With the festive season just around the corner, new research from Samsung Electronics UK has revealed the Christmas dishes that the nation finds the most difficult to perfect when cooking Christmas lunch or dinner.
Roast turkey, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings lead the way as the dishes that UK adults struggle to get right, as nearly two thirds (64%) admit that cooking Christmas dinner for family/friends is one of the most stressful parts of Christmas.
The different temperatures required to cook multiple dishes at the same time (37%) was cited as the main reason why a Christmas dinner dish is difficult to make. This was closely followed by trying to time the dish with other elements of the Christmas meal (35%) and it not being a recipe that the individual makes often (27%).
Roast potatoes (48%), roast turkey (36%) and bacon wrapped sausages (36%) were voted the nation’s favourite dishes to eat during the festive season, whilst 1.01pm-1.30pm was the most popular time to start tucking into the main Christmas meal on Christmas Day (23%). In addition to this, nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to still eating Christmas leftovers up to three days after Christmas Day.
The survey revealed the top pet peeves when making Christmas dinner for friends or family, including mess created in the kitchen (44%), lack of space (42%) and timings being off when making the food (36%).
For those eating Christmas dinner, the main pet peeves listed were people not helping to clean up or wash up after the meal (20%), mess created on the dinner table when eating (17%) and being crammed round the table (16%).
Whilst those making Christmas dinner stated that an oven (55%), hob (35%) and fridge freezer (30%) are the most crucial kitchen appliances to cook a good Christmas meal, the nation has admitted to taking various shortcuts when preparing Christmas dinner. This includes using instant gravy granules (43%), buying premade stuffing/bacon wrapped sausages from the shops (41%) and microwaving food that usually goes in the oven (20%).
To help the nation this festive season, Samsung have enlisted the help of leading Chef and Manager of Sauce by The Langham, Millie Simpson, to create a number of easy-to-follow Christmas recipes including how to make the perfect roasties for the dinner table.
Tanya Weller, Marketing Director of Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics (UK & Ireland) Ltd., commented, “As our research revealed, cooking the Christmas dinner for loved ones is considered one of the most stressful tasks during the festive period, with those surveyed stating that cooking different dishes at multiple temperatures and trying to time the dishes with other elements of the Christmas meal are the biggest challenges. Fortunately, Samsung has a number of great home appliances to combat this, including our Dual Cook single oven range that allow individuals to cook two different dishes at two different temperatures – ensuring they can have a seamless experience when in charge of making Christmas dinner. Plus, if you only use the top half, you can save 25% on energy.[1]”
Samsung’s innovative Home Appliances range is the perfect equipment to have in your kitchen for everyday use and special occasions, such as Christmas. With a Dual Cook oven that allows different Christmas dishes to be cooked at different temperatures and Induction Hob with Flex Zone, a large open area which accommodates different sizes of cookware when cooking large meals, Samsung’s Home Appliances will ensure users can enjoy stress free Christmas dinner prep this December.
