Inside chef and TV presenter Karen Martini’s ultra-functional kitchen

Author, chef, food writer and TV presenter: Karen Martini is more than comfortable in the kitchen. And hers is exactly as wonderful as one would imagine.

Four (yes, four) customised ovens, slideable track lighting for flexibility and three dishwashers render her kitchen more than capable of handling the charcuterie and Chablis that are consumed within when she puts on a spread for guests.

Here, Karen Martini talks us through what she loves about her kitchen design.

Karen Martini is transforming her St Kilda restaurant ‘Saint George’ into ‘The Kindness Kitchen’ for one day only on Thursday 6 June, 2024

In collaboration with Chobani and Foodbank, Karen will be hosting an unforgettable dining experience in her Melbourne restaurant to raise awareness and funds for Australians who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Guests will be treated to a culinary feast curated by Karen, as well as a bespoke dessert recipe using one of two limited time only flavours of Chobani yoghurt created in collaboration with Foodbank. All proceeds of the sales and the event will go to Foodbank; each limited edition tub purchased from Woolworths will equal 6 meals donated to those who need it most via Foodbank’s fruit and vegetable programs.

“Our special Kindness Kitchen menu will feature delicious seasonal local ingredients, featuring an exclusive dessert inspired by the Chobani x Foodbank yogurt, which is what both my cooking and our restaurant is all about,” says Karen.

Purchase your ticket for just $7.90 here: The Kindness Kitchen by Karen Martini.

The Kindness Kitchen

What appliances did you choose for this kitchen?

It was always a dream of mine to have a Wolf oven and stove. All the appliances here are Wolf. We have a double oven with gas burners, an iron flat top and grill. It’s all modular, so if you are talking to Wolf directly, as I was, you can mix and match to suit your needs. I also have a combination oven (convection and steam) and an induction top with three burners. Both convection ovens are about 120cm wide. Well worth it for me as I do a lot of baking, testing and cooking out of this kitchen. We have two large built-in Sub-Zero fridges. One is all fridge, and the other is a fridge and freezer. We also have a wine fridge in the butler’s pantry and an ice machine.

How do you use the four ovens?

We have two lower convection ovens under the cooktop range, but then also the combination convection and steam, which is an in-wall oven that I have below the main bench. You can put it up higher, but when we were designing the kitchen we decided that we didn’t want any above-bench shelving, so the line of the kitchen was all waist height and below. I’ve done minimal baking in the combination convection and steam oven. I’ve steamed whole legs of lamb in it and then roasted them. I’ve made dumplings and steamed vegetables and rice. It is a beautiful appliance, but it isn’t second nature to me… it doesn’t come naturally.

Was there anything brought over from your time working in commercial kitchens?

We have three dishwashers in our kitchen: a large Siemens dishwasher for all the heavy-duty pots and pans, and then two Fisher & Paykels with drawers that are going constantly. We talked about having one of those whizbang amazing glass washers that do a 90-second wash. We probably should have installed it in the butler’s pantry, but just couldn’t stretch to it then and are still thinking about installing one, mainly because we do a lot of entertaining.

ON ISLAND BENCH Petal ceramic sculpture by Kirsten Perry, Pépite . Mortar and pestle, bowls, copper bucket and her new Cook book, all Karen’s.

ON TABLE Ceramic plates by Karen’s daughter. Cream ceramic plate and spoon, Shelley Panton . LagunaB ‘Fantasia’ tumbler, Maison de Vacances ‘Mimi Vichy’ napkins and tablecloth in Cactus, all Pan After .

What about your lighting, storage and material choices?

We have track lighting, where we can slide the lamp anywhere we like, even change the angle. We couldn’t pinpoint the lighting prior to having the kitchen done, because it’s very difficult to work out where you’ll spend most of your time working – although I do know it’s the triangle between the stove and the main benchtop. I would never do fixed lighting in the ceiling now because we like the flexibility. For storage, everything is under the counters; it’s all drawers, with cupboards on the front side of the main service bench. The main bench also has four seats on the end, which was important for bench entertaining and because it is the heart of the house. Everyone gravitates here; no matter which door they come in, they all end up here. Our bench height is higher than the average bench – it sits just above my waist. I also increased the width of the space between the benches because we had the space and I didn’t want it to be a tight shuffle. And really, you need a place to dance and spin! But at no stage was I going to put a sink in the main bench area. I really am opposed to looking into a sink when entertaining. Guests don’t want to see you spraying down a chopping board, so we have a double sink in the back. I also think waste and rubbish in the kitchen is important, because you want to recycle and have a green waste. It is something that people just forget about and put under the kitchen sink, but it’s nowhere near enough room. When you think about the room you might need, I suggest doubling it.

ON BACK WALL Sharon Alpren striped bowl, Pépite . Scallop vase in Snowy Plum, Jardan. Fiona Scanlan white vase, Pan After . Ella Bendrups ceramic sculpture and Emily Ellis black vase, both Pépite . Ceramic plate by Karen’s daughter.

What does entertaining look like at your place?

Usually a bit of charcuterie, a few pickles, anchovy on toast or a shucked oyster here and there… a quick glass of Chablis or a minerally white, then there could be something off the barbecue if the weather is even slightly warm. We will barbecue at the drop of a hat. We like cooking over flames and do start a proper fire, though we don’t have a gas barbecue yet and probably will have a mix when we put one in. You can’t beat that flavour.

Favourite kitchen essentials?

Good pans and a microplane. You need to invest in a couple of different sizes of pans because you can’t cook everything in a two-litre pot. A deep frypan is handy, and always buy bigger. Things burn in a small pot because they are piled on top of each other and the base cooks too fast. The microplane is just one of those great inventions. It grates things finely, and you can use it to make dishes like a quick tahini sauce: just grab a clove of garlic and a cup of plain yoghurt and grate the garlic straight onto the yoghurt with salt and pepper and oil and two tablespoons of tahini. It makes the best garlic sauce ever.

Were the recipes for your new book tested in here?

This kitchen has worked hard. It tested this book, and the two before that. We also shot the book here, plus we film TV as well. We can control the lighting, so it always has a bright airy feel. It is a working kitchen and great for entertaining.

One thing you’d change in this dream working kitchen?

I’d die for that 90-second washer!