Taking Taste Further | AEG South Africa

Source

Chill

Heat

Experience

Source

Chill

Heat

Experience

STEP 1: SOURCE

By understanding and focussing on the source of your food, you can discover some of the tastiest, healthiest and most sustainable ways to take taste further. We're looking beyond the kitchen and starting at the true source. From the soils and climates that nourish your fruits and vegetables. And the lifestyles of the animals that produce your meat and dairy.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Extraordinary taste begins long before you start cooking. When choosing your ingredients, prioritise quality over quantity for better tasting, healthier dishes. For instance, tomatoes grown outdoors have twice as much Vitamin C as ones grown in greenhouses. And they have far higher levels of the antioxidants responsible for flavour and aroma. So to make your dishes taste their best, select quality ingredients.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

DISCOVER TRUE FLAVOUR

Even a few decades ago our food tasted completely different. We asked Mark Schatzker, a prominent author on the subject.

Watch Source

OUR FOOD IS WHAT IT EATS

They say we are what we eat, and the same goes for our food. For example, high quality soils produce more longer-lasting, nutritious berries than over-farmed soil.

STEP 2: CHILL

Proper refrigeration improves the taste of your dishes before you've even started cooking. Fruit tastes fresh-off-the-vine, meat is always tender and leftovers taste just as delicious as a freshly prepared meal. Understanding food storage can ensure every ingredient is as delicious as possible. So you can take taste further both before and after you cook.

KEEP YOUR FRESH FOOD FRESH

Fresh fruit and vegetables contain mostly water, with cell walls that hold in moisture and flavour. When temperatures aren't cool enough these cell walls burst, resulting in a loss of taste and texture. Some types of produce stay fresher at lower temperatures than others. Ingredients such as leafy greens and root vegetables retain optimal freshness at 0°C, other produce needs to be kept between 2°C and 5°C.

KEEP YOUR FRESH FOOD FRESH

THE ETHICS OF FLAVOUR

Learn how to waste less and find inventive and delicious ways to deal with your leftovers. Chill, our second Tasteology episode, explores the forgotten step of storage.

Watch Chill

BETTER STORAGE, LESS WASTE

Proper food storage also reduces unnecessary waste. 61% of food waste could be prevented by proper food storage. A simple way to reduce this waste is to optimise where you store each ingredient.

BETTER STORAGE, LESS WASTE

Proper food storage also reduces unnecessary waste. 61% of food waste could be prevented by proper food storage. A simple way to reduce this waste is to optimise where you store each ingredient.

YOU LOSE A LOT OF TASTE IF YOU'RE STORING SOMETHING WRONG

Ludwig Maurer
Wagyu cow farmer and chef

YOU LOSE A LOT OF TASTE IF YOU'RE STORING SOMETHING WRONG

Ludwig Maurer
Wagyu cow farmer and chef

FREEZE THE FRESHNESS

Slow freezing creates large ice crystals that can destroy food's natural texture and taste. Our AEG Freezers use fast freezing to make your ingredients last longer and taste better.

Discover The Range

DID YOU KNOW?

More than 75% of households don't set their refrigerators to the correct temperature. This causes your food to lose its taste and texture before you've even started cooking.

DID YOU KNOW?

More than 75% of households don't set their refrigerators to the correct temperature. This causes your food to lose its taste and texture before you've even started cooking.

STEP 3: HEAT

Understanding why heat creates taste and texture allows you to explore the potential of every ingredient. Cooking creates taste by breaking down large molecules into smaller ones, releasing flavour locked inside them. Discover how different heating methods, from induction heating to steam and sous vide, unlock delicious flavours and take taste further in every dish.

UNDERSTANDING HEAT

For results that truly take taste further you need to appreciate heat at the molecular level. The perfect steak tastes delicious because of the reaction between amino acids and sugars at 130°C. But any higher and the molecules start to escape, taking taste and texture with them. The best accompanying vegetables require enough heat to burst the cell walls that contain the flavour, without letting it evaporate into the air.

UNDERSTANDING HEAT

THE HEAT MASTERCLASS

Our Tasteology expert Catalina Vélez explores the historical roots of steam and low-temperature cooking and how it's vital to protecting the flavour and nutrients of the food you cook at home.

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LOCK IN FLAVOUR WITH INDUCTION

Induction hobs give you the precise control and heat distribution to transform taste. As steak cooks, its protein fibres contract and release moisture. Moving it from high to low heats allows these fibres to relax, sealing in the tasty juices.

Discover Induction Hobs

LOCK IN FLAVOUR WITH INDUCTION

Discover Induction Hobs

COMPLETE COOKING FREEDOM

Fuel your creativity with the flexibility and precision of the MaxiSense® Combi. It uses induction technology to heat faster than gas or electric hobs. And the precise heat control lets you instantly switch from searing to simmering during cooking.

THE BEST HEAT IS STEAM

Steam cooking has become popular because its gentleness protects food's molecules. Your food doesn't overheat, locking in the taste. The extra humidity also prevents moisture from evaporating, giving you a crisp exterior without over or undercooking the interior. This causes dough to rise quicker and more evenly too. Plus better caramelisation on the dough's surface gives you deliciously thick crusts every time.

Discover Steam Ovens

THE BEST HEAT IS STEAM

Discover Steam Ovens

STEAMING KEEPS THE INGREDIENT AT ITS BEST, PUREST FORM...

Catalina Vélez
TV Chef

SUBLIME SOUS VIDE

Possibly the best technique for mastering heat is sous vide cooking. This uses vacuum-sealed plastic bags and water baths to seal in the moisture, aroma, nutrients and flavour of every ingredient.

SUBLIME SOUS VIDE

Possibly the best technique for mastering heat is sous vide cooking. This uses vacuum-sealed plastic bags and water baths to seal in the moisture, aroma, nutrients and flavour of every ingredient.

SIMPLE SOUS VIDE

With ProCombi® Plus, sous vide is simple. So you can guarantee mouthwatering results every time.

DID YOU KNOW?

Water molecules conduct heat much faster than air, so much so that 100°C of steam distributes heat at the same level as 600°C of hot air.
Boiling vegetables results in a 70% loss of vitamin C, steaming them only reduces vitamin C by 40%.

DID YOU KNOW?

STEP 4: EXPERIENCE

All of our senses can complement taste. So even when you've finished cooking, understanding how sights, sounds and tactile sensations affect flavour can help you continue taking taste further all the way to the table.

TASTE WITH YOUR EYES

Food tastes better in its ideal colour. That's why we love a perfectly pink steak and bread with a golden brown crust. The gentle heat of steam protects your food, so these vibrant colours aren't lost. The way food's plated can also elevate taste. Use round, white plates for enhancing sweet flavours and black, angular plates for savouriness. And always serve it in the centre of your plate for better tasting dishes.

Discover Steam Ovens

TASTE WITH YOUR EYES

Discover Steam Ovens

A FEAST FOR THE SENSES

Food is a multi-sensory experience. To help you create dishes that hit the spot, our Tasteology expert Charles Spence explores the sense of sight.

Watch Experience

TASTE WITH YOUR EARS

The background sounds and music in your kitchen can make all the difference to how meals taste. High tones enhance sweet or sour flavours, while low tones elevate bitter or umami tastes. Playing music at the same volume as conversation can also make food more enjoyable. With quiet extraction in your kitchen, you can experience the true effect of sound on your taste buds. Fill the silence with a near-silent cooker hood you can give your kitchen the ideal soundtrack to enhance every meal.

Discover Cooker Hoods

TASTE WITH YOUR EARS

Discover Cooker Hoods

TASTE WITH YOUR FINGERTIPS

The way food feels when we bite into it significantly affects flavour - from the tenderness of a steak or the moistness of a chocolate cake.

THE MORE SATURATED THE COLOUR, THE MORE INTENSE THE TASTE CAN BE.

Prof. Charles Spence
University of Oxford

THE MORE SATURATED THE COLOUR, THE MORE INTENSE THE TASTE CAN BE.

Prof. Charles Spence
University of Oxford

DID YOU KNOW?

White wine has been shown to taste best in blue or red environments.
The shape of a glass can determine how we perceive the quality of meals and beverages.

DID YOU KNOW?

White wine has been shown to taste best in blue or red environments.
The shape of a glass can determine how we perceive the quality of meals and beverages.

Taking taste further all comes down to passion, commitment and an understanding of every step of the cooking process. Of how to source the best ingredients, preserve them perfectly, heat them for optimal taste and make the presentation an experience in itself.

Now you know how to master the details, it's time to enjoy the results.

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TASTEOLOGY

Tasteology is a documentary that uncovers taste from a new point of view. We've looked at the science and the experience, not just the flavours and ingredients. Through the episodes you can be inspired to Take Taste Further in the kitchen and beyond it.

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TAKING TASTE FURTHER

The finer details are what separates 'just a meal' from memorable. For this, you need excellence in every step, from sourcing to serving. With our appliances and your skills, we can make even the toughest cuts fall-off-the-bone tender and turn chocolate cakes into melt-in-your mouth morsels.

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