The days of pilot lights in the back of ovens and the ‘click, click, click’ as you try to light a gas hob are quickly becoming relics of the past. Modern kitchens are sleeker, more reliable, more efficient and far more enjoyable to use. They also boast a heap of extra features and cooking modes that will make your food taste better, which is something every home cook can get on board with. Take a look at these four dishes which we created to put our new AEG ovens and hobs to the test.

Steaming is the most common method of cooking across all of Asia – and yet in the UK we still tend to boil things by default. Steaming is so much better – it locks in flavour rather than letting it seep out into the water, and eliminates the risk of delicate ingredients (such as fish) falling apart. Steamed sea bass with ginger and soy is a classic Cantonese dish; having a steam oven, such as an AEG SteamPro oven, which offers a 100% full steam or humidity setting makes it incredibly simple to prepare. Modern steam ovens have a range of options, but setting it to full steam and being able to insert a built-in temperature probe makes it almost effortless to prepare perfectly. Why? Through the magic of tech, the oven constantly monitors the internal temperature read by the probe, then automatically switches off and alerts you when the fish (or whatever you’re cooking) is perfectly cooked.

It’s not just ovens which are making the most of modern tech. Induction hobs are quieter, more efficient and boast far more features than traditional gas. The first induction hobs tended to have very specific zones you could put your pans on – if they were larger then only certain parts of them would be heated. That’s no longer the case thanks to ‘bridging’ functions, as seen on AEG’s 6000 SaphirMatt® Induction Extractor hob, which combines two zones on a hob into one large surface. This means you can put large trays or flat griddles on your hob and get an even heat.

An oven that offers 100% steam is fantastic for many dishes – but there are just as many out there that require less steam for the tastiest finish. Low humidity functions – such as those found on AEG’s SteamCrisp ovens – can be used to control the exact amount of steam released. Setting the oven to low humidity (25% steam) creates a light steam to ensure the aubergines in this dish cook through but remain juicy, before introducing a dry heat which caramelises the glaze they’re tossed in. It’s a finish which simply can’t be replicated by regular ovens.

Much like the aubergine recipe above, a controlled amount of steam can work wonders with meat such as chicken, which is always prone to drying out. A hit of steam ensures juiciness, before a dry heat crisps up the skin and ensures the glaze added for the final few minutes sets and turns glossy. Combining two time-honoured cooking techniques – steaming and roasting – gives them both a contemporary update, taking the best of both methods without any of their downsides.

Speed is a key component of modern induction hobs too – features such as AEG’s Powerboost mode can bring a pan of water to boil in seconds, or get a pan smoking hot in half the time of gas. That makes blistering and charring the vegetables on these toasts super quick – as the pan gets hot quickly and you don’t have to work in batches.