Simply Revolutionary

So it’s early in the morning, you have a flight to catch and you woke up looking like Iggy Pop. Now a shower is a good start but a nice hot beverage is the cherry on top of the cake. Gone are the days where you boil water in a kettle and measure out the right amount of coffee and sugar to get the right ratio. In the modern day and age, people want instant boiling taps and coffee machines that make all sorts of frothy drinks that you get in a Costa. If you are like me however, and think the world should be in 1984 then you won’t understand coffee machines because I don’t. I like to mix the coffee myself in a mug with a spoon. But having a coffee machine in the house is almost the next big thing but most coffee machines are big, cumbersome, expensive and noisy and noise early in the morning is a big no no.

So what other alternatives are there? Well, there is a new option that is a coffee machine and boiling tap all in one. A new product from Scanomat called the Top Brewer has been released which is a stainless steel tap or as I described on first glance, an upturned umbrella handle. Basically it sticks up out of a work top with a collection tray below for overspill and an IPod/IPad dock next to it. Why you might ask? Because this tap machine works off any hand held smart device but because the brochure uses an IPad we will go with that. You simply install the App to work the machine to your device and follow the simple steps.

You can customise your drink first by choosing what you want, whether it be a Cappuccino or a coffee. You can then set the water temperature, how you would like your beans ground, steam temperature and, even how much coffee you want in your cup of coffee, in grams, like me; whacked up to the limit! So, on top you have the tap, collector and dock for the device. Under the counter lives the complex machine which creates and mixes your brew. Either a Top Brewer Pro or Top Brewer Compact. Then you have extras like a separate fridge unit for milk etc. The mix is then fed through the tap to your mug and is calibrated to deliver a perfect blend. You can even set your perfect brew as default so the machine will always remember your brew for quick drinking pleasure.

The only drawbacks I find are that you need a smart device which I don’t and this product runs using Wi-Fi, so if that goes down or your internet connection cuts out, you won’t be having coffee and it will be Iggy Pop at the airport. This is a fantastic product and I do like the way it’s controlled – wonder if a version will be done to mix cocktails?! Well, it will also serve chilled juice drinks too if unlike the rest of us, you wake up looking perfect.

The price of all this modern tech is the clincher. Your basic system starts at around £5,000, which seems a lot for just a mug of coffee but then like any German car, to make it stand out, you have to spec it up…a lot. If you are willing to, the top spec models are around £13,000 – yes you read right; so if you are Iggy Pop and you are reading this, I’m sure you have enough in the bank from the glory days or punk to get one. But if you want something that is super cool and need to impress your friends with cool coffee, then here is your answer!!

This product is available from Stephen Graver Ltd. Give us a call on 01380 871746.

The Zaha Hadid Triflow Tap

To most people a tap is a simple and conventional way of venting water. Most bathrooms and kitchens will have a common style tap consisting of two handles or twist knobs for hot and cold, or maybe a single handle turned either left or right for hot and cold; simple and easy to use. With a vast range of taps on the market from a ten pounds in DIY stores to a couple of hundred, some of which have been incrusted with diamonds and other rare stones and crystals. Sure they look special, all shiny and sparkly, but just a tad on the tacky side.

So where else can you go for a fine, exquisite tap that not only looks amazing, but isn’t intrusive. That is functional and yet elegant. Well there is only one obvious choice, which is the Tri-flow tap designed by Zaha Hadid for Tri-flow. This is the sort of luxury good that if you showed someone for the first time they would maybe not know what it was. Shaped like the neck of a swan looking backwards or could even be said, looks like a front downpipe of a Harley Davidson. Said to be inspired by the way water flows, the way the water gets from the filter to the end of the tap is rather very clever. Three separate water ways built into this solid brass tap, which are designed to flex as the neck can be turned left to right. Hot and cold water is accessed by twisting the tail end of the tap. The operating lever is its one main weakness as it does take some time to master how to get hot water through as there are no hot/cold markings.

Then again, this is more or a work of art than a tap so it’s more form over functionality. Once you find the right position for either hot or cold, the flow of water is smooth and clear. If you would like filtered water, then simply touch the finger sensitive button which will light up and instantly pump filtered water.

From the outside it looks simple, but underneath the curvy figure is an array of clever tech for the 21st century. It won’t be to everybody’s taste, with some people proffering two taps over one large one for both hot and cold. Some people might even be frightened away by the £7,500 price tag, which some how is justifiable. There aren’t many of these, if any, in kitchen showrooms around the country, but here at Stephen Graver, we are lucky enough to have a fully functional working tap in our Studio.

This tap is like marmite; you either love it or hate it. It looks fantastic and is very exclusive, but it isn’t as practical as most taps and is quite large and the price too. But for those occasions when you have dinner parties and people walk into your kitchen and see it gracefully sat there, you will be the envy of everyone. Don’t believe us? – come and check it out at our Studio for a demonstration.

Badge Appeal

Making the right impression when turning up to a job is very important and clients will always look for polite workmen/woman, clean shaven and in clean clothes. Because lets be honest, they just bought a £50K kitchen and when a motley crew of untidy guys rock up in a battered van, it’s not the best impression. Now obviously people know this, to turn up looking smart but the vehicle is neglected. Even turning up in a dirty van shows lack of care.

If your company is moving forward with a certain part of the business, then a look at new vehicles might be wise. Here at Stephen Graver Ltd, the kitchen side is booming and sadly the older vehicles don’t have the same high profile image, so a new Mercedes Sprinter was welcomed to the team. Going from traditional Graver Green to Gun metal Grey has changed the image from builder to business jet. People do notice and say if vehicles look a bit tatty and hopefully this blog will help you in making the right decision.

So our new Sprinter, it’s the 313 CDI long wheel base and it is massive. Over 20ft long you could fit a whole kitchen in the back with ease. Beautifully made with a car like feel inside. Bluetooth, CD player, cruise control and remote locking make this a real head turner. Motorway driving is a breeze with the compact yet powerful 2.0 litre engine effortlessly cruising at 70mph. Stick the cruise control on and whack the stereo up.

And lets be honest, it’s a Mercedes, so the badge appeal is off the scale. Mercedes also offer this big beauty as a short wheel base if you don’t need the extra length! However, if you want a van the same sort of size as the Sprinter, there is the Crafter from Volkswagen. Basically the same van with different body styles and interiors. The VW may not be the same high profile as the Merc, but still a smart looking and powerful van.

If you are looking for a small van then there are loads on market all offering different specs and shapes. The best on the market today are the VW T5 with a 1.9 TDI engine that is economical and powerful. They feature two meter loading beds and class leading reliability. Have it in a grey colour or maybe a dark blue and throw on some alloys and would look very smart indeed. Mercedes offer the Vito which has been around for over a decade. Looks fantastic, has a glorious 6 speed gear box and rear drive if you wanted to get the tail out (when no one is looking). The German vans are tried and tested and offer a company an upmarket feel.

Japanese alternative may not have the same credentials but are bullet proof, efficient and excellent value. Toyota’s Hiace is exceptionally well made and will last forever but they are work vans with not a huge amount of character of charisma.

So if you are looking for a new van or vans to benefit your company then the best choices are from VW and Mercedes. If you have that extra cash to splash, go for alloy wheels and metallic paint and make the van much more than a van. Remember, it’s all about the badge appeal and people do like badges that shout success. 

From Holland with business

Broadening business contacts whether it’s a supplier, a contractor even a client doesn’t just have to be in your country of origin. In England we have hundred of thousands of quality services offering new and innovative products and we are a very independent and self sufficient little rock. But there is nothing wrong with going to the continent or even America for ideas and products. I have a friend who lives in New Zealand whose company supplies plastic bottles and human cleaning products, such as hand washes and hair gels. He recently spent a week in China looking around various factories gathering information on the best and most efficient product development methods. If you focus on your own country, you limit what you can offer your customers in possibilities.

In Stephen Graver’scase, he went and visited the appliance designer ATAG, whose headquarters is based in Duiven, Holland. There is no better way to learn about present products and future products than going straight to the top where the magic happens. Seeing how they develop the technology making your average white good much more than something that is taken for granted as well as making them more efficient.

ATAG is rapidly becoming a rising star in the appliance world dubbed the brand with a future, which adds to the brands credibility. With a new range of products being prepared for release in mid 2013, we will all have to wait and see what these new products will have to offer as there is a level of secrecy.

But at ATAG it’s not just about detailed and efficient appliances, it’s about the food that their appliances will prepare and cook. It’s all very well for a company to say that their products produce the best results than any other on the market, but we the people want some proof. Which is why ATAG now offer a few different recipes, whether its high speed cooking in an oven or using a powerful gas wok burner. Each recipe is simple to create and specifically tailored for different ATAG appliances and details of how to prepare and what ingredients are needed can be found on the ATAG website.

ATAG is a company on the move and seeing their products first hand and touring round their factories is a great way to experience each and every product before it is fitted to your kitchen. Stephen enjoyed his trip to ATAG’s headquarters and being a high rolling kitchen designer it would have been rude not to indulge in the products produced. 

Out of England and into Africa

Recently back from a two week vacation to the beautiful country of Kenya with Amanda, Stephen Graver lived the dream of going to Africa into the vast wilderness to experience the exquisite scenery and stunning creatures in the bush. Most people think holidays involve sitting by a swimming pool in bikinis and swim shorts (or if you are The Hof, bright red skimpies of which I hope you don’t), wining and dining in luxury resorts, eating local dishes and listening to the country’s music. Well, this blows all that garbage out the water because in the massive Kenyan bush lies Tassia Lodge, for the adventurer in search of that hidden and unspoiled Africa.

Tassia Lodge is perched on the edge of a rocky bluff giving breathtaking views of the flat planes and Blood Mountain standing proud, the highest point in sight, makes for some extraordinary sunsets. Run by Martin, a fourth generation white Kenyan with a massive knowledge of the animals and wildlife, as well as carrying one of the biggest rifles you have ever seen – you’d want him if lost in the wilderness! His partner Antonia is of English decent, an excellent cook and moved over to Kenya to be with Martin to run Tassia Lodge. Both excellent hosts and down to earth people.

This is not a safari experience, trapped in a vehicle looking at wildlife unthreatened by the sound of an old diesel engine. The walks are gentle but keep your wits about you. Anything could happen.  The trails are dangerous and round the corner could be a group of elephants. The wildlife is wild and camera shy, hence the large gun in tow. Led by Martin and Massai guides who know the planes like the back of their hands, you are always in safe hands. The most notable of guides is the Honey Guide bird, which will call out to you and when replied to fly to another tree beckoning you to follow. It will lead you to a beehive, and if you’re lucky the Massai guide will smoke the bees out and retrieve the fresh liquid honey, not the usual stuff put on your toast. The deal is the bird gets some of the honey afterwards. The bird also works in conjunction with the Honey Badger which climbs the tree and attacks the hive retrieving the honey for the both of them. Extraordinary animal communications in such a barren wilderness.

If you fancy getting in the saddle then there are two options – horse back and motorbikes. Stephen, being a terrible horse rider was banned by Amanda from spoiling her riding, took the high octane, wheelie prone, KTM adventure off roaders into the bush with family friend Huw and Martin. No roads here, just harsh terrain and empty river beds. This is serious hardcore riding.

After a long day in the bush and many G&T’s, retreat to the lodge for some rest and watch the sun set. Open plan living areas and open rooms where any animal could walk in! Don’t worry, there are guards on operation so don’t expect to wake up playing tongue hockey with a leopard, it’s totally safe. And get used to not putting make-up on and blow drying your hair. Electricity is non existent…well let’s say minimal here.

You can forget those fancy restaurants, the sandy beaches and the swimming pools. This is not a holiday; this is an experience to write home about. There will be emotion; there will be fear, but the feeling of self actualisation. You will not want to return to the hustle and bustle of England that is for sure. Well Stephen did, or rather had to, or we’d have no jobs!

Visit the website for more details. Go on, get out there and experience Africa!

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa Cookery School

There usually comes a time in a woman’s life when all she wants is for her man to cook her a spectacular meal, candle lit with all the bells and whistles. Till that day a greasy bacon sandwich and a “see you later love” as the man strolls down the shed to arrange spanners and look and power tool magazines making primal man grunting sounds at the excitement of a cordless drill.  Lets be honest, guys aren’t usually the biggest fans of cooking, but there are still many great male chefs out there. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and err Chef from South Park I guess.

Happily the stunning luxury hotel LucknamPark, soon to open their new cookery school, so for anyone whether you’re a primal man to a cooking guru. The answer to every woman’s man problem, put him on a cooking course with a Michellin star chef Hrishikesh Desai, winner of the prestigious Roux scholarship 2009 followed in 2010 by the coveted National Chef of the Year Award, so your man is in safe hands and the old habits of bacon sandwiches will be driven out and replaced by an immense knowledge of exquisite cooking skill. Obviously not just for men, woman can learn even more tricks of the trade and really get things sizzling in the kitchen.

So this was an offer StephenGraver Ltd couldn’t refuse especially as the Managing Director dropped in to our showroom out of the blue. A proposal was put together and numerous designs showing the best ways to utilise the space. Several appliance companies were approached and in the end, decided to use appliances from ATAG for their user friendliness and style. Fhiaba fridges were chosen for build quality and for professional level food storage. The school is planned to open this autumn and with courses starting at £175 per person, should be a big hit with the run-up to Christmas and the New Year.

Courses start at 9.00am and run till 4.00pm Monday to Friday with refreshments and lunch in-between and chances to wander around the beautifully kept grounds of the hotel.

There is no pressure here, just a relaxing atmosphere and one of the best opportunities around to sample delicious food and create it with a truly gifted head chef.

Our usual clients want a kitchen for their house, which is used every day and seen by family and friends. The opportunity with this cookery school kitchen is catering for hundreds of people each week every month and being in use every week, so just about everyone will experience a Stephen Graver kitchen and have the pleasures of cooking in it.

We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to provide for such a prestigious hotel and its guests. We know the cookery school will be very successful and hope everyone who attends it loves the cooking, the training and the kitchen in which you will be working. So, ladies get your men out of their sheds and into the kitchen to create some fantastic meals!!

The weird, the whacky, the wonderful……sinks

Britain is a country of weird and whacky folk. At Stephen Graver, we do love things that are different and out there. We are a nation of designing things that are just plain bonkers. Concorde is a fine example of what this funny little rock in the North Atlantic can do. We are the country of men in sheds dreaming up and making things no other country dares. Well until now, as there are numerous companies in various countries making the most wonderful pieces of design. No Concorde mind you, but items that have a wow factor and when you think kitchen or bathroom sinks, you don’t think whacky and awesome. But there are companies that can sell you something that is just magical.

Art Ceram, an Italian and let’s face it. With such creations as the Lamborghini Countach, you know the Italians will make something whacky. The sink in question is a wall mounted sink featuring a curved glass basin, but it’s more like a very slightly curved window that is angled into the ceramic wall mounted part. The idea is to allow water to drain without needing unsightly drain pipes with a flush wall fit. The tap head looks like a futuristic ray gun finished in chrome with a slither of frosted glass underneath. It may not be the most practical of sinks, but a Countach was never practical, yet people bought them. Yours for around $1800 online, one basin.

Even Germany is at it. When you think German you think precision engineering, exquisite if a tad dull looking cars and lederhosen. However, High Tech Designs can offer you a stunning yet simple Ammonite looking sink honed from a piece of concrete. A stunning spiral channels the water to the centre so majestically it will have you mesmerized every morning…..and late for work come to think of it. Offered in several colours, a true magnificent design feat.  Prices found at Hightech-design-products.com

And finally from Italbrass, another Italian product offers you much more than basin. Ever wanted an aquarium but have no where to put one? Then look no further. How about a basin that is an aquarium available with your choice of colour sand and coloured legs. It is a large basin this one, but will make any bathroom look like Stombergs dream underwater world. Everything needed to keep your fish happy with filtration from the electric motor and two fish feeding caps on top. Curtains are not an option so pray your fish are not looking when you need to go number two! Beautifully made and will impress anyone and even keep the family cat amused for hours. All yours for a mere $4500 or roughly £4000. 

Yes it’s expensive and a novelty but what a way to literally “splash” your cash!

Knobs and Handles? The choice is endless

Some knobs

Unless you have these fancy push release draws and doors or if you are mega rich; electric powered draws, then picking the best handles and knobs for your kitchen, bathroom or bespoke furniture is a tricky one. There are literally thousands out there. Traditionally, knobs went on draws and handles on doors however, there is so much individuality in this day and age; people have the tiniest knobs on the largest doors, although not recommended.

So with handles, they come in all sizes from an inch to twenty but do you really need the extra length? Materials come in the form of metals, plastics, composites, glass and ceramics. For a modern kitchen, brushed stainless steel or even a contemporary set of clear glass handles. In a traditional farmhouse kitchen with your AGA and oak furnishings, some ceramic handles or wrought iron single piece handles.

Handles come in various shapes and opening styles. Some handles are designed to be fitted to the top of a door; they are flush fitted so just the pulling half of the handle is seen. Most handles fit to the front of the draw front with some screws fired through the back.

Handles can vary in price quite dramatically. You can pick up a set of handles from any good hardware store, you know, nice and simple easy to fit no nonsense ones for under a tenner. But some handles can cost upwards of £50 a handle and if you wanted them maybe chrome or even gold plated, you would be looking at nearly £80 a handle! However if money is no object then solid gold handles with Swarovski crystals will set you back over £300 A HANDLE!!

The same goes for door and drawer knobs. All types of materials, shapes and sizes. Prices from a couple of pounds to a couple of hundred. Plastic to gold plated. Larger knobs look great on old oak furniture found in old cottages whereas smaller almost bullet like knobs found in the most contemporary of kitchen.

Novelty knobs are also available; such as cricket ball knobs, which are simply scaled down cricket balls which are around £30 to £60 pounds, depending on the size. If you are looking for a bit of bling in your life then there is the Swarovski crystal option. When a plain glass knob won’t do, splash out on a genuine crystal knob in varying colours. John Lewis can offer you Swarovski knobs with either brass of chrome basses as a pack of two for £190.

Knobs are not used as much as handles nowadays and on most kitchens fitted by StephenGraver Ltd, feature modern stainless or chrome plated handles to drawers and cupboards as they tend to be more robust, especially on a heavy cutlery drawer. 

Choosing the right work surface

A kitchen is much like a bench in a workshop, for example the Stephen Graver workshop just outside Bath. Cabinets are designed, prepared and made on them much like food is chopped, diced and chucked in a Greek salad. However, a work bench does not have to be pretty or special, whereas you would want to prepare your food, with pride on a work top that looks marvellous and suits your new kitchen. There are many different materials on offer out there to suit the kitchen in question and getting the right top to sacrifice your carrots to the salad God is very important.

Granites and Marble

All types of colours, thickness and prices. These two natural stones are an excellent way to make a big impression, especially if you choose a chunky 50mm thick top. Granite is extremely hardwearing and resistant to scratches and heat. Like marble, each piece is different to the other by which it has different patterns and colours in each tile or slab.

Marble worktops are at their best when finished in a matte effect or honed, but can also be polished if you like some shine. Both excellent materials but out of the two, Marble would be the most majestic choice, especially in Carrara white, which looks stunning.

Composites

Ideally suited to the more modern of kitchens, giving a space age feel. Composites come in all types of material such as carbon fibre, Parapan solid acrylics and Corian plastic resin tops. Carbon fibre is great if you want a Formula 1 style kitchen, but have to have the salary of a driver to buy it. Very strong for what is basically weaved fibres and usually backed onto polystyrene. Can scratch quite easily, but looks fantastic. You will feel like you can chop chorizo as fast as Lewis Hamilton can drive a McLaren. Corian is available in a huge range of colours and textures. Very easy to clean, cost effective and available in different thicknesses to suit your needs. A very modern material that would even convince Darf Vader to change the kitchen in the Death Star. Not as durable as a stone top but for a year 3000 look, it’s the ticket. Parapan acrylics like Corian also offer the same high gloss finishes as well as being water resistant. The wide range of colours is extraordinary from executive gun metal greys to swinging 60’s purples and greens. If Austin Powers designed a kitchen, it would use Parapan I bet. With much more versatility and choices with composites, they make for a more cost effective yet elegant or whacky kitchen work top. 

Metals

Not a widely used work surface as like all metals, they gather fine scratches and swirl marks, can corrode or rust but rarely unless you use cast iron and the choice is limited. Stainless steel is usually the choice, but be warned, remember the 1980’s DeLorean? The car was a nightmare to keep clean, so you will spend the rest of your life wiping up coffee cup marks and removing the juices of massacred fruit and vegetables. Aimed more at the catering market rather than domestic kitchens but are very hygienic. If you dare to be different then go for stainless steel. Just keep a tube of metal polish at the end of the party for cleaning up!!

More top tips and opinions soon!

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