Sunday 23 November 2008

Britannia Cookery Demonstration

Just thought that I would let all of you Britannia enthusiasts know that the manufacturer is holding a cookery demonstration on the 6th December at Steamer Trading in Marlow. There will be a home economist there from 10am til 4pm who will be able to show you how to get the most out of your Britannia six zone induction range cooker.

Now Marlow is in Buckinghamshire so some people who want to get there won't be able to, but I'll be sure to keep you posted on any upcoming events by Britannia that might be a bit closer to where you are.

Sunday 14 September 2008

Classic Cookers

A really nice lady contacted me the other day because she wanted something that would suit her traditional style kitchen. She did not want a shiny, metallic or black gloss cooker. She wanted something that was elegant, possibly in a more subdued cream colour. She melted when she saw the Britannia Classic range and thought that it was perfect. I had always thought of Britannia as being brightly coloured and modern, but they seem to impress with the classics as well for the more traditional kitchens.

Monday 14 July 2008

Review of Britannia Range Cookers, Excelling in a Difficult Market

There is no doubt that recent times have seen families tighten their purse strings when it comes to luxury items, and many manufacturers have struggled to maintain sales in this sector. One brand in the UK however, has seen sales grow 12% year on year despite the high ticket price for their top-end range cooking products.
Britannia Living, based in Blackpool, Lancashire, have been the leading range cooker specialist in the UK for over a decade. They offer a selection of contemporary, modern, traditional and classic cookers, and matching cooker hoods and splashbacks.
The range topping models from Britannia are the Sigma and the newer XG cookers. The Sigma is available in a choice of cream, gloss black or stainless steel. This model is a more modern style and should match any kitchen but for the more traditional.
It comes with flame failure devices for safety, meaning that the gas will cut out if the flame is blown out for any reason. The triple glazed doors means that the ovens can be touched even when cooking at high temperatures. Other feature include an electronic programmer, a storage drawer and both ovens are A rated for efficiency.
The newer XG range cooker includes a seperate grill compartment to offer solo grilling without having to use the main oven. This saves energy and makes it easier to clean when you just use the one smaller compartment. This Britannia cooker also features flame failure device, stay clean oven liners, A-rated multifunction ovens and a rotisserie. The XG range now includes a 110cm range cooker with Chef Top.
All Britannia range cookers have a 2 year parts and labour guarantee as standard.

Britannia Xg - Which is Best for Me?

Britannia introduced the XG range cooker, which includes a dedicated grill compartment, to offer even greater flexibility in the kitchen. Each model in the Britannia XG range has an energy efficiency rating A so here are no worries there and its choice of contemporary and classic designs in a variety of stylish colours, means that there is a model to suit everyone.
SIGMA XG dual fuel range cooker has a twin oven and is available in sizes: 110cm and 100cm.
This contemporary cooker has a stainless steel trim and is available in three colours- Cream, black or stainless steel, which makes it perfect for any modern kitchen whether it is glossy or wood throughout.
The internal electric grill featured in both the ovens means that combined with a further separate grill compartment, you will never run out of space to grill. So you can be cooking bacon on one grill whilst grilling the toast in the other. Put them both together and you have a well timed, stress free bacon sandwich.
Both ovens also feature oven stay clean liners meaning one less job for you. But for the bits that do need cleaning, the triple glazed doors and inner glass panels on both ovens are removable meaning that cleaning is quicker and easier.
The smaller of the two ovens includes a rotisserie for spit roasting, showing that with Britannia XG it really is all about the taste. And this is a great feature to take full advantage of for social gatherings and large family meals.
This dual fuel cooker also features a stainless steel hot plate that uses gas. It has electric ignition and cast iron pan supports so no nasty accidents. In fact, the Britannia XG in general is very safety conscious and includes flame failure devices to keep you and your family safe.
The SIGMA Britannia XG comes with extra storage space at the lower right of the range cooker, levelling feet and a plinth to make your cooker as secure as possible.
The DYNASTY XG range cooker is also dual fuel and includes a twin oven the same as the SIGMA. It has all the same features as the SIGMA oven, is available in the same sizes and the same colours and also has a stainless steel trim. So what is so special about this particular Britannia XG model? Well, the Dynasty certainly has a professional feel to it and would look fantastic in a glossy modern kitchen. Its sleek contemporary design coupled with the solid door construction and chunky controls make it an impressive looking appliance.
Similarly, the CLASSIC cookers in the Britannia XG range again have the same number of ovens and the same amount of grilling space and all the other features that the SIGMA and the DYNASTY have. The differences are purely aesthetic and so the choice you make should be based purely on which cooker you find most attractive as the prices are the same as well at around £3799.
The major difference with the CLASSIC range is that it oozes elegance. From the arched glass panels on the oven doors to the beautiful chrome trim, this cooker belongs in a traditional kitchen where cooking is enjoyed rather than seen as a chore.
The CLASSIC Britannia XG cooker is also available in the same colours as the other two, but there are two choices available for the trim- the chrome which comes as standard. Or the brass, which is available by special order only.
So for a contemporary versatile cooker for any style of kitchen it has to be the SIGMA. For a sleek professional look, go for the DYNASTY and for pure elegance and craftsmanship, choose the CLASSIC.

Britannia E Line Range Cookers Review

The dual fuel cookers, which are available in sizes 90cm and 100cm, come with an energy efficiency rating B and a stainless steel trim. Whichever size cooker you decide upon in the Britannia E Line range, you will have a choice of colours- stainless steel or glossy black, both of which will easily fit into the surroundings of a modern kitchen.
The Britannia E Line range provides the consumer with two ovens, which is great for large families and for entertaining guests. Both ovens feature integral electric grills and double- glazed see- through doors and internal oven lights so you can easily see how well that roast is coming along without even having to open the oven door.
Whether you go for the 90cm size cooker in the Britannia E Line range or the 100cm, the oven to the left will be 60cm in width. This nine function electric oven includes the very clever Quickstart fast preheat system so that you can get on with preparing and cooking your meal without having to wait twenty minutes for the oven to heat up.
The left oven also comes with a fully automatic programmer and minute minder, so no more ruined meals.
If you decide that the 90cm Britannia E Line cooker is the one for you, the oven on the right of the cooker will be 30cm in width. This oven only has four functions in comparison to the nine on the left oven. However, it does have a rotisserie so that you can spit roast your meat if you fancy a bit of a change. The 100cm Britannia E Line cooker has the same features as the 90cm cooker, but it is slightly bigger at 40cm in width.
As well as the twin oven, the dual fuel Britannia E Line range also features a gas hotplate. The hotplate has electronic ignition making your cooking experience safer as there is no naked flame needed to ignite the gas. Safer still, the gas hotplate includes three cast iron pan supports to minimise spillage and flame failure devices are available if you want them as an optional extra on your Britannia E Line cooker.
As well as everything I have mentioned above, the Britannia E Line range of cookers comes with height adjustable legs for your convenience. From an environmental point of view, this range can be converted to LPG if you are keeping tabs on your carbon footprint.
Britannia was established in 1985 and was one of the first companies to introduce range cookers in the United Kingdom. The business started with a very small team and his since grown steadily, which led to their move to larger premises in 1999 - Britannia House.
There are now over fifty people employed at their head offices and they have our own delivery and installation team, as well as a great number of service engineers to ensure good customer support. The 2 years warranty offers parts and labour security. Based in Blackpool, they can be contacted through their website.

Britannia Hobs - Bringing the Outside in

As usual, Britannia have focused their design around functionality and the professional gas Britannia hobs are designed to sit directly within the worktop area of your kitchen, so there is no need to worry if you have an expensive work surface as there is no need to cut into it with Britannia hobs.
The professional gas Britannia hobs are available in sizes 60cm, 90cm and 120cm and they are designed so that your worktop edges will sit flush against the hotplate. These hotplates are some of the highest quality, most durable and most functional of any of the Britannia hobs.
Outside of the Professional range, Britannia also has eight gas hotplates to choose from in sizes 60cm, 70cm and 90cm. One of the 90cm Britannia hobs with four burners also contains the Chef Top in the centre, which is made of high-quality stainless steel, so you can use any metal utensil without ever scratching the surface. The stainless steel is also simple to clean and the Chef Top is an extremely healthy, simple and tasty way of cooking.
There are also two ceramic touch control Britannia hobs available. This ceramic hob has beveled edges surrounding the glass on this Britannia hob, which makes a nice change to some of the more conventional designs around. In keeping with the modern style of this Britannia hob, all the heating zones on these ceramic Britannia hobs are powered by hi-tech ribbon ultra-fast response elements. This means that the ceramic touch control Britannia hob can boil quicker than almost any other hob around.
Although Britannia hobs are always practical and efficient, another selection of modular hobs is available that excel in these two areas. With a selection of modular Britannia hobs, you can mix and match your Britannia hob options to suit your own kitchen and cooking needs and your own personal lifestyle. In essence, this selection allows you to personalise your Britannia hob and make it individual to you.
If you do decide to opt for a modular Britannia hob, you have several options to choose from. Your options are a wok gas hob, a two burner gas hob, a ceramic hob, an electric BBQ hob, an electric griddle hob and an electric deep fat fryer. Each of the modular Britannia hobs comes in size 30cm, which means that if you have a 90cm cooker, you would ideally be able to choose three from the selection to make up your cooking zone.
Rain will never be allowed to spoil a Barbeque again with the electric lava stone BBQ Britannia hob, which takes indoor cooking to a new level. It has a removable lava stone tray to make it easier for you to clean and is an absolute must have for the contemporary cook.
All Britannia Hobs are covered by a manufacturers warranty of 2 years for parts and 2 years for labour. The manufacturer is based in Blackpool, Lancashire in the UK. The company has had a major presence in this market for decades, and prides itself on the quality and functionality of it's cooking products.

Review of Britannia Dynasty Range Cookers

The Britannia Dynasty range cookers are available in the three standard Britannia colours of cream, gloss black or stainless steel and are all twin oven range cookers. The Britannia Dynasty range cooker has loads of great features added for safety, practicality and style. The triple glazed doors improve the efficiency of the cooker and also keeps it quieter making cooking an overall more pleasant experience.
This cooker also comes with an electronic programmer and a 24 hour clock which allows you to program your oven to start and stop at whatever times you want it to means that the Britannia Dynasty is the perfect range cooker for people with a busy lifestyle. The storage drawer is both useful and aesthetically pleasing and both ovens are A rated for efficiency, which means that this selection of Britannia Dynasty range cookers uses less energy than a lot of other cookers, but works just as well. So you save money, but do not sacrifice any of the quality and practicality of your cooking appliance.
The Britannia Dynasty range cooker is available as an XG range, which has its own compartment specifically for grilling. If you do decide to go for an XG Britannia Dynasty cooker, you have the choice of two sizes: 100cm or 110cm. And you get all the great features of an XG cooker. If you choose the 110cm XG Britannia Dynasty range cooker, it comes with a gas hotplate with six burners and a Chef Top, which is a stainless steel hotplate that is easy to use and allows you to cook healthily and make food taste even better. The Chef Top is a great way to cook for any meal of the day.
As with most of the domestic appliances that Britannia has on offer, the Britannia Dynasty is littered with safety features so that you can cook with ease of mind. The Flame Failure Device is a great safety device because if the flame is extinguished, the thermostat sensor will detect that no heat is being generated and it will automatically switch off the gas supply. So no more wondering whether you turned the gas off- with the Britannia Dynasty, it does the worrying for you.
The Britannia Dynasty standard range cooker has the grill in the oven and is available in size 100cm. But although there is not much choice surrounding the size of your Britannia Dynasty cooker, there are other ways to modify this model. For example, the 100cm Britannia Dynasty range cooker is available in three colours so there should not be any problems with suiting it to its new surroundings. You also get a choice as to whether you would prefer an all- electric cooker or a dual fuel cooker with the oven as electric and the hob as gas. There are also three hotplate options for you to chose from with the 100cm Britannia Dynasty: the basic gas hotplate with six burners, the gas hotplate with four burners and Chef Top, and the ceramic hotplate if you would prefer your Britannia Dynasty to be all- electric.

Britannia Sigma - Add Some Colour to Your Kitchen

The Britannia Sigma range cookers are manufactured to a very high standard so you can rest at ease in knowing that you have a high quality and reliable appliance in your Britannia Sigma range cooker. Britannia is always striving to make life in the kitchen more pleasurable and you really feel that you are working with the best when you are using a Britannia Sigma cooker.
Made for a truly modern home, the Britannia Sigma selection will not disappoint the 21st century family. All of the Britannia Sigmas are available in a choice of cream, gloss black or stainless steel, and depending on which model you choose, there are other colour options available to you as well to make your Britannia Sigma cooker really stand out amongst the crowd. Whether your kitchen has a high gloss finish with smart, straight lines or is a modern shaker kitchen, the Britannia Sigma cooker will be sure to fit in.
But the Britannia Sigma range cooker does not just look good, it is also practical and safe and amongst its many advanced features are its flame failure devices for safety, triple glazed doors, an electronic programmer, and useful storage drawer, which can be used for almost anything. So, it looks good, it is practical and it is safe, but it is also energy efficient so good for the environment and your bank balance with an energy efficiency rating A.
The Britannia Sigma standard range cookers come with grills in all the ovens, whether it is a single or twin oven model, but if you would prefer to have a separate compartment especially dedicated to the grill, you could go for the XG range of Britannia Sigma cookers, which are available in sizes 100cm and 110cm.
The Britannia Sigma is available in a great range of sizes and also available as a single oven or twin oven. The single oven Britannia Sigma range cooker comes in size 90cm. The twin ovens are available in sizes 90cm, 100cm, 120cm and 150cm so you should not have any problem finding the Britannia Sigma in the size that you specifically require.
The 100cm Britannia Sigma range cooker is available in the three colours that the other Britannia Sigmas are available in throughout the range. But if you are looking for something a bit more colourful, the 100cm Britannia Sigma is now available in Britannia Editions, which opens up a whole new selection of bright and original colours for you to choose from to fully customize your kitchen.
Now when you choose the 6 burner dual fuel Britannia Sigma 100cm range cooker, you can truly be original with the style of your kitchen as you now have a choice of three new appealing colours to add that perfect finishing touch.
The three new colours available in the Britannia Sigma 100cm range are Ice Blue, Candy Pink and Velvet Red at a guideline price of around £3,000. All Britannia Cookers come with a free 2 years parts and labour warranty for peice of mind, and they have a dedicated team of engineers to cover the whole UK.
With any of these vibrant colours in the Britannia Sigma Editions range, your new cooker is sure to be a great conversation point at any dinner party.

Britannia Ovens

With Britannia ovens, you get a choice of a 90cm built- in twin oven or built- in single oven. If you want something a bit narrower, there is also a 60cm double oven and a 60cm single oven available. Of all the ranges, the 90cm twin- ovens give the consumer the most choice.
The 60cm single oven only has one colour option: stainless steel trim and costs around £700. The 60cm twin oven also only has the one colour option and is only available as an all- electric appliance, as all Britannia ovens are. It has a guide price of around £1079.
Even the 90cm single oven does not have a choice of colour. It too is only available in stainless steel, but at least stainless steel is easy to clean and fits in well with most contemporary kitchens. The 90cm single oven has a guide price of £859.
The only Britannia oven in the built- in range that does come with a choice of colour is the 90cm twin oven. The colour options are stainless steel oven with stainless steel trim, a stainless steel oven with a chrome trim or a graphite oven with a chrome trim. Each of the 90cm twin Britannia ovens has a guide price of just under £1500.
So there is a choice of size and some choice of colour, but what features do built- in Britannia ovens have? All of Britannia's built-in appliances feature "Quickstart", which is a fast pre-heat function that allows the oven to reach the temperature of 200°C in six minutes. This is around three times faster than conventional ovens.
All of Britannia's main ovens have 9 functions and are all have an energy efficiency rating A. Energy efficient appliances use less energy, but achieve the same results. A rated is the most energy efficient and will save you more money than a lower rated energy efficient appliance in the long run.
The 60cm single oven is part of Britannia's Sigma range. The cheapest of Britannia's built- in ovens; it still manages to include triple glazed doors to improve the oven's efficiency and to keep the oven quiet. The 60cm single also has a fully automatic programmer with a 24 hour clock. This allows you to programme the exact times that your Britannia oven should turn on and off, which means that you could have your dinner ready for you when you get back from work, taking the inconvenience out of cooking after a long day.
The more expensive high end specification 90cm twin Britannia ovens have more features than the 60cm single as you would expect. But the most interesting of these, I think, is the Rotisserie in the smaller of the twin ovens. This is a bit different and allows you to broaden your horizons a bit by cooking pork, chicken and other game birds in a new way.
For Britannia ovens, it seems to be about the cooking and the taste rather than fancy gadgets. Britannia is associated with two cooking schools- the Meluki Cookery School in Beaconsfield and the Aldeburgh Cookery School in Suffolk, where courses are taught using Britannia ovens.

Britannia Classic Review

As its name suggests, the Britannia Classic range cooker has an old- fashioned but elegant style, which stands out amongst many contemporary selections and swaps straight edges and sleek, simple lines for classic curves and ornate craftsmanship. A few decades ago, this style would have been the norm, but what was apparent in style was not matched by the convenience and efficiency available back then. The Britannia Classic seems to have combined the classic style and look of the cooker with modern features such as triple glazed doors, electronic programmers and energy efficiency ratings of A.
The Britannia Classic is available either as a twin- oven or single- oven with a brass or chrome trim. And if you never have enough room on your grill, there is also a dedicated grill compartment available if you decide to choose one of Britannia's XG range cookers. If not, then there are grills in the ovens of the other cookers within the range.
There are three colours to choose from in the Britannia Classic range. They are stainless steel, glossy black and cream. I shall guide you through the features of one of the mid- range appliances within this selection: the Britannia Classic 100cm twin oven, but the Britannia Classic is also available in sizes 150cm, 120cm, XG 110cm, XG 100cm, 90cm twin, 90cm single.

This range cooker is available either a dual fuel with an electric oven and gas hotplates or as an all- electric appliance with electric oven and ceramic hotplates. There are advantages to both. Some people prefer the look of the gas hotplates, which look particularly at home on the Classic range. The ceramic hotplate looks perhaps a bit too modern and out of place with this range, but it is easier to clean. If you prefer a gas hotplate, it comes with electronic ignition, which ensures that lighting the burners is simple and easy. It also comes with flame failure devices that sense when no heat is being generated and will automatically turn the gas off, taking the worry of safety out of the gas hotplate option.
Both ovens in this range cooker include stay- clean liners, which help to keep the oven like new for longer. This feature requires that to clean the inside of the oven all you have to do is heat your oven for about 45 minutes and then simply wipe the inside clean. So it does not clean itself, but makes the job a little bit easier.
The left oven is the larger of the two and in the 100cm range cooker is 60cm in size. It has nine functions and a Quickstart fast preheat system, which means that the oven can get up to a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius in just a few minutes. The right oven is the smaller at 40cm and has four functions, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in taste because it includes a rotisserie for spit roasting pork, chicken and other meats.
Britannia prides themselves on providing cookers that create great- tasting food and hold cooking demonstrations across the UK.

Friday 11 July 2008

Britannia Colours

I noticed last week when a customer asked me what colours were available - Britannia seem to offer just about anything. They have a selection in blue, red, gloss black, stainless steel, cream and graphite.

I think the most popular ones are usually stainless steel but we seem to be selling alot of black and white kitchens these days, so sales of the black ones seem to have picked up.

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Britannia Chef Top

The chef top on my Britannia is so versatile, even though it's really just a slab of steel!

My partner suggested using it when we were having a humble sandwich. Because you don't need to oil it before use, you can heat it up and just put the bread down, then begin to add toppings. We put cheese on the 4 large slices of bread, waited for it to melt and then added some salad and bacon.

It's a great way to cook because you can see everything and feel in control - you can add to your food like on a gas hob but ther is no pan and you have a lot more room to play with. When I was adding the cheese, you can just throw it on and not worry like if you were cooking with a wok or traditional pan.

Thursday 26 June 2008

Britannia Cookers Blog

Britannia are a range cooker specialist, based in Blackpool, Lancs. Britannia offer a variety of classic and contemporary range cookers to suit any kitchen.

I have had the pleasure to use these range cookers for many years now, so have decided to start a Blog about my experiences.