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Christmas Day has a rhythm all of its own. The kitchen hums with activity, the table gradually fills, glasses are topped up, and guests drift in and out, grazing as the festive feast comes together. For anyone with a thoughtfully designed kitchen, one created for busy moments, big celebrations, and everything in between, this part of the day can feel surprisingly effortless.
When high-performance appliances and smart planning work together, festive cooking becomes calmer, more enjoyable, and far more organised. This year, we gathered insights from our partners at Miele, BORA, Sub-Zero & Wolf to explore how the right tools can transform the hosting experience.
Christmas cooking has a way of drawing everyone back into the heart of the home, and much of the day’s ease is decided long before anyone arrives. It’s in the quiet preparation, the planning, the little checks, the sense that your kitchen is ready for whatever the day brings. Cesar Fernandez, Culinary Expert at Miele GB, offers a few simple ideas that can make everything run more smoothly.
Ahead-of-time prep is key. “You can easily par-steam most root vegetables in advance, including carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Then either steam for 2 minutes before serving, or roast for 25–30 minutes with honey and mustard, or your seasoning of choice. Delicious and easy!”
When it comes to the main event, Cesar’s advice is reassuringly straightforward: “Carving will be much easier if you allow your turkey enough time to rest and allow for all the juices to redistribute. It might sound obvious, but also make sure your knife is sharp enough!”
Even the gravy gets a thoughtful finishing touch. “My secret ingredient when making gravy is a little black treacle,” he reveals. “It helps with the colour and body of the gravy. Trust me, it works!”
At the centre of it all is the Miele Combination Steam Oven, Cesar’s chosen Christmas hero. It cooks a turkey in around a third less time, shifts easily between roasting and steaming, and includes automatic programmes that take the guesswork out of the day. Once Christmas cooking is complete, the HydroClean cycle restores the oven to a sparkling finish. Paired with a Miele warming drawer, the whole menu stays well-timed and ready to serve without any fuss.
Miele’s seasonal recipes, Perfect Christmas Turkey and Christmas Stollen, make the most of this precision-led technology.
Christmas has a way of turning the kitchen into the most sociable room in the house. As Andy Cummins, BORA Country Manager UK, points out, “BORA appliances are designed with this atmosphere in mind, helping the space feel open and inviting.”
“The BORA cooktop extractor is a perfect example. Without the need for an overhead hood, the kitchen feels lighter and more connected, ideal if you want to add statement lighting or simply enjoy an uninterrupted view across the room. It also means the person cooking can stay fully involved in the day’s conversations rather than tucked away at the edge of the action.”
“During festive cooking, the BORA X Pure comes into its own. Its wide cooking surface, automatic pan-size recognition and clever bridging function make room for larger pans and bigger batches, just what Christmas lunch often calls for. Yet even when working hard, it remains remarkably quiet, helping maintain the relaxed rhythm of the morning.”
For many households, the BORA Qvac quickly becomes a December essential. Discreetly integrated into the worktop, it keeps food fresher for up to three times longer, making it ideal for preparing dishes ahead or storing leftovers neatly. As Andy shares, “Take the stress out of the big day and prepare some of the main meal in advance this Christmas. With the BORA Qvac, food can be kept fresher for up to three times longer.”
And when it comes to festive dishes, BORA’s King Prawns with Mango Salsa is a lovely place to start, light, colourful and easy to prepare, offering guests something fresh before the main feast begins.
When it comes to Christmas cooking, reliability is everything, and Sub-Zero & Wolf bring professional-grade performance into the home. Sub-Zero refrigeration ensures ingredients stay optimally fresh from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and beyond, allowing hosts to shop ahead and reduce waste. Wolf cooking appliances keep timing on track and flavours consistent, even during complex festive menus.
Partner chef Matthew Ryle emphasises the importance of kitchen flow, “At Christmas, efficiency is everything. A calm, organised kitchen makes the whole day smoother.” His approach is purposeful and practical, using multiple ovens and functions to keep every element running to schedule.
Chef Olivia Burt’s festive dishes highlight how much these appliances can deliver. Her Mulled Wine Cake is fragrant, warming and richly spiced—perfect with an afternoon coffee. Her Turkey Brine is, in her words, “simple gold dust for never having a dry turkey EVER again.” It’s a small step that produces extraordinary results.
For Sub-Zero & Wolf Managing Director Craig Davies, one product stands apart: the Wolf Oven with Temperature Probe. “Precision is everything when you’re juggling multiple dishes,” he says.
Lacanche’s festive philosophy is shared by the wisdom of its cooking partner, Enrica Rocca Cookery School. “Italian cooking has long embraced the idea that the best food doesn’t rely on complexity, but on beautiful, honest ingredients.”
“Cook with ingredients that taste like home. Lacanche chefs share a simple rule: when the ingredients are excellent, the dish practically cooks itself.”
“Let antipasti do the hosting for you. A generous antipasto platter is both effortless and celebratory. Lacanche suggests a spread of”:
“It looks abundant, feels welcoming, and buys the cook a few extra minutes of calm—something every host appreciates on Christmas Day.”
And then, above all: cook with joy. As the Lacanche team notes, “food tastes better when the cook is relaxed, laughing and perhaps sneaking a piece of panettone. A tense chef produces tense food; a happy cook produces memorable meals.”
“For those who desire exceptional oven capacity during the most culinary-focused time of the year, the 1400 mm Classic Chalonnais is an ideal companion. Its elegant symmetry and graceful lines may catch the eye first, but it is the performance beneath that refined exterior that makes this range cooker such a standout during the festive season.”
Whether roasting a turkey in one oven while crisping potatoes or baking a dessert in the other, the Chalonnais provides the reassuring capacity needed for a full Christmas menu. Two deep storage drawers below keep roasting tins, trays and festive serveware close to hand, bringing order to even the busiest Christmas kitchen.
Across every brand, a shared message emerges: Christmas cooking becomes calmer, more enjoyable and more beautifully orchestrated when your kitchen is designed to support you. In a Tom Howley kitchen, these appliances do more than look exceptional; they transform how you host, cook, relax and celebrate.