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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
kitchen gardening
Fusing powdered glass with steel at temperatures above 800C is best left to the experts, and this Isle of Wight-based family business certainly qualifies. It has been enameling stoves, coatings and other products in its in-house plant since 1990, and has produced work for designers Yinka Ilori and Thomas Heatherwick, the V&A Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts and Soho House. Its beauty is evident, then, but it is also heat resistant, hygienic, stain resistant and will not fade or corrode. “Outdoor kitchens can look great once installed, but if you live in the UK, they can end up looking terrible the following summer,” says Nicola Adams of Morley Stoves, who has a long-standing relationship with the company. “But these kitchen cabinets are the kind of things you pass on to your children.”
Adapt is the newly released second version of Vlaze, now comprising 600mm and 1200mm modules to allow you to set up a custom configuration, with your drive wishlist drawn up in computer software by the company for your approval. The setup I sat in for a morning coffee included a niche for a kamado grill, a built-in sink, a pull-out bin, sliding drawers, sliding shelves, and soft-close doors. The original range of rich colors (including deep indigo and bright ocher) is now joined by a “Nature” range of neutral tones to blend more elegantly into outdoor (or, for that matter, indoor) spaces. And all with the same easy-to-clean, tactile surface that ensures King’s Cross signage looks pristine, year after year. Vlaze Adapt Modular Outdoor Kitchen, from £4,600, stoves-morley.es
From dusk to heat
Dutch company Stoov has been manufacturing heating pads and cushions for indoor use for almost a decade. Now some of their range, including the basic “Ploov” cushion, can be purchased in a sturdy stonewashed canvas cover suitable for outdoors. It requires a little assembly: place the soft inner cushion in a sleeve that contains a heating element and a small pocket where the battery is located. The whole thing then slides into that durable outer shell, with a nicely styled switch/control panel/charging connector protruding from one corner. At the end of an evening in the garden, when the night air brings its usual chill, flipping that switch and choosing your desired heat level can keep you toasty until nightfall and beyond. Stoov Ploov canvas, from €99.99
Your new flame
The Big Green Egg’s immediately recognizable shape is usually associated with kamado-style barbecue, but in the late 1990s the Atlanta-based company began producing a wood-burning outdoor heater, inspired by the Mexican fireplace. It was discontinued after a few years, but subsequently became a cult item, with originals changing hands on eBay for 10 times the original price. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the firm, this new version has been launched; It now comes in one piece instead of two, and uses an improved ceramic formula and a wider chamber to expel more heat (because its big brother grill’s main function is to keep heat in). A nice centerpiece for a terrace. Big green egg Fireplace, £675
Screen test
Ambient light and extraneous noise are mortal enemies of outdoor projectors, but this battery-powered 1080p unit puts up an excellent fight despite being comparable in size and weight to a four-pack of beer. Put it on a tripod (better than a pile of bricks) and its fast, accurate autofocus and auto keystone setup will deliver a sharp, bright image (400 ANSI lumens, so underpowered at its maximum 150-inch size, but perfect at dusk on a more modest screen). Its two 8W speakers are powerful, but if you want the explosions to resonate on the screen, you can connect external ones. Under the hood there’s a Google TV (with Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.), but any missing apps (like BBC iPlayer) can be cast to Chromecast from a phone. anker Mars 3 Air Nebula, £550
Cook like a Neapolitan
I’m depressingly inept at “tossing” pizzas, and while the latest oven featured at Technopolis highlighted my weak peel technique, this new compact gas-only model from Gozney is more forgiving. It sits, price- and feature-wise, between your entry-level Roccbox and the Pro Dome, but the powerful rolling burner is on the side of the oven, so you’re not launching directly into (or, in my case, into) the calls. It takes just over half an hour for the stone to reach around 450ºC, with a shiny digital thermometer recording the temperature. Eager chefs like me might stick to a safer 12-inch diameter (especially if there are people watching), but Neapolitan wizards will get 14 inches in and out in about 60 seconds. gozney Bow, £599