ovens & freestanding cookers

OVENS (clockwise from top left) Electrolux 90cm multifunction pyrolytic oven, $3789, Harvey Norman. Gaggenau 60cm ‘400 Series’ built-in combi-steam oven, $12,499, Winning Appliances. V ZUG ‘CSTXSLZ60’ electric built-in compact combi-steam oven, $7499, Winning Appliances. Bosch ‘Series 8’ built-in black-glass pyrolytic oven, $1889, Harvey Norman. COOKERS (clockwise from below left) Le Chateau ‘120’ range cooker, $74,410, La Cornue. OR90SCG6X1 90cm stainless-steel freestanding cooker, $6949, Fisher & Paykel. ILVE ‘Majestic’ dual-fuel oven, $9499, Winning Appliances. Smeg ‘Classic’ freestanding cooker in Anthracite, $2990, Harvey Norman. Smeg ‘Porto ino’ electric oven, $9990, Winning Appliances.

wine fridges

A luxury item for some, wine fridges are ideal for protecting precious drops from UV rays, temperature fluctuations that can dry out corks, and vibrations that may disturb the sediment in bottles, causing damage through agitation, says Bruce Cranston, product expert at Winning Appliances. While a number of wine fridges can be integrated into your cabinetry for a seamless look, others must stand alone. “Essentially, any features that ensure the wine isn’t disturbed are important. The main ones are a stable temperature, smooth shelf runners, a soft-closing door and UV-resistant glass to ensure no heat or UV penetrates the wine,” says Bruce, who’s particularly impressed by the Fhiaba winecellar models that can be purchased with a kit and converted to a prosciutteria, where meats can be aged and properly stored. “It’s a very unique feature, and cheese can be stored with this kit as well.” Bruce says a good underbench wine cabinet starts at about $1000 and goes up to around $19,000 for a large integrated unit that will hold approximately 120 bottles.