The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

bitegifts Dualit B orn in Germany in 1914, Dualit found- er Max Gort-Barten found himself in England as World War Two broke out. After five years in the army, he bought a factory in Camberwell, southeast London intending to manufacture one of his many inventions includ- ing his initial creation, a cocktail shaker. He then invented a heater with a dual function element and a light that he named the ‘Dual Light’ from which the name of the company is taken. His first successful product was the flip-sided toaster patented in 1946. Max went on to design a new commercial six-slot toaster with a me- chanical timer and manual eject lever to keep the toast warm until needed. When the Government compulsory-purchased the factory in 1954 and gave Max the money, he built a new factory on the Old Kent Road. In the 1960s, the design and engineering of the toaster evolved and a slot se- lector switch was added so the user could choose how many slots heated up. Max then added sandwich toasters and bun toast- ers to the collection along with a ‘hot toast cup- board’ to keep the toast warm. In 1964, a waffle iron joined the range while the Dualit toaster be- came a ubiquitous part of commercial kitchens all over the UK, even making it on-board the QE2. They eventually appeared in John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason and Harrods in the ‘70s and the follow- ing decade, thanks to Government export grants, this encouraged Dualit to attend European trade shows and meet foreign demands. The 1990s saw Dualit launch its first kettle with cordless operation and a 360-degree swivel base which would become one of the brand’s most suc- cessful products. A range of products designed for professional use in bars, including an ice crusher, drinks mixer and blender were also launched. Following the death of Max Gort-Bar- ten in 2003, the company outgrew its home on the Old Kent Road and moved to new premises in Crawley, West Sussex. This Christmas, Dualit has a wonderful selection of convenience kitchen appliances that would make great gifts. The Barista Set has all the tools you need to create café-quality coffee at home. In the set, you’ll find a stainless steel Milk Frothing Jug with an easy pour design to produce mess-free frothy coffee. The accompanying Thermometer indicates the ideal temperature for heating and frothing the milk while the easily adjustable, spring-loaded Stainless Steel Tamper controls the tamp pressure and the hardwearing Knock Box holds up to 24 double coffee pucks with the robust knock bar removing the tough pucks. Café Plus Capsule Machine is compatible with both Dualit and Nespresso® capsules and gives custom- ers the choice of making coffee or tea, together with the convenience of pur- chasing capsules online, on the high street or in supermarkets. The compact yet elegant tea and coffee pod machine heats up in 40 seconds and turns off after 10 minutes of inac- tivity to reduce energy consumption. It features precise dosing control for the perfect measure of espresso, Americano or tea. Coffee tastes better when it’s fresh and with the Handheld Grinder, you can grind the right amount of beans for your drink to ensure there is no waste. This coffee help has over 40 grind set- tings for complete control while the robust con- ical burrs are made from high-quality stainless steel for a grinder that lasts. To use the Handheld Grinder, weigh your coffee beans in the container, remove the handle and pour the beans into the top of the grinder. It’s also quick and easy to clean with a dry brush. The electric Pour Over Kettle is an ideal appliance to use with drip through coffee makers or when you need a precise brewing temperature. It has a thin gooseneck spout that controls the flow of water for a slow and accu- rate pour over ground coffee to ensure maximum flavour and aroma extraction. The temperature control is available in both Celsi- us and Fahrenheit and can be changed by one degree at a time up to 100ºC/212ºF for complete control. This kitchen tool can also be used for brewing tea. Other Christmas gift ideas include a selection of other tea and coffee machines such as the 3 -in-1 Coffee Machine. Food prep aids include the Hand Mixer, Blender, Hand Blender and Mini Oven while toasters and kettles are designed in varied styles such as Classic, Domus, Architect, Lite and Studio by Dualit Toasters or Kettles with accesso- ries. Dualit even has a range for babies including bottle warmers and sterilisers, and catering consisting of toasters, grills, griddles, soup kettle and milk steamer. Dualit kitchen gifts and appliances are available online on their website. www.dualit.com