The latest kitchen appliances and culinary trends for 2025

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The year 2025 is just around the corner. What kitchen trends do you see for the coming year?

Nenad Mlinarevic: For me, the big trends at the moment are not in the area of ​​ingredients or cooking techniques, it’s all about the needs of the guests. What is required is good, not overly complicated food in a relaxed atmosphere. Sustainability or vegetable cooking was a trend until recently, but has long since become firmly established in the catering industry. For me, regional ingredients that have been produced in an environmentally friendly way are at the top of the list.

What is a not-too-complicated meal for you?

For me, a simple but good meal is toast, for example. The different ways to prepare toast, whether vegetarian or with meat, leave room for creativity, but are always very simple and uncomplicated to prepare. You can prepare a good snack with just a few ingredients and you don’t need any dishes or cutlery.

What do people want when they go to a restaurant?

High-quality fast food has been trendy since Corona. Guests want to eat quickly but well. This doesn’t mean the standard burger from the snack bar, but rather, for example, a sandwich with aged Gruyère cheese, homemade truffle mayonnaise and organic beef from the region. Or a burger with Wagyu beef and caramelized onions. Quality at a good price. It’s about honest, honest and understandable food. A nice example of this is “al paso” in Zurich’s Niederdorf. A small, personally run take-away that I like to go to for soups, salads or sandwiches when it needs something delicious, fresh, regional and seasonal.

Were you willing to be in your own kitchen when you felt like eating high-quality “fast food”?

Recently I made fried chicken. Simply soak a chicken leg in buttermilk overnight, deep-fry it, add some spicy mayo and you’ve prepared delicious fast food.

What about the fermentation trend?

Fermentation has definitely had its moment and will continue to play a role in many cuisines, but the hype is over. Now it’s about finding new and innovative ways to combine traditional techniques with the needs of guests. Many people are looking for authentic but at the same time surprising taste experiences.

What do you serve your guests if you want it to be authentic and a surprising taste experience?

In principle, this can be any dish, whether simple or elaborate. What is important is that it is something special and surprising. For example, a salad with oil from citrus leaves or simply a special spice. This gives a flavor that you know but don’t expect and is therefore surprising. Almost every dish can be enhanced with a twist and little effort.

Where was the last time you had a surprising taste experience?

Funnily enough, at SchlossSchauenstein, where I used to work. The last time I was there the food was better than ever – sophisticated and always surprising. Combinations that you understand, but with a spice, a texture or a temperature that makes the whole thing exciting.

Have you been inspired?

When I played basketball, it was Michael Jordan who could do everything and was always there when it mattered. His hard work and ambition were fascinating. When I first started cooking, it was chefs like Sergio Hermann from Holland or René Redzepi from Noma in Copenhagen. Today I get my inspiration from travel or from cookbooks. My friend Fiona Hefti also inspired me a lot. She is a good and passionate cook. We go shopping together, try out new products and creations and cook a lot together.

Which Miele appliances do you use in your kitchen and do you have a favorite?

As a chef, the Miele steam oven is a highlight in my kitchen. It is incredibly versatile and ideal for everything that needs to remain tender and juicy: vegetables, meat, fish, but also for French toast or desserts.

Are there other Miele appliances that you use regularly?

I am a big fan of the Miele induction hob with the elegant integrated steam hood. The induction is incredibly precise and fast, which makes my work easier because the heat can be perfectly dosed and is there immediately when you need it. I am also a fan of the Miele wine cooler because its design makes it a beautiful object in the kitchen and fits perfectly into the room. Of course, I also appreciate that my wines are always at the optimal temperature, for example when surprise guests come over. If I had to rank them, my top three would be steam oven, induction cooktop and wine cooler in that order.

How do you see the development of modern kitchen technology and how does it influence your work in the kitchen?

Technology brings a lot of support to the kitchen. Especially for people who are not very experienced and have little experience, it helps ensure that dishes turn out easily, provides inspiration for new creations or optimizes the sustainable use of the equipment. For my work in the kitchen and as an experienced chef, the basic functions of the oven, temperature and timer, remain the most important functions.

What dish do you prepare in your private kitchen?

As a passionate cyclist, pasta in all its variations is at the top of my menu.

Your favorite own creation?

Most of the time I cook with what is still in the fridge. This is how a wide variety of our own creations are created. Some of them will soon be found in my first cookbook “Nenad at Home”. For example, a recipe for gluten-free pasta dishes.

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