observation, I developed flexible plans of work integrating the essential features: preserving, washing, preparation and cooking. '
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August 24, 2009

Porsche Design Studio and Grand Hall glam up the barbecue

As always Born Rich found the high-end glam product and this time it is a grill/barbecue.

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'Porsche fans can now bring the thrill on wheels into meals with the powerful X-Series grill designed by Porsche Design Studio in collaboration with Grand Hall, who earlier impressed grilling fans with their vertical T-Grill. The X-Series grill is available in two versions: with and without island. The luxurious grill is a result of four years of research which reflects in its list of specs. The X-Series features an impressive design with matching specs: built-in rotisserie, counter balanced hood, sliding lid, Smooth-start ignition, LCD panel display with built-in countdown timer and electronic instruments and gauges with a rechargeable battery. The X-Series also incorporates the all new Crossray(R) burner technology which uses up to 50% less gas and emits up to 80% less smoke besides ensuring complete safety - no flare-ups, no choking smoke! "The collaboration with Porsche Design Studio has been an incredible process to be a part of," said Jeffery Sears, CEO for Barbeques Galore. "Porsche Design Studio brought their impeccable sense of detail, beauty and best-in-class engineering to create a superior outdoor grilling system. We incorporated Crossray(R), which is the most advanced gas grilling system available to consumers. The result is a winning combination of functionality and style found in the X-Series." The grill features 1,120 square inches of cooking space with four ceramic infrared burners that deliver up to 52,000 BTU of highly controllable heat. The stainless steel island version comes for $7,999 while the standalone version sells for $5,999 through Frontgate.

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