There is something great about a beautiful kitchen. When cooking and storage and cleaning up are all easier, the kitchen is a marvellous place to be. Even if it is just to wipe over the benches ‘one more time.’

I’m happy in my kitchen. I’m really happy when I load the dishwasher; when I press the ‘START’ button and hear the very quiet humm of the machine. It takes 2 1/2 hours to wash over 24 hour’s worth of our dishes. When it’s all finished, they come out clean and sparkly, warm and shiny. Oooooh it makes me gleeful. Sad, perhaps, yet true nonetheless.

I really like my kitchen, even if it is still awaiting a bit of work. I even like the sink, with its fitted board and colander, and the view from the window. Yesterday Monte semi-installed (waiting to mortar it in, later) the windowsils on the south side. The are lovely and deep and I already have a shade-loving plant on the windowsil, and would love to grow some kitchen herbs there, but of course I can’t because of the orientation to the south.

I like the Esse – it cooks so well. The heat is very even and forgiving. I’ve got a chart of the temperatures for cooking. When reading the user manual, I found out that I can iron on the hot plate covers. If I leave some washing folded on the covers it dries. I’m not actually likely to iron on the stove – or anywhere, ever (the iron and ironing board are still in the cabin and have not been missed – at all!).