If you're looking for a good quality range cooker ... check out Steel Cuisine's Genesi 100.

Steel Cuisine is run by Mark Scott - I met him at the Grand Designs Live show at the NEC last month - and the business was only launched in 2008 (not the best timing!). Steel Cucine - on the other hand - the Italian manufacturer - has been making good quality cookers since 1922. It's also an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for other brands, such as Neff, AEG and De Dietrich. Quite a pedigree.

Mark himself is no newcomer to the appliance industry either; a bit of research reveals that he was responsible for the launch of Fisher and Paykel appliances to the UK a few years ago - before they were bought by Whirlpool. He's obviously got an eye for quality appliances.

Steel Cuisine supplies range cookers and side-by-side, American style fridge-freezers to retailers ... although you won't find them on internet-only sites. They're only sold through specialists - who have a showroom - and selected John Lewis stores. Check the Steel Cuisine website for a retailer near you.

The Genesi cookers have classy, simple styling - with a very modern look - and the 1000 model is by far the most versatile. It's the Genesi cooker most likely to fit well into UK kitchens. Here's a two oven model in lime ...

... and here's the three oven model again, in the same colour (supposedly!). I took this picture myself, at the show, and it sort of conveys the bold character  - and the colour - of the cooker better (although it's not a technically good photo - and that gap at the top is for your own choice of additional hob; see below). You wouldn't believe it was the same cooker (I think they may have tweaked the design a little for the UK market) - but wouldn't you just love to have this one in your kitchen?

You'll have to go to the website of the Italian manufacturer to see further pictures ... it's one of those horrible sites (to bloggers) - where they have Flash pictures, which you can't nick!  Incidentally - don't try to get to the Italian site from the Steel Cuisine site - the links don't work. I'm sure they'll fix that soon, though.

So what's so special about the Steel Cuisine Genesi 100 cooker? Well, here's a list:

• you can choose to have two or three ovens (with two ovens you get 56 litre and 30 litre capacity)
• oven doors can be glazed or solid
• ovens are A energy rated
• the main oven is fully programmable
• ovens have telescopic shelving
• a rotisserie is included
• the hob is stainless steel and one piece
• you can choose between the following hob options:
  • all ceramic
  • 6 gas burners
  • 4 gas burners + 2 ceramic rings
  • 4 gas burners with a choice of : smooth cast iron fry top; ribbed steak griddle; deep fat fryer; or lava stone grill
• there's also a recently introduced induction hob option - but it's not clear whether that's the whole hob or a 2-ring option with the gas rings
• the price at around £3,200 - £3,500 for the two oven model and £3,500 to £3,800 for the three oven model (depending on your choices) ... is reasonable for the quality
• you can choose between eight colours: steel, black, anthracite, green, lime, yellow, red or white
• you can change your mind and change the colour in the future

I only found out about that last option from Mark, at the show. I think it's a brilliant idea. For £195 + VAT (currently), they will come and change the coloured panels on your cooker (and cooker hood if you bought a matching one with a coloured panel). So - go ahead - buy the lime one! You can change it to pristine white or neutral black when you get tired of it.

I'm not sure the same applies to the fridge-freezers ... but I'll add them here ... just because I did manage to find a picture of them, showing all the colour options:

And here's another picture I managed to find. They're great looking appliances!

The Genesi also comes in a 1200mm version, shown above, which has a big 75 litre oven, as well as the small 30 litre one, and eight gas rings ... or a choice of four gas rings, with two of the options listed for the 100 version. Only for the serious cooks amongst you.

There's also a 900 version with a big single oven. Here it is in black:

I think the Genesi 100 is the one to go for, though. Find a displaying retailer and go and have a look at the cooker in person. I'm sure you'll be impressed.