CHEF’S CHOICE

If you ask Chef Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava about the perfect refrigerator for people who really love to cook, she’ll happily point you in the direction of the Bluperformance SBSES 8683 Side-by-side Fridge-freezer by LIEBHERR, a premium home appliance designed with sustainability in mind

AS ONE HALF of the husband-and-wife team behind the multi-award-winning Bo.lan, Chef Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava knows a thing or two about what to look for when it comes to high-performance kitchen appliances. And although the restaurant she and Dylan Jones first opened back in 2009 is no longer in operation, plans are already underway to open The Food Trust, a cooking school that will operate under Bo.lan’s educational programme.

Installed in this soon-to-open facility will be a brand new Bluperformance SBSES 8683 Side-by-side Fridge-freezer by Liebherr, the German-based manufacturer of ultra-premium fridge-freezers and wine cabinets. For Chef Bo, this versatile kitchen essential ticks all the boxes in terms of efficiency and design.

HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER LIEBHERR?

Actually, the first time I came across the brand was when I bought one of their wine fridges for the restaurant. We also got one of their freezers, and I fell in love with it because it has all these drawers and compartments.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT THE SBSES 8683 MODEL?

For me, it’s the green technologies of Liebherr’s Bluperformance range (home.liebherr.co.th/bluperformance). The fridge is really efficient when it comes to electricity consumption, and that’s the first thing I look at when buying an appliance these days. I know that people feel electricity is greener than fossil fuels, but if you look to how we generate our electricity, especially in Thailand, it’s not that clean. So technologies that allow you to use less of it, that’s the way to go. In the European grading system, a rating of A+++ is the best in terms of minimising consumption, but with this fridge they’ve reduced consumption a further 20 percent above that A+++ rating.

I also like the use of LED lights that come on when you open the door. It’s another thing that helps with energy consumption. And Liebherr, as a company, looks to the sustainability side of their production as well. They claim that

everything is recyclable, and they use better materials, which means things last longer. So you don’t have to change it as often as your iphone (laughs).

WHICH OTHER HANDY FEATURES APPEAL TO YOU?

It has so many drawers and compartments, which is perfect for those who like a big fridge and like to cook. Compared to a standard domestic fridge, it gives you so much more space and flexibility with the adjustable shelves. Sometimes, when I cook a really big pot of something, I can chuck the whole pot in the fridge afterwards… and I like that.

The whole design also makes it very easy to clean. You can pull the shelves and drawers out really easily. I also like the activated charcoal filter at the back of the fridge. Cooking with Thai food means that sometimes there are ingredients that are really pungent and stinky, like salted fish or nam pla rah, and without the filter those odours could last for like two or three weeks in the fridge. There’s also the Supercool function, for when you realise your wine or beer is not cold. You can just chuck it in and chill it fast!

HOW DOES THE BIOFRESH-PLUS FEATURE WORK TO KEEP FISH AND SEAFOOD FRESH?

Seafood needs to be kept at a really, really low temperature, but not freezing. In my restaurant I would have to take a tray of prepped seafood and put it in the fridge with bags of ice on top of it to ensure it reaches the temperature that would keep the quality intact. But with Liebherr’s Biofresh-plus technology, I no longer have to worry about bags of ice. This compartment comes with an adjustable temperature range of 0°C to -2°C and includes a versatile Fish & Seafood-safe, allowing humidity to be regulated within the compartment and keeping it low. I would say it could keep fish fresh for about three to four days, easily, while minimising the risk of cross contamination with different foods.

WHY IS THE FAN-ASSISTED, FROST-FREE FREEZING TECHNOLOGY BETTER THAN NORMAL FREEZERS?

In a normal freezer you get an icy layer built up along the inner walls. With Liebherr’s Nofrost system, their freezers constantly remain frost-free to allow for the safe, longterm storage of food. It also keeps the temperatures constant, so the food will keep better, and it freezes things faster because the cold air circulates.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU ABLE TO CUSTOMISE THE SETTINGS?

There’s a digital control panel at the top and you can do a lot of things from there. You can even control the temperature and humidity of each compartment. This is great for things like cheese. Most fridges don’t have a proper cheese storage compartment, so it either dries out or gets mouldy quickly. But when you put food in the Biofresh drawer you can adjust the humidity and keep it in optimum conditions.

HOW DOES THE DOOR OPENING MECHANISM DIFFER FROM OTHER REFRIGERATORS?

Normal fridge doors sometimes get stuck because of the magnetic seal, but this one has a two-step opening mechanism, so it’s really easy to operate. You don’t have to tug at it, which is a really useful feature for the elderly and for kids.

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LIEBHERR GROUP IS STILL IN THE HANDS OF THE LIEBHERR FAMILY. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO YOU?

I adore family businesses. In a family business they don’t only think about the profit, they think about their own family as well, including kids and grandkids. So when they design something they think of the future. It’s a more holistic view when it comes to sustainability.

DO YOU THINK THE SBSES 8683 WOULD SATISFY THE NEEDS OF BOTH PROFESSIONAL CHEFS AND FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS?

As a professional chef I would not put a fridge like this in a commercial kitchen, because it’s way too beautiful (laughs). The design, and everything, is so gorgeous. But if you have a chef’s table type place, and you’re cooking for like 10 guests, and it’s an open kitchen, I would put it there for sure. And for our new cooking school I think it’s perfect.

For domestic use it’s ideal for people who throw lots of parties, who love cooking, and love food. If you have to feed a lot of people – say a family of four to eight – it’s amazing value for money.