How to Make the Kitchen Your Favourite Space in Your Home

“V-Zug's Excellence Line ovens feel intuitive and natural to use, with their clearly laid-out menus and a powerful control ring that simplifies choosing of settings,” shares Tan. “I also appreciate the ability of the ovens to reach a high temperature quickly, as well as the consistent temperatures they can achieve. When using V-Zug equipment, I am assured that even changes in temperature and humidity can be achieved in just a few simple steps.”

The chef is as impressed with the look of appliances from the Swiss manufacturer. “With V-Zug's equipment, I find that equal attention is paid to form and function,” says Tan. “The result is incredibly usable equipment that performs at a consistently high level, wrapped in a sleek and statement-making body.”  

Here, he shares some useful culinary tips while discussing his favourite features of the kitchen equipment from the Swiss manufacturer:

How did you find out about the Swiss brand V-Zug and what is your impression of it?

Ming Tan (MT) I've had the pleasure of using V-Zug equipment since the start of my career, and have always been impressed by their quality and innovation. I get consistent results and I am a big fan of the various functions found on V-Zug ovens! It does not hurt that V-Zug makes some very, very good-looking things.

Could you tell us more about your experiences working with V-Zug appliances?

MT I continue to be impressed with the build quality of V-Zug's induction stove-tops and refrigerators. Commonly used hinge points are reinforced and well-designed, and areas of high contact are made of heavy-duty materials and are easy to clean. These things point to a culture of innovative design and constant refinement through use and feedback.  

With V-Zug's induction surfaces, I particularly appreciate how I can move pots and pans in order to control the heat channeled into them. This functions much like a professional French range top, where you move pans in and out of hot zones to control the degree of cooking you need. As soon as a sauce is about to simmer, I can quickly move it down and reduce the amount of inductive energy being applied, without having to search for a particular zone and poke about on a digital panel. This also means the entire induction surface is available for my use, which is great when I am catering for private dinners or cooking special meals for loved ones.

With V-Zug's Supreme fridges and freezers, the ability to change the height of chiller shelves on the fly allows me to quickly allocate space to bulky or odd-shaped items with minimum fuss—I simply move the shelves up or down to make space for the items I need, be it a cake, a brined turkey or entire ribeye on the bone.

Could you share some culinary tips for the dishes shown in the video?

MT I like contact-searing meats in a heavy-bottomed pan before finishing them in the oven slowly. Use a thick-bottomed pan with some heft, and don't be afraid to dust off your cast iron pans for searing meat! Wipe your meat dry before cooking, because moisture is the enemy of browning and developing flavour on the surface of seared meats. Use a probe to guide you with your understanding of the temperature of your meat, and remember that undercooking is better than overcooking. 

With fish, my preference is to cook it at a high heat for a short period. This browns the outside and creates flavour and textures, but prevents the moist meat within from over cooking. Look for complementary flavours—meatier fish can be paired with stronger components adding acid or flavour, drier fish can be paired with an herb butter, and delicate fish paired with aromatics that add layers of smell but do not overpower the gentle sweetness of the key item.