About a decade ago, I reached a turning point in my cooking journey. I’d grown uncomfortable with striving to replicate large kitchen operations, whether based on a falsely remembered Victorian grand house or a professional restaurant setup with chrome, stainless-steel, and professional-grade gear. I was feeding two or three people daily in a kitchen ready for a dinner for 12 or enough bread for a small village—it felt surplus, performative, and inauthentic.
I wanted a gentler, more domestic, mindful way to cook, so I began a process of constant reduction, rationalisation, and right-sizing. My daughter called it “smallening.” I don’t expect others to follow my ascetic path, but I hope some of it offers thought. Here are the seven appliances, pans, and utensils that have smallened my home kitchen.
First, the Zeal Silicone Spatula Spoon (£9.50, zealzeal.com)—I replaced unhygienic wooden spoons with this Maurice-style silicone tool, soft enough not to damage coatings and efficient at scraping every last bit from jars and pans. I carry spares to convert the unenlightened. Second, the Sage Appliances Control Freak cooking system (£999, sousvidetools.com). After moving house, I embraced induction with a two-ring half-size hob, later adding a portable ring. The Control Freak—a freestanding induction ring with a contact thermometer—lets me dial in precise temperatures: omelettes at 108C, caramelised onions at 96C then 165C. This shifted my cooking from guesswork to lab-level precision, proving smallness can mean accuracy.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing