Guides

Practical guides to the kit, the table and the techniques of British Isles cooking. Our buying guides compare specifications and explain who each option suits. We don't invent test results or ratings.

Buying guides

Buying guide

Baking Beans: Blind Baking Without a Soggy Bottom

Ceramic beans, metal chains or dried pulses: what to use for blind baking, and how to do it properly.

Buying guide

Baking Trays and Bun Tins: What You Need

Flat baking sheets, deep trays and bun tins: which to own for biscuits, scones and mince pies.

Buying guide

Biscuit Cutters for Christmas Baking

Stars, trees and gingerbread people: the cutters worth having for Christmas biscuits, and how to keep their shapes sharp.

A serrated bread knife on a wooden board

Buying guide

Bread Knives: Why Serrations Matter

A sharp chef's knife squashes a fresh loaf; a good bread knife saws through crust and crumb. What length and serrations to choose.

A bread maker with dough rising inside the window

Buying guide

Bread Makers: Are They Worth It?

Add the ingredients, press a button and wake up to fresh bread. Loaf sizes, programmes and the limits of a bread machine.

Buying guide

Bun and Muffin Tins: For Fairy Cakes, Mince Pies and More

Shallow bun tins versus deep muffin tins, how many holes to buy, and which works for mince pies and Yorkshire puddings.

Comparisons

An antique blue-and-white porcelain teacup

Comparison

Bone China vs Porcelain vs Stoneware for Tea Sets

How the three materials differ in weight, strength, heat and care, and which to choose.

How-to guides

A cream tea with scones, jam and clotted cream

How-to

Afternoon Tea Menu Ideas

Classic, Scottish, Welsh and vegetarian menus, each built from three tiers.

How-to

Afternoon Tea Sandwiches: Fillings, Quantities & Make-Ahead

How many to make per guest, the classic fillings, and how to keep them fresh.

How-to

Essential Equipment for British Baking

What you need to start, what to add next, and what only serious bakers need.

Scones with jam and cream, a cup of tea and a china teapot

How-to

How to Host Afternoon Tea at Home

A countdown plan from two days before to the moment you pour, with quantities from our planner.

A round table laid for afternoon tea with a tiered stand, teapot, cups and saucers

How-to

How to Set an Afternoon Tea Table

Place settings, where the teapot goes, and a printable checklist for the table.

Explainers

Baking ingredients: eggs, lemons, butter and sugar

Explainer

British Baking Terms Explained

Caster sugar, self-raising flour, double cream, gas marks: what they mean and what to use elsewhere.

Kitchen design

Herbs growing in the walled kitchen garden at Audley End

Kitchen design

A Windowsill Herb Garden for Your Kitchen

Which herbs grow well indoors, how to keep them going, and the pots and planters that work best.

A large white ceramic sink in the historic kitchen at Charlecote Park, Warwickshire

Kitchen design

Belfast vs Butler Sinks: What's the Difference?

Both are deep ceramic sinks, but they are not the same. How to tell them apart and choose the right one.

Kitchen design

Boiling Water Taps: Are They Worth It?

How boiling water taps work, the space and running costs to plan for, safety features, and who they really suit.

Kitchen design

Bread Bins: Which Type Keeps Bread Fresh?

Wood, enamel, ceramic or steel: how bread bins work, which suits your bread, and where to keep one.

Two metal bar stools at a granite breakfast bar

Kitchen design

Breakfast Bars and Stools: Getting the Heights Right

Counter height or bar height, how tall the stools should be, and how much knee room and width each person needs.

A freestanding butcher's block in a kitchen

Kitchen design

Butcher's Blocks and Kitchen Trolleys: Extra Worktop Without an Island

A freestanding butcher's block or trolley adds prep space and storage to a kitchen too small for an island.