Peyman Rashid Al Awadhi knows his way around the kitchen. The chief executive of New Media Academy, who simply goes by Peyman, is a food and lifestyle vlogger and bona fide foodie.
When he's not producing videos for his YouTube channel, the exuberant chef is on the hunt for gadgets and hacks that make his cooking experience more fulfilling. He shares a few of his top tools and tricks with The National.
“I do love me a good kitchen gadget, almost as much as a handy cooking hack. I’m always either using a tech-driven appliance to cook up a storm or on the hunt for a cool new tool that can make my cooking experience more fun,” he says.
“If you’re looking to elevate your recipes, enjoy and savour moments spent in the kitchen or navigate your space in a smooth and time-saving manner, here are some products and suggestions to consider, from all-in-one gadgets to smart speakers.”
Save time with Quooker’s All-In-One Tap
“The latest addition to my kitchen is the All-In-One Tap from Quooker,” says Peyman. “I use it every time I cook because of how much time I can save. The tap works to generate boiling, hot, cold, chilled and sparkling water – all filtered and ready to drink from the same faucet.
There simply is no need for a kettle in my home any more
Peyman Rashid Al Awadhi
"Whenever I want to make pasta or noodles, for example, I’ll fill the pan with boiling water, straight from the tap and, there, I’ve just saved five minutes.”
The vlogger also turns to the Quooker when he wants to create sparkling water-based mocktails.
“Rather than buying bottled sparkling water from the supermarket – which, let’s face it, is super-irresponsible when you think of all the plastic you’re wasting – I rely on the handy tap to generate sparkling water for me. Because it’s filtered, I can either drink it by itself or use it as a base to whip up a delicious mocktail,” he says.
Don't skip the scales when making coffee
While many cooks prefer to use approximate measurements, which can be perfected with years of practise or intuition, Peyman says a weighing scale is a must when making coffee, especially his favourite V60.
“If you love coffee, you would have heard of the V60. It’s essentially a brewing method that allows for an enhanced and more flavourful coffee experience, using a gadget that has a funky swirl interior.
“I always employ a weighing scale when using my V60 coffee maker to ensure I’m using just the right amount. Too many or too few beans, and the taste just isn’t right."
Incidentally, Peyman also relies on the hot water disposed by the Quooker to whip up his coffee every morning. “There simply is no need for a kettle in my home any more,” he says.
Cut back on manual labour with a pressure cooker
A pressure cooker is a common enough gadget in many households, but Peyman reiterates its handiness for all time-poor chefs.
“Pressure cookers are perfect because I can come home at 6pm and still have a full machboos meal ready for guests at 7pm. As an entrepreneur, finding the time to cook can get a little challenging, but this tool has allowed me to severely cut the manual labour required without compromising on taste,” he says.
Peyman's gadget of choice is the Nutricook. "What I like about it is its versatility. You can use the same appliance as a steamer, rice-cooker, pressure-cooker, soup-maker, the list goes on. Plus, every button reads a function so it's easy enough to understand."
Get the best shots with a Canon M50 camera
As a successful YouTuber, Peyman says the question he gets asked most frequently centres around his choice of camera. “Most aspiring YouTube and Instagram foodies just want to crack that code,” he exclaims.
“Well, here it is: the Canon M50 has never failed me. I use it to film all my videos. The great thing about it is it films in 4K and has a mic input, so I can include proper voice-overs on all my videos to explain the recipe steps more elaborately.”
Enjoy the experience with Google Home
Above all, says Peyman, it is most important to enjoy the cooking and video-creating process, be it for work or personal reasons. “One of the things I can’t go without in the kitchen when I’m filming is some good old music and that’s where Google Home comes in handy. The smart speaker is designed to make life easier through a voice-activated virtual helper that's connected to the internet. You can also play music on it, which is the function I use most often. Lately, I’ve been playing Ethiopian and Sudanese jazz non-stop – it just seems to get the flow going whenever I’m venturing into a new recipe.”