Cooking on stone at De Librije
Jonnie Boer decided to move his restaurant De Librije from the former monastery in Zwolle to an indoor courtyard and was sure to make the kitchen the center of the restaurant, made by Dekton by Cosentino.
Consentino designed an innovative kitchen for De Librije
Jonnie and Thérèse Boer, proud owners of three Michelin stars, already worked with Consentino before. This Spanish family owned company is the biggest producer of innovative and quality surfaces in the world. In 2012 they organised a design competition for De Librije’s chefs’ table. The table designed by Dries van Wagenberg’s, was fabricated with quartz from Cosentino.
Chef Boer was so pleased with the result he decided to invite the Spanish producer for another collaboration. Jonnie Boer: ‘The moment we builded our new restaurant, we had several plans. The crazy plans from Cosentino were added to them’. Thérèse Boer: ‘We have carefully chosen to situate the kitchen in the centre of the restaurant. It has to look amazing. We also chose to pick natural elements, which as well had to be functional.’
The kitchen’s worktop, a fine piece of design by interior architect Eric Kuster, is made from Dekton by Cosentino. This revolutionary surface material has been fabricated with advanced raw materials which are also used in the production of glas, porcelain and quartz surfaces. Due to the unique characteristics Dekton can be used in many different way’s like floors, fronts, worktop’s and wallcovering.
Cooking on stone
Just like in nature Dekton is produced under high temperature conditions and extreme pressure, this makes the material ultracompact, non-porous and resistant to heat and cold. Thérèse Boer: ‘Therefore we decided to come up with the idea: cooking on stone.’
Due to the fact Dekton is restistant against heat, it is possible to place induction coils underneath the worktop. The usual glass worktop can be omitted, this creates a flat, seamless worktop which can be used for other purposes as well. The induction process won’t heat up the Dekton, it only warms the pan for a certain amount of time, on a specific place of the worktop.
Jonnie Boer: ‘I wanted to have a worktop where things are happening, which gives the restaurant an extra experience. A lot of guests join us during our work. I put the pan on the Dekton surface and it will cook. People cannot believe what they see. Afterwards I clean the worktop with a clove and the heat is gone. This is an innovation which surpises people.’ Thérèse Boer: ‘It creates a unique picture. Our guests go crazy on it.’
The material makes it possible to combine with wood, glass, stainless steel and other materials which are used often in kitchens. Jonnie Boer: ‘We are now the only restaurant in the world with this product, within a few years other restaurants will have Dekton by Cosentino in their restaurant, it is a superb product.’
