The Green Dream Kitchen ! My favorite très green, très chic kitchen accessories.

Dreaming of waking up with your very own butler serving you perfectly cooked – and perfectly healthy – food?
Step aside, Jeeves. Some of today’s kitchen technology is so innovative that your healthy meals will practically make themselves.
Investing in the best products is like having your very own – and very green – sous chef to quite literally spice things up in the kitchen. Healthy eating is all about stocking your pantry with nourishing staples and nutritious seasonal produce, but having the right appliances can transform your dishes… and your life!

I always say that when it comes to green cuisine, start with the basics then accessorize. Here are some of my favorite très green, très chic kitchen supplies fresh off the runway to your kitchen, whether you want to invest in fancier, haute couture items or you’re looking for more easy-to-use, ready-to-wear everyday basics.
Like any wardrobe, these items are a mix of vintage chic and some brand new accessories with just a little bit of French flair.

Bon appétit!

VITAMIX

It’s no secret – my Vitamix and I are madly in love.

Vitamix, their technology breaks down foods to not only create a silky smooth texture, but also breaks down nutrients to make them easily digested and absorbed by the body

Their latest collection –  the S series – is their most chic model yet. It’s supermodel-sized, aka long and lean to fit comfortably on any kitchen countertop and even to take on the road when traveling.

Their new S50 features pre-programmed settings for the perfect smoothies or power blends and the S55 also features dips and spreads or frozen desserts.
Like every Vitamix, their technology breaks down foods to not only create a silky smooth texture, but also breaks down nutrients to make them easily digested and absorbed by the body. The 20-oz and 40-oz BPA-free containers make them perfect for solo smoothies or quick soups, sauces or – just in time for summer – pestos! Their G-series features even more powerful motors and sleek designs like the pro series 750 and the 7500. This is the crème de la crème of blenders (but you won’t need any crème since this magically makes everything so smooth and creamy)!

GAGGENAU
Built-in steamer and cooktop

It doesn’t get more green, clean and chic than Gaggenau.
German engineering meets international elegance in this amazing countertop steam machine that is, quite simply, life-changing. The VK 414 steamer cooks food via healthy steaming, warming, thawing, heating and simmering to preserve vitamins and minerals without sacrificing taste.

The electronic steam control saves energy since it generates only the amount of steam needed and no more – it’s a win-win for you and planet earth.

There are 17 power levels, all controlled by a digital panel and sleek design so you’ll feel like you’re navigating a (very healthy) rocket ship while making lunch.

This is all happening, by the way, in your countertop with a glamorous glass cover. It’s like having a futuristic robot Doctor cooking your food for you. The built-in steamer matches well with Gaggenau’s countertop collection including induction cooktops to help you cook food quickly with low energy consumption and maximum nutrient retention.

Green staples, like quinoa or rice, practically cook themselves to perfection and this is great for flexibility when using different sizes of pots and pans at the same time.
There are 17 power levels, all controlled by a digital panel and sleek design so you’ll feel like you’re navigating a (very healthy) rocket ship while making lunch.

MIELE
Combi Steam Oven

Looking for the healthiest way to cook your food? No pressure! No really, no pressure is the way to go thanks to Miele’s combi-steam oven that gently steams foods while preserving vitamins, minerals, texture, color and, most importantly, flavor.

Miele recently launched its new Generation 6000 series featuring “M touch” technology, an intuitive user interface that allows the fancy, famous chef – oh sorry, I meant, anyone at all cooking at home who, with this technology, may be confused with a fancy, famous chef – to regulate the cooking method and temperature, and even the moisture level.

Miele’s combi-steam oven offers precise humidity and temperature control to steam, bake, roast, braise and broil anything and everything. Extra bonuses include faster cooking times and the ability to skip added oils or fats for flavor or non-sticking.
And if you don’t feel like getting messy, the oven will clean itself – true story, it has a cleaning program on its control panel.

LG SMART
ThinQ Range and Homechat Refrigerator

“Hello? Can you cook me now?” LG’s refrigerators and smartThinQ range of kitchen appliances may feel like they’re taken directly from a scene in your favorite futuristic sci-fi movie, but they’re real, and available today.
Their refrigerator uses a “homechat” technology so users can control their refrigerator temperature, ice and even activate time and energy saving modes like “leaving home,” “coming home” or “vacation mode.” Just send a text message to your refrigerator (and perhaps get used to the idea of sending a text message to your refrigerator) to inform it that you’re “leaving home” and the very smart fridge will automatically turn to smart power savings mode.

LG’s cooking management app HomeChat can set precise temperature remotely, clean your oven (again, true story) and plan meals. Chatting with your appliances has never been so much fun.

Have you ever been exhausted after a long day at work, come home and wished your oven would just magically prepare dinner for you? It can. True story. LG’s cooking management app HomeChat can set precise temperature remotely, clean your oven (again, true story) and plan meals. Chatting with your appliances has never been so much fun.

LE CREUSET COOKWARE

Making fancy, French, fit food is easy in fancy, French fit Le Creuset cookware.
Sometimes, the best “new” things are actually taken from foolproof and timeless vintage collections. Le Creuset’s famous cast iron and enamel pots heat evenly and promote gentle cooking at low heat which translates to bringing out the best flavor and nutritional benefits of your ingredients.
Plus, they last forever so it’s a great investment into your health.
I, of course, have a particular affinity for their gorgeous green-colored pots, pans and even measuring cups and serving bowls, but all of their designs are a great wait to eat the rainbow.

BREVILLE JUICER

If you’re more the Cup O’Kale than the Cup O’Joe kinda gal (or guy – hello!), then the Breville Juice Fountain Plus is a must-have item. First of all, it sounds so fancy – yes, a fountain in your kitchen !

This slow juicer crushes, squeezes and churns to make juice with a thick, smooth texture, packed with nutrients and all (almost) without a peep. (Don’t you wish your own children were so well-behaved, quiet and vegetable-friendly?)

The Breville juicer is great for juicing leafy greens like kale, spinach or romaine – other juicers may be “slower”, but they involve much heavier prep and cleaning. The Breville has a stainless steel cutting disc surrounded by a mesh filter so it can extract up to 30% more juice and 40% more vitamins and minerals than other similar juicers.

You can also opt for the quieter “Crush,” that I have a serious crush on. This slow juicer crushes, squeezes and churns to make juice with a thick, smooth texture, packed with nutrients and all (almost) without a peep. Let’s raise a glass (of wheatgrass juice) to that!

COUNTERTOP
by THE ORANGE CHEF

They say orange is the new black, but I say it’s the new green.
The Orange Chef’s Countertop system, available this fall, is a smart kitchen system that connects to your other devices and appliances. Attach a small adapter to the bottom of your Vitamix and it will let you know if you’ve added the right amount and adapt the recipe based on your lifestyle and even your own personal taste in foods.

When you make recipes linked to the app, the app automatically calculates your exact nutrition intake, so no more counting calories (it does it for you).
The Countertop officially launches in the Fall, but just because we love you, BWB readers, you can get 50% off here.

GREEN PAN

Green Pan is healthy and eco-friendly cooking at its finest.
These ceramic-coated pans have no lead and won’t release toxic fumes… even at high temperatures.
Their patented Thermolon non-stick technology makes cooking easier and healthier (think: no oil necessary!) without having to worry about chemicals sticking to your foods in the process. Their coating is a better heat conductor than many other pans on the market, resulting in not only a healthier meal, but also crispier and more flavorful food.

EXCALIBER DEHYDRATOR

Some like it raw. However you like it, dehydrated foods are crunchy and delicious, and even more nutritious since they are heated slowly over very low heat to preserve all of their nutrients.
Make crispy and sweet buckwheat granola, dry sprouted nuts or (un) bake cookies, crackers and other treats.
Its practical and chic design makes it fit on countertops, unlike many of the larger, monster-like models on the market today. Their “radiant” collection also comes in fun colors like red, blue or raspberry pink.

Make colorful noodles out of your favorite vegetables. Think: Zucchini spaghetti, beet ravioli or carrot fettuccine.

SPIRALIZER

Use your noodle – and the most functional and fashionable spiralizer around – to make colorful noodles out of your favorite vegetables. Think: Zucchini spaghetti, beet ravioli or carrot fettuccine. This is also a great way to get kids involved in healthy cooking! It’s also the perfect tool just in time for summer so you can enjoy raw, light veggie noodles as the temperature heats up outside. And why not try a sexy spiralizer from the sexiest sisters around, Helmsley & Helmsley ? Read more HERE.

KITCHENAID SLOW COOKER

Ironically, the slow cooker is a great option for fast food.
KitchenAid’s multicooker boasts a very “vintage-chic” design mixed with modern technology. It’s so versatile with more than 10 different cooking methods for up to 12 hours of cooking. It constantly monitors the temperature of the cooking pot from 100 – 450 degrees so you can precisely control the temp of whatever you’re making.

MAGIMIX FOOD PROCESSOR

No green kitchen would be complete without a fabulous food processor! Make homemade nut butters, pestos (‘tis the season in summer!), nut pâtés and more. Invented by Magimix by Robot-Coupe and manufactured in France (bien sûr I love this !) this food processor has become a must-have green and chic necessity.